Do latino immigrants link self-rated health with BMI and health behaviors?

Academic Article

Abstract

  • Objectives: To assess the association between self-rated health, obesity, and self-reported health behaviors of Latino immigrants Methods: Two hundred two Latino immigrants (mean age=31.63, SD=8.30, 54% female) participated in a 15-minute interview and height and weight measurements. Results: Participants reporting good to excellent health reported engaging in physical activity during the past month (P≤.05), eating more fruits and vegetables (P<.001 and P<.01 respectively), and watching less television (P<.01) than did those who reported fair to poor health. Self-rated health was not associated with BMI. Conclusions: Greater attention to Latinos' self-perception of health in relation to weight is needed to develop interventions to improve health status.
  • Published In

    Digital Object Identifier (doi)

    Author List

  • Kepka D; Suchi Ayala GX; Cherrington A
  • Start Page

  • 535
  • End Page

  • 544
  • Volume

  • 31
  • Issue

  • 5