The relationship between acculturation and general health of Arab Americans.

PURPOSE

To determine the relationship between acculturation and health status among Arab Americans in southern California.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey with 297 adult Arab Americans used (a) a demographic and health survey, SF-36 Version-1, to assess physical and mental health and (b) the Acculturation Rating Scale for Arab Americans-II to assess acculturation.

FINDINGS

Participants reported significantly better physical health and worse mental health compared to the published norm for the 1998 U.S. population. Better physical health was associated with demographic factors and bicultural identification; better mental health was associated with attraction to American culture. Attraction to American culture predicted alcohol use, whereas attraction to Arabic culture predicted cigarette smoking.

CONCLUSION

Different patterns of association existed between acculturation and physical and mental health among Arab Americans.

IMPLICATIONS

Findings suggest that acculturation is an important factor to consider in the well-being of Arab Americans, especially in their mental health.