Linguistic Isolation, Overweight, and Insufficient Physical Activity among Florida Adolescents

Claire A. Caillouet (EMERGE Undergraduate Researcher) Department of Health, Leisure, & Exercise Science

University of West Florida

Karla A. Caillouet, MS (PEH Doctoral Mentor)

F. Stephen Bridges, Ed.D.(Faculty Advisor)

Presentation Objectives

Study background Research Question/Purpose of the study Methods

Variables, source of data, statistics Results Discussion Conclusion References

Study Background

In the last 30 years, rates of obesity, defined as greater than the 95th percentile for body mass index (BMI) for age–gender, have more than doubled in adolescents ages 12 to 19 years old. (Lutfiyya et al., 2008)

Twenty-five percent of obese adults were overweight as children and researchers reported that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe. (Freedman et al., 2001)

Study Background

In homes where English was not the primary language, studies have reported an inverse association with physical activity (PA) participation. (Liu, et al., 2009)

A study reported a higher prevalence of obesity in homes where English was not the primary language. (Liu et al., 2009)

Study Background

Liu et al. (2009) reported obesity was 51% higher in homes where English was not the primary language than in English-speaking homes.

This difference disappeared after controlling for family socioeconomic status.

Generational status was not a significant correlate of obesity. (Liu, et al.,2009)

Study Background

Socioeconomic characteristics of schools can be community barriers to PA among underserved children. (Duke, Huhman, & Heitzler, 2003)

Prior research suggests that students of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to have PE required in their schools. (Johnston et al., 2007)

PE programs may represent a particularly important source of PA among youth who may not choose, qualify, or be able to afford to play on organized sports teams or be active through other avenues. (Hannon, 2008)

Study Background

A national study that surveyed parents of early adolescents in homes where English was not the primary language spoken found that key barriers to their children’s participation in PA included:

Expenses related to PA programs Issues with transportation to the PA programs Lack of PA opportunities in their communities

(Duke, Huhman, & Heitzler, 2003).

Study Background

Adolescent linguistic acculturation, in addition to representing language use at home, may also characterize the language used to learn and communicate with friends. The composition of adolescents' schools and neighborhoods and whether youth feel a sense of belonging may affect their PA participation in these settings.

In a study by Yu et al. (2003), they observed a significant inverse association between adolescent acculturation and participation in community team sports in adolescent boys.

Increased participation in community sports among less acculturated boys in this study may reflect feelings of alienation or exclusion from organized school activities.

(Yu et al., 2003)

Research Question/Purpose

Research Question: Is linguistic isolation

among middle school and high school adolescents associated with them being overweight and/or engaging in less than sufficient amounts of vigorous PA?

Purpose of this Study: To explore linguistic

isolation as a social correlate of being overweight and getting sufficient PA among adolescents across FL counties.

Methods/Study Variables

Linguistic Isolation Data (2006 to 2010)

3 Measures of linguistic isolation defined by Florida CHARTS (Community Health Assessment Resource Tool Set):

1. Little English Spoken 2006 to 2010 in 67 FL counties.

2. Percentage of population over 5 years of age that doesn’t speak English 2006 to 2010 in 67 FL counties.

3. Percentage of population 5 years of age and over that speak a language other than English at home 2006 to 2010 in 67 FL counties.

As Defined by Florida CHARTS:

Sufficient Vigorous Activity: • Participating in PA that does

make you sweat or breathe hard for 20 minutes or more, on three or more of the 7 days preceding the survey

Methods/Study Variables

Without Sufficient Vigorous PA

Overweight

2 Measures:1. Middle School

Students2. High School

Students

2 Measures:1. Middle School

Students2. High School

Students

Overweight: • Being at or above the

95th percentile for BMI for age and gender

Methods/Sources of Data Data for the 3 measures of ‘linguistic isolation’ (2006

to 2010) were obtained Link to County and State Profile Reports Link to Census Indicators *

Data for middle school students ‘without vigorous physical activity’(2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012) were obtained Link to ‘Without Vigorous Physical Activity’ for Middle School Students

Data for high school students ‘without vigorous physical activity’ (2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012) were obtained Link to ‘Without Vigorous Physical Activity’ for High School Students

Data for middle school students ‘with BMI at or above 95th percentile’ (2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012) were obtained Link to ‘With BMI at or Above 95th Percentile’ for Middle School Students

Data for high school students ‘with BMI at or above 95th percentile’ (2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012) were obtained Link to ‘With BMI at or Above 95th Percentile’ for High School Students

For example, online at the Florida CHARTS homepage (www.floridacharts.com/charts/chart.aspx ) go to Health Indicators on the left-hand menu select

Population Characteristics, then for Data Category select Population Data & for Census Indicator select Individuals 5 years and over that do not speak English very well.

Assumptions

First we analyzed the data to make sure it met the appropriate assumptions, including: Linearity of relationships Homoscedasticity Normal distribution

Our data met all of the assumptions except: The data for high school

insufficient PA had 5 outliers, which we excluded for statistical analysis

Partial r Correlation

Partial r correlation: the measure of association between two variables, while controlling or adjusting the effect of one or more additional variables.(Statistical Solutions)

Partial r correlational analysis allowed for control of socioeconomic status, i.e., median household income.

3 Measures of Linguistic Isolation and Overweight among High School Students

Partial r Correlation to Examine the Relationship between Linguistic Isolation and Percent of High School Students with BMI at or above 95th Percentile across 67 Florida

Counties for 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012

 

Little English Spoken: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of population over 5 that doesn't speak English: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of Population 5 Years and Over that Speak a Language other than English at Home: 2006 to 2010

Without Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation -.133 -.138 -.251

Sig. (2-tailed) .279 .262 .039

N 67 67 67

Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation -.162 -.138 -.211

Sig. (2-tailed) .191 .265 .086

N 67 67 67

P < .05

Measures of Linguistic Isolation and Overweight among High School Students

Among high school students, being linguistically isolated* was associated with being overweight+ + across FL counties (r = -.251, p = .039).

This is a negative and significant correlation (↓↑ or ↑↓ ). However, this association disappeared when controlling for median household income (r = -.211, p = .086).

*Only for the measure of Percentage of Population 5 Years and over that Speak a Language other than English at Home and not for the other two measures of linguistic isolation, i.e., Little English Spoken and Percentage of Population over 5 Years that

Doesn't Speak English.

++ BMI at or above 95th Percentile used by FL CHARTS data source

3 Measures of Linguistic Isolation and Overweight among Middle School Students

Partial r Correlation to Examine the Relationship between Linguistic Isolation and Percent of Middle School Students with BMI at or above 95th Percentile across 67 Florida Counties for

2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012

 

Little English Spoken: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of population over 5 that doesn't speak English: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of Population 5 Years and Over that Speak a Language other than English at Home: 2006 to 2010

Without Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation -.110 -.127 -.226

Sig. (2-tailed) .377 .306 .066

N 67 67 67

Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation -.135 -.128 -.182

Sig. (2-tailed) .279 .307 .144

N 67 67 67

p<.05

3 Measures of Linguistic Isolation and Insufficient Vigorous Physical Activity among High School Students

Partial r Correlation to Examine the Relationship between Linguistic Isolation and High School Insufficient Vigorous Physical Activity across 67 Florida Counties for 2006, 2008, 2010, and

2012

 

Little English Spoken: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of population over 5 that doesn't speak English: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of Population 5 Years and Over that Speak a Language other than English at Home: 2006 to 2010

Without Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation .229 .220 .297*

Sig. (2-tailed) .062 .074 .015

N67 67 67

Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation .066 .034 .041

Sig. (2-tailed) .596 .782 .739

N 67 67 67

p<.05

Insufficient Physical Activity in Middle School Students

Partial r Correlation to Examine the Relationship between Linguistic Isolation and Middle School Insufficient Vigorous Physical Activity across 67 Florida Counties for 2006, 2008,

2010, and 2012

 

Little English Spoken: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of population over 5 that doesn't speak English: 2006 to 2010

Percentage of Population 5 Years and Over that Speak a Language other than English at Home: 2006 to 2010

Without Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation .324 .302 .251

Sig. (2-tailed) .007 .012 .039

N 67 67 67

Controlling for Median Household Income

Correlation .352 .343 .326

Sig. (2-tailed) .003 .004 .007

N 67 67 67

p<.05

3 Measures of Linguistic Isolation and Insufficient Vigorous Physical Activity among Middle School Students

Measures of Linguistic Isolation and Insufficient Vigorous Physical Activity among High School & Middle School Students

Among high school and middle school adolescents, being linguistic

isolated* was significantly associated with reports of insufficient vigorous

PA across FL counties (r = .297, p = .015 and r = .251, p = .039,

respectively).

These were positive and significant correlations. However, the association

disappeared for high school, but not middle school students, when a statistical

re-analysis controlled for median household income (r = .041, p = NS and r

= .326, p = .007). ↑↑ or ↓↓

*Only for the measure of Percentage of Population 5 Years and over that Speak a Language other than English at Home

Measures of Linguistic Isolation and Insufficient Vigorous Physical Activity among Middle School Students

Among middle school students, being linguistically isolated* was associated

with reports of them obtaining insufficient vigorous PA across FL counties (r

= .324, p = .007, r = .302, p = .012, and r = .251, p = .039).

These are positive and significant correlations. Interestingly, these associations

remained significant when a statistical re-analysis controlled for median

household income (r = .352, p = .003, r = .324, p = .004, and r = .326, p = .007).

↑↑ or ↓↓

*For the 3 measures including Little English Spoken and Percentage of Population over

5 Years that Doesn't Speak English and Percentage of Population 5 Years and Over that

Speak a Language other than English at Home

Discussion

For adolescents the prevalence of obesity* was higher in homes where English was not the primary language compared to those teens living in English-speaking homes. This relationship disappeared when controlling for family socioeconomic status. *BMI at or above 95th Percentile

Somewhat similarly to the findings of Liu, et al. (2009), among high school adolescents there was an inverse/negative and significant association between linguistic isolation and being overweight*.

This was true for just 1 of the 3 measures of linguistic isolation. The association disappeared when controlling for median household income.

No significance association was found for these variables among middle school students.

Study Background(Liu et al., 2009)

Current Study

Discussion

Residing in homes where English was not the primary language (vs adolescents in English-speaking ones) was associated with not obtaining the recommended PA (AKA insufficient vigorous PA in the present study).

The association remained after re-analysis when controls for family socioeconomic status were employed.

Somewhat similarly, insufficient vigorous PA and linguistic isolation* were found to be associated among high school and middle school students.

This association disappeared after controlling for median household income among only the high school students. These findings are consistent with those reported by Liu et al. (2009).

Linguistic isolation among middle school students* was associated with reports of them obtaining insufficient vigorous PA

across FL counties, even after controlling for median household income.

*Percentage of Population 5 Years and Over that Speak a Language other than English at Home

Current StudyStudy Background(Liu et al., 2009)

Discussion Cause and effect cannot be confirmed. Why are linguistically isolated middle school students more likely

to participate in insufficient vigorous PA?

Linguistically isolated middle school students may be marginalized.

Linguistically isolated middle school students may lack the confidence needed to participate.

The ability of linguistically isolated middle school students to participate in PA may be affected by their home life.

Linguistically isolated middle school students enrolled in schools residing in socioeconomically depressed neighborhoods may have more underserved children when it comes to PA and the PE curriculum.

Discussion

Why did the relationship between the measure of linguistically isolated high school students that lived in homes where those 5 Years and Over that Speak a Language other than English and overweight and insufficient vigorous PA disappear after controlling for median household income?

Perhaps high school students have had more time to assimilate with their peers.

It could be that high school students tend to be more involved in social situations.

Future Implications

According to the CDC, PA decreases as adolescents get older (CDC, 2012). This contradicts our findings for high school insufficient PA.

Future research should focus on these differences with an attempt to understand exactly what is occurring.

Future research could also control for other variables such as education and employment status.

Conclusion

Despite some differences in reports from middle and high school students regarding reports of being overweight and receiving insufficient vigorous PA, as measures of adolescent health status, both stand to benefit from improvements in the social, economic, and school district systems.

Implications for future research include focusing on the prevalence of linguistic isolation, especially among middle school students in Florida counties.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Adolescent and school health. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/facts.htm

Duke, J., Huhman, M., & Heitzler, C. (2003). Physical activity levels among children aged 9–13 years — United States, 2002. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 52(33), 785–788. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5233a1.htm

Freedman, D. S., Khan, L. K., Dietz, W. H., Srinivasan, S. R., & Berenson, G. S. (2001). Relationship of childhood overweight to coronary heart disease risk factors in adulthood: The Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics, 108(3), 712–718. Retrieved from http://pediatrics. aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/108/3/712

Hannon JC. Physical activity levels of overweight and nonoverweight high school students during physical educa- tion classes. J Seh Health. 2008;78(8):425-431. PubMed doi:10.111I/j.1746-1561.2008.00325.X

Johnston LD,DelvaJ,O'MalleyPM. Sports participation and physical education in American secondary schools: current levels and racial/ethnic and socioeconomic dis- parities. Am J Prev Med. 2007:33(4, Suppl):S195-S208. PubMed doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2007.07.015

Liu J, Probst JC, Harun N, Bennett KJ, Torres ME. Acculturation, physical activity, and obesity among Hispanic adolescents. Ethn Health. 2009;14(5):509-25. PubMed.

References

Lutfiyya, M. N., Garcia, R., Dankwa, C. M., Young, T., & Lipsky, M. S. (2008). Overweight and obese prevalence rates in African American and Hispanic children: An analysis of data from the 2003–2004 National Survey Of Children’s Health. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 21(3), 191–199. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2008. 03.070207

Statistical solutions: Partial correlation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.statisticssolutions.com/academic-solutions/resources/directory-of-statistical-analyses/partial-correlation/

Strong, L. L., Anderson, C. B., Miranda, P. Y., Bondy, M. L., Zhou, R., Etzel, C., Spitz, M., & Wilkinson, A. V. (2012). Gender differences in sociodemographic and behavioral influences of physical activity in mexican-origin adolescents. (Master's thesis), Available from Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

Yu SM, Huang ZJ, Schwalberg RH, Overpeck M, Kogan MD. Acculturation and the health and well-being of U.S. immigrant adolescents. JAdolese Health. 2003;33(6):479- 488. PubMed doi : 10.1016/S1054-139X(03)0O210-6.