title: The metabolic syndrome, biomarkers, and the acculturation-health relationship among older Mexican Americans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the acculturation-health relationship using metabolic syndrome biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional sample data.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,789 Mexican Americans (60 years and older) from northern California.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biomarkers (waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, and high-density lipids) were used to construct the metabolic syndrome indicator using American Heart Association criteria. MAIN PREDICTOR: Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher acculturation scores were associated with a significantly lower risk for the metabolic syndrome for foreign-born, but not U.S.-born, Mexican Americans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immigrant health advantages over U.S.-born Mexican Americans are not evident in older adulthood. Higher acculturation was associated with lowered metabolic syndrome risk among older foreign-born Mexican Americans. This suggests that the prevailing acculturative stress hypothesis may not apply to the health of older adults and that any negative relationship between acculturation and health found in younger adults may yield to different developmental health influences in later adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, 226 Knapp Building, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. hmgonzalez@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Hector M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tarraf
authors.forename: Mary N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Haan
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002140:California; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides