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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 4/2018

01-08-2018 | Original Paper

Healthy Living Behaviors Among Chinese–American Preschool-Aged Children: Results of a Parent Survey

Authors: Virginia Rall Chomitz, Alison Brown, Victoria Lee, Aviva Must, Kenneth Kwan Ho Chui

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 4/2018

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Abstract

Associations between diet, physical activity, parenting, and acculturation among Chinese-American children are understudied. Parents/caregivers of children attending child-care programs in Boston Chinatown completed a self-administered survey on demographics, child’s diet, physical activities, anthropometrics, and parenting practices. Associations were evaluated in multivariable regression analysis, stratified by survey language preference, a proxy for acculturation. Responding Asian families = 132; 86.4% were immigrants; 75.8% completed the Chinese-version survey. Children (mean ± SD: 4.9 ± 1.1 years) did not eat vegetables (31.8%), or play actively outside (45.4%) daily, 64.8% watched television/screens daily; 32.6% were overweight/obese (based on parent report). Parenting practices associated with obesity were apparent. Although healthy-living behavioral outcomes were less prevalent among less acculturated parents; multivariable adjustment attenuated the observed significant differences. Findings suggest opportunities for improvement in study children’s diet and healthy-living behaviors, and underscore the need for further research on acculturation, and parenting styles in this population.
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Metadata
Title
Healthy Living Behaviors Among Chinese–American Preschool-Aged Children: Results of a Parent Survey
Authors
Virginia Rall Chomitz
Alison Brown
Victoria Lee
Aviva Must
Kenneth Kwan Ho Chui
Publication date
01-08-2018
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 4/2018
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0619-z

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