A new study suggests that emigrating to the United States may increase smoking habits among Latino and Asian immigrants. 

According to a new study from sociologists at Duke University, Rice University and the University of Southern California, the longer Asian and Latino immigrants -- particularly women -- live in the United States, the more likely they are to smoke. 

The study, called "Gender, Acculturation and Smoking Behavior Among U.S. Asian and Latino Immigrants," examines the frequency and pervasiveness of smoking in the Latino and Asian immigrant community. The research shows that gender differences in smoking patterns are influenced by assimilation and migration. 

The study, which was published in the April issue of Social Science & Medicine journal, shows that health patterns change once immigrants have lived in the U.S. for an extended period of time. 

"We know that after migrants come to the U.S., their health behavior and health status change the longer they live in the United States," said Bridget Gorman, chair and professor of sociology at Rice and the study's lead author. "Our study examined how time spent in the U.S., along with other aspects reflective of acculturation to the U.S., relates to smoking behavior among Asian and Latino migrants."

The study proves that Latino men smoke at twice the rate of Latinas, at 30 percent compared to 13 percent. The same is true for Asian immigrants, with 30 percent of men smoking compared to 7 percent of women. 

They study found that women tend to smoke more once they emigrate, in part because gender norms are not as rigid in the U.S. as in their countries of origin. 

"The smoking stigma for women is significantly less in the U.S.," the authors wrote.

Gorman also noted that although there "tends to be an uptick in unhealthy behaviors like smoking after migration, patterns differ across ethnic groups and between men and women. In particular, women's smoking behavior tends to increase more after migration to the U.S. than men." 

Yet, the study also found that there is a reduction in smoking once the immigrants successfully assimilate and learn English. 

The authors of the study said that being comfortable in the new culture and mastering English leads to more opportunities, and which can lead to more financial security. 

"Immigrants who form strong connections to the U.S. through English-language proficiency and citizenship acquisition benefit in terms of reduced smoking," Gorman said. 

"This may be because the stresses associated with adapting to the U.S. have declined," the summary said, "but since both English-language proficiency and citizenship are associated with higher socio-economic standing, this might also indicate that smoking is lower among the most economically well-off migrants."

The study, which analyzed a sample of 3,249 Asian and Latino migrant adults aged 18 and older, also found that men from China are less likely to smoke than other Asian men, while Cuban men smoke more than Mexican men. The study suggests that cultural differences in smoking behavior is tied to societal differences in the immigrants' home countries.