Latent Profile Analysis of Acculturation and Associated Health Among Asian American Subgroups

Acculturation has been shown to be relevant to health outcomes. However, methodological limitations remain in the existing literature, particularly the lack of psychometric validation of acculturation measures for Asian American population. As a result, little is known about distinct acculturation profiles within this population and how these profiles relate to perceived stress and health. This study employs latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct acculturation profiles among 337 Asian Americans and to examine their associations with perceived health and perceived stress. LPA were used based on acculturated-related variables, including perceived acculturation, immigration generation, associated ethnic group, heritage language competency pressure, English competency pressure, pressure to acculturation, pressure against acculturation. We detected a 3-class solution: acculturated, bicultural, and enculturated. Compared to bicultural group, the acculturated group has statistically significant lower perceived stress (p < .001), higher perceived mental health (p < .001) and physical health (p < .001); the enculturated group reported significantly lower perceived mental health than the bicultural group (p <.001). These findings highlight nuanced differences in health perceptions across acculturation profiles. Notably, the enculturated group may be at elevated risk for poorer mental health outcomes, underscoring the need for culturally tailored mental health interventions. By elucidating how acculturation experiences impact perceived health and stress, this study offers practical insights for mental health professionals and healthcare providers, encouraging the development of tailored, culturally sensitive interventions for Asian American subgroups based on their acculturation experiences.