The relationships among acculturation, body mass index, depression, and interleukin 1-receptor antagonist in Hispanic pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine relationships between acculturation, body mass index (BMI), and depressive symptoms with the Interleukin 1-mediated inflammatory response marker IL-1RA in pregnant Hispanic women at 22-24 weeks gestation.


METHODS
An observational, prospective design with data collected at 22-24 weeks gestation.


METHODS
Public prenatal health clinics and private physician practices in central and south Texas serving low-income women.


METHODS
Body mass index (BMI), depression scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression (CES-D), years in the United States, the Language Proficiency Scale (LPS), and Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist levels (IL-1RA).


RESULTS
The longer the Hispanic women were in the United States, the higher the IL-1RA levels in plasma (F=4.55; P=.002). IL-1RA plasma levels were significantly different between low and normal BMI vs overweight and obese categories of BMI (F=8.54; P<.001). IL-1RA levels were significantly higher between those women who had high scores for depressive symptoms on the CES-D (using a cut off of 20) and those who had scores less than 20 (t-value=-2.41; P=.018). In structural equation modeling, years in the United States significantly positively predicted increased depressive symptoms, increased BMI, and increased IL-1RA levels with a good model fit.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that increasing years of residency in the United States is associated with the elevated inflammatory marker IL-1RA, and increased BMI. Increased depressive symptoms also predict IL-1RA levels among Hispanic women at 22-24 weeks of pregnancy. The significance of these findings is discussed in relationship to the development and course of disease.
University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Nursing, Galveston, TX 77555-1029, USA. rojruiz@utmb.edu
R Jeanne
RJ
Ruiz
Raymond P
RP
Stowe
Elizabeth
E
Goluszko
Michele C
MC
Clark
Alai
A
Tan
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013781:Texas
D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1