Adherence to Dietary Recommendations Is Associated with Acculturation among Latino Farm Workers

Matias, Susana L; Stoecklin-Marois, Maria T.; Tancredi, Daniel J.; Schenker, Marc B.

doi:10.3945/jn.113.177667

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…All 61 participants were adults who self-identified as Latino with a low-income, with many also reporting a low educational attainment, the mean educational level of the sample being 6th grade (with a standard deviation of 4 grades). The level of acculturation for this community has been reported as “low” [ 46 , 64 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ethnographic study of salt use and humoral concepts in a Latino farm worker community in California’s Central Valley

Barker

Guerra

Gonzalez-Vargas

et al. 2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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BackgroundThis article reports on the use of domestic or table salt for its perceived health effects and healing properties in a Latino farmworker community. It explores how contemporary salt usage beliefs can be seen to have roots in long-standing humoral theories of medicine and health.MethodsThis qualitative investigation comprised 30 in-depth individual interviews and five focus groups conducted in Spanish with Mexican and Central American immigrants in one small city in California’s Central Valley (N = 61 total participants). Interviews and focus groups were audiotaped, translated into English and transcribed. Several researchers independently and iteratively read transcripts, developed and applied codes, and engaged in thematic analysis.ResultsStrongly emergent themes identified the importance of balance in health, and beliefs about the effects on salt on health. Valued for its culinary role, for bringing out the flavors in food, and used by people of all ages, salt use is part of a robust set of cultural practices. Salt was regularly mixed with foods in different combinations and ingested to restore balance, prevent disequilibrium or reduce vulnerability to diverse illnesses, promote rehydration, and address symptoms of exposure to extremes of temperature or physical or emotional stress. Statements made and practices engaged in by participants were highly suggestive of health and healing beliefs common to humoral belief systems based primarily on a hot-cold dichotomy in classifications of foods and healing behaviors. We evaluate these statements and practices in the context of the existing literature on historical and contemporary humoral beliefs in Latin American communities, in Mexico and Central America, and in the United States.ConclusionHumoral theory is a useful framework for understanding contemporary rural Latino migrant farmworkers’ perceptions of the importance of salt for their health.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ethnographic study of salt use and humoral concepts in a Latino farm worker community in California’s Central Valley

Barker

Guerra

Gonzalez-Vargas

et al. 2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition, among Mexican immigrants residing in the USA, Batis et al ( 5 ) found a mixture of beneficial and harmful changes in dietary patterns, including increased consumption of saturated fat, sugar, salty snacks, pizza and French fries. Moreover, compared with Mexican-Americans born in the USA, those born in Mexico have been found to have a lower intake of fat and a higher intake of fibre and to exhibit greater adherence to nutritional guidelines ( 33 ) , and being born in Mexico or Central America and longer US residency have been found to be associated with higher odds of consuming ≥ 5 daily fruit/vegetable servings ( 7 ) . In Puerto Rican adults residing in Boston area, the association of acculturation with dietary quality was mixed, but tended towards better carbohydrate quality ( 8 ) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of the duration of residence with obesity-related eating habits and dietary patterns among Latin-American immigrants in Spain

et al. 2014

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The dietary patterns of immigrants usually change with the duration of residence and progressively resemble those of the host country. However, very few studies have investigated individuals migrating to countries with a high-quality diet, such as the Mediterranean diet (MD), and none has yet focused on Latin-American immigrants. The present study examined the association of the duration of residence with obesity-related eating habits and dietary patterns among Latin-American immigrants residing in Spain. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008 -10 in a representative sample of the adult population residing in Spain. Adherence to the MD was defined as a MD Adherence Screener score $9. Analyses were conducted by including 419 individuals aged 18 -64 years born in Latin-American countries. Compared with immigrants residing in Spain for , 5 years, those residing for $ 10 years accounted for a lower percentage of individuals who habitually ate at fast-food restaurants and never trimmed visible fat from meat. Moreover, these immigrants were found to have a lower intake of sugary beverages and a higher intake of Na, saturated fat, fibre, olive oil, vegetables and fish and to more frequently strictly adhere to the MD. A longer duration of residence in Spain was found to be associated with both healthy and unhealthy changes in some eating habits and dietary patterns among Latin-American immigrants. Some of the healthy changes observed contrasted the 'Westernisation' of the diet reported in studies conducted in other Western countries. The results of the present study support the role of the food environment of the host country in the modification of the dietary patterns of immigrants.

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“…It may not have been a salient issue for this study population because the town is so dominantly Latino, and even though the average length of time in the U.S. was 17 years, acculturation to more general population norms is still very low because of its remote rural location and homogeneously Hispanic residents (Matias et al, 2013). Other literature shows that Mexican immigrants experience a tension between their food experiences growing up in Mexico, where they perceive food to be healthy, and food that is available within the context of their current environment and time availability (Handley et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rural Latino caregivers' beliefs and behaviors around their children's salt consumption

et al. 2015

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Background Prevalence of high blood pressure has been increasing in U.S. children, with implications for long term health consequences. Sodium consumption, a modifiable risk factor for high blood pressure, is above recommended limits and increasing. Very little is known about Latino caregiver beliefs and behaviors around their children’s salt consumption. Methods In California’s Central Valley, qualitative interviews in Spanish investigated low-income caregivers’ views and understandings of their children’s dietary salt consumption. Thirty individual interviews and 5 focus groups were conducted (N=61). Interview transcripts were translated and transcribed, coded and thematically analyzed. Results Seven primary topic areas around children’s salt intake and its impact on health were identified: children’s favorite foods, children’s dietary salt sources, superiority of home-cooked foods, salty and sweet foods, managing salt for health, developing children’s tastes, and adding salt added at the table. Parents recognize common sources of sodium such as “junk food” and processed food and made efforts to limit their children’s consumption of these foods, but may overlook other significant sodium sources, particularly bread, cheese, prepared soups and sports drinks. Caregivers recognize excess salt as unhealthy for children, but don’t believe health problems (like high blood pressure) can occur in young children. Nevertheless, they made efforts to limit how much salt their children consumed through a variety of strategies; school meals were a source of high sodium that they felt were outside of their control. Conclusion Latino caregivers are concerned about their children’s salt intake and attempt to limit consumption, but some common sources of sodium are under-recognized.

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Adherence to Dietary Recommendations Is Associated with Acculturation among Latino Farm Workers

Cited by 15 publications

References 35 publications

An ethnographic study of salt use and humoral concepts in a Latino farm worker community in California’s Central Valley

An ethnographic study of salt use and humoral concepts in a Latino farm worker community in California’s Central Valley

Association of the duration of residence with obesity-related eating habits and dietary patterns among Latin-American immigrants in Spain

Rural Latino caregivers' beliefs and behaviors around their children's salt consumption

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