Drivers of Overweight/Obesity in 4–11 Year Old Children of Australians and Immigrants; Evidence from Growing Up in Australia

Abstract

Despite high overweight/obesity rates in children of Australian immigrants, the risk factors are unknown. We investigated behavioural risk factors and their association with overweight/obesity in 4–11 year-old children by immigrant status. We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of 8 years data from the longitudinal study of Australian children. Immigrant children from low-and-middle-income-countries had higher overweight/obesity rates across all ages. These children had higher vegetables and sugar-sweetened-beverages intake, higher sedentary activities and lower organized-sports participation than immigrant children from high-income-countries or Australian-children. Organized-sports participation and screen-time converged to the Australian norms in 10–11 year-old boys, but not in girls. Preference for sedentary activities and screen-time explained the differences in overweight/obesity by maternal immigrant status in boys but not in girls. The difference in drivers of overweight/obesity amongst immigrant children from low-and-middle-income-countries suggest more nuanced age, sex and culturally sensitive preventive health messages for immigrants.