Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2018 Sep;12(5):1421-1430.
doi: 10.1177/1557988316653182. Epub 2016 Jun 8.

Acculturation Factors Related to Obesity of Latino American Men Nationwide

Amy L Ai  1 , Hoa B Appel  2 , Jungup Lee  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Acculturation Factors Related to Obesity of Latino American Men Nationwide

Amy L Ai et al. Am J Mens Health. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

Obesity is a public health epidemic, particularly among underrepresented populations. With a large proportion of immigrants, Latino Americans comprise the largest minority population in the United States. This study examined the association of acculturation factors with obesity among Latino American men ( n = 1,127) using the National Latino and Asian American Study. The result identified two acculturation-related factors (being U.S.-born and living in the United States for the longest period/5-10 years) as positive correlates. In contrast, a different study on obesity in Latino American women demonstrated discrimination, but not the above factors, as significant correlates. The men's pattern suggests that the Hispanic/Latino paradox might have greater implications for men with respect to weight issues. Furthermore, Mexican American and Other Latino American men presented a greater likelihood of being obese than Cuban and Puerto Rican men. The findings, if replicated in prospective research, suggest the need for gender- and ethnic-specific intervention for obesity in Latino American men, particularly for the largest subgroup, Mexican Americans.

Keywords: men of color; obesity; risk factors; sex differences.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

    1. Abraído-Lanza A. F., Dohrenwend B. P., Ng-Mak D. S., Turner J. B. (1999). The Latino mortality paradox: A test of the “salmon bias” and healthy migrant hypotheses. American Journal of Public Health, 89, 1543-1548. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aguilar-Gaxiola S., Kramer E. J., Resendez C., Magaña C. G. (2008). The context of depression in Latinos in the United States. In Gullotta T. P. (Ed.), Depression in U.S. Latinos: Assessment, treatment, and prevention (pp. 3-28). New York, NY: Springer.
    1. Ai L. A., Appel H. B., Huang B., Lee K. (2012). Overall health and health care utilization among Latino American women in the United States. Journal of Women’s Health, 21, 878-885. - PubMed
    1. Ai L. A., Noel L. T., Appel H. B., Huang B., Hefley W. E. (2013). Overall health and health care utilization among Latino American men in the United States. American Journal of Men’s Health, 7, 6-17. - PubMed
    1. Ai L. A., Pappas C., Lee J. (2016). Discrimination and obesity of Latinas in the United States. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources