Acculturation, socioeconomic status, obesity and lifestyle factors among low-income Puerto Rican women in Connecticut, U.S., 1998-1999 Aculturación, clase social, obesidad y factores relacionados con el estilo de vida en mujeres puertorriqueñas de bajos ingresos residentes del estado de Connecticut, Estados Unidos, 1998-1999

• Main Authors: Nurgül Fitzgerald, David Himmelgreen, Grace Damio, Sofia Segura-Pérez, Yu-Kuei Peng, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2006
• Subjects: Aculturación; enfermedades cardiovasculares; diabetes; hispanoamericanos; obesidad; actividad física; clase social; mujeres; Puerto Rico; Acculturation; cardiovascular diseases; diabetes mellitus; Hispanic Americans; obesity; physical activity; socioeconomic status; women; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Bajos; Rho
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/a9ac5b7b53554eba921422145a55faf2

OBJECTIVES: To examine the associations of socioeconomic status and acculturation with obesity and lifestyle characteristics that may be risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease among low-income Puerto Rican women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1998 and 1999 by interviewing a convenience sample of 200 low-income Puerto Rican female caretakers of young children in Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America. Various recruitment methods were used to ensure adequate representation of the target community. The associations of obesity (body mass index > 30.0) and lifestyle factors (physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, food intake) with socioeconomic status (education, employment, car ownership), acculturation, age, and marital status were examined with Spearman rho, chi-squared, and Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Mean age was 29 years. Obesity (40%), physical inactivity (47%), and cigarette smoking (32%) were common. Less acculturated participants were 57% less likely to smoke and 54% less likely to be obese than their more acculturated counterparts. Lower socioeconomic status (not finishing high school or not owning a car) was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity, but unemployed (vs. employed) women were less likely to be obese (P < 0.05). Women who did not own a car consumed meat, eggs and fish less often than those who owned a car. Smokers were more likely to have an unhealthy food intake pattern than nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS: The associations of acculturation and socioeconomic status with some lifestyle characteristics suggest the need for culturally appropriate programs to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in this low-income community. OBJETIVOS: Examinar las asociaciones entre el estado socioeconómico y la aculturación con las características del estilo de vida que podrían constituir factores de riesgo de diabetes y de enfermedades cardiovasculares en mujeres puertorriqueñas de bajos ingresos. ...