Associations between socioeconomic status and catecholamine levels vary by acculturation status in mexican-American women

Abstract

Background Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poorer health, possibly through activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Purpose This study aimed to examine the association between SES and catecholamine levels, and variations by acculturation. Methods Three hundred one Mexican-American women underwent examination with a 12-h urine collection. Analyses tested associations of SES, acculturation (language and nativity), and their interaction with norepinephrine (NOREPI) and epinephrine (EPI). Results No main effects for SES or the acculturation indicators emerged. Fully adjusted models revealed a significant SES by language interaction for NOREPI (p