Open AccessLoneliness, Cardiovascular Disease, and Diabetes Prevalence in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study
Author(s) -
Samantha A. Foti,
Tasneem Khambaty,
Orit Birnbaum-Weitzman,
William Argüelles,
Frank J. Penedo,
Rebeca A. Espinoza Giacinto,
Ángela Gutiérrez,
Linda C. Gallo,
Aida L. Giachello,
Neil Schneiderman,
María M. Llabre
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of immigrant and minority health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.758
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1557-1920
pISSN - 1557-1912
DOI - 10.1007/s10903-019-00885-7
Subject(s) - loneliness , marital status , medicine , ucla loneliness scale , gerontology , depression (economics) , body mass index , public health , diabetes mellitus , disease , demography , psychiatry , population , environmental health , endocrinology , nursing , sociology , economics , macroeconomics
The relationship between loneliness and both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) has been understudied in U.S. Hispanics, a group at high risk for DM. We examined whether loneliness was associated with CVD and DM, and whether age, sex, marital status, and years in U.S moderated these associations. Participants were 5,313 adults (M (SD) age = 42.39 (15.01)) enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study. Loneliness was assessed via the 3-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Level of reported loneliness was low. Loneliness was significantly associated with CVD: OR 1.10 (CI 1.01-1.20) and DM: OR 1.08 (CI 1.00-1.16) after adjusting for depression, demographics, body mass index, and smoking status. Age, sex, marital status, and years in U.S. did not moderate associations. Given that increased loneliness is associated with higher cardiometabolic disease prevalence beyond depressive symptoms, regardless of age, sex, marital status, or years in the U.S., Hispanic adults experiencing high levels of loneliness may be a subgroup at particularly elevated risk for CVD and DM.