Immigrant children, regardless of their ethnic and racial background, are less physically active than U.S.-born white children, according to a study from Rice University's study.

The study, titled "Neighborhood Context and Immigrant Children's Physical Activity," found immigrant children have lower levels of physical activity even if sociodemographic and neighborhood characteristics are adjusted for. The researchers stated a low level of physical activity during an average week is zero days that result in rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat and perspiration for "20 continuous minutes or more."

Immigrant children of Asians are three times as likely to be less active than U.S.-born white children. Among immigrants with a Latino background, they are twice as likely to have a lower level of physical activity than white children.

"Children in immigrant families are at particular risk for low levels of physical activity, which we were unable to explain with a host of factors relating to family and neighborhood characteristics," said sociology associate professor and the study's co-author Rachel Kimbro.

U.S.-born white children also have a higher activity rate than minority children born in the U.S. U.S.-born black children are 1.35 times as likely to have lower levels of physical activity. Hispanic children born in the U.S., are 1.23 times as likely to be inactive while U.S.-born children of unspecified ethnicity are 1.52 times as likely.

"These children comprise a growing population of American youth, and failing to address the low levels of physical activity among this group could have important long-term health consequences as this population transitions into adolescence and adulthood," the lead author of the study, Mackenzie Brewer, said.

The researches want parents and pediatricians to encourage children, particularly those of immigrants, to engage in physical activity. The researchers also hope their study will spur additional research on children's physical activity along racial and ethnic lines.

The study comes several years after research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Maternal and Child Health Bureau found physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors are high among various ethnic-immigrant groups.

"For example, 22.5 [percent] of immigrant Hispanic children were physically inactive compared with 9.5 [percent] of U.S.-born white children with U.S.-born parents. Approximately 67 [percent] of immigrant Hispanic children did not participate in sports compared with 30.2 [percent] of native Asian children," the study noted.

"Overall, immigrant children were significantly more likely to be physically inactive and less likely to participate in sports than native children; they were, however, less likely to watch television 3 or more hours per day than native children, although the nativity gap narrowed with increasing acculturation levels," HHS said.

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