Anxious-depression among Hispanic/Latinos from different backgrounds: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

BACKGROUND: Anxious-depression is a constellation of symptoms, frequently encountered among patients in primary care centers. There is a need to study how anxious-depression presents among Hispanic/Latinos of different backgrounds. OBJECTIVE: To study the construct of anxious-depression among 16,064 Hispanic/Latinos of different backgrounds participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. We hypothesized that Hispanic/Latinos will cluster in 3 classes: low anxiety/high depression, high anxiety/low depression and a combined anxious-depression construct. METHODS: Using latent profile analysis, symptoms of depression and anxiety measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and 10-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were evaluated to determine if an anxious-depression typology would result. A multinomial logistic regression analysis explored the association of the 3-class solution with different Hispanic/Latino backgrounds controlling for age, gender, language, education and income. RESULTS: A 3-class mixed anxious-depression structure emerged with 10% of Hispanic/Latinos in the high, 30% in the moderate and 60% in the low anxious-depression category. After adjusting for age, gender, language preference, income and education, individuals of Puerto Rican background were more likely to experience high (OR = 1.79, p < 0.05) and moderate (OR = 1.36, p < 0.05) (vs. low) anxious-depression symptomatology compared to those of Mexican background. Individuals of Central American and South American background were less likely to experience high (OR = 0.68, p < 0.05) and moderate (OR = 0.8, p < 0.05) (vs. low) anxious-depression compared to those of Mexican background. CONCLUSION: Anxious-depression symptomatology varied among this sample of Hispanic/Latino groups. These classes should be investigated as to their relationship with different health outcomes relevant to the Hispanic/Latino of different backgrounds.

Religiosity prevalence and its association with depression and anxiety symptoms among Hispanic/Latino adults.

OBJECTIVES: Religion plays an important role in the lives of people in the United States. We examined the prevalence of religiosity among Hispanic/Latinos in four regions of the United States and looked at its correlation to depression and anxiety symptoms. DESIGN: The population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos enrolled a cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults (N = 16,415) ages 18-74 in four US cities from June 2008 to June 2011. Participants with complete data on religiosity (i.e., religious affiliation, frequency of attending religious activities and importance of religion), depression (assessed with the CESD-10), and trait anxiety (assessed with the STAI-10) were included in the present study. Distribution of religiosity is described by sociodemographic characteristics. Associations between religiosity with depression and anxiety were examined with logistic regression models controlling for sex, age group, education, Hispanic/Latino background, clinical center, and nativity. RESULTS: The majority of the population (89.5%) reported having a religious affiliation. Weekly attendance at religious activities was reported by 41.6% of participants, while 20.6% did not attend any religious activities. Religion was very important to 63.9% and not at all important to 6.7% of the population. The CES-D scores and trait anxiety scores were not significantly related in the overall group to frequency of attending religious activity or perceived importance of religion. However, in age-stratified analyses, among older individuals (65+ years old) reporting "never" participating in religious activities compared to more than once per week was associated with an 80% higher likelihood of having high depressive symptomatology. Similarly, in the older age group, no religious affiliation or reporting that religion is "not at all important" was associated with greater anxiety symptomatology. CONCLUSION: Religiosity varied by Hispanic/Latino background. Lack of religiosity was associated with elevated depressive or anxiety symptomology in older adults but not in young or middle-aged adults.

Physical Activity Levels in U.S. Latino/Hispanic Adults: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) prevalence among U.S. Latino/Hispanic adults of diverse backgrounds is not well known. This study describes PA among a representative sample of U.S. Latino/Hispanic adults. METHODS: A population-based cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults (aged 18-74 years) participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos from March 2008 to June 2011 (N=16,415) was recruited in four urban areas from Miami, the Bronx, Chicago, and San Diego. Participants wore an Actical hip accelerometer for 1 week (n=12,253) and completed the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (n=15,741). Data were analyzed in 2015. RESULTS: Based on accelerometry, Hispanics/Latinos engaged in 23.8 minutes/day (10.3 minutes/day when only considering minutes from sustained 10-minute bouts) of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). Individuals of Puerto Rican and Dominican background had the most minutes/day of MVPA (32.1 and 29.1, respectively), whereas those of Cuban background had the fewest (15.3). Based on the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, 65% of Hispanic/Latinos met the aerobic component of 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Men and individuals of Puerto Rican background had the most minutes/day of leisure-time MVPA (30.3 and 30.2, respectively). Individuals of Puerto Rican and Dominican background had the most minutes/day of transportation-related PA (48.7 and 39.7, respectively). Individuals of Mexican and Central American background had the most minutes/day of work-related MVPA (90.7 and 93.2, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Among Hispanics/Latinos, self-reported data provided information on the type of PA and helped explain variability identified from accelerometer-assessed PA. These findings highlight variability in PA among Hispanics from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Psychosocial stress is associated with obesity and diet quality in Hispanic/Latino adults.

PURPOSE: To examine the association of psychosocial stress with obesity, adiposity, and dietary intake in a diverse sample of Hispanic/Latino adults. METHODS: Participants were 5077 men and women, aged 18 to 74 years, from diverse Hispanic/Latino ethnic backgrounds. Linear regression models were used to assess the association of ongoing chronic stressors and recent perceived stress with measures of adiposity (waist circumference and percentage body fat) and dietary intake (total energy, saturated fat, alternative healthy eating index-2010). Multinomial logistic models were used to describe the odds of obesity or overweight relative to normal weight. RESULTS: Greater number of chronic stressors and greater perceived stress were associated with higher total energy intake. Greater recent perceived stress was associated with lower diet quality as indicated by alternative healthy eating index-2010 scores. Compared with no stressors, reporting three or more chronic stressors was associated with higher odds of being obese (odds ratio = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-2.1), greater waist circumference (ß = 3.3, 95% CI 1.0-5.5), and percentage body fat (ß = 1.5, 95% CI 0.4-2.6). CONCLUSIONS: The study found an association between stress and obesity and adiposity measures, suggesting that stress management techniques may be useful in obesity prevention and treatment programs that target Hispanic/Latino populations.