Within any society, globalization increases social diversity because international communications, commerce and migration introduce elements of new foreign cultures. Even non-immigrants, who remain entirely within their native society, are exposed to the effects of globalization through their society's transition and through their high-tech professions. The globalization process can benefit a society, but it can also create problems. As people become aware of and adopt different cultural attributes and lifestyles, including dietary behaviors, their day-to-day decisions about diet, exercise, and other habits influence their daily health and indeed, their long-term health status. To improve the nutrition of both immigrants and non-immigrants within a society, it is essential to acquire a better understanding of the relationship between their dietary behavior and how they are affected by cultural change (i.e. their "acculturation"). An in-depth study of this relationship between dietary behavior and acculturation is all the more useful when it excludes the confounding factors of social economic status and educational attainment.

      "Nutrition, Diet and Acculturation of Chinese Employed in High-Tech Industries in China and in the United States" is a Ph.D. project proposed and conducted by Chunling Wang, a doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland at College Park. This research was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Maryland.

      The target population for this study is young highly-educated Chinese employed in high-tech industries in China and the United States. The study's immediate purpose is to contribute to the development of effective nutrition intervention programs regarding Chinese immigrants in the United States and people in China. Nevertheless, the methodology validated by this study can be applied to diverse other populations to design programs that take into account specific factors relating to age, education and culture. The study's results will expand our knowledge of the role that acculturation and globalization plays in determining dietary behavior.