Recorded presentation

Arlene Michaels Miller, PhD, RN¹, Olga Sorokin, MPH², Peggy Chandler, PhD², JoEllen Wilbur, PhD, RN, FAAN², and Edward Wang, PhD³. (1) Public Health, Mental Health & Admin. Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 South Damen, Room 1016, Chicago, IL 60077, 312-996-9356, arlenem@uic.edu, (2) College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 S. Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612, (3) Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 West Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60608

Recent research suggests married couples may be at risk for similar health problems due to environmental or interpersonal characteristics. Little is known about the impact of acculturation on spouses’ health for immigrants. The purpose of this presentation is to examine relationships among acculturation and cardiovascular risk factors in 153 married couples who are recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Data are from an ongoing longitudinal study of acculturation and health. For women, the mean age was 59.28 (s.d. 8.58) and mean time in US was 5.51 years (s.d. 2.29); for men, mean age was 62.15 (s.d. 9.18) and mean time in US was 5.74 years (s.d. 2.82). Waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL, blood pressure, and glucose were assessed; presence of 3 or more scores outside normal range indicates metabolic syndrome, a precursor of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. All acculturation measures were significantly correlated between spouses: English skills (r=.43), American behavior (r=.56), Russian behavior (r=.27), and importance of maintaining Russian cultural (r=.28). Paired comparison t-tests indicated husbands reported significantly lower English skills and American behavior. Approximately 25% of each sample had metabolic syndrome. The majority of dyads (102; 66%) scored the same for presence or absence of metabolic syndrome. Multiple regression analyses indicated that for women, American behavior was a significant contributor to metabolic syndrome when acculturation scores, age, and time in US were included. This model was not significant for men, suggesting that different factors contribute to their risk status. Additional findings and implications for family-centered interventions will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Discuss research findings in which married or partnered couples are found to be at risk for similar health problems
• Identify factors that affect the impact of acculturation on cardiovascular health risk factors
• Describe similarities and differences in acculturation and cardiovascular risk factors between husbands and wives who are recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union

Keywords: Immigrants, Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation