Differences in body fat and central adiposity between Swedes and European immigrants: The Malmo diet and cancer study

Objective: Comparative data on ecological differences in body fatness and f at distribution within Europe are sparse. Migration studies may provide inf ormation on the impact of environmental factors on body size in different p opulations. The objective was to investigate differences in adiposity betwe en European immigrants and native Swedes, specifically to examine gender di fferences and the effect of time since immigration, and to compare two sele cted immigrant groups with their native countrymen. Research Methods and Procedures: A cross-sectional analysis of 27,808 adult s aged 45 to 73 years participating in the Malmo Diet and Cancer prospectiv e cohort study in Sweden was performed. Percentage body fat (impedance anal ysis) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were compared between Swedish-born and fore ign-born participants. Results: Obesity was 40% more prevalent in non-Swedish Europeans compared w ith Swedes. Controlling for age, height, smoking, physical activity, and oc cupation, it was found that women born in the former Yugoslavia, southern E urope, Hungary, and Finland had a significantly higher percentage of body f at, and those from Hungary, Poland, and Germany had more centralized adipos ity compared with Swedish women. Men born in the former Yugoslavia, Hungary , and Denmark had a significantly higher mean percentage of body fat compar ed with Swedish-born men, whereas Yugoslavian, Finnish, and German men diff ered significantly in mean WHR. Length of residence in Sweden was inversely associated with central adiposity in immigrants. A comparison between Germ an and Danish immigrants, their respective native populations, and Swedes i ndicated an intermediate positioning of German immigrants with regard to bo dy mass index and WHR. Discussion: Differences in general and central adiposity by country of orig in appear to remain after migration. Central adiposity seems to be more inf luenced than fatness per se by time of residency in Sweden.