Intergenerational transmission of the effects of acculturation on health in Hispanic Americans: a fetal programming perspective

M. Fox, S. Entringer, C. Buss, J. DeHaene and P.D. Wadhwa

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, S409-S423

Abstract: We propose a transdisciplinary, life span framework for examining the underlying cause of the observed intergenerational decline in health among Hispanic Americans. We focus on acculturation, and we posit that acculturation-related processes in first-generation Hispanic immigrant mothers may affect the intrauterine development of an unborn child, via the process of fetal programming, to produce phenotypic effects that may alter the susceptibility for noncommunicable chronic diseases. In this manner, an intergenerational cascade of perpetuation may become established. Our framework may shed light on the biological, behavioral, and social causes of intergenerational cycles of vulnerability among immigrant minority groups, with public health and policy implications for primary prevention and intervention.

Keywords: cultural factor; epidemiology; ethnology; female; fetus development; health behavior; health disparity; Hispanic; human; human relation; male; mental stress; mortality; risk factor; social support; trends; United States, Acculturation; Female; Fetal Development; Health Behavior; Health Status Disparities; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Intergenerational Relations; Male; Mortality; Risk Factors; Social Support; Stress, Psychological; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302571_7

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302571

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