Diet and Acculturation Among Hispanic/Latino Older Adults in the United States: A Review of Literature and Recommendations

Among U.S. and foreign-born Hispanic/Latino older adults living in the United States, associations of dietary acculturation and health outcomes have yielded no consistent findings. The purpose of this review was to present current knowledge and research disparities on acculturation, dietary intake,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 16 - 37
Main Authors Arandia, Gabriela, Nalty, Courtney, Sharkey, Joseph R, Dean, Wesley R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Taylor & Francis Group 2012
Subjects
Acculturation
Choice Behavior
cross-sectional studies
Diet
eating habits
economics
elderly
Energy Intake
Feeding Behavior
food intake
Health Status Disparities
Hispanic Americans - ethnology
Hispanics
Humans
Latinos
Life Expectancy
longitudinal studies
Mexican Americans - ethnology
Mexico - ethnology
minorities (people)
politics
Puerto Rico - ethnology
United States - epidemiology
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Summary:Among U.S. and foreign-born Hispanic/Latino older adults living in the United States, associations of dietary acculturation and health outcomes have yielded no consistent findings. The purpose of this review was to present current knowledge and research disparities on acculturation, dietary intake, and health outcomes among the fastest growing minority group in the United States. Fifteen peer-reviewed studies that measured dietary acculturation among Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Dominican older adults living in the United States were identified and examined. This literature review divulged contradictory associations between dietary acculturation and dietary intake, along with nutritional and general health outcomes. Conclusive evidence has yet to be attained due to use of cross-sectional study designs and numerous acculturation measures as well as unique cultural and dietary patterns across diverse Hispanic/Latino populations. Further research is needed to ascertain dietary acculturation among U.S. and foreign-born Hispanic/Latino older adults in the United States and should strive to develop instruments that consider the social, economic, and political environments that influence the dietary acculturation process. Furthermore, longitudinal study designs and qualitative methodologies are warranted.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21551197.2012.647553
ISSN:2155-1200
2155-1200
DOI:10.1080/21551197.2012.647553