title: The Role of Assimilating to the US Culture and the Relationship Between Neighborhood Ethnic Composition and Dietary Intake Among Hispanic Youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dietary fiber and sugar intake have been shown to affect metabolic health in overweight Hispanic youth. Evidence on the influence of culture on fiber and sugar intake in Hispanic youth is limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  The associations among score for levels of assimilation, neighborhood ethnic characteristics, and daily total and added dietary sugar and dietary fiber intake were assessed using regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-four Hispanic youth (age = 13.6 ± 3.0, 106 female) were included. The proportion of Hispanic population in the neighborhood was positively associated with fiber intake (standardized β = 0.205, p < 0.01) and inversely associated with added (standardized β = -0.234, p < 0.01) and total sugar intake (standardized β = -0.229, p < 0.01). Youth's self-identified levels of assimilation inversely moderated (standardized β = -0.465, p = 0.036) the association between %HP and dietary fiber intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hispanic youth residing in areas of that are predominantly populated with Hispanics may be protected from conforming to unhealthy dietary behaviors. This protective effect is weaker among Hispanic youth with higher level of assimilation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. chengkuw@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Cheng K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fred Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jimi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren Cook
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of Texas, Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|Institute for Integrative Health, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weigensberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|Center for Social and Economic Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|Department of Psychology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spruijt-Metz
keywords: Acculturation; Fiber intake; Hispanic youth; Sugar intake