College of Health

We examined associations between acculturation, food insecurity, diet quality, and body mass index (BMI) among pre- conception-aged Latino women in Pitt County, North Carolina. A convenience sample (n = 74) was recruited through the health department. Acculturation was the age of immigration. Food insecurity was determined with the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Security Scale. Diet quality was represented by the Diet Quality Index for Pregnancy. Pearson's correlation coefficients and linear regression were used to examine hypothesized relationships. Food insecurity and BMI were inversely associated. There were positive associations between acculturation and vegetable and iron intake. Future research to mitigate food insecurity and obesity among Latino women is needed.