# Maladaptive Eating-Depression Symptom Networks across Mexican American Children's Cultural Development

> **NIH NIH F31** · ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS · 2023 · $1

## Abstract

Project Abstract:
 Research demonstrates that maladaptive eating (e.g., overeating, food restriction) and persistent
depressive symptoms often co-occur and may reinforce each other over time. However, little is known
regarding the etiology of early maladaptive eating and depressive symptoms among Mexican American
children and how variations in cultural moderators impact the development of transdiagnostic dysfunctional
mechanisms. Previous research suggests that Mexican American children who develop a stronger cultural
orientation to Mexican practices (i.e., enculturation) may have better outcomes than those who develop a
stronger orientation to U.S. practices (i.e., acculturation). This study aims to map early dysfunctional
mechanisms between maladaptive eating and depressive symptoms across Mexican American child
development, identify which specific symptoms are most influential to mechanisms driving dysfunction, and
explore how enculturation (protective) and acculturation (risk) influence functional domains across childhood.
 My long-term research goal is to explore mental and physical illness trajectories among Hispanic
populations to predict onset and course of illness and increase the effectiveness of mainstream interventions.
Consistent with this goal, the current project proposes to use symptom network analysis to examine the
development of maladaptive eating behaviors and depressive symptoms across a sample of 240 low-income
Mexican American children assessed at ages 6, 7.5, and 9 years old. Grounded in the existing literature, I
hypothesize that the association between maladaptive eating behaviors and depressive symptoms will become
stronger across time. I also hypothesize that the symptoms most influential to dysfunctional mechanisms will
remain consistent across time. Finally, I hypothesize that more enculturated Mexican American children will
have less dysfunctional connections than more acculturated Mexican American children.
 This will be the first study to examine maladaptive eating–depression symptom networks among
Mexican American children and the first to consider cultural development as a potential protective
(enculturation) and risk (acculturation) factor of early dysfunction. Results will inform important etiological
questions and identify optimal symptoms to target in treatment that can yield the most treatment gains for
improving connections between maladaptive eating and depression in children. Completion of this research
project and training plan will set the foundation for my early career program of research and provide clear next
steps for important mechanisms and their corresponding environmental context to explore. The psychological,
cultural, and statistical rigor of my training plan will prepare me to meet my goal of conducting research to
predict onset and course of illness among Hispanic populations. I strongly believe that with the training from
this fellowship, I will be an asset to the field of minority psychol...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10676775
- **Project number:** 5F31MH131378-02
- **Recipient organization:** ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Juan Carlos Hernandez
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $1
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2023-08-02

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10676775

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10676775, Maladaptive Eating-Depression Symptom Networks across Mexican American Children's Cultural Development (5F31MH131378-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10676775. Licensed CC0.

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