Acculturation and healthy lifestyle among Latinos with diabetes

Abstract

PURPOSE: Latinos have a high prevalence of diabetes and disproportionately experience diabetic complications. We sought to examine the association of acculturation on healthy lifestyle habits among the Latino population in the United States with diabetes. METHODS: We studied Latino adults (aged ≥20 years) with previously diagnosed diabetes in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (unweighted N = 467; weighted N = 1,957,778). Healthy lifestyle habits were those consistent with recommendations of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) regarding exercise, smoking, obesity, and diet. Acculturation was measured with the Short Acculturation Scale, a validated 5-item scale assessing use of the Spanish language. Logistic regression analyses of acculturation and healthy behaviors were computed controlling for access to care, demographics, and disease characteristics. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, compared with their less-acculturated counterparts, individuals who were more-acculturated to any extent were less likely to have a higher fiber intake (9.4% vs 35.4%, P = .001) and lower saturated fat intake (17.2% vs 46.5%, P = .03). More-acculturated individuals were more likely to report leisure time exercise (59.2% vs 19.3%, P