Acculturation and Diet among Mexican-American Women: Findings from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey

Jennifer Karas Montez, University of Texas at Austin
Karl Eschbach, University of Texas Medical Branch

There is a growing literature that acculturation of Hispanic persons in the U.S. corresponds with health behaviors. Diet is a key health behavior whose directional association with acculturation is inconclusive. Understanding the true association is fundamental for developing a comprehensive picture of the behavioral changes that can accompany acculturation, and the health outcomes these may engender. We use data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey to investigate the relationship between acculturation and diet among Mexican-American women. We incorporate two proxy measures of acculturation – nativity and a language composite – to predict dietary intake. Our results demonstrate that women born in Mexico and women with lower levels of language acculturation have healthier dietary intakes, and that the proxy measures are uniquely related to intake estimates. These findings should inform public health efforts concerning Mexican-American women. Furthermore, our findings underscore the importance of incorporating both acculturation measures in similar research.