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Primary Submission Category: Methodological approaches to studying public health
Risk and Resilience: Measuring Acculturation and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk in South Asian Americans
Authors: Preethi Saravanan, Khushi Chopra, Rohan Patel,
Presenting Author: Preethi Saravanan*
South Asian (SA) immigrants experience a 2-3-fold higher risk and earlier onset of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) compared to U.S. whites, and have a higher prevalence of CMD risk factors than other racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. Acculturation strategy, or the negotiation of beliefs, behaviors, and norms from host and heritage cultures, impacts health through dimensions such as diet, stress, and social support. However, little is known about these dimensions and pre-disease pathways among second-generation South Asians who inherit multiple cultures, risk exposures, and health discourses. This study uses an acculturation framework and biocultural approach to understand how South Asians navigate food, friends, and other dimensions of acculturation and how this impacts their cardiometabolic disease risk. We developed and validated an acculturation scale Asians using semi-structured interviews and cognitive anthropology methods to identify dimensions of acculturation (social networks, food, identity, stress, cultural competence, and language preference) that are relevant for health and identity among second-generation South. External validity was measured against cardiometabolic health, using physiological markers including BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, and HbA1c. We used a latent class analysis to create two cardiometabolic risk profiles, and regression analysis to examine the relationship between acculturation strategy and cardiometabolic risk. This mixed methods research offers new insights into both the risk profiles and acculturation experiences of U.S.-born South Asians, providing points of intervention such as diet and social support to improve prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disease in this high-risk population.