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Depressive Symptoms and Weight Status Among Women Recently Immigrating to the US

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Abstract

Objectives Depressive symptoms have been associated with obesity. Little is known about this relationship among immigrants. We examined relationships between depressive symptoms and weight status in immigrant women from three ethnic groups. Methods Participants were Brazilian, Haitian, and Latina women (n = 345) enrolled in Live Well, a community-based, randomized intervention designed to prevent weight gain in recent immigrants. Study data are from baseline when participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Perceived Stress Scale, a physical activity questionnaire, and socio-demographic questions; BMI was calculated from measured height and weight. Results Forty-four percent of participants (36 % of Brazilians, 66 % of Haitians, 30 % of Latinas) had high depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 16), and 38 % (26 % of Brazilians, 49 % of Haitians, 42 % of Latinas) were obese (BMI ≥ 30.0). Those reporting more depressive symptoms were more likely to be obese (Wald Chi square = 4.82, p < .05). An interaction between depressive symptoms, ethnic group, and income was revealed (F(4,340) = 2.91, p < .05), such that higher depressive symptoms were associated with higher BMI among Brazilians earning ≥$30,000 per year and with lower BMI among Brazilians earning <$30,000. The relationship between depressive symptoms and obesity did not differ by income among Haitians or Latinas. Conclusions Depressive symptoms and obesity were highly prevalent among these recently-immigrated women. Positive relationships between these variables were consistent across ethnic and income groups, with the exception of lower-income Brazilians. While these findings suggest similar patterns and health needs across several groups of immigrants, cultural differences should be considered when addressing these health conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the members of the Live Well Steering Committee (Nesly Metayer, Franklin Dalembert, Raymond R. Hyatt, Christina Luongo-Kamins, Warren Goldstein-Gelb, Maria Landaverde, Melissa McWhinney, Joyce Guilhermino de Pádua, Helen Sinzker, Heloisa Galvão, Emily Kuross Vikre, Kerline Tofuri, and Ismael Vasquez) and the Live Well participants for participating in this study. The authors are also grateful for Peter Bakun’s assistance with data management. Funding for this research was provided by Grant R01HD057841 and P30DK46200 from the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Stephanie Anzman-Frasca

  2. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    Christina D. Economos

  3. Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA

    Alison Tovar

  4. School of Community and Population Health, University of New England, Portland, ME, USA

    Rebecca Boulos

  5. Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Sarah Sliwa

  6. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA

    David M. Gute

  7. Immigrant Service Providers Group/Health, Somerville, MA, USA

    Alex Pirie

  8. Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02111, USA

    Aviva Must

Authors
  1. Stephanie Anzman-Frasca
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  2. Christina D. Economos
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  3. Alison Tovar
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  4. Rebecca Boulos
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  5. Sarah Sliwa
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Correspondence to Aviva Must.

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Additional information

This article was edited by Sarah Sliwa in her private capacity. No official support or endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services is intended, nor should be inferred.

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Anzman-Frasca, S., Economos, C.D., Tovar, A. et al. Depressive Symptoms and Weight Status Among Women Recently Immigrating to the US. Matern Child Health J 20, 1578–1585 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-016-1957-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-016-1957-5

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