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Acculturation

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Achieving Respiratory Health Equality

Part of the book series: Respiratory Medicine ((RM))

Abstract

Acculturation among Latinos in the USA is reviewed as an important case example linking how factors such as nativity, immigration, and length of residence in the USA are related to asthma prevalence and outcomes. Among most Latino subgroups, immigration and acculturation are related to increases in asthma prevalence and morbidity; however, Latinos of Puerto Rican descent appear to have the reverse pattern, in which immigration and acculturation to the USA are associated with decreased prevalence and improved outcomes. The mechanisms underlying these associations are not clearly understood. Individual (e.g., genetic, epigenetic) and environmental (built environment and ongoing exposures) are relevant and interact with one another to increase or protect against risk. There is also a complex constellation of social and behavioral factors associated with acculturation (language use, smoke exposure, breastfeeding, diet, and physical activity, among others) that may also increase risk for asthma onset and poor disease course. Future research on acculturation and asthma should move beyond the use of proxies of acculturation (e.g., nativity), and measure processes related to acculturation, such as the development of cultural identity. A greater emphasis on the social determinants of health that may operate in conjunction with acculturation, such as barriers to healthcare access, discrimination, and broad environmental disadvantage, is also necessary. Longitudinal and qualitative approaches are necessary to identify and capitalize on the protective mechanisms that enhance health among low-acculturated adults and children to prevent asthma onset or modify its course.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, 1 Hoppin Street, Providence, RI, USA

    Elizabeth L. McQuaid PhD, ABPP & Daphne Koinis-Mitchell PhD

  2. Behavioral Sciences Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA

    Glorisa J. Canino PhD

  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, 365067, San Juan, PR, 00936-5067, USA

    Glorisa J. Canino PhD

Authors
  1. Elizabeth L. McQuaid PhD, ABPP
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  2. Daphne Koinis-Mitchell PhD
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  3. Glorisa J. Canino PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth L. McQuaid PhD, ABPP .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Juan Carlos Celedón

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McQuaid, E.L., Koinis-Mitchell, D., Canino, G.J. (2017). Acculturation. In: Celedón, J. (eds) Achieving Respiratory Health Equality. Respiratory Medicine. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43447-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43447-6_6

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