The objective of this study was to explore the perceived benefits of engaging in health behavior change from the viewpoint of overweight and obese Latinos with severe mental illness (SMI) enrolled in the U.S. Qualitative, semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 obese Latinos with SMI who were enrolled in a randomized trial evaluating the effectiveness of a motivational health promotion intervention adapted for persons with SMI. Overweight and obese Latino participants believed that engaging in health behavior change would have both physical and mental health benefits, including chronic disease management, changes in weight and body composition, and increased self-esteem. Interventions that explicitly link physical activity and healthy eating to improvements in mental health and well-being may motivate Latinos with SMI to adopt health behavior change.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (2011). 2011 national healthcare disparities report. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
2.
AiA. L.AppelH. B.HuangB.LeeK. (2012) Overall health and healthcare utilization among Latino American women in the United States. Journal of Women’s Health21(8): 878–885.
3.
AlarcónR. D. (2001) Hispanic psychiatry: From margin to mainstream. Transcultural Psychiatry38(1): 5–25.
4.
AlegríaM.CaninoG.ShroutP. E.WooM.DuanN.VilaD.MengX. L. (2008) Prevalence of mental illness in immigrant and non-immigrant U.S. Latino groups. American Journal of Psychiatry165(3): 359–369.
5.
AndrulisD. P.BrachC. (2007) Integrating literacy, culture, and language to improve health care quality for diverse population. American Journal of Health Behaviors31(Suppl. 1): S122–133.
6.
BarrioC.YamadaA. M.HoughR. L.HawthorneW.GarciaP.JesteD. V. (2003) Ethnic disparities in use of public mental health case management services among patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatric Services54(9): 1264–1270.
7.
BergJ. A.CromwellS. L.ArnettM. (2002) Physical activity: Perspectives of Mexican American and Anglo American midlife women. Health Care for Women International23(8): 894–904.
8.
CabassaL. J.HansenM. C.PalinkasL. A.EllK. (2008) Azúcar y nervios: Explanatory models and treatment experiences of Hispanics with diabetes and depression. Social Science and Medicine66(12): 2413–2424.
9.
CabassaL. J.SiantzE.NicasioA.GuarnacciaP.Lewis-FernándezR. (2014) Contextual factors in the health of people with serious mental illness. Qualitative Health Research24(8): 1126–1137.
10.
CalvertW. J.IsaacE. P.JohnsonS. (2012) Health-related quality of life and health-promoting behaviors in Black men. Health & Social Work37(1): 19–27.
11.
CarlinerH.CollinsP. Y.CabassaL. J.McNallenA.JoestlS. S.Lewis-FernandezR. (2013) Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among racial and ethnic minorities with schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders: A critical literature review. Comprehensive Psychiatry55(2): 233–247.
12.
Carpenter-SongE.ChuE.DrakeR. E.RitsemaM.SmithB.AlversonH. (2010) Ethno-cultural variations in the experience and meaning of mental illness and treatment: Implications for access and utilization. Transcultural Psychiatry47(2): 224–251.
13.
CherringtonA.AyalaG. X.SleathB.Corbie-SmithG. (2006) Examining knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about depression among Latino adults with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Educator32(4): 603–613.
14.
ColtonC. W.ManderscheidR. W. (2006) Congruencies in increased mortality rates, years of potential life lost, and causes of death among public mental health clients in eight states. Preventing Chronic Disease3: 1–14.
15.
CromwellS. L.BergJ. A. (2006) Lifelong physical activity patterns of sedentary Mexican American women. Geriatric Nursing27(4): 209–213.
16.
D’AlonzoK. T.FischettiN. (2008) Cultural beliefs and attitudes of Black and Hispanic college-age women toward exercise. Journal of Transcultural Nursing19(2): 175–183.
17.
DaviglusM. L.TalaveraG. A.Avilés-SantaM. L.AllisonM.CaiJ.CriquiM. H.StamlerJ. (2012) Prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases among Hispanic/Latino individuals of diverse backgrounds in the United States. JAMA308(17): 1775–1784.
18.
DerganceJ. M.CalmbachW. L.DhandaR.MilesT. P.HazudaH. P.MoutonC. P. (2003) Barriers to and benefits of leisure time physical activity in the elderly: Differences across cultures. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society51(6): 863–868.
19.
DrussB. G.ZhaoL.von EsenweinS.MorratoE. H.MarcusS. C. (2011) Understanding excess mortality in persons with mental illness: 17-year follow up of a nationally representative US survey. Medical Care49(6): 599–604.
20.
GrimmK. A.BlanckH. M. (2011) Survey language preference as a predictor of meeting fruit and vegetable objectives among Hispanic adults in the United States, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2009. Preventing Chronic Disease8(6): 1–9.
21.
HeilemannM. V.Coffey-LoveM.FrutosL. (2004) Perceived reasons for depression among low income women of Mexican descent. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing18(5): 185–192.
22.
HellersteinD. J.AlmeidaG.DevlinM. J.MendelsohnN.HelfandS.DragatsiD.CapitelliL. (2007) Assessing obesity and other related health problems of mentally ill Hispanic patients in an urban outpatient setting. Psychiatric Quarterly78: 171–181.
23.
ImE. O.LeeB.HwangH.YooK. H.CheeW.StuifbergenA.CheeE. (2010) “A waste of time”: Hispanic women’s attitudes toward physical activity. Women & Health50: 563–579.
24.
Jennings-SandersA. (2003) Using health fairs to examine health promotion behaviors of older African Americans. ABNF Journal14(1): 13–16.
25.
JimenezD. E.BartelsS. J.CardenasV.DhaliwalS. S.AlegríaM. (2012) Cultural beliefs and mental health treatment preferences of ethnically diverse older adult consumers in primary care. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry20(6): 533–542.
26.
JuarbeT.TurokX. P.Pérez-StableE. J. (2002) Perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity among older Latina women. Western Journal of Nursing Research24(8): 868–886.
27.
JuarbeT. C.LipsonJ. G.TurokX. (2003) Physical activity beliefs, behaviors, and cardiovascular fitness of Mexican immigrant women. Journal of Transcultural Nursing14(2): 108–116.
28.
KaplanR. C.BangdiwalaS. I.BarnhartJ. M.CastañedaS. F.GellmanM. D.LeeD. J.GiachelloA. L. (2014) Smoking among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults: The Hispanic community health study/study of Latinos. American Journal of Preventive Medicine46(5): 496–506.
29.
KatoM. M.CurrierM. B.GomezC. M.HallL.Gonzalez-BlancoM. (2004) Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with schizophrenia. Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry6: 74–77.
30.
KirchhoffA. C.ElliottL.SchlichtingJ. A.ChinM. H. (2008) Strategies for physical activity maintenance in African American women. American Journal of Health Behaviors32(5): 517–524.
31.
KruegerR. A. (1994) Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research, (2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
32.
LeonA. C.DavisL. L.KraemerH. C. (2011) The role and interpretation of pilot studies in clinical research. Journal of Psychiatric Research45: 626–629.
33.
Lewis-FernándezR.DasA. K.AlfonsoC.WeissmanM. M.OlfsonM. (2005) Depression in US Hispanics: Diagnostic and management considerations in family practice. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine18(4): 282–296.
34.
MelilloK. D.WilliamsonE.HoudeS. C.FutrellM.ReadC. Y.CampasanoM. (2001) Perception of older Latino adults regarding physical fitness, physical activity, and exercise. Journal of Gerontological Nursing27(9): 38–46.
35.
MensahG. A.MokdadA. H.FordE. S.GreenlundK. J.CroftJ. B. (2005) State of disparities in cardiovascular health in the United States. Circulation111: 1233–1241.
36.
MilesM. B.HubermanA. M. (1994) Qualitative data analysis, (2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
37.
PekmeziD.DunsigerS.GansK.BockB.GaskinsR.MarquezB.MarcusB. (2012) Rationale, design, and baseline findings from Seamos Saludables: A randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a culturally and linguistically adapted, computer-tailored physical activity intervention for Latinas. Contemporary Clinical Trials33(6): 1261–1271.
38.
PincayI. E. M.GuarnacciaP. J. (2007) “It’s like going through an earthquake”: Anthropological perspectives on depression among Latino immigrants. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health9: 17–28.
39.
QSR International Pty. Ltd (2009) NVivo 9 qualitative data analysis software (Version 9) [Computer software], Doncaster, Australia: Author.
40.
SinnotC.QuigleyF.MorrisM. (2014) Promoting exercise in patients with depression: Lessons learned from a brief educational intervention. European Journal of General Practice20(1): 32–35.
41.
StanhopeV.HenwoodB. F. (2014) Activating people to address their health care needs: Learning from people with lived experience of chronic illnesses. Community Mental Health Journal50(6): 656–663.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2001) Mental health: Culture, race, and ethnicity—a supplement to mental health: A report of the Surgeon General, Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services.
VaethP. A.CaetanoR.Ramisetty-MiklerS.RodriguezL. A. (2009) Hispanic Americans baseline alcohol survey (HABLAS): Alcohol-related problems across Hispanic national groups. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs70(6): 991–999.
46.
Van CittersA. D.PrattS. I.JueK.WilliamsG.MillerP. T.XieH.BartelsS. J. (2010) A pilot evaluation of the In SHAPE individualized health promotion intervention for adults with mental illness. Community Mental Health Journal46: 540–542.
47.
WhitleyR.CrawfordM. (2005) Qualitative research in psychiatry. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry50: 108–114.
48.
ZubaranC. (2008) The quest for recognition: Brazilian immigrants in the United States. Transcultural Psychiatry45(4): 590–610.
