Date of Award
Fall 2025
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
College of Nursing
First Advisor
Michael D. Wirth
Abstract
Latinos are the largest and among the fastest-growing ethnic minority groups in the United States, yet they face significant health disparities, including a higher prevalence of depression compared to other ethnic groups. Biopsychosocial factors such as diet and acculturation may influence depression risk among Latino adults. Poor-quality diets, characterized by high inflammatory potential, have been linked to increased depressive symptoms. However, studies on the association between acculturation and diet, as well as between acculturation and depression, have yielded complex and often contradictory findings due to variations in study designs, measurement methods, and characteristics of Latino samples studied. Specifically, studies with mostly Latino men or foreign-born Latino adults, those using proxy measures of acculturation, and older studies found positive associations between acculturation and depression. Conversely, studies with mostly Latino women and U.S.-born Latino adults, studies using multidimensional acculturation measures, and newer studies reported contradictory associations. Hence, the association between acculturation and diet, and acculturation and depression among Latino adults in the US is not only complex but also not well understood. Also, the complex interplay between dietary inflammation, acculturation, depression, and the influence of sex and age in this growing population remains understudied.
The aim of this study was to investigate the complex interplay between sociodemographic factors (i.e., sex and age), dietary inflammation, acculturation, and depressive symptoms among Latino adults in the U.S. A rapid review of the literature was conducted to synthesize the latest evidence from quantitative and qualitative studies on the association between acculturation and diet among Latino adults in the U.S. The review analyzed 32 studies (26 quantitative and 6 qualitative) published between 2013 and 2024. Additionally, secondary data analyses were performed using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), spanning the years 2005–2023. Dietary inflammation was assessed using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). Acculturation was assessed using proxies of acculturation (i.e., nativity, length of U.S. residence, and language use) and two acculturation scales constructed from these proxy measures. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Multivariable regression models were used to test the associations between acculturation, dietary inflammation, and depressive symptoms, with sex and age as potential moderators.
According to the rapid review findings, higher acculturation was associated with poorer diet quality, characterized by increased consumption of fast foods and processed foods, and decreased intake of fruits, vegetables, and anti-inflammatory nutrients. After controlling for covariates, multivariate regression analyses revealed that higher acculturation was generally associated with higher levels of depressive symptomatology. U.S.-born Latino adults, those with more than 20 or more years of U.S residency, those who spoke only English at home, those who used English during dietary recall interviews, and those with high acculturation levels on the acculturation scale based on dietary recall language, reported higher depressive symptom scores compared to their foreign-born, Spanish-speaking and less acculturated counterparts. There were unexpected findings, such as Latino adults with moderate acculturation levels on the home language acculturation scale having higher depressive symptoms scores than their counterparts with low acculturation. Sex and age did not moderate the association between acculturation and depressive symptoms.
Furthermore, regression analyses also revealed that higher acculturation was associated with more pro-inflammatory diets among Latino adults in the U.S. However, sex and age moderated the association between acculturation and dietary inflammation. More anti-inflammatory diet scores were observed among foreign-born Latino adults, Spanish-speaking Latino adults, less acculturated Latino women, and older Latino adults. Acculturation moderated the adverse association between a pro-inflammatory diet and higher depressive symptomatology. The adverse association was stronger for highly acculturated Latino adults compared to their less acculturated counterparts.
This study highlights the complex interplay between sociodemographic factors, dietary inflammation, acculturation, and depressive symptoms among Latino adults in the U.S. Findings underscore the need for culturally tailored dietary interventions that promote healthy dietary patterns to manage and treat depressive symptoms among Latino adults in the U.S
Rights
© 2025, Ubong James
Recommended Citation
James, U.(2025). Investigating the Interplay Between Sociodemographic Factors, Dietary Inflammation, Acculturation, and Depressive Symptoms Among Latino Adults in the Us. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8633