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Depression, Metabolic Syndrome, and Locus of Control in Arab Americans Living in the DC Metropolitan Area: A Structural Equation Model

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Abstract

Arab Americans have high prevalences of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depression. Depression and external locus of control (LOC) may worsen MetS. We examined the relationship between depression and MetS with a convenience sample of 136 Arab Americans living in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Participants were surveyed with the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control questionnaire and the Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. Laboratory measurements were collected based on the components of MetS. A structural equation model was used to explore the relationship between MetS and depression through analysis of LOC. MetS was significantly correlated with external LOC (powerful others and chance), and depression was correlated with a weak internal LOC. Future study of the effect of LOC on health outcomes in Arab Americans may be used to mitigate MetS and depression in this population.

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Acknowledgements

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1TR001409. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. We thank Rachel Schaperow, MedStar Health Research Institute, for editing the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (Award Number UL1TR001409).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MedStar Health Research Institute, 6525 Belcrest Road, Suite 700, Hyattsville, MD, 20782, USA

    Nawar M. Shara, Alexander Zeymo, Zeid Abudiab, Jason G. Umans, Asqual Getaneh & Barbara V. Howard

  2. Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Washington, DC, USA

    Nawar M. Shara, Jason G. Umans & Barbara V. Howard

  3. Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Soleman Abu-Bader

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  1. Nawar M. Shara
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  2. Alexander Zeymo
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Correspondence to Nawar M. Shara.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Shara, N.M., Zeymo, A., Abudiab, Z. et al. Depression, Metabolic Syndrome, and Locus of Control in Arab Americans Living in the DC Metropolitan Area: A Structural Equation Model. J Immigrant Minority Health 20, 902–908 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0626-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0626-0

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