Franzen, Lisa2011-10-132011-10-132009-08https://hdl.handle.net/11299/116662University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. August 2009. Major: Nutrition. Advisor: Chery Smith, PhD, MPH, RD. 1 computer file (PDF); ix, 314 pages, appendix p. 239-314.This study assessed the impact of environmental change and acculturation on Hmong adults and children, who have lived in the United States (US) for varying amounts of time, by investigating changes in food system access, grocery purchasing influences, eating behavior, BMI, and health status. This research has shown how the combination of quantitative (Geographical Informational Systems software and census data, food store surveys, acculturation assessment, food frequency questionnaire, theory based survey) and qualitative (focus group discussions) methodologies has the potential to provide a more complete picture of how immigrants adapt to their new food environments. As more immigrants become introduced to food secure, obesogenic environments, such as the US, it will be important to examine how this transition impacts the health of current and future generations.en-USAcculturationBMIDietary patternsEnvironmental changeHmongNutritionThesis or Dissertation