Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Relationship between Obesity and Depression Treatment.

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Abstract

Using data from the 2004 to 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), this study examined the relationship between obesity and the treatment of depression across racial/ethnic subgroups, controlling for depressive symptoms, self-rated mental health, health status, and socioeconomic characteristics. The association between obesity and depression-related medication was significant for white women but not for black or Hispanic women. Similarly, the association between obesity and depression-related ambulatory visits was significant for white women but not for black or Hispanic women. The results for men were, in general, mixed and inconsistent. The significant racial/ethnic differences found in the relationship between obesity and depression treatment among women suggest that social and cultural factors might play important roles in depression treatment among women.