Dietary Acculturation and Health Outcomes in Immigrant Populations

Dietary acculturation describes the process by which immigrants adapt their eating habits to those of a host society. This transition often involves a shift from traditional diets rich in whole grains, pulses and fresh produce towards patterns higher in refined carbohydrates, saturated fats and ultra-processed foods. The result can be a loss of the initial health advantage enjoyed by many new arrivals—a phenomenon sometimes termed the healthy immigrant effect—and a subsequent rise in obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Drivers of dietary change include socioeconomic position, availability and cost of familiar ingredients, time constraints, language barriers and cultural perceptions of food. Interactions within the altered food environment of destination countries further shape dietary choice, as do generational dynamics within immigrant families. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for designing culturally sensitive interventions, public-health guidance and policies that promote equitable health outcomes among diverse populations.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Dietary Acculturation and Health Outcomes in Immigrant Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dietary acculturation and health outcomes in immigrant populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dietary acculturation: The process by which migrants alter food choices and eating patterns in response to a new cultural and food environment.

Healthy immigrant effect: The initial health advantage observed among many new immigrants relative to native-born populations, often diminishing over time.

Food environment: The physical, economic and sociocultural context that influences food availability, accessibility and desirability.

Socioeconomic position (SEP): A composite measure of an individual’s economic and social standing, often linked to health behaviours and outcomes.

References

1. Dietary Acculturation and Food Habit Changes among Chinese Immigrants in Portugal. Nutrients (2023).
2. “I am not really into the government telling me what I need to eat”: exploring dietary beliefs, knowledge, and practices among ethnically diverse communities in England. BMC Public Health (2023).
3. Food environment interactions after migration: a scoping review on low- and middle-income country immigrants in high-income countries. Public Health Nutrition (2021).