Objective: This study examined food addiction (FA) and acculturation among a Hispanic bariatric surgery-seeking sample.
Setting: University hospital.
Method: Four hundred forty-four (n = 215 English-speaking; n = 229 Spanish-speaking) Hispanic adults seeking bariatric surgery completed established self-report measures examining food addiction and acculturation.
Results: 35.8% met criteria for FA, which was significantly associated with acculturation level to the USA. Participants who endorsed greater acculturation also endorsed a significantly higher level of FA symptoms compared with those who endorsed less acculturation. Acculturation level was significantly associated with FA and BMI.
Conclusions: FA rate in this bariatric surgery-seeking Hispanic patient group is similar to rates reported among bariatric candidates of varying ethnic backgrounds. Our results suggest a relationship between FA symptom expression and acculturation to the USA. Improving understanding of the onset and progression of severity of FA symptoms may have clinical implications for Hispanic patients seeking bariatric surgery.
Keywords: Acculturation; Bariatric surgery; Food addiction; Hispanic.