Acculturation and Health Status in the Children’s Healthy Living Program in the Pacific Region

Kalanikiekie S. Sparks, Marie K. Fialkowski (), Rica Dela Cruz, Andrew Grandinetti, Lynne Wilkens, Jinan C. Banna, Andrea Bersamin, Yvette Paulino, Tanisha Aflague, Patricia Coleman, Jonathan Deenik, Travis Fleming and Rachel Novotny
Additional contact information
Kalanikiekie S. Sparks: Public Health Division, Acute and Communicable Disease Section, Oregon Health Authority, Salem, OR 97301, USA
Marie K. Fialkowski: Nutrition Support Shared Resource, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Rica Dela Cruz: Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences Department, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Andrew Grandinetti: Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Lynne Wilkens: Biostatistics Shared Resource, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Jinan C. Banna: Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences Department, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Andrea Bersamin: Department of Biology and Wildlife, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
Yvette Paulino: Margaret Perez Hattori-Uchima School of Health, University of Guam, Mangilao, GU 96913, USA
Tanisha Aflague: Cooperative Extension and Outreach, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Guam, Mangilao, GU 96913, USA
Patricia Coleman: Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Services, Northern Marianas College, Saipan, MP 96950, USA
Jonathan Deenik: Tropical Plant and Social Sciences Department, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Travis Fleming: Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources Division, American Samoa Community College, Pago Pago, AS 96799, USA
Rachel Novotny: Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences Department, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Acculturation/enculturation has been found to impact childhood health and obesity status. The objective of this study is to use cross-sectional data to examine the association between proxies of adult/caregiver acculturation/enculturation and child health status (Body Mass Index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], and acanthosis nigricans [AN]) in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI), Alaska, and Hawaiʻi. Study participants were from the Children’s Healthy Living (CHL) Program, an environmental intervention trial and obesity prevalence survey. Anthropometric data from 2–8 year olds and parent/caregiver questionnaires were used in this analysis. The results of this study (n = 4121) saw that those parents/caregivers who identified as traditional had children who were protected against overweight/obesity (OWOB) status and WC > 75th percentile (compared to the integrated culture identity) when adjusted for significant variables from the descriptive analysis. AN did not have a significant association with cultural classification. Future interventions in the USAPI, Alaska, and Hawaiʻi may want to focus efforts on parents/caregivers who associated with an integrated cultural group as an opportunity to improve health and reduce child OWOB prevalence.

Keywords: acanthosis nigricans; acculturation; body mass index; child; obesity; overweight; U.S.-Affiliated Pacific; waist circumference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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