Hormes Julia M, Niemiec Martha A
University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2017 Jul 19;12(7):e0181445. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181445. eCollection 2017.
Craving is considered a key characteristic of diverse pathologies, but evidence suggests it may be a culture-bound construct. Almost 50% of American women crave chocolate specifically around the onset of menstruation. Research does not support popular accounts implicating physiological factors in menstrual chocolate craving etiology. We tested the novel hypothesis that greater menstrual craving prevalence in the U.S. is the product of internalized cultural norms. Women of diverse backgrounds (n = 275) reported on craving frequency and triggers and completed validated measures of acculturation. Foreign-born women were significantly less likely to endorse menstrual chocolate craving (17.3%), compared to women born to U.S.-born parents (32.7%, p = .03) and second generation immigrants (40.9%, p = .001). Second generation immigrant and foreign-born women endorsing menstrual chocolate craving reported significantly greater U.S. acculturation and lower identification with their native culture than non-menstrual cravers (all p < .001). Findings inform our understanding of food cravings, with important implications for the study of cravings in other domains.
渴望被认为是多种病症的一个关键特征，但有证据表明它可能是一种受文化限制的概念。近50%的美国女性在月经来潮前后特别想吃巧克力。研究并不支持那些将生理因素归咎于经期巧克力渴望病因的普遍说法。我们检验了一个新的假设，即美国较高的经期渴望患病率是内化文化规范的产物。不同背景的女性（n = 275）报告了渴望的频率和触发因素，并完成了经过验证的文化适应测量。与在美国出生的父母所生的女性（32.7%，p = 0.03）和第二代移民（40.9%，p = 0.001）相比，外国出生的女性认可经期巧克力渴望的可能性显著更低（17.3%）。认可经期巧克力渴望的第二代移民和外国出生的女性报告称，与非经期渴望者相比，她们的美国文化适应程度显著更高，对其本土文化的认同程度更低（所有p < 0.001）。研究结果有助于我们理解食物渴望，对其他领域的渴望研究具有重要意义。
