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Country of Birth and Language Are Uniquely Associated with Intakes of Fat, Fiber, and Fruits and Vegetables among Mexican-American Women in the United States

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2007.12.008Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

Previous research on the relationship between diet and acculturation among Hispanics has produced inconsistent results. This study examined the association between diet, country of birth, and a language acculturation scale among Mexican-American women.

Design

The study used a cross-sectional design with data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey and its Cancer Control Module. The module was administered to one adult per household and included 17 dietary intake questions.

Subjects/setting

Subjects were 1,245 nonpregnant women of Mexican descent between 25 and 64 years of age residing in the United States who were interviewed in their homes.

Statistical analysis performed

Least-squares regression with sampling weights and adjustment of standard errors for survey design effects was used to estimate the associations between country of birth, language acculturation, and percent energy from fat, intake of fiber, and intake of fruits and vegetables, with statistical control for age, education, and marital status.

Results

In multivariate models, US-born women consumed fewer grams of fiber per day (β=−2.44; P<0.01) and a larger percentage of energy from fat (β=2.06; P<0.01) than Mexican-born women. Greater English language use was associated with decreased consumption of fiber (P<0.01), and a decline in fruit and vegetable intake with a greater decline for US-born (P<0.10).

Conclusions

Acculturation is associated with several unfavorable dietary changes. Women who were born in the United States are at greater risk of declining dietary quality compared to Mexican-born women, and US-born English-speaking women have more unfavorable dietary profiles. Research and public health education concerning dietary intake should consider both country of birth and language.

Section snippets

Sample

Data were taken from the 2000 NHIS and its Cancer Control Module. The NHIS is conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics as the principal source of self-reported health behaviors and conditions of the civilian, noninstitutionalized household population of the United States (32). It is a nationally representative, cross-sectional household survey based on a stratified, clustered, and multistaged sampling design (32). Data are collected in the subjects’ homes through

Results

Table 1 reports selected demographic characteristics of the 1,245 nonpregnant Mexican-American women between 25 and 64 years of age in the analysis. Table 1 shows these characteristics for four subgroups of women classified by country of birth and two language acculturation categories. Table 2 reports weighted averages for the three dietary intake estimates and 16 annual food consumption frequencies for each of the four subgroups of Mexican-American women. Least-squares regression coefficients

Discussion

The findings demonstrate that increased acculturation as measured by both country of birth and language acculturation among Mexican-American women in the United States is associated with primarily unfavorable diet outcomes. These findings are directionally consistent with other research that has shown increased acculturation measured by country of birth, language use, or generational status is associated with increases in percent energy from fat, and decreases in the intake of fiber and fruits

Conclusions

These findings support the study’s hypothesis and others’ suggestions that including country of birth and language provides a richer description of the association between acculturation and diet compared to including a single measure (3, 8). Women who were born in the United States consumed a greater percentage of energy from fat than their Mexican-born counterparts. The US-born women and women with greater language acculturation consumed less fiber. Women with increasing language acculturation

J. Karas Montez is a doctoral student, Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin.

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    J. Karas Montez is a doctoral student, Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin.

    K. Eschbach is associate director, Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, University of Texas at San Antonio; at the time of the study, he was associate professor, Department of Internal Medicine/Geriatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

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