The Association of the Parent-Child Language Acculturation Gap with Obesity and Cardiometabolic Risk in Hispanic/Latino Youth: Results from the Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth)

Madison N. Lecroy*, Garrett M. Strizich, Linda C. Gallo, Krista P. Perreira, Guadalupe X. Ayala, Mercedes R. Carnethon, Alan M. Delamater, Jeffrey S. Gonzalez, Elva M. Arredondo, Elizabeth R. Pulgaron, Carmen R. Isasi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Hispanic/Latino youth are disproportionately burdened by obesity and have a high prevalence of prediabetes and dyslipidemia. Differences in parent and child acculturation related to language use and preference (i.e., language acculturation) are associated with adverse cardiometabolic health behaviors, but no study has examined associations with cardiometabolic markers. Purpose: To determine whether discordance in parent-child language acculturation (parent-child acculturation gap) was associated with poor youth cardiometabolic health. Methods: Hispanic/Latino 8-16-year-olds (n = 1,466) and parents from the Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth) were examined. Mean scores for the Brief ARSMA-II's Anglo (AOS) and Latino (LOS) Orientation Scales represented language acculturation. Cardiometabolic markers included youth body mass index (BMI) percentile, blood pressure percentiles, and dysglycemia and hyperlipidemia measures. Missing data were imputed. Survey-weighted multivariable linear regression examined the association of youth, parent, and youth × parent (the acculturation gap) AOS and LOS scores separately with each cardiometabolic marker. Results: Youth reported greater English and lower Spanish use than parents. Greater discordance in AOS scores was associated with elevated BMI percentile only (p-for-interaction <. 01). The LOS acculturation gap was not associated with any outcome. Adjustment for acculturative stress, family functioning and closeness, parenting style, and youth's diet and physical activity did not alter findings. Removal of nonsignificant acculturation gaps did not indicate an association between individual youth or parent AOS or LOS scores and any cardiometabolic marker. Conclusions: Discordance in Hispanic/Latino parent-child dyads' English use may relate to increased risk for childhood obesity. Future studies should identify mediators of this association.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)734-745
Number of pages12
JournalAnnals of Behavioral Medicine
Volume55
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2021

Funding

SOL Youth was supported by grant R01HL102130 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The children in SOL Youth are drawn from the study of adults, The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, which was supported by contracts from the NHLBI to the University of North Carolina (N01-HC65233), University of Miami (N01-HC65234), Albert Einstein College of Medicine (N01-HC65235), Northwestern University (N01-HC65236), and San Diego State University (N01-HC65237). The following Institutes/Centers/Offices contributed to the HCHS/SOL through a transfer of funds to NHLBI: National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Dietary Supplements. Additional support was provided by the Life Course Methodology Core (LCMC) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research (P30 DK111022-8786 and P30 DK111022) through funds from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Support for the lead author was provided by an NHLBI training grant (T32HL144456).

Keywords

  • Acculturation
  • Child
  • Hispanics
  • Language
  • Parent
  • Youth
  • child relations

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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