Mental Health, Environmental Cues to Eat, and Obesity Among African American Women in Omaha

Regardless of socioeconomic status, African American women continue to have the highest level of obesity across all ethnic groups. Cultural beliefs regarding mental health, lack of stress management, and environmental cues to eat contribute to the higher prevalence of obesity and depression among African American women. This study examined psychosocial issues (environmental cues to eat) and the relationship between obesity and depression among African American women living in Omaha, Nebraska.

A convenience sample of (N=378) African American women completed the African American Female Health Survey. Sixty-six percent of the women in the sample ate past the point of feeling full, 76.9% ate in response to fatigue, 58.9% ate in response to boredom, and 57.1% ate in response to stress. Anger was a cue to eat for 78.2% of the women and 74% ate when they felt sad. Forty one percent ate in response to cravings, 47.7% ate when they felt hungry, and 85.9% overate on a daily basis. Sixty-nine percent ate a healthy breakfast, 57.3% ate second servings, and 53% overate at parties and family gatherings. Multiple regression indicated that 25% of the variance in obesity was contributed by stress (p< 0.01); stress was a statistically significant predictor of obesity (p= .003). Overeating on a daily basis contributed 15.2% of the variance in obesity and was statistically significant (p< .05). Cues to eat was a predictor of depression and was statistically significant (F (12, 285) = 4.754, (p< .001) among African American women living in Omaha.