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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Sep 17, 2008
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AJPH.2008.141903v1
98/11/1979    most recent
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November 2008, Vol 98, No. 11 | American Journal of Public Health 1979-1986
© 2008 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.141903

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Individual and Area-Based Indicators of Acculturation and the Metabolic Syndrome Among Low-Income Mexican American Women Living in a Border Region

Karla Espinosa de los Monteros, BA, Linda C. Gallo, PhD, John P. Elder, PhD, MPH and Gregory A. Talavera, MD, MPH

Karla Espinosa de los Monteros and Linda C. Gallo are with San Diego State University (SDSU)–University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego. John P. Elder and Gregory A. Talavera are with the Graduate School of Public Health, SDSU, San Diego.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Linda C. Gallo, SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120 (e-mail: lcgallo{at}sciences.sdsu.edu).

Objectives. 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.






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