title: Fast Food Intake in Relation to Employment Status, Stress, Depression, and Dietary Behaviors in Low-Income Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women.
abstract: Objective This study explored fast food intake as a potential mediator of the relationships among employment status; stress; depression; and fruit, vegetable, and fat intakes by race (African American vs. Non-Hispanic White) and body mass index (BMI category: overweight vs. obesity). Methods Low-income overweight and obese pregnant women (N = 332) were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in Michigan. Path analysis was performed to explore mediation effects by race and BMI category. Results Fast food intake mediated the relationship between employment status and fat intake (p = 0.02) in Non-Hispanic White women, but no mediation effect was detected in African American women. For overweight women, fast food intake mediated the relationship between employment status and fat intake (p = 0.04) and the relationship between depression and vegetable intake (p = 0.01). Also, fast food intake partially mediated the relationship between depression and fat intake (p = 0.003). For obese women, fast food intake mediated the relationship between employment status and fat intake (p = 0.04). Conclusion Fast food is an important topic for nutrition education for overweight and obese pregnant women. Future interventions may be more successful if they address issues associated with employment status (e.g., lack of time to plan and cook healthy meals) and depressive mood (e.g., inability to plan meals or shop for groceries when coping with negative emotions).
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ohio State University, 342 Newton Hall, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. Chang.1572@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Mei-Wei
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nitzke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D057140:Fast Foods; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014675:Vegetables; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats
keywords: Employment; Fast food intake; Low-income; Obesity; Pregnant