engleski

Acculturation Process and Its Effects on Dietary Habits, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body-Image in Adolescents

Previous studies have indicated that the acculturation process may contribute to psychosocial and health problems among immigrants, including through the mediation of acculturation stress. This study focuses on adolescents with immigrant background permanently settled in the Croatian region of Dalmatia and the influences of the acculturation process on their dietary habits, body mass index (BMI) and body-image. The survey was conducted on the total sample of 510 adolescents (aged 14-19) including 52 first generation and 248 second generation immigrants. The analysis included dietary habits, nutritional intake and questions of restrictive diet as indicators of unhealthy influence on body mass index and physical health. Psychological factors (stress and self-esteem) have been found to be associated with dietary habits and body-image among adolescents with significant differences by gender. Immigrant status is viewed as a risk factor for psychological distress and unhealthy nutritional habits. Research stresses the need to study the interaction between acculturation and health not only from an individual perspective, but also from the broader socio-ecological context of population subgroups.

anthropology; acculturation; dietary habits; body image; adolescents

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