Is duration of residence a proxy for acculturation? The case of health risk behaviors among international immigrants
- PMID: 37723980
- PMCID: PMC11528940
- DOI: 10.1177/14034948231199534
Is duration of residence a proxy for acculturation? The case of health risk behaviors among international immigrants
Abstract
Aims: Among international immigrants, health changes by duration of residence are commonly interpreted as an expression of acculturation to the receiving country context. This study compares changes in immigrants' health risk behaviors by duration of residence to changes by acculturation levels, in order to assess whether duration of residence can be regarded as a proxy for acculturation.
Methods: Using data from a previous systematic review, we identified 17 quantitative studies examining changes in alcohol, tobacco and drug use, physical inactivity, and diet by both duration of residence and acculturation level in the same population. We compared the directionality and consistency of these associations through tabulation and vote counting.
Results: The majority of studies reported no or inconsistent changes in health risk behaviors by duration of residence versus by acculturation, including with opposite directionality. Four studies reported significant estimates with consistent directionality, while five reported consistent, non-significant estimates.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that duration of residence should not be used as a proxy for acculturation when studying health risk behaviors among immigrants. Researchers should consider additional time-dependent factors to explain behavioral changes by duration of residence.
Keywords: Emigrants and immigrants; acculturation; health risk behaviors; socioeconomic factors.
Conflict of interest statement
Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Similar articles
-
Change in self-reported health status among immigrants in the United States: associations with measures of acculturation.PLoS One. 2013 Oct 1;8(10):e76494. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076494. eCollection 2013. PLoS One. 2013. PMID: 24098515 Free PMC article.
-
Effect of Length of Stay on Smoking among Turkish and Eastern European Immigrants in Germany--Interpretation in the Light of the Smoking Epidemic Model and the Acculturation Theory.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Dec 15;12(12):15925-36. doi: 10.3390/ijerph121215030. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015. PMID: 26694430 Free PMC article.
-
The longer you stay, the worse your health? A critical review of the negative acculturation theory among Asian immigrants.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Aug 8;11(8):8038-57. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110808038. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014. PMID: 25111874 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Acculturation, immigration status and cardiovascular risk factors among Portuguese immigrants to Luxembourg: findings from ORISCAV-LUX study.BMC Public Health. 2012 Oct 11;12:864. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-864. BMC Public Health. 2012. PMID: 23057477 Free PMC article.
-
Does acculturation affect the dietary intakes and body weight status of children of immigrants in the U.S. and other developed countries? A systematic review.Ethn Health. 2019 Jan;24(1):73-93. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2017.1315365. Epub 2017 Apr 13. Ethn Health. 2019. PMID: 28406037 Free PMC article.
Cited by
-
Associations Between Immigrant Status and Dietary Patterns in ENCLAVE, A Pooled, Observational Study of Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer.J Nutr. 2025 Jun 30:S0022-3166(25)00399-2. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.06.014. Online ahead of print. J Nutr. 2025. PMID: 40602722
References
-
- Choi S, Rankin S, Stewart A, et al.. Effects of acculturation on smoking behavior in Asian Americans: a meta-analysis. J Cardiovasc Nurs 2008;23:67–73. - PubMed
-
- Lui PP, Zamboanga BL. A critical review and meta-analysis of the associations between acculturation and alcohol use outcomes among Hispanic Americans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018;42:1841–62. - PubMed
-
- Gerber M, Barker D, Pühse U. Acculturation and physical activity among immigrants: a systematic review. J Public Health 2012;20:313–41.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources