Influence of acculturation on body composition in overweight and obese Latino youth

Background: The influence of acculturation on obesity risk is complex, and the relationship between acculturation and obesity-related measures of body composition other than body mass index (BMI) in Latino youth is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the interrelationships between acculturation, social position, and body composition of Latino children and adolescents (n=206), ages 9 - 13, characterized as overweight or obese (BMI > 85th percentile) in the Los Angeles area. Methods: Acculturation variables were taken at baseline and included language spoken at home, child generational status, and sociocultural orientation assessed through the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA). Household social position was calculated using the Hollingshead Two Factor Index of Social Position. Measures of body composition at baseline and one-year post-baseline included BMI percentile, total body fat percentage, total body fat mass and lean mass.  Results: Using multiple linear regression of baseline data, lean mass was negatively associated with the sociocultural orientation positions of integration (β = -0.05 ± 0.06, p =0.035) and separation (β = -0.80 ± 0.38, p =0.035), and the change between baseline and post-baseline total fat mass was negatively associated with integration (β = -0.23 ± 0.10, p = 0.026), all independent of social position. Conclusion: At baseline, more acculturated Latino youth exhibited increased lean mass, and youth reporting higher integration of US and home country cultures exhibited a smaller one-year change in total fat mass. Our results suggest differential effects of sociocultural orientation on body composition over time in Latino youth.