Living in three-generation family households and body mass index trajectories in Hispanic adolescents: Different associations by immigrant status

Despite the rising trends in three-generation family households and obesity risk among Hispanics, few researchers have examined the possible relationship between living in three-generation family households and adolescent weight gain. In this study, we investigated (a) whether living in three-generation family households is associated with Hispanic adolescent body mass index (BMI) trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood; and (b) whether the association varies by immigrant status. We employed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health to obtain representative population estimates. The analytic sample consisted of 1,659 Hispanic adolescents. We used growth curve models to evaluate the changes in BMI as youths entered adulthood. Hispanic adolescents in three-generation family households had significantly slower rates of BMI growth than those who did not live in three-generation households (b = −0.12, p < 0.05). When the model was stratified by immigrant status, the results showed that adolescents living with three-generational families had significantly slower BMI growth over time than their counterparts in immigrant families (b = −0.15, p < 0.05). These findings suggested that living in three-generation family households may play an important role in reducing the risk of weight gain for Hispanic adolescents, especially in immigrant families. The positive roles that three-generation family households play are thus worth consideration in health strategies.