Correlates of body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio among Mexican women in the United States: implications for intervention development.
BACKGROUND
This study contributes to our understanding of acculturation and obesity by examining the association between several measures of acculturation, including a bidimensional scale of acculturation, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).


METHODS
Exploratory analyses were performed using baseline data from 357 Mexican women recruited into a Spanish-language randomized community trial. The women were randomly sampled by telephone and interviewed in their homes. Women's height, weight, waist, and hip were measured to obtain estimates of their BMI and WHR. A face-to-face interview collected data on dietary intake, physical activity, acculturation, and other demographic and psychosocial variables.


RESULTS
Less than a quarter of the women were normal weight (39% overweight and 41% obese). Univariate analyses revealed that more years living in the United States and less integration into the Anglo culture were associated with a larger BMI and WHR. However, in the multivariate analyses, significant correlates of a larger BMI were less moderate physical activity and unemployment. There were trends linking a larger BMI with older age, no vigorous physical activity, more energy intake, and less integration into the Anglo culture. These same variables plus less household income were associated with a higher WHR. Exploratory analyses on acculturation revealed that bicultural Mexican-American women were more educated, more likely to be employed, reported a higher household income, and perceived fewer barriers to a healthy diet compared with traditional Mexican women.


CONCLUSIONS
Intervention designed to prevent overweight/obesity should consider promoting maintenance of Mexican cultural practices, as well as teach women how to effectively integrate into the Anglo culture.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7440, USA. gxayala@email.unc.edu
Guadalupe X
GX
Ayala
John P
JP
Elder
Nadia R
NR
Campbell
Donald J
DJ
Slymen
Nupur
N
Roy
Moshe
M
Engelberg
Theodore
T
Ganiats
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology