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Immigration and Weight Gain: Mexican-American Women’s Perspectives

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Abstract

There is an urgent need for effective and accessible culturally-sensitive weight-loss interventions for the Mexican-American population. It is imperative that cultural factors be taken into account when designing weight-loss interventions targeting this population. As a first step in this direction, this study examined the experiences, concerns, and beliefs regarding diet, weight and weight loss of Mexican-American immigrant women. Focus groups were conducted with Mexican-American women (n = 25) between the ages of 20 and 63, from the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Major themes identified in the discussions included important lifestyle changes brought about by immigration, the challenges of adopting “American ways,” lack of nutritional information, and the difficulties in making food choices given the complexities of the family context. Behavioral interventions must provide culturally-centered behavioral strategies addressing some of the difficulties identified in this study. Specific suggestions are provided for the development of weight-loss interventions for this population.

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Notes

  1. Effects of weight loss and sodium reduction intervention on blood pressure and hypertension incidence in overweight people with high-normal blood pressure.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grant U01 HL068676-03S1 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI-NIH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA

    Nangel M. Lindberg & Victor J. Stevens

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  1. Nangel M. Lindberg
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  2. Victor J. Stevens
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Correspondence to Nangel M. Lindberg.

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Lindberg, N.M., Stevens, V.J. Immigration and Weight Gain: Mexican-American Women’s Perspectives. J Immigrant Minority Health 13, 155–160 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-009-9298-8

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