title: Fatalism and cardio-metabolic dysfunction in Mexican-American women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mexican-American women are disproportionately vulnerable to cardio-metabolic dysfunction and related health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Research shows that low socioeconomic status contributes to this populations excess vulnerability to cardio-metabolic dysfunction, but little is known about the contribution of cultural factors to these associations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study explored the association between fatalism and cardio-metabolic dysfunction in a randomly selected community cohort of middle-aged Mexican-American women and examined whether fatalism could be conceptualized as a pathway linking socioeconomic status to cardio-metabolic dysfunction in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 300 women (ages 40-65), recruited from San Diego communities located near the Mexican border, who completed a self-administered survey battery and underwent a fasting clinical exam between the years 2006 and 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear regression analyses and mediation analyses utilizing bootstrapping procedures were performed to test study hypotheses. After controlling for age, menopausal status, and acculturation level, fatalism was associated with cardio-metabolic dysfunction. Although slightly attenuated, this relationship persisted after accounting for socioeconomic status. In addition, individuals of low socioeconomic status displayed more fatalistic beliefs and higher cardio-metabolic dysfunction after accounting for relevant covariates. Finally, the indirect effect of socioeconomic status on cardio-metabolic dysfunction via fatalism reached statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatalism may be an important independent risk factor for cardio-metabolic dysfunction in Mexican-American women as well as a mechanism linking socioeconomic status to cardio-metabolic health.
authors.affiliation: SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA, karla.espinosa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Espinosa de Los Monteros
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology