Association of Asian/Asian-American Immigrants' Physical Activity Behavior and Length of Residence in the U.S.

Abstract

Background. The aim of this study was to examine the potential relationship between Asian/Asian-American immigrants’ length of residence in the U.S. and their leisure-time physical activity behavior. Method. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2013–2014). Among 1,074 Non-Hispanic Asian/Asian-American participants, 541 (Female = 287, Male = 254) were > 20 years of age (M = 48.51, SD = 15.22), not born in the U.S., and they reported their physical activity data. Results. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of reporting participation in leisure-time, moderate or vigorous physical activity (MVPA). After adjusting for age, gender, income, and education level, those living in the U.S. increased their odds of participating in MVPA. Specifically, compared to those who had been in the U.S. for 20 increased their odds of MVPA participation by 145%, 139%, 189% and 293%, respectively, with p values being marginally significant for 10-20 years p=0.06, and significant for more than 20 years, p=0.02. Conclusions. This set of observations implies that there may be positive features in American culture in terms of facilitating Asian/Asian-American adults’ MVPA as their length of residence in America increased. Gaining deeper insights into precisely what those features are and design targeted physical activity promotion program should be the focus of future research.