Passage 3
Among other factors, disordered eating has been linked with immigration,
acculturative stress and Western beauty standards of thinness. Acculturation as a
complex and interdisciplinary phenomenon has been defined in multiple ways, all
implying meeting of cultures and the subsequent changes in individuals or groups.
Psychological acculturation refers to the changes an individual experiences as
a result of culture change while adjusting to a new dominant culture…Migrationrelated psychological distress and mental health vulnerability of immigrants
and refugees have been recognized by an abundance of research prompting
researchers to propose that culture change and adopting to Western lifestyles
posed certain risks for psychological well-being among diverse populations.
This study aimed to examine the association between immigration, acculturation
strategies and eating patterns.
Acculturation was conceptualized and measured by acculturation strategies of
integration (maintaining original culture and adopting the new culture), assimilation
(adopting the new culture and leaving behind the old), separation (sticking with the
original culture only) and marginalization (maintaining/adopting neither culture).
Eating patterns were conceptualized by dietary restriction, eating concern, shape
concern, and weight concern…
Five hundred and six Georgian women took part in the study: 253 living abroad (UK
and USA) and 253 living in Georgia. Measures included East Asian Acculturation
Measure (EAAM) for acculturation strategies (assimilation, integration, separation,
and marginalization subscales) and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire
(EDEQ) for eating patterns (dietary restriction, eating concern, weight concern,
shape concern subscales, and global score). Relevant demographic variables and
Body Mass Index (BMI) were recorded.
Correlational analyses showed that marginalization and separation appeared
to have strong statistically significant positive correlations with eating concern,
shape concern, weight concern, and global scores. Integration appeared to have
marginal negative correlations with eating concern and shape concern outcomes.
No correlations were identified between EDEQ restriction concern and any
acculturation strategy. The strategy of assimilation was not linked with any EDEQ
score either.
Comparisons of immigrant and nonimmigrant groups using Multivariate Analysis
of Covariance (MANCOVA) with BMI as a covariate found a difference in dietary
restriction only, with immigrants yielding higher mean score than non-immigrants.
The global EDEQ scores of immigrant and nonimmigrant groups were almost
identical though. Correlations between separation and marginalization and four
EDEQ scores were statistically significant and positive, while correlations between
integration and two EDEQ subscales were marginally significant and negative.
Regression analysis showed that separation and marginalization strategies of
acculturation were significantly linked with EDEQ eating concern, shape concern,
weight concern, and global scores thereby representing predictors of elevated
eating outcomes.
In summary, the findings on the links between immigration, acculturation strategies
and eating patterns of Georgian immigrants showed that…while living in a Western
country, acculturation strategies of separation and marginalization were associated
with higher eating concern, shape concern, weight concern and global scores of
EDEQ…
Culture Change and Eating Patterns: A Study of Georgian Women. Adapted from Ia
Shekriladze et al. (2019).
Which of the following options is the most likely factor driving the correlation
between separation/marginalization and higher EDEQ scores among study
participants?
A) Mass media
B) Social media
C) Peer influences
D) Workplace influences
Correct answer is C
There are many factors capable of functioning as agents of socialization, including
family members, friends, social media and mass media influences, peer influences,
influences at the workplace and in social settings, and more. According to the
passage, individuals with higher EDEQ scores were most likely to demonstrate the
marginalization and separation strategies of acculturation. In other words, study
participants with higher EDEQ scores were less likely to assimilate into the broader
culture and were less likely to adopt any particular cultural tradition at all. For this
reason, Answer C, peer influences, is the correct answer, because peer influences
are most likely to influence participants who intentionally do not assimilate into
any particular culture. These individuals are not participating in the dominant
society, and thus likely are not highly influenced by either mass media (Answer
A) or social media (Answer B). Workplace influences certainly may be a factor,
however, peer influences are more likely to be important because participants who
adopt marginalization or separation strategies may be less likely to work outside
the home, and thus less likely to have any workplace influences at all. However,
even individuals who tend towards marginalization or separation still have peer
influences, although those peers are likely to share their own beliefs, customs, and
values which may not necessarily align with the beliefs, customs, and values of the
dominant culture at large.
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