Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 13, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 732-741

Health-related quality of life, subjective health complaints, psychological distress and coping in Pakistani immigrant women with and without the Metabolic Syndrome: The InnvaDiab-DEPLAN study on Pakistani immigrant women living in Oslo, Norway (Article) (Open Access)

Hjellset V.T.* , Ihlebæk C.M. , Bjørge B. , Eriksen H.R. , Høstmark A.T.
  • a Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, Box 1130, 0318 Oslo, Norway, Uni Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
  • b Uni Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, Research Group for Nature, Health and Quality of Life, IHA, University of Life Sciences (UMB), Ås, Norway
  • c Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
  • d Uni Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
  • e Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, Box 1130, 0318 Oslo, Norway

Abstract

The increasingly high number of immigrants from South-East Asia with The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is an important challenge for the public health sector. Impaired glucose is essential in MetS. The blood glucose concentration is not only governed by diet and physical activity, but also by psychological distress which could contribute to the development of MetS. The aim of this study is to describe health-related quality of life, subjective health complaints (SHC), psychological distress, and coping in Pakistani immigrant women, with and without MetS. As a part of an randomized controlled intervention study in Oslo, Norway, female Pakistani immigrants (n = 198) answered questionnaires regarding health related quality of life, SHC, psychological distress, and coping. Blood variables were determined and a standardized oral glucose tolerance test was performed. The participants had a high score on SHC and psychological distress. About 40% of the participants had MetS, and this group showed significantly lower general health, lower physical function, and more bodily pain, than those without MetS. Those with MetS also had more SHC, depressive symptoms, higher levels of somatisation, and scored significantly lower on the coping strategy of active problem solving. Pakistani immigrant women seem to have a high prevalence of SHC and psychological distress, especially those with MetS. © The Author(s) 2010. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com.

Author Keywords

Metabolic syndrome Pakistani immigrant women Coping Psychological distress Immigration

Index Keywords

Pakistan Blood Glucose metabolic syndrome X Norway exercise Waist Circumference mental health human epidemiology middle aged Stress, Psychological mental stress health status Adaptation, Psychological language ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies quality of life cross-sectional study migrant psychology Humans Emigrants and Immigrants female adaptive behavior glucose blood level adult body mass Body Mass Index
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80755169917&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-010-9409-6&partnerID=40&md5=4fc03df2f711010727e4321e2c5cc2c9
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-010-9409-6
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English