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Chronic health conditions in ethnic minority caregivers and the role of the acculturation
Author(s) -
Hoang Diane,
Nguyen Julia Phuong,
Zhou Kieran,
Harvey Danielle J,
Meyer Oanh L
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.047668
Subject(s) - acculturation , ethnic group , medicine , marital status , gerontology , obesity , diabetes mellitus , odds , context (archaeology) , odds ratio , demography , chinese americans , logistic regression , population , environmental health , paleontology , sociology , anthropology , biology , endocrinology
Background Little is known about how the social and cultural context affects cardiovascular risk factors in Latino and Asian Americans. This study utilizes the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to examine how caregiving status and acculturation are related to chronic health conditions in a culturally diverse sample. Method The 2009 CHIS is a state‐wide representative dataset assessing health and health care of Californians. We examined whether acculturation [i.e., generational status (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) and language of interview (English or Spanish/Asian language)] as well as caregiving status were related to prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, controlling for age, gender, marital status, income, self‐rated health, and neighborhood safety (N = 14,241). Result The sample was 58.3% Latino, 34.5% Asian, and 7.1% Multiracial. Caregivers had higher BMI than non‐caregivers (β=0.82, 95% CI=(0.17, 1.47), p=0.01). However, caregiving status was not associated with odds of having diabetes (OR=0.80, 95% CI: (0.54, 1.20), p=0.8) or hypertension (OR=1.18, 95% CI= (0.86, 1.62), p=0.3). Additionally, those interviewed in an Asian or Spanish language were less likely to be told they had diabetes (OR=0.56, 95% CI=(0.45, 0.69), p<0.001) or high blood pressure (OR=0.53, 95% CI=(0.42, 0.67), p<0.001) compared to those interviewed in English. Among all participants, 3 rd generation individuals had a 75% increased odds of having high blood pressure (OR=1.75, 95% CI= (1.32, 2.34), p<0.001) compared to 1 st generation individuals. Conclusion Results indicate that while caregivers had higher BMI, caregiving status was not related to hypertension or diabetes. Additionally, more acculturated individuals (as indicated by generational status and language of interview) were more likely to report being diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension. These results are consistent with the Healthy Immigrant Effect, which posits that immigrants who are more acculturated tend to have worse health, as they adopt the host country’s diet and health behaviors. Surprisingly, caregiving status (and potentially associated stress), was not related to hypertension or diabetes. Implications are discussed.