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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Julia Hastings, MSW, PhD¹, Julian Chow, PhD², and George Jay Unick, MSW². (1) School of Social Welfare, University of California, 120 Haviland Hall #7400, Berkeley, CA 94720-7400, 510-642-5584, jhasting@berkeley.edu, (2) School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, 120 Haviland Hall, MC7400, Berkeley, CA 94720-7400

Purpose: Obesity remains highly prevalent among minority groups, African Americans in particular, and has also been positively associated with poor mental health (Flegal, et. al., 1998). Unfortunately, few studies focus on the relationship between ethnic differences in body weight, self-reported mental health, and the social environment. Studies combining these topics show conflicting results, probably due to differences in sampling and measurement.

Methods: Data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, a population-based telephone survey of adult residents of California (N = 53,697), was analyzed to assess how body weight affects self-reported mental health among racial minorities. Three different items assessed mental health. Ordinary least squares and logistic regression models were conducted utilizing replicate weighting.

Results: African Americans (36.2%) and Hispanics (26.7%) in metropolitan areas record the highest obesity rates when reporting a mental health problem. Logistic regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between self-reported mental health problems and obesity (OR=1.23, p = .000). Racial group membership shows no relationship to body weight differences and mental health reports.

Implications: The findings highlight how metropolitan social experiences may result in weight gain for African Americans and Hispanics, but diminish mental health problem recognition. Obesity's higher prevalence among poor African Americans calls for intervention strategies that integrate body weight concerns with mental health symptom awareness.

Learning Objectives: Session participants will be able to

• identify social barriers linking body weight and mental health conditions for ethnic minorities;
• discuss service provision strategies to weight challenged ethnic minorities; and
• consider alternative mental health measures in research.

Keywords: Minority Health, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No