Acculturation stress and allostatic load among Mexican immigrant women.

The study used purposive sampling, so the women may not represent other Mexican immigrant or Oaxacan communities. It was a pilot study with 59 women total and only 19 in the US group, and the small US sample prevented regression analyses. One participant was excluded from the MANOVA analyses because of a statistical outlier. The study was a pilot designed to set the stage for a larger investigation, not a test of an intervention. Physical activity and dietary intake were not measured, so BMI and waist-to-hip differences cannot be linked to stress alone. Levene's test was significant for BMI and waist-to-hip ratio, indicating a lack of homogeneity of variance for these metabolic indicators. The biomarker panel was limited to tests that could be collected in community settings; neuroendocrine and some inflammatory markers were not measured. Return migrants and changes in the Oaxacan community, such as fast-food restaurants and greater car use, may have affected health patterns in both locations. Many US women did not work outside the home and lived close to each other, which may have reduced exposure to some acculturation stressors.

Do not conclude that living in the US causes higher allostatic load or that stress explains the blood pressure differences. The combined allostatic load score was not different between groups, perceived stress did not mediate the blood pressure findings, and the study was a small pilot.