(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Immigrant children in the U.S. may be less likely
to join their local football or tennis teams than those born in America.
This new research comes at a time when physical activity has been especially
encouraged as a way to prevent disease and improve health. Over the past 20
years, rates of childhood obesity and diabetes mellitus have risen dramatically.
The study revealed 22.5 percent of immigrant Hispanic children were not
physically active compared to 9.5 percent of white children born in the United
States to native parents; however, while they were less likely to play a sport
and exercise, they watched television less on average.
Immigrants currently account for 12.6 percent of the nation's population. "It is
important to know how patterns of physical activity, inactivity and sedentary
behaviors for this increasing segment of the population differ from those of the
majority native population," study authors wrote.
The authors say this disparity will likely contribute to a disadvantage in
immigrant health as they reach adulthood. "To reduce disparities in childhood
physical activity, health education programs designed to promote physical
activity should target not only children from socially disadvantaged households
and neighborhoods but also children in immigrant families."
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2008;162:756-763
