An investigation of health behavior change in Vietnamese-born individuals living in Sydney, Australia.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to look at rates of acculturation among Vietnamese immigrants, with particular emphasis on health behaviors. DESIGN: A volunteer sample was surveyed. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The participants were drawn from inner and western Sydney, Australia. Participants were asked for their perception of their English fluency as a measure of likely exposure to health promotion advertising and their food, social, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits. RESULTS: It was found that the longer the Vietnamese immigrants participants had lived in Australia, the less likely they were to smoke; in fact, the smoking rate of this population is as low as that of the Australian population as a whole. However the immigrants did not change their low rate of alcohol consumption. In addition, the Vietnamese who had lived longer in Australia significantly increased their daily exercise and started to eat more take-away foods. CONCLUSIONS: With respect to health promotion, these changes are mixed smoking has decreased, but half the group had begun eating take-away foods; this factor, if combined with a lack of exercise, is likely to lead to obesity.