The Effect of Acculturation on Obesity Among Foreign-Born Asians Residing in the United States

This study examined the relationship between acculturation and obesity in foreign-born Asians residing in the United States, using the 2009 California Health Interview Survey secondary data (N = 2,871). Two series of proxies and/or behavioral variables were used to measure level of acculturation: (a) length of US residency (years and percent of life) and (b) English language use and proficiency. It was hypothesized that acculturation measured with both proxies would positively predict obesity among foreign-born Asian adults who live in the United States. Results did not support the relationship between obesity and residency length, and greater English use and proficiency seemed to predict lower obesity. However, additional exploratory analysis was performed for each Asian ethnicity and the results showed that the hypothesized links were partly supported for Filipino subgroup, but the links for Vietnamese subgroup were in the opposite direction of the hypotheses and inconsistent with previous literature.