Obesity is a growing global public-health concern, particularly among immigrants to high-income countries. This umbrella literature review synthesises evidence from systematic reviews to explore the multifactorial cultural, socio-economic and environmental determinants of obesity and weight gain among immigrants to high-income countries.

A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus was conducted from January 2015 to November 2025 to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses examining the impact of cultural, socio-economic and environmental factors on obesity among adult immigrants (i.e. economic, students and refugees) to high-income countries.

Thirty-three reviews were included and thematically synthesised under four domains: physical climate and physiological changes, socio-economic stressors and psychological mediators, cultural factors and methodological quality – rated using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews tool.

The review found consistent evidence linking longer duration of residence and higher levels of acculturation with increased obesity risk. Socio-economic disadvantage, food insecurity and psychological stress – particularly acculturation stress – were key mediators of weight gain. Less sunny colder climates impacted on weight gain indirectly through limiting physical activity and accessibility to traditional-healthy diet outlets. Cultural dietary transitions and intergenerational differences further influenced obesity trajectories. Methodological quality varied, with only six reviews providing meta-analysis pooled estimates of obesity and being rated as high to moderate quality.

Obesity among immigrants is shaped by intersecting cultural, socio-economic, environmental and physiological factors. Public-health strategies must adopt culturally sensitive approaches that address structural barriers and support healthy transitions post-migration. Future research should emphasise longitudinal, intersectional and climate-tailored studies to inform targeted interventions.

To investigate the relationship between self-perceived overall dietary healthfulness and self-reported sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among young adult Latinas, accounting for socio-economic and acculturation-related factors.

Cross-sectional analysis using survey data. SSB intake was assessed using the BEVQ-15, and dietary self-perception was measured via a two-item scale. Multiple linear regression models examined associations between self-perception and total daily SSB intake, adjusting for income, education and two validated acculturation indicators.

Participants were recruited from a national online panel across the USA.

A total of 881 Latina women aged 18–29 years participated. After removing cases with invalid outcome responses and outliers, 840 and 829 were included in descriptive and regression analyses.

Better dietary self-perception was significantly associated with greater total SSB intake in both unadjusted (B = 1·74, P = 0·048) and fully adjusted models (B = 2·10, P = 0·017). Lower income (B = –0·64, P = 0·031) and lower education (B = –0·77, P = 0·026) were also associated with higher intake. Acculturation variables were NS. Subcategory models showed positive associations between self-perception and sweet tea (B = 0·99, P < 0·001) and black coffee/tea with sugar (B = 0·51, P < 0·01) and a marginal inverse association with soft drinks (B = –0·47, P = 0·060).

Young Latinas who perceive their diets as healthy may consume more added sugar from beverages than recommended. Public health efforts should address this perception gap and emphasise culturally relevant messaging about hidden sugars in commonly consumed drinks.

Research indicates that demographic (e.g., age, education) and sociocultural (e.g., acculturation) factors can impact neuropsychological test performance among ethnoculturally diverse adults. Some studies suggest that greater acculturation to the United States (U.S.) is associated with better neurocognitive functioning, though no meta-analysis to date has examined this relationship. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the literature and determines the magnitude of the relationship between acculturation and neuropsychological test performance.

A literature search explored all published articles through January 1, 2024, using three databases (i.e., PubMED/MEDLINE, PsycInfo, PsycNET). Data to calculate study effect sizes (i.e., Fisher’s z) were extracted from in-text results, tables, and figures.

Findings (k = 18 included in quantitative analyses) revealed a small to medium (r = 0.29, partial r = 0.20, p < .01), statistically significant relationship between higher U.S. acculturation and better neuropsychological test performance. Moderation analyses indicated that language of testing emerged as a significant moderator, testing in English yielded larger effect sizes compared to testing in other languages (B = 0.29, p < .05).

Neuropsychological test performance is significantly associated with U.S. acculturation, and results suggest that the magnitude may vary depending on study methodologies and samples (e.g., ethnocultural group, U.S. born vs. immigrant) examined. The current review also provides recommendations for incorporating acculturation assessment into clinical practice and highlights the need to examine the clinical utility of acculturation tools in conjunction with neuropsychological tests to assist in clinical decision-making with ethnoculturally diverse populations.

To describe the drivers of dietary behaviours among young South Asian adults (18–35 years) in Australia and examine the influence of acculturation and the host environment in shaping these behaviours.

A cross-sectional qualitative study design was used to collect data through Zoom focus groups. The analysis of the qualitative data followed Vears and Gilliam’s inductive content analysis approach. Demographic data were presented descriptively, and the findings were reported in accordance with the standard for reporting qualitative research.

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

A total of twenty-one young South Asian migrants (aged 18–35 years), mostly from India and Pakistan, participated in four online focus groups.

Six main themes were identified, highlighting the complex interplay of acculturation, cultural identity, family influence and other socio-economic factors in shaping dietary behaviours. (1) Acculturation and exposure to diverse cuisines, (2) interplay between religion and culture during special occasions, (3) influence of social networks and community norms, (4) structural and practical constraints shaping food choices, (5) shifting perceptions around healthy eating and (6) empowerment through knowledge. Participants reported incorporating Western and multicultural cuisines, often balancing convenience and cultural preferences.

Numerous drivers, including but not limited to acculturation and the host environment, influence the dietary behaviours of young South Asian adults in Australia. Despite limitations in representativeness, the study provides valuable insights highlighting the need for inclusive health promotion efforts for Australia’s growing South Asian population.

To explore the meanings that newly arrived refugee adolescents residing in the Southeastern USA attribute to foods.

We used methods from cognitive anthropology to assess whether adolescents from different countries share a cultural model of eating behaviours.

A school-based study in a community in the Southeastern USA.

Adolescents (10–17 years) who arrived in the USA on a refugee visa in the previous year.

Adolescents showed consensus in grouping items and in identifying some foods as associated with adults and others with children. There was evidence of a shared model of eating practices across age, gender and number of siblings. Adolescents who had lived in a refugee camp were significantly different in how they grouped items.

Adolescents from nine countries shared a model of eating behaviours; these patterns are consistent with rapid dietary acculturation within 1 year of arrival or with shared models held from pre-arrival. Our finding that adolescents who recently arrived in the USA generally agree about how foods relate to one another holds promise for generalised nutrition and dietary interventions across diverse adolescent groups.