Acculturation and Arab immigrant health in Colorado: a socio-ecological perspective

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine the prevalence of selected health behaviors (smoking, diet, exercise and early cancer detection) and outcomes (obesity, cardiovascular fitness, type II diabetes mellitus and cancer) among Arab immigrants living in Colorado and evaluate the relationships between acculturation and health behaviors from a socio-ecological perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a cross-sectional survey of 100 adult Arab immigrants living in Colorado.

Findings

The study showed that Arab immigrants in Colorado engage in healthy behaviors such as eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables (34 per cent), exercising (44 per cent) and seeking early cancer screening (35 per cent among women and 42 per cent among men). In comparison to the general population in Colorado, the study results showed that Arab immigrants were more likely to engage in moderate or vigorous exercise (p < 0.001, OR = 1.84) and consume the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables (p = 0.05, OR = 1.56). The study revealed that culture plays an important role in shaping and affecting Arab immigrant health behaviors. Those who were more acculturated were more likely to be physically active and eat healthy.

Research/limitations/implications

The prevalence of overweight in the current sample was similar to the rate of overweight in other studies of Arab immigrants. This study’s findings about overweight signal a need for culturally sensitive health promotion interventions for Arab immigrants. The study limitations included the use of self-reported measures in the survey, the use of cross-sectional design and the use of a probability sample.

Originality/value

Understanding culturally relevant predictors of certain health behaviors, such as exercise and diet, can help health providers design health promotion interventions that focus on the individual and the environment to meet the health needs of Arab immigrants.

Citation

El Hajj, D. and Cook, P.F. (2018), "Acculturation and Arab immigrant health in Colorado: a socio-ecological perspective", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 48 No. 5, pp. 795-806. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-10-2017-0207