Abstract
This study examined (a) associations between body mass index (BMI) and depressive symptoms in African American husbands and wives, (b) transactional associations between husbands and wives in this relationship, and (c) mediating and moderating role of couples' behavioral closeness in this association. Data came from a sample of 450 African American married couples residing in a southern state. The study found that (a) husbands' and wives' BMI is positively associated with their own depressive symptoms, (b) only the wives' BMI is positively associated with their partners' depressive symptoms, (c) only the wives' BMI is positively associated with their own and their partners' depressive symptoms indirectly through couples' behavioral closeness, and (d) among wives, the association between BMI and depressive symptoms is mediated and moderated by couples' behavioral closeness. Family interventions need to increase indoor, outdoor, and intimate partner activities, thereby reducing the association between depressive symptoms and body weight for African American couples.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 613-638 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Journal of Family Issues |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was funded by Grant R01-HD050045-05 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Chalandra M. Bryant, principal investigator).
Copyright:
Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords
- African Americans
- BMI
- body mass index
- couples' behavioral closeness
- depression