title: Mood sensitivity to seasonal changes in African college students living in the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to estimate the degree of seasonality and prevalence of winter- and summer-type seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in African immigrant college students in comparison with African American peers. A convenience sample of 246 African immigrants and 599 African Americans studying in Washington, D.C. completed the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), which was used to calculate a global seasonality score (GSS) and to estimate the prevalence of winter- and summer-type SAD. Degree of seasonality was related to a complex interaction between having general awareness of SAD, ethnicity, and gender. A greater percentage of African students reported experiencing a problem with seasonal changes relative to African American students, and had summer SAD, but the groups did not differ on GSS and winter SAD. African students reported more difficulties with seasonal changes than their African American peers, which could represent a manifestation of incomplete acclimatization to a higher latitude and temperate climate. As Africans also had a greater rate of summer SAD, this argues against acclimatization to heat.
authors.affiliation: Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.forename: Kelly J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rohan
authors.forename: Samina M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yousufi
authors.forename: Minh-Chau
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.forename: Teodor T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Postolache
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004219:District of Columbia; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012621:Seasons; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001741:Black or African American