Cardiovascular Diseases Commons^™

Migration As A Determinant Of Childhood Obesity In The United States And Latin America, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Arturo V. Bustamante, Nancy López-Olmedo, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi, Jaqueline Torres, Karen E. Peterson, Graciela Teruel, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

International migration has economic and health implications. The acculturation process to the host country may be linked to childhood obesity. We use the Community Energy Balance (CEB) framework to analyze the relationship between migration and childhood obesity in Mexican households with international migrants. Using longitudinal data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS), we examine how migrant networks affect childhood obesity in origin communities. We also review binational health programs that could be effective at tackling childhood obesity in migrant households from Mexico. Children embedded in migrant networks are at greater risk of developing overweight or obesity, suggesting a significant …