Elsevier

Journal of Pediatric Health Care

Volume 22, Issue 2, March–April 2008, Pages 103-110
Journal of Pediatric Health Care

Original article
Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Chinese American Children: Associations between Overweight, Acculturation, and Physical Activity

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2007.03.002Get rights and content

Abstract

Introduction

Understanding cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among Chinese American children would allow us to target individuals in this group who are at the greatest risk for developing CVD early in life. The purpose of this study is to examine cardiovascular risk factors (increased blood pressure [BP], total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, decreased high-density lipoproteins, and increased body mass index [BMI]) in Chinese American children.

Method

A cross-sectional design was used. A total number of 65 children, aged 8 to 10 years, and their mothers participated in the study. Measurements of the children’s weight, height, BP, blood sample, level of physical fitness, activity level, and dietary intake were collected. Mothers completed questionnaires regarding family history of CVD and level of acculturation.

Results

A low level of physical activity and high paternal BMI were associated with higher systolic BP in the children. A low level of physical activity was also found to be a risk factor for higher LDL and systolic BP in the children. A high birth weight and lower parental acculturation level were risk factors for higher BMI in the children.

Discussion

The findings suggest that a low level of physical activity and high BMI are associated with increased risk of CVD in Chinese American children. The development of culturally appropriate programs that promote an active lifestyle and reduce weight is critical in CVD prevention in Chinese American populations.

Section snippets

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore factors associated with an increased CVD risk (increased BP, cholesterol, LDLs, and triglycerides and decreased HDLs) and BMI in Chinese American children. The children in the study performed a simple physical fitness test and completed standardized questionnaires related to their activity level and dietary intake. The mothers completed questionnaires regarding their family history of CVD and level of acculturation.

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Results

The average BMI was 18 kg/m2 (SD = 3.7) for children, 23.1 kg/m2 (SD = 4.1) for mothers, and 24.8 kg/m2 (SD = 4.2) for fathers. We found that 4.6% of children were underweight (n = 3), as their BMI was below 5th percentile based on CDC growth charts (CDC, 2000); 58.5% of children (n = 38) were normal weight (BMI between 5th and 84th percentile); and 36.9% (n = 24) were overweight (BMI above 85th percentile). Of the overweight children, 62.5% were boys (n = 15) and 37.5% were girls (n = 9).

Discussion

When compared with national data collected in 2004, our data indicated a similar overweight prevalence in Chinese American children. Childhood obesity has affected children of all ethnic groups in the United States, as demonstrated in Figure 1. Because Chinese Americans are the fastest-growing Asian population in the United States, it is important for health care providers and researchers to investigate risk factors for being overweight in this group to prevent health issues related to being

Jyu-Lin Chen is Assistant Professor, Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California–San Francisco.

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  • Cited by (0)

    Jyu-Lin Chen is Assistant Professor, Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California–San Francisco.

    Yuaner Wu is a Doctoral Student, Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California–San Francisco.

    This study was supported by a University of California-San Francisco School of Nursing research grant and NIH roadmap (K12 HD049077).

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