Does acculturation affect the dietary intakes and body weight status of children of immigrants in the U.S. and other developed countries? A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews available studies on the relationship between acculturation and obesity among children of immigrants who have at least one foreign-born parent.

METHODS: A systematic review of relevant studies was undertaken using PubMed, Web of Science, and PsychInfo.

RESULTS: The initial search identified 1317 potentially relevant publications, of which 21 were retained after three rounds of screening. Most studies were conducted in the U.S. The majority of studies used BMI or overweight/obesity prevalence as the outcome variable, while two studies used dietary intake. Three studies used standardized acculturation scales, while most of the studies used generation, duration of residency in host country, and language as proxy measures of acculturation. The relationship between acculturation and outcomes varied between the host countries and origin countries for children of immigrants.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests children of immigrants with different cultural backgrounds may interact with host countries to varying degrees, ultimately influencing their diet behaviours and body weight status. Researchers are encouraged to adopt standardized acculturation scales to compare the results across countries and populations.