Abstract
This study compares eating habits among obese and non-obese Filipinas living in an urban area of Japan. We used self-report questionnaires to study 635 Filipinos. Body mass index (BMI) and eating/lifestyle habits were noted. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥25 kg/m2. Seventeen percent (24/140) were obese. Results of the age-adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis show that the following responses were associated with obesity: “frequency of eating high green and yellow vegetables” (every day: 0, not every day: 1) [OR 4.9; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.6–14.8] and “frequency of eating high fruits” (every day: 0, not every day: 1) (OR .2; 95 % CI .1–.7). We suggest strategies to prevent obesity and improve eating habits among this Filipina population.
Highlights
The number of registered foreign residents in Japan has been on the rise since the 1980s
While there is growing attention in the literature to obesity and lifestyle-related diseases among Filipinos living at home and abroad, we still know little about the health status and lifestyle habits of Filipinos living in Japan. This study addresses this empirical gap by investigating the eating habits of obese and non-obese Filipinas living in an urban area of Japan
Previous studies have investigated Filipino participants who have lived in Japan for 5 years or less [16,17,18]; in this study, the participants’ average length of stay in Japan was approximately 10 years
Summary
The number of registered foreign residents in Japan has been on the rise since the 1980s. Of all the foreign residents in Japan, the number of registered Filipino residents in particular is expected to rise in the several years. This projected increase is related to several factors, including the economic partnership agreement (EPA) and the free trade agreement (FTA) as well as the increase in transnational marriages between Japanese men and Filipino women. Tokyo was home to 31,925 Filipinos in 2007, representing 8.3 % of the total population of registered foreign residents in the area [4]
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