Tovah Yanover

Diabetes and Depression: The Role of Social Support and Medical Symptoms

Depression in people with diabetes is linked to poor physical health. Social support and physical health have been linked to each other and to depression. The present study examined three possible models of the interrelationship among depression, social support, and diabetes-related medical symptoms. Eighty-six diabetes patients completed measures of diabetes symptoms, depression, and diabetes-related social support. Depression, social support, and diabetes-related medical symptoms were significantly related to each other. Mediation analysis indicated that the effect of social support on diabetes-related medical symptoms was fully accounted for by social support’s adverse effect on depression. Consistent with theory and research on interpersonal aspects of depression, a bi-directional relationship between depression and social support was suggested. That is, while both diabetes-related medical symptoms and social support independently contributed to depression, depression also contributed to lower social support. Findings underscore the potential importance of interpersonal factors in the physical health of individuals with diabetes.

Self-reported interference with academic functioning and eating disordered symptoms: associations with multiple dimensions of body image.

A sample of 1583 undergraduates completed a multidimensional measure of body image (Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, MBSRQ) and a new scale, the Eating and Body Image Disturbances Academic Interference Scale (EBIDAIS). All five subscales of the MBSRQ were related to higher levels of self-reported interference with academic functioning in correlational analyses. For the entire sample, a regression revealed that only the appearance orientation subscale of the MBSRQ did not explain unique variance associated with EBIDAIS scores. A few gender differences emerged when separate regressions were conducted, however, overweight preoccupation was the variable that predicted the largest unique variance for both genders. The results suggest that academic interference should be considered as a possible variable when evaluating the social and occupational problems associated with body image disturbance.

Weight ratings of others: The effects of multiple target and rater features

The present study investigated factors that affect the subjective analysis of the weight of other individuals. Three hundred and thirty-three participants viewed figures varying in muscularity, adiposity, gender, and race. For each of the eighteen figures (targets), a 2 (rater gender: male, female)x3 (rater race/ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Hispanic)x3 (target race/ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Hispanic) repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted (BMI was covaried). Overall, there were few significant effects, however, for some of the figural stimuli, African American raters assigned lower weight ratings than did Caucasian and Hispanic raters. The findings offer support for further investigation of ethnic differences in weight ratings as a potential factor that might inform ethnic differences in overweight and obesity prevalence.

Reliability of diabetes-specific social support scales.

The Diabetes Care Profile (DCP) is frequently used to assess diabetes-related quality of life. The social support scales have demonstrated internal consistency but test–retest reliability has not been established. Sixty-three type 2 diabetes patients participated in a telephone coaching study designed to improve diabetes control. The DCP was filled out at pre- and post-test. The test–retest reliabilities of three social support scales (Global, GET, GET-WANT) were calculated. At a mean retest interval of 6.5 months, the support scales showed reliabilities of 0.48 (Global and GET), and 0.38 (GET-WANT). The social support scales of the DCP show adequate long-term test–retest reliability.

Eating beyond satiety and body mass index

OBJECTIVE: To examine discrete eating behaviours as predictors of body mass and psychological processes through which these behaviours might lead to increased body mass. METHOD: Three hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate females filled out questionnaires on eating beyond satiety (EBS), snacking, night eating, and hunger as well as the process variables — eating expectancies and self-reported cue reactivity — in an online study. The eating behaviours were regressed on body mass index and mediation analyses were conducted for the process variables. RESULTS: EBS was the strongest predictor of body mass when the other eating behaviours were controlled. The process variables did not mediate the relationship between EBS and body mass. DISCUSSION: EBS may be a discrete variable on which to intervene to prevent and treat overweight and obesity. Further research is needed to elucidate the situational and affective antecedents of EBS.