title: Associations between socioeconomic status and catecholamine levels vary by acculturation status in Mexican-American women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poorer health, possibly through activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to examine the association between SES and catecholamine levels, and variations by acculturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred one Mexican-American women underwent examination with a 12-h urine collection. Analyses tested associations of SES, acculturation (language and nativity), and their interaction with norepinephrine (NOREPI) and epinephrine (EPI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No main effects for SES or the acculturation indicators emerged. Fully adjusted models revealed a significant SES by language interaction for NOREPI (p< .01) and EPI (p< .05), and a SES by nativity interaction approached significance for NOREPI (p= .05). Simple slope analyses revealed that higher SES related to lower catecholamine levels in Spanish-speaking women, and higher NOREPI in English-speaking women. Although nonsignificant, similar patterns were observed for nativity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Associations between SES and catecholamines may vary by acculturation, and cultural factors should be considered when examining SES health effects in Hispanics.
authors.affiliation: San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. jaj015@ad.ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Smriti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shivpuri
authors.forename: Karla Espinosa
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: de los Monteros
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D014930:Women
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines