Health-Related Quality of Life, Subjective Health Complaints, Psychological Distress and Coping in Pakistani Immigrant Women With and Without the Metabolic Syndrome : The InnvaDiab-DEPLAN Study on Pakistani Immigrant Women Living in Oslo, Norway.
The increasingly high number of immigrants from South-East Asia with The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is an important challenge for the public health sector. Impaired glucose is essential in MetS. The blood glucose concentration is not only governed by diet and physical activity, but also by psychological distress which could contribute to the development of MetS. The aim of this study is to describe health-related quality of life, subjective health complaints (SHC), psychological distress, and coping in Pakistani immigrant women, with and without MetS. As a part of an randomized controlled intervention study in Oslo, Norway, female Pakistani immigrants (n = 198) answered questionnaires regarding health related quality of life, SHC, psychological distress, and coping. Blood variables were determined and a standardized oral glucose tolerance test was performed. The participants had a high score on SHC and psychological distress. About 40% of the participants had MetS, and this group showed significantly lower general health, lower physical function, and more bodily pain, than those without MetS. Those with MetS also had more SHC, depressive symptoms, higher levels of somatisation, and scored significantly lower on the coping strategy of active problem solving. Pakistani immigrant women seem to have a high prevalence of SHC and psychological distress, especially those with MetS.
Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, Box 1130, 0318, Oslo, Norway. v.t.hjellset@medisin.uio.no|Uni Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. v.t.hjellset@medisin.uio.no.
Victoria Telle
VT
Hjellset
Uni Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.|Research group for Nature, Health and Quality of Life, IHA, University of Life Sciences (UMB), Ås, Norway.
Camilla M
CM
Ihlebæk
Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Benedikte
B
Bjørge
Uni Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.|Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Hege R
HR
Eriksen
Arne T
AT
Høstmark
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008603:Mental Health; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D055105:Waist Circumference
D001786:Blood Glucose