Prior studies comparing U.S.-born and foreign-born Asian Americans have shown that birth in the U.S. conveys greater risk of obesity. This study investigates whether retention of Asian culture might be protective for obesity despite acculturation to U.S. lifestyle. The authors classified self-identified Asian American respondents of the California Health Interview Survey as traditional, bicultural, and acculturated using nativity and language proficiency in English and Asian language. Among the bicultural, second and first generation respondents were equally likely to be overweight/obese. Biculturalism in Asian Americans as measured by Asian language retention appears protective against obesity. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying this association.  

Publication Authors:

• Sophia Wang
• et al