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ABSTRACT
Objective: Obesity is a prominent public health concern significantly impacting various minority groups, especially Latina Americans. However, little study has explored acculturation-related factors associated with obesity among Latinas in the United States. This study examines the link between acculturation-related factors and obesity among Latinas.
Design: Using the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), we detected the incremental associations of acculturation-related factors, especially perceived discrimination with obesity, after controlling for socio-demographics, among all 1427 Latinas. Two-step logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association.
Results: Results indicated perceived discrimination and older age were positively associated with Latinas’ obesity. Conversely, income and acculturation stress were negatively associated with obesity. Further, results revealed a significant moderating effect of education on the association between perceived discrimination and obesity.
Conclusion: The findings suggest the need for clinical attention towards socio-cultural influences and ethnic backgrounds in obesity assessment and intervention.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Key messages
Perceive discrimination and low SES are critical factors in increasing Latinas’ obesity. It is clear that no single individualized behavioral intervention (e.g. exercise and nutrition per se) could be the full remedy for Latinas’ obesity. Rather, attention to social and environmental factors (e.g. perceived discrimination and education) might be more crucial towards professional interventions with Latinas.