Individual and area-based indicators of acculturation and the metabolic syndrome among low-income Mexican American women living in a border region.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to examine the relationships between individual and area-based indicators of acculturation and metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk among a sample of Mexican American women living in the California-Baja California border region.


METHODS
We examined data collected between October 2003 and December 2004 from 141 women (mean age = 47.07 years) who completed physical and psychosocial assessments. We reviewed medical records for laboratory values.


RESULTS
Individual-level US acculturation was associated with a greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber; increased odds of engaging in health-enhancing levels of physical activity; and decreased odds of meeting the clinical criteria for MetS. Moreover, beyond the influence of individual-level factors, US neighborhood acculturation was associated with less fat intake.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide preliminary evidence for a relationship between acculturation and the development of MetS in this population. Such information may assist efforts aimed at understanding and eliminating ethnic disparities in MetS risk and related health conditions.
Espinosa de Los Monteros
Karla
K
Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, University ofCalifornia, San Diego, CA 92120, USA.
Gallo
Linda C
LC
Elder
John P
JP
Talavera
Gregory A
GA
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D014675:Vegetables; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*
D004041:Dietary Fats
Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Jun;53(6 Suppl):1529S-1534S
2031483
Soc Sci Med. 2004 Sep;59(5):973-86
15186898
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Aug;35(8):1381-95
12900694
Soc Sci Med. 2004 Oct;59(8):1629-46
15279921
J Nutr. 2001 Mar;131(3):893S-899S
11238781
J Behav Med. 2006 Jun;29(3):255-68
16724281
J Aging Health. 1992 May;4(2):268-81
10117874
Circulation. 2005 Oct 25;112(17):2735-52
16157765
Arch Intern Med. 2003 Feb 24;163(4):427-36
12588201
J Nutr. 2003 Nov;133(11):3651-7
14608089
Health Educ Q. 1995 Feb;22(1):61-84
7721602
Circulation. 2002 Dec 17;106(25):3143-421
12485966
Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2007 Jun;5(2):174-82
18370825
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Jan;38(1):33-41
16394951
JAMA. 2004 Dec 15;292(23):2860-7
15598917
Am J Epidemiol. 2000 Sep 15;152(6):548-57
10997545
Diabetes Care. 2006 Mar;29(3):685-91
16505527
Fam Community Health. 2001 Oct;24(3):72-87
11563946
Prev Med. 1991 Nov;20(6):751-63
1766946
J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jan;105(1):38-45
15635343
Health Psychol. 2008 Sep;27(5):576-83
18823184
Diabetes Care. 2005 Nov;28(11):2745-9
16249550
Soc Sci Med. 2005 Sep;61(6):1243-55
15970234
Am J Public Health. 2007 May;97(5):919-25
17395846
Nutr Rev. 2004 Jul;62(7 Pt 2):S158-62
15387483
JAMA. 2003 May 21;289(19):2560-72
12748199
Ethn Dis. 2007 Winter;17(1):35-9
17274207
Am J Public Health. 2004 Oct;94(10):1807-12
15451754
Ann Behav Med. 2007 Nov-Dec;34(3):240-52
18020934
Am J Prev Med. 2000 May;18(4):284-8
10788730
Prev Chronic Dis. 2007 Jan;4(1):A10
17173718
Health Serv Res. 1989 Jun;24(2):237-57
2732058
Am J Med Sci. 2005 Dec;330(6):290-4
16355013
Ann Med. 2006;38(1):52-63
16448989
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008 Apr;28(4):629-36
18174459
Am J Public Health. 2006 Aug;96(8):1342-6
16809597
Ann Behav Med. 2007 Aug;34(1):14-25
17688393
Epidemiol Rev. 2007;29:129-43
17533172
Am J Prev Med. 2007 Aug;33(2):114-20
17673098
Am J Public Health. 1990 Dec;80 Suppl:11-9
9187576
Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:367-97
15760294
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Jan;30(1):1-10
15358437
Environ Health Perspect. 2004 Dec;112(17):1645-53
15579407
Am J Med Sci. 2005 Dec;330(6):280-9
16355012
J Am Diet Assoc. 2002 Aug;102(8):1105-18
12171455
J Am Diet Assoc. 2000 Jun;100(6):665-73
10863569