Abstract
This study addressed the association between items from the General Acculturation Index (GAI) and cardiovascular health. Specifically, we assessed whether ethnic pride was associated with health outcomes after controlling for items regarding language, place where the childhood was spent, and ethnic interaction. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of demographic and clinical data from a border population of Mexican American adults (n = 316) at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Outcomes included smoking and diabetes status, Framingham risk, and metabolic syndrome. Ethnic pride was associated with lower diabetes prevalence, lower Framingham risk, and fewer risk factors for metabolic syndrome but was not associated with smoking status. Ethnic pride was not associated with the other acculturation items of the GAI. Among an at-risk border population, ethnic pride functioned independently of other acculturation indicators. Ethnic pride may act as a protective factor for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and CVD risk status.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 204-220 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2011 |
Keywords
- Hispanic
- acculturation
- cardiovascular
- diabetes
- ethnic pride
- metabolic syndrome
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Cultural Studies
- Anthropology
- Linguistics and Language