The Article in Brief

Acculturation and Healthy Lifestyle Among Latinos With Diabetes

Arch G. Mainous III, PhD , and colleagues

Background Latinos have higher rates of diabetes than non-Latino whites. Furthermore, diabetes is more common among Latinos who are less acculturated to the majority US culture. This study explores the relationship between acculturation and a healthy lifestyle in Latinos with diabetes in the United States.

What This Study Found Less acculturated Latinos with diabetes tend to have a healthier (high-fiber, low-fat) diet than their more acculturated counterparts. Acculturation appears to have a positive influence on exercise habits, with more-acculturated individuals more likely to report leisure time exercise.

Implications

• For Latinos, adopting an “American” diet may not be a desirable change in behavior.
• Understanding the process of acculturation is important when encouraging patients to maintain healthy traditional behaviors while adopting beneficial aspects of the mainstream culture.