Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Border Epidemiological Study Of Aging: The Role Of Psychosocial Factors On Mortality Of Mexican Americans In South Texas, Raed Jannadi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite Mexican Americans experiencing many chronic illnesses, e.g., diabetes and obesity, they exhibit higher life expectancy than other population groups in the United States. This is known as the Hispanic Paradox. This dissertation aimed to further contribute to the literature on the “paradox” by investigating the association between psychosocial factors rarely investigated in this population, such as social support, self- rated health, and stressful life events, with incident diabetes and all-cause mortality.

Data for this dissertation are from the Border Epidemiological Study of Aging, known as BESA, a population based longitudinal study consisting of four waves conducted in South Texas …

Impact Of A Lifestyle Modification Intervention On Health Behaviors And Health Outcomes In A Mexican American Population: A Mixed-Methods Study, Ramandeep Kaur

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a global public health problem, is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Lifestyle modification interventions (dietary and physical activity modifications) are effective in preventing and ameliorating MetS and associated comorbidities. However, the impact of lifestyle changes on MetS among Mexican Americans has yet to be investigated, particularly due to high attrition rates in this population.

The overall goal of the explanatory mixed-methods study presented in this dissertation was to identify efficacious lifestyle modification efforts directed towards Mexican Americans to promote their retention in lifestyle modification programs, ameliorate the severity of MetS, and understand …

Obesity, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, And Weight Loss In A Population Of Adult Mexican Americans, Janisse Rosario

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of obesity has evolved into one of the most important public health issues in the United States (U.S.), particularly in Hispanic populations. Mexican Americans, the largest Hispanic ethnic subgroup in the U.S., have been significantly impacted by obesity and related cardiovascular diseases. Mexican Americans living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (the Valley) in the Texas-Mexico border are one of the most disadvantaged and hard-to-reach minority groups. Demographic factors, socioeconomic status, acculturation, and physical activity behavior have been found to be important predictors of health, although research findings are mixed when establishing predictors of obesity in this population. …