Reuters Health, Feb. 5, 2008 A new study hints that adapting to U.S. culture may be hazardous to Hispanics' health. In a study of pregnant Hispanic women, those who spoke English well - a sign of acculturation - were four times as likely to suffer preterm births as their peers who were not proficient English speakers. The English speakers also had lower levels of progesterone - a hormone that is essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The article quotes UTMB School of Nursing researcher R. Jeanne Ruiz.