Perceived stress, negative life events, and adiposity among Puerto Rican young adults in the South Bronx, New York, and San Juan, Puerto Rico

Perceived stress and negative life events may impact adiposity, but findings across populations are inconsistent, with limited research among Hispanic/Latino groups. We examined these relationships among 818 Puerto Rican young adults (441 in San Juan, PR, and 377 in the South Bronx, NY) from the Boricua Youth Study Health Assessment (2015-2020). Perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)) and negative life events (List of Threatening Experiences (LTE)) were analyzed cross-sectionally with BMI, body fat, waist circumference, and obesity. Effect measure modification by site and sex was identified. Among PR females, higher perceived stress and negative life events were associated with lower BMI, waist circumference, body fat, and obesity. In PR males, more negative life events were associated with higher BMI and obesity. In NY females, higher negative life events were associated with lower body fat, but no associations were observed for NY males. Findings indicate site-and sex-specific associations among Puerto Rican young adults under different sociocultural environments.