Quadratic Effects of Residence in US and Household Members on Obesity

15-1807

The American Heart Association (2016) reported that one in every three adults in US is obese, while another third of the population is overweight. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2015), obesity can lead to heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Focusing on factors affecting obesity in US, we examined whether the length of residence in US and number of household members affected obesity by using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011-2014). In the current research, obesity was defined as a body mass index of values greater than 30.0 kg/m² (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2017). Based on the results from regression and trend analyses, a significant nonlinear increase with respect to the length of residence in US and a significant exponential decrease related to the number of household members were detected. The inflection points of obesity were 20 years of residence in US and 5 household members. These patterns were observed amongst all ethnicities and for US citizens and immigrants alike. Based on the current findings, we expand the focus of research to social and cultural factors affecting obesity such as SES, family composition, family values and cultures, ages of immigration, and marital status. In addition to research findings, the presentation of current research will provide information about how secondary data analyses can facilitate undergraduate research.