Acculturation and disordered eating patterns among Mexican American women

Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in Latinos in the United States

“…Specifically, we found that foreign nativity is associated with decreased risk for binge-eating and that those who spent more than 70% of their lifetime in the US reported the highest rate of lifetime BN. Preoccupation with slimness might be increasingly adopted as Latinos integrate US conceptions of beauty, losing their defense against eating disorders 10,29 and less time spent in the US (perhaps especially during the developmental period of highest risk for developing an eating disorder, adolescence) likely means less exposure or cultural adaptation to US norms and expectations. 10 Our cohort differences, showing that those aged 30 and older are significantly less likely to have BN and any binge-eating, might indicate a growing trend toward increasing patterns of unhealthy weight control behaviors and overeating behaviors in the younger Latino cohorts.…”

Media Internalization and Social Comparison as Predictors of Eating Pathology Among Latino Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Gender and Generational Status

“…Although previous research examining generational status and eating pathology is sparse and somewhat mixed, some data suggest that lower generational status (i.e., fewer generations born in the U.S.) is associated with less body dissatisfaction in a sample of Mexican American women (Stein et al 2010); a more positive view of weight gain during pregnancy in a sample of pregnant Mexican American adolescents (Gutierrez 1999); and a lower incidence of disordered eating in a sample of Latina women (Cachelin et al 2000). However, other research has identified a non-linear association between generational status and eating pathology (Chamorro and Flores-Ortiz 2000) or failed to demonstrate significant associations in Latina women and girls (Cachelin et al 2006;Granillo et al 2005;Stein et al 2010). More research on generational status and eating pathology is warranted within the Latino community, particularly for boys.…”

Facets of acculturation and their diverse relations to body shape concern in Fiji

“…These results also suggest that it may be useful to distinguish between personal assimilation to changing cultural values and being situated in an acculturated milieu for future studies of the impact of acculturation on disordered eating and body image. Although previous research has suggested that intergenerational conflict may be associated with greater risk for disordered eating, 13,42,47 we could not identify studies that specifically investigated the impact of personal assimilation to a new cultural environment versus being situated in an acculturated milieu.…”

“…41 Similarly, in a community-based study of Mexican American women, acculturation (assessed by the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans) was significantly related to higher factor III scores on the EAT-26. 42 Likewise, in a study of Chinese University students living in the United States, highly acculturated individuals (as measured by the Suinn-Lew Acculturation Scale) reported higher total scores on the Eating Disorders Inventory than respondents with low acculturation. 43 A direct positive relationship between acculturation (assessed with the Culture Questionnaire) and disordered eating and body dissatisfaction outcomes were further supported in studies of White and Guatemalan-American women, 44 and two urban school-based samples of Hispanic females.…”