At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Includes data on eating disorders, chronic conditions related to obesity, perception of weight, weight loss, sleep habits, and dieting and diet-counseling history.
- Is one of the most comprehensive studies of Latinos and Asian Americans ever conducted.
- Includes data on social position, environmental context, and psychosocial factors related to psychiatric disorders and use of mental health services.
- Has been linked to similar surveys of mental health in nationally representative samples of African American and Afro-Caribbean populations; similar to the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) and National Comorbity Survey – Replication (NCS-R).
Website
https://www.massgeneral.org/mongan-institute/centers/dru/research/past/nlaas-docs
Purpose
To collect data about mental illness and service use among Latinos and Asian American individuals in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
Civilian, noninstitutionalized individuals of Latino, Hispanic, Spanish, or Asian descent, adults ages 18 years or older, residing in the U.S.
Conducted
Conducted in 2003. One-time survey.
Sponsor
National Institute of Mental Health and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services, DHHS.
Conducted by the Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research in the Cambridge Health Alliance.
Special Note(s)
NLAAS is part of the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Surveys (CPES). CPES is conducting NLAAS II, a follow-up a 3-year collaborative analysis using data collected from the NLAAS. NLAAS II seeks to identify and investigate the risk of psychiatric illness and mental health service disparities among Asian Americans and Latinos as compared to non-Latino Whites and African Americans.
Sampling
Sample Design
Cross-sectional multi-stage area probability sample. Learn more.
Sample Size
2,554 Latino, 2,095 Asian American, and 215 non-Latino white respondents in 2002-2003.
Special Note(s)
To allow for important subgroup analysis, respondents were further stratified into the following ethnic subgroup categories: Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Other Latinos, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Other Asians. The NLAAS instrument was administered in the respondent’s choice of the following languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Tagalog by fully bilingual lay interviewers. Investigators can conduct pooled and separate analyses by subpopulations.
Key Variables
Demographic
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Age | Interview/questionnaire |
| Country of Origin | Interview/questionnaire |
| Disability (cognitive; equipment use; general; hearing; vision) | Interview/questionnaire |
| Highest grade of school/college completed | Interview/questionnaire |
| Marital status | Interview/questionnaire |
| Number of children in household | Interview/questionnaire |
| Race | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sex | Interview/questionnaire |
Diet-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Eating disorders | Interview/questionnaire |
| History of dieting | Interview/questionnaire |
| History of diet-related counseling | Interview/questionnaire |
Physical Activity-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| History of physical activity for weight loss | Interview/questionnaire |
Sleep-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Sleep Duration and Quantity | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep continuity: Average wake bout length | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep continuity: Sleep latency | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep disturbances and quality: Trouble falling back asleep at night | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep disturbances and quality: Waking up too early | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep timing and regularity: Other (change in sleep) | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep duration and quantity: Other (change in sleep) | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep-related substance use: Medication use | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep-related substance use: Use of sleep aids | Interview/questionnaire |
| Daytime fatigue/sleepiness and/or alertness | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sleep duration and quantity: Total sleep time | Interview/questionnaire |
Weight-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Height, weight | Self report |
| Weight history | Interview/questionnaire |
| Perception of weight | Interview/questionnaire |
| Treatment history | Interview/questionnaire |
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| None | N/A |
Other
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Chronic conditions related to obesity | Interview/questionnaire |
| Family cohesion | Interview/questionnaire |
| Physical and mental health rating | Interview/questionnaire |
| Use of mental health services | Interview/questionnaire |
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
None noted.
Existing Linkages
NLAAS data on individuals have been linked to psychiatric disorder prevalence and use of mental health services data in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) and National Comorbity Survey – Replication (NCS-R), which are nationally representative samples of African Americans and non-Latino whites, respectively.
Selected Publications
Click here for a full list of publications.
Diet-Related
Gee GC, Ro A, Gavin A, Takeuchi D. Disentangling the effects of racial and weight discrimination on body mass index and obesity among Asian Americans. American Journal of Public Health 2008;98(3):493-500.
Marques L, Alegria M, Becker A, Chen C, Fang A, Chosak A, Belo Diniz J. Comparative prevalence, correlates of impairment, and service utilization for eating disorders across U.S. ethnic groups: Implications for reducing ethnic disparities in health care access for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders 2011;44(5):412-420.
Whisman MA, Dementyeva A, Baucom DH, Bulik CM. Marital functioning and binge eating disorder in married women. International Journal of Eating Disorders 2011;May 10. DOI:10.1002/eat.20935 [Epub ahead of print].
Methods
Heeringa SG, Wagner J, Torres M, Duan N, Adams T, Berglund P. Sample designs and sampling methods for the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies (CPES). International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research 2004;13(4):221-240.
Resources
Documentation/Codebook(s)
Study Design and Methodology Materials: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/20240#method
Training Videos and Presentations: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/support/students
Variable Search: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/ssvd/index.jsp
Other
Questionnaire Forms: http://www.multiculturalmentalhealth.org/nlaasdocuments.asp
