Acculturation, dietary behaviors and body mass index among Korean immigrants

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe the effect of acculturation on dietary behavior and body mass index (BMI) among Korean immigrants in New York.MethodA cross‐sectional survey assessed acculturation level, dietary behaviors, and BMI of 195 church going Korean immigrants in New York metropolitan area.ResultsMean (SD) acculturation was 2.25 (0.4) on a scale of 0–5, and mean length of residence was 9.7 (6.6) years in our sample. Highly acculturated Korean immigrants (score>3) were more likely than others to more frequently consume American fast foods such as hamburgers, French fries, fried potatoes, pizza, and chips. However, they are also more likely to consume fruits, fruit juice and fiber cereals more often. The association of high acculturation with unhealthy fast food consumption remained significant in multivariate logistic regression analysis that controlled for sociodemographic and other confounders. Additionally, this fast food consumption was significantly associated with being overweight or obese even after controlling for confounders (OR=2.6; CI=1.1, 6.5).ConclusionsIn Korean immigrants, acculturation relates to unhealthy as well as healthy dietary behaviors. Acculturation is associated with frequent consumption of American fast foods, a risk factor for obesity in this population.