Rebecca Boulos co-authors article in ‘Maternal and Child Health Journal’

Rebecca J. Boulos, M.P.H., Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Community and Population Health, co-authored an article in the Maternal and Child Health Journal titled, “Depressive symptoms and weight status among women recently immigrating to the U.S.”

Depressive symptoms have been associated with obesity. Little is known, however, about this relationship among new immigrants to the U.S. In this study, the relationship between depressive symptoms and obesity was explored in immigrant women from three ethnic groups. Findings demonstrate that women reporting more depressive symptoms were more likely to be obese. An interaction between depressive symptoms, ethnic group, and income was revealed, such that higher depressive symptoms were associated with higher BMI among Brazilians earning more than $30,000 per year and with lower BMI among Brazilians earning less than $30,000. This same relationship was not observed in the other two ethnic groups.

 Boulos co-authored the study with colleagues from Tufts University, Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, Ph.D., Christina D. Economos, Ph.D., Alison Tovar, Ph.D., Sarah Sliwa, Ph.D., David Gute, Ph.D. and Aviva Must, Ph.D.