September 1, 1976
View Full PaperAcculturation and Coronary Heart Disease in Japanese-Americans
Key Result
Acculturation to Western culture among Japanese-American men in California was associated with a 3- to 5-fold excess in CHD prevalence compared to those retaining traditional Japanese culture.
Study Design
Type
Observational (n=3,809)
Structured PICO
Does acculturation to Western culture increase the prevalence of coronary heart disease in Japanese-American men?
P
Population
3,809 Japanese-American men in California
I
Intervention
Acculturation to Western culture
C
Comparator
Retention of traditional Japanese culture
O
Outcome
Prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD)hard clinical
Acculturation to Western culture is associated with a significant increase in coronary heart disease prevalence among Japanese-American men, independent of traditional risk factors.
Main Result
Effect estimate: 3- to 5-fold excess
Abstract
Among men of Japanese ancestry, there is a gradient in the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD). It is lowest in Japan, intermediate in Hawaii, and highest in California. This gradient appears not to be completely explained by differences in dietary intake, serum cholesterol, blood pressure or smoking. To test the hypothesis that social and cultural differences may account for the CHD differences between Japan and the United States, 3809 Japanese-Americans in California were classified according to the degree to which they retained a traditional Japanese culture. The most traditional group of Japanese-Americans had a CHD prevalence as low as that observed in Japan. The group that was most acculturated to Western culture had a three- to five-fold excess in CHD prevalence. This difference in CHD rate between most and least acculturated groups could not be accounted for by differences in the major coronary risk factors.