Immigration, Acculturation, and Risk Factors for Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: a Comparison Between Latinos of Peruvian Descent in Peru and in the United States

Objective: To determine whether migration and acculturation was associated with risk factors for obesity and cardiovascular disease, whether this association is linear or curvilinear, and whether the socio-cultural context alters the association between obesity and cardiovascular disease and individual-level variables.

Setting: Lima, Peru, San Diego and San Francisco, California.

Participants: Ninety-two Peruvian residents of Lima and 83 Peruvian immigrant residents of California.

Main Outcome Measures: total cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio.

Results: A significant linear association was found between migration and acculturation and alcohol consumption and total cholesterol in men and women, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure and body mass index in men, and physical activity in women. Immigration/acculturation level was a significant independent predictor of total cholesterol. Age and body mass index were independent predictors of total cholesterol only in Peru. Sex was an independent predictor of DBP only in the United States. Body mass index was an in dependent predictor of DBP only in Peru. Household income was an independent predictor of SBP and DBP only in Peru and body mass index only in the United States, while level of education was inversely associated with body mass index only in Peru. Regular strenuous physical activity was an independent predictor of obesity measures only in the United States.

Conclusions: The socio-cultural context alters the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease associated with individual-level variables and accounts for gender and cross-national differences in the migration-illness association.