title: Family Environment and the Metabolic Syndrome: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study (SCAS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Very limited work has evaluated associations of sociocultural processes with prevalence of the MetS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate associations between family environment (cohesion/conflict) and the MetS, in a multi-site sample of US Hispanics/Latinos.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3278 participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos underwent a clinical exam and completed psychosocial measures including family environment (cohesion and conflict) as part of the Sociocultural Ancillary Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The association between family environment and the MetS was moderated by sex. Among all women, higher family conflict was associated with MetS prevalence. Results by ancestry group showed that only among Cuban women, higher conflict was associated with the MetS, whereas only among Dominican men, greater cohesion was associated with the MetS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The family context may be a sociocultural protective or risk factor among Hispanics/Latinos in terms of MetS risk, but these associations may vary by sex and Hispanic background.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA. fpenedo@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Penedo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Carrie E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Brintz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Maria M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: LLabre
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arguelles
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
authors.forename: Carmen R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Isasi
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Elva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Arredondo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Minority Health Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Elena L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Navas-Nacher
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Policy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Krista M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Perreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Hector M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daviglus
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schneiderman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005190:Family; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment
keywords: Cohesion; Conflict; Family environment; Hispanics-Latinos; Metabolic syndrome; Sex