title: Greater dietary acculturation (dietary change) is associated with poorer current self-rated health among African immigrant adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigate the relationship between dietary acculturation and current self-rated health (SRH) among African immigrants, by country or region of origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, mixed-methods design using baseline data from longitudinal study of immigrants granted legal permanent residence May to November, 2003, and interviewed June, 2003 to June, 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  2003 New Immigrant Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  African immigrants from a nationally representative sample (n = 763) averaged 34.7 years of age and 5.5 years' US residency; 56.6% were male, 54.1% were married, 26.1% were Ethiopian, and 22.5% were Nigerian.
  
  
  METHODS
  Current SRH (dependent variable) was measured using 5-point Likert scale questions; dietary acculturation (independent variable) was assessed using a quantitative dietary change scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multivariate logistic regression tested the relationship of dietary acculturation with current SRH (α = .05; P < .05 considered significant); exploratory qualitative subset dietary analysis (n = 60) examined food/beverages consumed pre-/post-migration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  African immigrants reporting moderate dietary change since arrival in the US had higher odds of poorer SRH status than immigrants reporting low dietary change (odds ratio, 1.903; 95% confidence interval, 1.143-3.170; P = .01). Among most dietary change groups, there was an increase in fast food consumption and decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nutrition educators and public health practitioners should develop targeted nutrition education for African immigrants who are older, less educated, and at increased health risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD. Electronic address: mokafor1@umbc.edu.
authors.forename: Maria-Theresa C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Okafor
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
authors.forename: Olivia D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Carter-Pokras
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhan
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054525:Minority Health; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: African continental ancestry group; acculturation; emigrants and immigrants; food habits; minority health