ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Despite having lower socioeconomic status, Latinos in the US experience fewer adverse health outcomes than non-Latinos. However, they are disproportionately affected by diet-related diseases. Among other racial/ethnic groups, high acculturation and low socioeconomic status are associated with worse dietary intake, yet, few studies have investigated these relationships among Latinos. DESIGN: 2013-2014 NHANES analyzed to examine pathways through which acculturation, income, nativity, and food security are associated with dietary behaviors. SETTING: U.S. population-based survey. SAMPLE: Survey respondents >18 years old and identified as Latino/Hispanic (N = 1197; 53.88% female; Mage = 44.61). MEASURES: Primary language spoken (acculturation), total household income (income), place of birth (nativity), Food security, and the Flexible Consumer Behavior Survey (dietary behavior). ANALYSIS: Univariate and multivariate regressions in STATA. Covariates include length of time in the US, ethnicity/Hispanic origin (i.e., "Mexican American" or "Other Hispanic"), and gender. RESULTS: Nativity (ß = -1.16; SE = .19; P < .001) and income (ß = .39; SE = .07; P < .001) were significant predictors of dietary behavior. Foreign-born Latinos and those with lower income consumed significantly lower numbers of fast-food or pizza. Food security was not a significant predictor of dietary behavior (ß = .16; SE = .1; P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that income is not a protective factor against unhealthy dietary behavior and a renewed importance of nativity as a predictor of health behavior among Latinos.
