Many Hispanic Women Start Smoking After Move to U.S.

American culture may trigger the change, experts say

TUESDAY, July 19, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Cultural factors may be influencing Hispanic women to take up smoking after moving to the United States from their native countries, according to new research.

This increase in smoking is not seen in Hispanic men who move to the United States, the researchers noted.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, reviewed data from 11 previous studies involving nearly 27,000 U.S. residents of predominately Mexican origin.

According to the team, they found a clear association between higher smoking rates among Hispanic women and "acculturation" in the United States.

Acculturation refers to changes in values, attitudes and behavior in people as a result of continuous interaction with a different ethnic group.

In the studies, smoking rates among Hispanic women increased from as low as 11 percent in their native country to as high as 25.1 percent after they moved to the United States.

The change in culture for Mexican women who move to the United States is greater than for Mexican men, noted review co-author Dr. Marc B. Schenker, department of public health sciences, University of California, Davis.

"Men in Mexico are pretty independent, and their culture facilitates their independence. When men come to the U.S., you don't see a dramatic change. But women often assert their independence. Smoking may also be a status issue in that it shows sophistication and an income level that can afford cigarettes," Schenker said in a prepared statement.

"Gender-specific and immigrant-specific approaches are necessary to halt the increase in smoking among Hispanics before it begins," Schenker and his colleagues concluded.

The review findings are alarming but not surprising, said Dr. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.

"When you acculturate, you pick up the bad habits of a culture along with the good ones. Cultures who are traditionally thin come to the U.S. and get fat. People who don't traditionally smoke start smoking. It's yet another health threat that women will have to deal with," Edelman said in a prepared statement.

More information

The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center has more about women and smoking.

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