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Depressive Symptoms Clusters and Insulin Resistance: Race/Ethnicity as a Moderator in 2005–2010 NHANES Data

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Although depression has been linked to insulin resistance, few studies have examined depressive symptom clusters.

Purpose

We examined whether certain depressive symptom clusters are more strongly associated with insulin resistance in a nationally representative sample, and we evaluated potential moderators and mediators.

Methods

Respondents were 4487 adults from NHANES 2005–2010. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and insulin resistance was indexed by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) score.

Results

Positive relationships between PHQ-9 total, somatic, and cognitive-affective scores and HOMA score were detected (ps <0.001). In a simultaneous model, the somatic (p = 0.017), but not the cognitive-affective (p = 0.071), score remained associated with HOMA score. We observed evidence of (a) moderation by race/ethnicity (relationships stronger in non-Hispanic Whites) and (b) mediation by body mass and inflammation.

Conclusions

The depressive symptoms–insulin resistance link may be strongest among non-Hispanic Whites and may be driven slightly more by the somatic symptoms.

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Abbreviations

HOMA:

Homeostatic model of assessment

BMI:

Body mass index

MEC:

Mobile Examination Center

NHANES:

National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey

CRP:

C-reactive protein

PHQ-9:

Patient Health Questionnaire-9

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 100E, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Elizabeth A. Vrany M.S., Jessica M. Berntson B.A., Tasneem Khambaty Ph.D. & Jesse C. Stewart Ph.D.

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  1. Elizabeth A. Vrany M.S.
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  2. Jessica M. Berntson B.A.
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  3. Tasneem Khambaty Ph.D.
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  4. Jesse C. Stewart Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Jesse C. Stewart Ph.D..

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All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Author’s statement of conflict of interest

Elizabeth A. Vrany, Jessica M. Bertnson, Tasneem Khambaty, and Jesse C. Stewart declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures were conducted in accordance with the standards of institutional review board of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

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Vrany, E.A., Berntson, J.M., Khambaty, T. et al. Depressive Symptoms Clusters and Insulin Resistance: Race/Ethnicity as a Moderator in 2005–2010 NHANES Data. ann. behav. med. 50, 1–11 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9725-0

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