Commentary: important advances in understanding the relationship between acculturation and risk for obesity.
Commentary: important advances in understanding the relationship between acculturation and risk for obesity.
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评论：在理解文化适应与肥胖风险之间的关系方面取得了重要进展。
DOI：
10.1093/jpepsy/jss074
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发表时间：
2012
影响因子：
3.6
通讯作者：
Wilson,DawnK
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Wilson,DawnK
Understanding risk factors related to acculturation and the risk of developing obesity is important, given the increasing number of immigrants in the United States. A summary of key findings from the ‘‘Generation of Immigration and Body Mass Index (BMI) in Canadian Youth’’article in this issue are presented, and the implications for future research and health promotion efforts are discussed in this commentary. An emphasis is placed on the importance of understanding cultural issues and linking social factors to better understand the barriers and facilitators of obesity risk in immigrants. Recommendations for developing culturally tailored weight-control programs matched to the ethnicity of immigrant populations are provided. The study investigating the role of acculturation, as measured by generational status, on BMI in Canadian youth reported that first-generation immigration was significantly related to higher BMI z-scores in adolescents as compared to second and third generations. Specifically, first-generation immigrants had more weight gain compared to other generation groups in adolescence. These findings expand on a growing literature demonstrating that generational timing of immigration may be a risk factor for obesity, and that maintaining traditional cultural orientation is associated with lower rates of obesity (Renzaho, Swinburn, & Burns, 2008). Although the relationship between first-generation immigration and higher prevalence of overweight has shown mixed results in some previous studies, findings in the article in this issue showed that race and ethnicity were also important factors to consider in understanding these complex relationships. Specifically, analyses stratified by race showed that this relationship tended to be stronger in Black, South Asian, and other first-generation immigrant groups. These findings suggest that first-generation youth may be at greater risk for developing unhealthy lifestyle patterns, such as poor dietary and physical activity habits. However, further research should explore how acculturation and race may be related to barriers for engaging in healthy lifestyle habits. For example, a recent qualitative study by Shelton and colleagues (2011) showed that both African American and Latina women reported having many stressors, including economic hardships, demanding caretaking relationships, inflexible work policies, and mistrust of health care providers. Those who were immigrants also reported that they experienced social isolation and were experiencing high levels of stress in general. Thus, health promotion efforts should take into account the additional stressors experienced by ethnic minority women and their families, and how immigration challenges may further impact these difficulties.The study on acculturation and obesity reported in this issue is also one of the first to examine longitudinal patterns of overweight status across generational status in children and adolescents. Overtime, BMI change for first-generation immigrants was associated with greater weight gain, but no direct measures of acculturation were integrated into the study measures, making it difficult to know exactly what the mechanisms are by which generational status is related to the development of obesity in young immigrants. As noted in a growing body of literature, more qualitative studies that address longitudinal and developmental issues related to engaging in healthy lifestyles are needed in underserved and ethnic minority populations (Wilson, Zarrett, & Kitzman-Ulrich, 2011). In particular, research on intergenerational effects of culture may provide important insights into family and generational issues that are protective or which may …
