Negative Emotions, Acculturation, and Health Behaviors in Middle-Aged Mexican-American Women

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors pose a serious public health concern, particularly among minority populations. Few studies have examined the associations of negative emotions and acculturation with health behaviors in Mexican-American women. The objective of this study was to examine the role of negative emotions (i.e., depression, anxiety) on health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, dietary and sleep patterns), and evaluate how acculturation relates to the association between negative emotions and health behaviors among middle-aged Mexican-American women. Data from Nuestra Salud (i.e., Our Health), an observational epidemiological study were utilized. Participants included 321 Mexican-American women 40-65 years of age who completed a questionnaire assessing negative emotions and health behavior practices. Data were analyzed using correlations and hierarchical linear regressions. Both depression and anxiety were found to negatively influence dietary choices, such that higher scores were related to poorer diet (p <.05). Depression was found to be associated with physical inactivity (p <.05). In addition, results showed that the associations between negative emotions and health behaviors among Mexican-American women varied according to language acculturation. Findings suggest that depression and anxiety contribute to adverse behavioral health risk profiles and highlight the need to address negative emotions in relation to adherence to healthy lifestyle recommendations. The current research expands previous studies by providing a better understanding of the role of psychosocial factors on health behaviors practices among middle-aged Mexican-American women.