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Published on: August 22, 2014
Stress, race, and body weight.
Karen Hye-cheon Kim1, Zoran Bursac, Vicki DiLillo
1Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA. khk@uams.edu
Summary
Reducing stress may improve weight loss outcomes for women with Type 2 diabetes. Lowering perceived stress was linked to greater body weight reduction in a behavioral weight loss program.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Behavioral Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Stress is a significant factor in health and contributes to racial/ethnic health disparities.
- Body weight is a potential mediator in the relationship between stress and health outcomes.
- Overweight and obesity are prevalent issues, particularly among women with Type 2 diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationships between stress, race, and body weight.
- To investigate the impact of stress on weight loss in women with Type 2 diabetes enrolled in a behavioral program.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional and longitudinal study was conducted with 217 overweight/obese women with Type 2 diabetes.
- Perceived Stress Scale assessed baseline stress; body mass index measured body weight at baseline and 6 months.
Main Results:
- Baseline stress did not correlate with baseline body weight.
- A 1-unit decrease in baseline stress predicted an additional 0.10 kg of weight loss at 6 months (p < .05).
- Women in the lowest stress tertile achieved significantly greater weight loss (5.2 kg) compared to those in the highest stress tertile (3.0 kg) (p < .05). A trend suggested higher stress levels in African Americans compared to Whites (p = .08).
Conclusions:
- Higher stress levels are associated with diminished weight loss in women with Type 2 diabetes.
- Findings suggest that stress management interventions could enhance the effectiveness of weight loss programs for this population.
- Addressing stress may be crucial for improving health outcomes and reducing disparities in women with Type 2 diabetes.
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