Gender differences in non-leisure time physical activity and its association with overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes among U.S. Mexican-American and Mexican adults
Abstract
Overview: The United States and Mexico are among the world leaders in obesity and diabetes prevalence. This dissertation explores whether differences in occupational-related physical activity (non-Leisure Time Physical Activity or non-LTPA) levels by gender exist between U.S. and Mexico, and if differences in overweight, obesity, and diabetes prevalence can be explained by differences in non-LTPA levels, beyond Leisure Time Physical Activity (LTPA) levels, by gender and country. The aim of this study was to ascertain the association of non-LTPA with overweight, obesity, and diabetes in U.S. Mexican-American and Mexican adults. Methods: Data from the nationally representative U.S. 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2011–2012), and Mexico’s 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (ENSANUT 2012) were examined using multinomial and logistic regression models while controlling for education level. Results: Women were less active in “high” intensity (PR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.33–0.80) non-LTPA than men overall. U.S. Mexican-Americans were less active in “moderate” intensity (PR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.38–0.82) and “high” intensity (PR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.30–0.63) non-LTPA than Mexicans. Mexican-Americans are more likely to be overweight or obese than Mexicans (overweight PR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.24, obesity PR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.31–2.72). However, neither evidence of an association between the interaction of non-LTPA and gender with overweight/obesity (PR=1.15, 95% CI: 0.67–1.97 for overweight, and PR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.38–1.14 for obesity) nor between the interaction of non-LTPA and country with overweight/obesity (PR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.58–1.26 for overweight and PR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.61–1.33 for obesity) was observed. Mexican-Americans are more than twice as likely as Mexicans to have diabetes (PR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.51–3.89). No evidence of an association between the interaction of non-LTPA and gender with self-reported diabetes was observed (PR=1.01, 95% CI: 0.50–2.06). However, evidence of an association between the interaction of non-LTPA and country with self-reported diabetes (PR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.06–2.78) was observed. Conclusions: The results of this study are plausible and furthered our understanding regarding the role played by occupation-related physical activity (non-LTPA) in the prevalence of overweight/obesity and diabetes type 2 in the U.S. and Mexico. Future research is needed to ascertain the role played by total physical activity as well as socio-cultural and environmental determinants in obesity and diabetes prevalence.
Subject Area
Latin American Studies|Public health|Hispanic American studies
Recommended Citation
Solis Canto, Luis Humberto, "Gender differences in non-leisure time physical activity and its association with overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes among U.S. Mexican-American and Mexican adults" (2016). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI10126231.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI10126231