The mediating role of health related behaviors, chronic stress, and depressive symptoms on the relationship between psychological vulnerability and metabolic syndrome

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between psychological vulnerability with metabolic syndrome and the mediating role of health behaviors، chronic stress، and depressive symptoms. A total of 199 first degree adult relatives of patients with type II diabetes participated in the present study. Type D personality، anger، hostility، and neuroticism were considered as psychological vulnerability. Health behaviors involved exercise، smoking، and sitting behavior. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP-III) criteria and using blood test as well as measuring blood pressure and waist circumference. Participants also answered the items of type D personality Scale (DS-14)، neuroticism subscale of EPQ-RS، depression subscale of DASS، and anger and hostility subscales of SCL-90-R. Results indicated that psychological vulnerability did not predict metabolic syndrome directly، but was a good predictor of metabolic syndrome through chronic stress and depressive symptoms. In other words، chronic stress and depressive symptoms (but not health behaviors) had a mediating role on the relationship between psychological vulnerability and metabolic syndrome. Based on findings of the present study، it is suggested that chronic stress and depressive symptoms may be considered to be important mechanisms underlying the connection between undesirable personality traits and metabolic syndrome.