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Acculturation is Associated with Dietary Patterns in South Asians in America

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Abstract

Acculturation may influence diet pattern, a risk factor for cardiometabolic disease. We assessed whether strength of traditional cultural beliefs and practices, a robust measure of acculturation, affects diet pattern among South Asians in America. With data from the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) cohort, we used ordinal logistic regression to assess the association between strength of traditional cultural beliefs, 6 cultural practices and diet pattern. Of 892 participants, 47% were women. Weaker traditional cultural beliefs [OR(95%CI) 1.07(1.04,1.10)] and cultural practices (p < 0.05) were associated with consuming more of the Animal Protein dietary pattern and less [0.95(0.93,0.97)] of the Fried snacks, Sweets, High-fat dairy (FSHD) pattern (P < 0.05). South Asians in America with stronger traditional cultural beliefs and practices were more likely to consume the FSHD pattern. Prevention programs may consider dietary pattern modification as part of comprehensive risk reduction in South Asians.

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Acknowledgements

The project described was supported by Grant Number R01HL093009 from the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute and the National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through UCSF-CTSI Grant Number UL1 RR024131. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute or the National Institutes of Health. The authors thank the other investigators, the staff, and the participants of the MASALA study for their valuable contributions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Meghana D. Gadgil & Alka M. Kanaya

  2. Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Namratha R. Kandula

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  1. Meghana D. Gadgil
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  2. Namratha R. Kandula
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  3. Alka M. Kanaya
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Correspondence to Meghana D. Gadgil.

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Gadgil, M.D., Kandula, N.R. & Kanaya, A.M. Acculturation is Associated with Dietary Patterns in South Asians in America. J Immigrant Minority Health 22, 1135–1140 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-01016-3

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