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Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Relationship between Obesity and Depression Treatment

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Abstract

Using data from the 2004 to 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), this study examined the relationship between obesity and the treatment of depression across racial/ethnic subgroups, controlling for depressive symptoms, self-rated mental health, health status, and socioeconomic characteristics. The association between obesity and depression-related medication was significant for white women but not for black or Hispanic women. Similarly, the association between obesity and depression-related ambulatory visits was significant for white women but not for black or Hispanic women. The results for men were, in general, mixed and inconsistent. The significant racial/ethnic differences found in the relationship between obesity and depression treatment among women suggest that social and cultural factors might play important roles in depression treatment among women.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Disclaimer

The authors appreciate the helpful comments of Barbara Schone, Thomas Selden, and Lan Liang. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors, and no official endorsement by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or Social and Scientific Systems is intended or should be inferred.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social and Scientific Systems, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Salam Abdus PhD

  2. Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Samuel H. Zuvekas PhD

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  1. Salam Abdus PhD
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  2. Samuel H. Zuvekas PhD
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Correspondence to Salam Abdus PhD.

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Abdus, S., Zuvekas, S.H. Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Relationship between Obesity and Depression Treatment. J Behav Health Serv Res 42, 486–503 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-014-9391-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-014-9391-1

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