Exploring the Role of Depression as a Moderator of a Workplace Obesity Intervention for Latino Immigrant Farmworkers

AbstractWe explored if and how depression moderated the treatment effect ofPasos Saludables, a successful pilot workplace obesity intervention for Latino immigrant farmworkers. The original randomized controlled study assigned 254 participants 2:1 to a 10-session educational intervention versus control. We assessed the relationship between change in BMI (primary outcome) and interaction of treatment allocation and baseline risk for depression. Baseline CES-D scores indicated that 27.3% of participants were at risk for depression. The interaction between treatment allocation and baseline risk for depression was significant (p  = 0.004). In adjusted models among women, intervention participants with no indication of depression at baseline reduced their BMI by 0.77 on average (95% CI − 1.25, − 0.30) compared to controls. The reduction im BMI between the intervention group at risk for depression at baseline an d either control was not significantly different from zero. Findings from our post-hoc, exploratory study indicate that depression may inhibit significant weight loss.
Source: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research