Many immigrants can feel like outsiders in their adopted country. The objective of this study was to determine if psychosocial stress associated with feelings of disconnection from the community is associated with the metabolic syndrome (Met-S) among Afro-Caribbean immigrants. The frequency of the Met-S, based on International Diabetes Federation criteria, was determined for a population-based sample of 406 English-speaking Afro-Caribbean immigrants ages twenty and older in the Virgin Islands of the United States (USVI). Feelings of disconnection were assess with Roger’s Life Attitude Inventory. Logistic regression analyses showed that a high level of disconnection was significantly associated with the Met-S [Odds Ratio = 1.64 (95 % CI 1.10–2.44)] after adjusting for conventional risk factors and for body mass index. Afro-Caribbean immigrants in the USVI who express a high level of disconnection from the community have an increased risk for the Met-S. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Insulin resistance US Virgin Islands Metabolic syndrome Psychosocial stress Afro-Caribbean

West Indies metabolic syndrome X human epidemiology middle aged Stress, Psychological mental stress ethnology Humans migrant psychology Black person African Continental Ancestry Group male Emigrants and Immigrants female adult Virgin Islands (U.S.) United States Virgin Islands Caribbean Islands