Acculturation And Leisure-time Physical Activity Among Asian American In The United States, 2011-2016

Abstract

The Asian population has become the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States (US). However, less than a quarter of Asian Americans met WHO Physical Activity (PA) Guideline. Few studies have examined the association between acculturation and leisure-time PA among Asian Americans. PURPOSE: To examine the association between acculturation and leisure-time PA among Asian American adults. METHODS: Data concerning 1,989 Asian Americans aged 20 years and older, came from the 2011- 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Acculturation was assessed in three dimensions: the language preference at home (only Non-English language, both English and Non-English language, and only English), length of residency in the US (<10 years, 10-29 years, ≥30 years, US born), and birth locations (US-born, foreign-born). Using self-reported minutes/day and days/week moderate and vigorous leisure-time PA, we calculated moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) MET minutes/week. MVPA was analyzed as a continuous variable and a categorical variable (i.e., meeting WHO PA guidelines, ≥600 MET minutes/week) in multiple linear and logistic regression models after controlling for covariates, respectively. RESULTS: Among participants, 24.5% of Asian Americans spoke only English at home, while 47.8% spoke only non-English at home. 13.0% of participants were born in the US. The odds of meeting PA guidelines were higher among Asians speaking only English (adjusted OR [AOR]=1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4, 2.4) and those speaking both non-English and English at home (AOR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.0), compared to those who spoke only non-English at home. US-born Asians were more likely to meet PA guidelines than foreign-born Asians (AOR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.6) and on average they performed 137 more minutes of leisure-time MVPA each week than foreign-born Asians. Asians in the US since birth had higher odds to meet PA guidelines than Asians stayed in US for less than 10 years (AOR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.5, 3.3). CONCLUSIONS: More acculturated Asian Americans such as those who spoke more English at home and US-born Asians, perform more leisure-time MVPA than less acculturated Asian Americans. Interventions are needed to promote PA among non-English speaking Asian immigrants and those who stayed in the US for less than 10 years.