Associations between physical activity and overweight among U.S. youth by immigrant generation: results from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health.

BACKGROUND This study examines relations between parent and youth physical activity (PA; days per week), sports participation, and overweight (BMI≥85th percentile) among U.S. youth, and whether this relationship varies by immigrant generation and sex. METHODS Participants included 28,691 youth ages 10-17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Youth were grouped into first, second, and third or higher generation. Primary analyses include Chi-square and post hoc tests to assess mean differences, and adjusted logistic regressions to test associations between weight status and independent variables. RESULTS Each additional day youth participated in PA decreased their odds of overweight (OW) by 10% [OR: 0.90 (0.87-0.94)]; participation in sports significantly reduced their odds of OW by 17% [OR: 0.83 (0.71-0.98)]. First generation boys who participated in sports had 70% lower odds of OW [OR: 0.30 (0.11-0.83)] compared with first generation boys who did not participate in sports. For third generation girls, participation in sports reduced the odds of OW by 23% [OR: 0.77 (0.62-0.96)] compared with those who did not participate in sports. CONCLUSION The protective influence of PA on youth's risk of OW varies by immigrant generation and sex. Parent PA was not related to youth's risk of OW.