Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-3-2021

Journal / Book Title

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Abstract

The aim of this study is to ascertain if the living environment (type of residential neighborhood and number of household members) will elucidate differences in obesity risk reduction behaviors and self-efficacy in Chinese Americans. A cross-sectional survey design was used to recruit participants from Los Angeles County and New York City metropolitan areas. A total of 650 adults were recruited from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Descriptive statistics were measured for 19 behaviors reflecting food intake and portion size control and items measuring self-efficacy and attitudes. T-tests were applied for the two categories of living environment. The mean age of the sample was 36.3 years. The ‘high income’ neighborhood group indicated a greater frequency of behaviors, including choosing steamed over fried foods (p < 0.01) and using small amounts of oil (p < 0.05). In general, this group exhibited more favorable attitudes and stronger self-efficacy to per- form health behaviors. Multiple regression analyses point to the impact of self-efficacy in predicting behaviors. Nutrition professionals must assess client’s living environments in the adoption of obesity prevention behaviors and the fostering of behavioral confidence.

Comments

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179322

Published Citation

Liou, Doreen, and Jessica A. Karasik. "Living Environment Considerations on Obesity Prevention Behaviors and Self-Efficacy among Chinese Americans." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 17 (2021): 9322.

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