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BACKGROUND: Experiencing acculturative stress burdens Latinx families in a variety of negative and deleterious ways. Using the Family Stress Model, this study aims to explore the patterns and experiences of acculturative stress in Latinx families, and how these experiences related to Latinx adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. METHOD: Data came from baseline reports of three cohorts of parent-youth dyads (n = 532) participating in a longitudinal randomized control effectiveness trial testing a parenting intervention in southwestern U.S. area. RESULTS: Findings indicate that youth exhibited more depressive symptomology when both parent and child reported higher acculturative stress. While youths’ anti-social behaviors were only associated with their own acculturative stress and not their parents’ acculturative stress levels. DISCUSSION: This study advances new knowledge about the relationship between acculturative stress and youth behaviors, and provides recommendations for developing future interventions with Latinx youth to prevent the onset of internalizing and externalizing behaviors.

Hispanic women are at high risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D), with obesity and unhealthy eating being important contributing factors. A cross-sectional design was used in this study to identify dietary patterns and their associations with diabetes risk factors. Participants completed a culturally adapted Food Frequency Questionnaire capturing intake over the prior 3 months. Overweight/obese Hispanic women (n = 191) with or at risk for T2D were recruited from a community clinic into a weight loss intervention. Only baseline data was used for this analysis. Dietary patterns and their association with diabetes risk factors (age, body mass index, abdominal obesity, elevated fasting blood glucose [FBG], and hemoglobin A1c). An exploratory factor analysis of dietary data adjusted for energy intake was used to identify eating patterns, and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) to assess the association of the eating patterns with the diabetes risk factors. Six meaningful patterns with healthful and unhealthful traits emerged: (1) sugar and fat-laden, (2) plant foods and fish, (3) soups and starchy dishes, (4) meats and snacks, (5) beans and grains, and (6) eggs and dairy. Scores for the “sugar and fat-laden” and “meats and snacks” patterns were negatively associated with age (r = − 0.230, p = 0.001 and r = − 0.298, p

BACKGROUND: Overweight Hispanic women are at high risk for type 2 diabetes. A clinical diagnosis of hyperglycemia is often necessary to access interventions. We examined the prevalence of undiagnosed hyperglycemia among a group of low-income overweight or obese Hispanic women, who were receiving care at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). METHODS: Among 196 overweight or obese Hispanic women (mean age 44 ± 10 years, mean weight 86.8 ±16.5 kg, mean Body Mass Index [BMI] 36.5 ± 6.4 kg/m(2)) enrolled in a randomized clinical weight loss trial, we compared A1C and fasting blood glucose (FBG) obtained at baseline with women’s existing diabetes and prediabetes diagnoses in the medical record. RESULTS: According to the information in participants’ medical records, 36% (70/196) had diagnosed diabetes, 20% (39/196) had a diagnosis of prediabetes, and the remaining 44% (87/196) had neither diagnosis. Among participants without a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes during the baseline screening for our study, 63% (55/87) had a least one test in the pre-diabetes range (baseline A1C and FBG were in pre-diabetes range for 39 and 55 participants, respectively), and 13% (11/87) had at least one test in the diabetic range (baseline A1C and FBG values in diabetes range for 3 and 11 participants, respectively). DISCUSSION: We found substantial prevalence of undiagnosed hyperglycemia among a sample of overweight and obese Hispanic women. It is possible that limited awareness of diabetes risk may be a barrier to patient compliance with screening recommendations.

Objective This secondary data analysis examined associations among perceived neighborhood environmental factors, physical activity (PA), and the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Mexican–American (MA) adults. Seventy-five MA adults (mean age of 37.9 ± 9.3 years) provided anthropometric, biomarker, and survey data. The Neighborhood Scales Questionnaire evaluated six perceived neighborhood factors: walking environment, aesthetic quality, safety, violence, social cohesion, and activities with neighbors. The Rapid Assessment of PA questionnaire assessed PA. MS was determined according to ATP III criteria. Results PA was significantly associated with MS (OR = .338, CI .204–.738). Neighborhood factors of safety (B = .255, p = .024), walking environment (B = .384, p = .001), and social cohesion (B = .230, p = .043) were positively associated with PA. No other neighborhood factors were significantly related to PA. Analyses examining whether neighborhood factors moderated the relationship between PA and MS were not significant.

There is growing interest on the effects of mindfulness techniques, particularly mindful eating (ME), on eating behaviors and weight status. This study aimed to (1) evaluate whether the ME practices of adult parents and adolescents were associated to their respective weight status and (2) assess the relationship between a parent’s ME behaviors and those of their adolescent child. Data was collected as part of a secondary data analysis from a cross-sectional observational study conducted with primarily Hispanic parent and youth dyads (n = 57) from public housing sites in Phoenix, Arizona. Participants completed the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) and research staff collected anthropometric data. Adjusted multivariate linear regressions were used in data analysis. No associations were observed between ME and weight status for either parents or youth. However, parent overall MEQ scores were associated with adolescent overall MEQ scores (r = 0.47, p

This study assessed the feasibility of a culturally-appropriate weight-loss intervention targeting obese Spanish-speaking Mexican women. This 12-month weight-loss program was based on behavioral interventions previously used successfully with English-speaking participants. Cultural adaptations included: female interventionists, minimal written materials, emphasis on group activities, focus on Mexican traditions and beliefs, and skill-building approach to food measurement. All sessions were conducted in Spanish. The study had few exclusionary criteria, which allowed participation of women with a wide range of literacy levels. Recruitment exceeded expectations, with 47 participants enrolling in the program. Not counting participants who became pregnant during the study, attendance at 6 and 12 months was 62 and 50 % respectively. Mean weight loss at 6 and 12 months was 5.3 and 7.2 kg, respectively, with a mean reduction in BMI of 4.0 and 5.5 kg/m(2) from baseline to 6 and 12 months, respectively. This pilot study shows that it is feasible to develop and implement culturally-appropriate behavioral lifestyle interventions for obesity treatment in Mexican-American women.

Racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by barriers to health care access and utilization. The primary objective was to test for an independent association between household food insecurity and health care access/utilization. In this cross-sectional survey, 211 Latinos (predominantly, Puerto-Ricans) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) were interviewed at their homes. Factor analyses identified four barriers for health care access/utilization: enabling factor, doctor access, medication access and forgetfulness. Multivariate logistic regression models examined the association between each of the barrier factors and food insecurity controlling for sociodemographic, cultural, psychosocial, and diabetes self-care variables. Higher food insecurity score was a risk factor for experiencing enabling factor (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.17–1.82), medication access (OR = 1.26; 95 CI% = 1.06–1.50), and forgetfulness (OR = 1.22; 95 CI% = 1.04–1.43) barriers. Higher diabetes management self-efficacy was protective against all four barriers. Other variables associated with one or more barriers were health insurance, perceived health, depression, blood glucose, age and education. Findings suggest that addressing barriers such as food insecurity, low self-efficacy, lack of health insurance, and depression could potentially result in better health care access and utilization among low income Puerto-Ricans with T2D.

Prevalence of depression is high among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The objective of the current study was to identify the socio-demographic, psychosocial, cultural, and clinical risk factors that predispose to depression, and resources that protect from depression among low income Latinos with T2D. Participants (N = 211) were interviewed in their homes upon enrollment. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms based on a score of ≥21 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Lower household income, interference of diabetes with daily activities, and more T2D clinical symptoms were associated with depression risk in the multivariate analyses. At each level of food insecurity the risk of depression was lower the higher the level of social support (P < 0.05). Findings suggest that social support buffers against the negative influence of household food insecurity on depression risk. A comprehensive approach is necessary to address the mental health needs of low income Latinos with T2D.

The objective of this study was to identify demographic, socio-economic, acculturation, lifestyle, sleeping pattern, and biomedical determinants of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), among Latinos with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Latino adults (N = 211) with T2D enrolled in the DIALBEST trial were interviewed in their homes. Fasting blood samples were also collected in the participants' homes. Because all participants had poor glucose control, above-median values for FPG (173 mg/dl) and HbA1c (9.2%) were considered to be indicative of poorer glycemic control. Multivariate analyses showed that receiving heating assistance (OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 0.96-4.96), and having a radio (3.11, 1.16-8.35), were risk factors for higher FPG levels, and lower income (10.4, 1.54-69.30) was a risk factor for higher HbA1c levels. Lower carbohydrate intake during the previous day (0.04; 0.005-0.37), as well as regular physical activity (0.30; 0.13-0.69), breakfast (2.78; 1.10-6.99) and dinner skipping (3.9; 1.03-14.9) during previous week were significantly associated with FPG concentrations. Being middle aged (2.24, 1.12-4.47), 30-60 min of sleep during the day time (0.07, 0.01-0.74) and having medical insurance (0.31, 0.10-0.96) were predictors of HbA1c. Results suggest that contemporaneous lifestyle behaviors were associated with FPG and contextual biomedical factors such as health care access with HbA1c. Lower socio-economic status indicators were associated with poorer FPG and HbA1c glycemic control.

Background Mexican Americans are the largest minority group in the US and suffer disproportionate rates of diseases related to the lack of physical activity (PA). Since many of these Mexican Americans are Spanish-speaking, it is important to validate a Spanish language physical activity assessment tool that can be used in epidemiology as well as clinical practice. This study explored the utility of two Spanish translated physical activity questionnaires, the Stanford Brief Activity Survey (SBAS) and the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), for use among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. Methods Thirty-four participants (13 M, 21 F; 37.6 ± 9.5 y) completed each of the two PA surveys twice, one week apart. During that week 31 participants also wore an ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer for 7 days to objectively measure PA. Minutes of moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA) were determined from the accelerometer data using Freedson and Matthews cut points. Results Validity, determined by Spearman correlation coefficients between questionnaire scores and minutes of ActiGraph measured MVPA were 0.38 and 0.45 for the SBAS and RAPA, respectively. Test-retest reliability was 0.61 for the SBAS and 0.65 for the RAPA. Sensitivity and specificity were 0.60 and 0.47 for the SBAS, and 0.73 and 0.75 for the RAPA. Participants who were classified as meeting the 2008 National Physical Activity Guidelines by the RAPA engaged in significantly (p

Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance (IR) place youth at higher risk for premature cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. In adults, abdominal obesity and IR contribute to the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Whether similar mechanisms are operational in Latino adolescents is unknown. Therefore, we determined whether IR and abdominal adiposity are associated with higher oxLDL concentrations in Latino adolescents. Data from 123 Latino adolescents (16.3 ± 2.5 years; female = 74) were used for the present analysis. Participants were assessed for waist circumference, fasting serum oxLDL, and insulin sensitivity by the whole body insulin sensitivity index. In separate linear regression models adjusting for age and sex, both waist circumference and insulin sensitivity were significant predictors of oxLDL (β = 1.9; p = 0.002; R2 = 0.13, β = -1.7; p = 0.006; R2 = 0.11, respectively). When insulin sensitivity and waist circumference were included in the same model, both remained independent predictors of oxLDL (β = 1.7; p = 0.016 and, β = -1.5; p = 0.055, respectively; R2 = 0.16). These results suggest that insulin resistance and abdominal adiposity are associated with higher levels of LDL oxidation which may be a mechanism contributing to increased CVD risk in Latino adolescents.