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Acculturation Among Latinos

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The Issue
The concept of acculturation has been researched by the impact on health status and behaviors of immigrants. As a process, acculturation is present on multiple levels concerning an individual, one of which is the individual’s health. The acquisition of cultural elements of the dominant society, whether it be lifestyle practices, nutritional habits, or societal values is the defining way in which acculturation can affect health.1 The US Census Bureau has predicted that Latinos will account for a quarter of the nation’s population by 2050.2 In consideration to health, the Latino population faces various health disparities that set them apart from individuals residing in the US. These disparities include low educational attainment, high …show more content…

The “Healthy Migrant Hypothesis” or the Hispanic Paradox is often defined to explain how the determinants of health that weigh negatively on Latinos could possibly yield a positive health outcome when looking at Cardiovascular Disease.4The assumption is that with higher rates of poverty, less education, and low rates of health insurance, Latinos would also display raised levels of health problems such as high CVD. It is the opposite of this assumption however that is true. It is found that Latinos who have either no acculturation when moved into the US or exhibit low levels, are at a low risk for CVD, regardless of their predisposed health concerns.5 Acculturation can lead an individual into adapting negative health behaviors based on the culture they are transitioning into. In this process, we find the negative health behaviors that lead to …show more content…

Among those individuals who took to American culture, the rates of insurance and having access to care is much higher than those who strictly maintained their Latino culture.1 Preventative medicine and utilization of the healthcare network due to lack of fear regarding barriers to health are all positive outcomes, once full acculturation is assessed. Better self-perception of health is another positive influence that is found through exposure to healthcare as well as

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