Acculturation, socioeconomic status, obesity and lifestyle factors among low-income Puerto Rican women in Connecticut, U.S., 1998-1999.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the associations of socioeconomic status and acculturation with obesity and lifestyle characteristics that may be risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease among low-income Puerto Rican women.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1998 and 1999 by interviewing a convenience sample of 200 low-income Puerto Rican female caretakers of young children in Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America. Various recruitment methods were used to ensure adequate representation of the target community. The associations of obesity (body mass index > or = 30.0) and lifestyle factors (physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, food intake) with socioeconomic status (education, employment, car ownership), acculturation, age, and marital status were examined with Spearman rho, chi-squared, and Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
Mean age was 29 years. Obesity (40%), physical inactivity (47%), and cigarette smoking (32%) were common. Less acculturated participants were 57% less likely to smoke and 54% less likely to be obese than their more acculturated counterparts. Lower socioeconomic status (not finishing high school or not owning a car) was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity, but unemployed (vs. employed) women were less likely to be obese (P < 0.05). Women who did not own a car consumed meat, eggs and fish less often than those who owned a car. Smokers were more likely to have an unhealthy food intake pattern than nonsmokers.


CONCLUSIONS
The associations of acculturation and socioeconomic status with some lifestyle characteristics suggest the need for culturally appropriate programs to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in this low-income community.
Fitzgerald
Nurgül
N
Department of Family and Community Health Sciences, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States of America. nfitzgerald@rcre.rutgers.edu
Himmelgreen
David
D
Damio
Grace
G
Segura-Pérez
Sofia
S
Peng
Yu-Kuei
YK
Pérez-Escamilla
Rafael
R
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors