The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is two to three times higher among Mexican Americans than non-Latino whites, and Mexican Americans are more likely to develop diabetes at younger ages and suffer higher rates of complications. Many of these complications could be reduced substantially by targeting health behaviors such as diet and exercise; however, research has shown that, for Mexican Americans, healthful diet-related behaviors, as well as obesity prevalence, decrease with greater acculturation, including years in the U.S. or English-language adoption. Social networks play an important role in obesity and diet through social support, access to resources, social engagement, and social norms. However, an important and unanswered question is the extent to which less-healthy food behaviors and values are diffused across social networks among Mexican Americans and whether the diffusion of food behaviors and values differs by acculturation status. The goal of this proposal, in response to PAR-16-064 `Small Grants for New Investigators to Promote Diversity in Health-Research (R21),' is to examine the influence of the personal social networks of Mexican American families on food behaviors and values as well as objectively measured health outcomes (i.e., hbA1c and BMI). This project will build on our ongoing collaborations large Catholic churches in Los Angeles and New York by examining two specific aims: (1) To quantitatively characterize the personal networks of English-dominant and Spanish-dominant Mexican American families and test the network characteristics that are associated with unhealthful eating patterns, diabetes, and obesity and (2) To qualitatively explore how social networks influence English-dominant and Spanish-dominant Mexican American families' food behaviors and values. We will explore group differences in social networks between 81 Spanish-dominant and 81 English-dominant Mexican-American adults attending Sunday services at large Catholic churches. We will then select 25 information-rich cases for in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations, which will allow us to gain insights into food behaviors and values that may be socially transmitted. This study will provide preliminary data to develop an R34 application targeting specific social network features that influence diabetes-related behaviors among this vulnerable population. This study represents an important step in Dr. Karen Flrez's progress towards becoming an independent New Investigator and will advance the NIDDK's mission to increase diversity in health-related research.
The goal of this proposal is to examine the influence of the personal social networks of Mexican American families on food behaviors and values as well as objectively measured health outcomes (i.e., hbA1c and BMI). The study will quantitatively characterize the personal networks of English-dominant and Spanish-dominant Mexican American families, test the network characteristics that are associated with unhealthful eating patterns, diabetes, and obesity; and qualitatively explore how social networks influence food behaviors and values.
