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Immigrant generation and diabetes risk among Mexican Americans: the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging.
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Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health
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2013-08
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34
Publication Issue
2
Publication Begin
137
Publication End
46
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nihms586621.pdf
Adobe PDF, 103.59 KB
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Abstract
We examined whether acculturation and immigrant generation, a marker for assimilation, are associated with diabetes risk in an aging Mexican-origin population.
We analyzed data on 1789 adults aged 60 to 101 years from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. We ascertained type 2 diabetes on the basis of diabetic medication use, self-report of physician diagnosis, or a fasting glucose of 126 milligrams/deciliter or greater. Logistic regression modeled prevalent diabetes.
Adjusting for age and gender, we observed significant but divergent associations between immigrant generation, acculturation, and diabetes risk. Relative to first-generation adults, second-generation adults had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4, 2.4) and third-generation adults had an OR of 2.1 (95% CI = 1.4, 3.1) of having diabetes. Greater US acculturation, however, was associated with a slightly decreased diabetes rate. In the full model adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, the association between generation (but not acculturation) and diabetes remained significant.
Our study lends support to the previously contested notion that assimilation is associated with an increased diabetes risk in Mexican immigrants. Researchers should examine the presence of a causal link between assimilation and health more closely.
We analyzed data on 1789 adults aged 60 to 101 years from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. We ascertained type 2 diabetes on the basis of diabetic medication use, self-report of physician diagnosis, or a fasting glucose of 126 milligrams/deciliter or greater. Logistic regression modeled prevalent diabetes.
Adjusting for age and gender, we observed significant but divergent associations between immigrant generation, acculturation, and diabetes risk. Relative to first-generation adults, second-generation adults had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4, 2.4) and third-generation adults had an OR of 2.1 (95% CI = 1.4, 3.1) of having diabetes. Greater US acculturation, however, was associated with a slightly decreased diabetes rate. In the full model adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, the association between generation (but not acculturation) and diabetes remained significant.
Our study lends support to the previously contested notion that assimilation is associated with an increased diabetes risk in Mexican immigrants. Researchers should examine the presence of a causal link between assimilation and health more closely.
Citation
Afable-Munsuz A, Mayeda ER, Pérez-Stable EJ, Haan MN. Las generaciones de inmigrantes y sus descendientes y el riesgo de diabetes en la población de los Estados Unidos de origen o ascendencia mexicana: el Estudio sobre Envejecimiento en Latinos del Área de Sacramento (estudio SALSA) [Immigrant generation and diabetes risk among Mexican Americans: the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging]. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2013 Aug;34(2):137-46. PMID: 24096980; PMCID: PMC4096955.