The Effects of Parent-Adolescent Acculturation Gaps on Adolescent Lifestyle Behaviors: Moderating Role of Family Communication

Public Significance Statement Discrepancies in acculturation among Hispanic parents and adolescents have been shown to influence family conflict and youth behavior problems, however, the association with healthy lifestyle behaviors is unknown. This study found that Hispanic adolescents consume less fruits and vegetables when they differ in American acculturation with their parents and when they perceive low levels of family communication. This study examined (a) associations between parent-adolescent acculturation gaps in Americanism and Hispanicism and adolescents' lifestyle behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity) and (b) the moderating roles of adolescent- and parent-reported family communication on these associations. Hispanic adolescents with overweight or obesity (n = 280; 52% female, 13.0 +/- 0.8 years old) and their parents (88% female, 44.9 +/- 6.5 years old) completed baseline measures on acculturation, family communication, weekly physical activity, and daily fruit and vegetable intake as part of their participation in a family-based health promotion efficacy trial. Acculturation gaps were calculated by taking the product of adolescent and parent scores for each subscale (Americanism and Hispanicism). We conducted multiple linear regression analyses with three-way interaction terms (e.g., Parent Americanism x Adolescent Americanism x family communication) to assess for moderation. Family communication significantly moderated the association between parent-adolescent acculturation gaps in Americanism and adolescent fruit and vegetable intake. For families with low adolescent-reported family communication, parent-adolescent discrepancies in Americanism were associated with lower adolescent fruit and vegetable intake whereas there were no significant associations for families with high family communication. There were no effects on weekly minutes of physical activity. Acculturation gaps in Hispanicism were not significantly associated with either outcome. Findings highlight the importance of parent-adolescent acculturation gaps and family communication on fruit and vegetable intake for Hispanic adolescents. Targeting parent-adolescent acculturation gaps for families with low levels of communication may be important to improve dietary behaviors in Hispanic adolescents, who are already disproportionately affected by obesity.