201
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Tine M. Acute aerobic exercise: an intervention for the selective visual attention and reading comprehension of low-income adolescents. Front Psychol 2014; 5:575. [PMID: 24966846 PMCID: PMC4052664 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a need for feasible and research-based interventions that target the cognitive performance and academic achievement of low-income adolescents. In response, this study utilized a randomized experimental design and assessed the selective visual attention (SVA) and reading comprehension abilities of low-income adolescents and, for comparison purposes, high-income adolescents after they engaged in 12-min of aerobic exercise. The results suggest that 12-min of aerobic exercise improved the SVA of low- and high-income adolescents and that the benefit lasted for 45-min for both groups. The SVA improvement among the low-income adolescents was particularly large. In fact, the SVA improvement among the low-income adolescents was substantial enough to eliminate a pre-existing income gap in SVA. The mean reading comprehension score of low-income adolescents who engaged in 12-min of aerobic exercise was higher than the mean reading comprehension score of low-income adolescents in the control group. However, there was no difference between the mean reading comprehension scores of the high-income adolescents who did and did not engage in 12-min of aerobic exercise. Based on the results, schools serving low-income adolescents should consider implementing brief sessions of aerobic exercise during the school day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Tine
- Poverty and Learning Lab, Education Department, Dartmouth College Hanover, NH, USA
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202
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Kinshella MLW. 'The land is now not fertile': social landscapes of hunger in south-eastern coastal Tanzania. Anthropol Med 2014; 21:290-301. [PMID: 24898432 DOI: 10.1080/13648470.2014.918931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a coastal village in south-eastern Tanzania, this paper examines how social inequalities and social suffering become embodied in the lived experiences of hunger. The paper explores local meanings of food, fertility and hunger and how these concepts interconnect and materialize on a landscape impacted by two large-scale conservation and development projects, the Mtwara Development Corridor and the Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park. Fourteen in-depth interviews Sinde villagers were conducted to elicit narratives about their food experiences in addition to 24 hour food recall and pile sort to explore local taxonomies of food. One focus group discussion with six women was also conducted. The study finds displacement from resources by the conservation and development projects has exacerbated existing food security issues of irregular rains, increasing food prices and malnourished bodies. The downward cycle of food insecurity has local villagers worried about the viability of their community's future, embodied in the health of local children and their performance in school. Increasing food insecurity is internalized within the community as infertility where the health of the landscape is connected to the health of society.
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203
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Adam EK, Vrshek-Schallhorn S, Kendall AD, Mineka S, Zinbarg RE, Craske MG. Prospective associations between the cortisol awakening response and first onsets of anxiety disorders over a six-year follow-up--2013 Curt Richter Award Winner. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 44:47-59. [PMID: 24767619 PMCID: PMC4108290 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cross-sectional associations have been found between anxiety disorders (ADs) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, as measured by levels of salivary cortisol, but prospective data are lacking, as are studies examining specific ADs. We have previously shown that one aspect of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), prospectively predicts both new onsets and recurrences of major depressive disorder (MDD). Here we sought to examine whether it also predicts ADs. Participants (N=232) were drawn from the larger Northwestern-UCLA Youth Emotion Project, a two-site, longitudinal study of older adolescents, which aims to identify common and specific risk factors for mood and anxiety disorders. After baseline interviews for mental health diagnoses, a subset of adolescents completed a three-day cortisol sampling protocol measuring the CAR and other diurnal rhythm indices. Participants with past or current anxiety disorders at the time of cortisol measurement were excluded and Cox regression (survival analysis) was used to predict first onsets of ADs over the subsequent six years. AD onsets (N=25), the largest subset of which were social anxiety disorder (SAD) onsets (N=11), were observed over six annual follow up diagnostic interviews. Even when statistically adjusting for past and prospective MDD onsets and other covariates, a higher CAR significantly predicted increased first onsets of ADs (HR=2.20, p<.05). A higher CAR was also a strong and significant predictor of the subset of SAD onsets (HR=5.37, p<.005). Implications for the etiology of ADs, with a focus on SAD, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma K. Adam
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, United States
- Cells to Society Center, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, United States
| | | | | | - Susan Mineka
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, United States
| | - Richard E. Zinbarg
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, United States
- The Family Institute at Northwestern University, United States
| | - Michelle G. Craske
- Department of Psychology, University of California – Los Angeles, United States
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204
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Businelle MS, Mills BA, Chartier KG, Kendzor DE, Reingle JM, Shuval K. Do stressful events account for the link between socioeconomic status and mental health? J Public Health (Oxf) 2014; 36:205-12. [PMID: 23764393 PMCID: PMC4041099 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdt060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES), demographic variables and mental health and to determine whether number of life stressors mediated these relationships. METHODS Wave 1 (2001-02) and 2 (2004-05) data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; n = 34,459) were used in the current study. Controlling for wave 1 mental health, a mediation model was tested to determine the relative impact of socioeconomic and demographic variables (all measured at wave 1) on mental health 3 years later (wave 2). The number of life stressors experienced in the 12 months prior to wave 1, assessed at wave 1, was evaluated as the mediator. RESULTS Findings indicated that SES, age, race/ethnicity, gender and marital status independently predicted changes in mental health ratings at wave 2. In addition, the number of life stressors mediated the relation between socioeconomic and demographic variables and mental health. Exposure to life stressors helps to explain commonly reported socioeconomic and demographic disparities in mental health. CONCLUSIONS Findings may suggest that reducing exposure to stressors and/or improving coping with life stressors may both improve mental health and reduce health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Businelle
- University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.112, Dallas, TX 7539-9128, USA UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Population Science and Cancer Control Program, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - B A Mills
- University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.112, Dallas, TX 7539-9128, USA
| | - K G Chartier
- University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.112, Dallas, TX 7539-9128, USA
| | - D E Kendzor
- University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.112, Dallas, TX 7539-9128, USA UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Population Science and Cancer Control Program, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - J M Reingle
- University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.112, Dallas, TX 7539-9128, USA
| | - K Shuval
- University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.112, Dallas, TX 7539-9128, USA UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Population Science and Cancer Control Program, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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205
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Pulopulos MM, Hidalgo V, Almela M, Puig-Perez S, Villada C, Salvador A. Hair cortisol and cognitive performance in healthy older people. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 44:100-11. [PMID: 24767624 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Worse cognitive performance in older people has been associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation (in particular, higher cortisol levels). Analysis of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) is a novel method to measure long-term cortisol exposure, and its relationship with cognition in healthy older people has not yet been studied. We investigated whether HCC (measured in hair scalp) and diurnal salivary cortisol levels (awakening, 30min after awakening, and evening, across two days) were related to cognitive performance (assessed with the Trail-making Test A and B, Digit Span Forward and Backward, word list-RAVLT and Stories subtest of the Rivermead) in 57 healthy older people (mean age=64.75 years, SD=4.17). Results showed that lower HCC were consistently related to worse working memory, learning, short-term verbal memory (RAVLT first trial and immediate recall) and long-term verbal memory. In contrast, higher mean levels and higher diurnal area under the curve of diurnal salivary cortisol were related to worse attention and short-term verbal memory (immediate story recall), respectively. Interestingly, a higher ratio of mean levels of diurnal salivary cortisol over HCC were related to worse performance on working memory and short-term verbal memory, suggesting that those individuals with lower long-term cortisol exposure might be more vulnerable to the negative effect of HPA-axis dysregulation on these cognitive processes. Our findings suggest that both low long-term cortisol exposure and a possible dysregulation of the diurnal rhythm of the HPA-axis may account, at least in part, for the inter-individual variability in cognitive performance in healthy older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain.
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Mercedes Almela
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Sara Puig-Perez
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Carolina Villada
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Spain
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206
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Wesley A, Bengtsson C, Skillgate E, Saevarsdottir S, Theorell T, Holmqvist M, Klareskog L, Alfredsson L, Wedrén S. Association Between Life Events and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results From a Population-Based Case-Control Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/acr.22230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Marie Holmqvist
- Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital (Solna) Stockholm; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Lars Klareskog
- Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital (Solna) Stockholm; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Lars Alfredsson
- Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Sara Wedrén
- Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital (Solna) Stockholm; Stockholm Sweden
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207
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Gärling T, Krause K, Gamble A, Hartig T. Emotional well-being and time pressure. Psych J 2014; 3:132-43. [DOI: 10.1002/pchj.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommy Gärling
- Department of Psychology; University of Gothenburg; Göteborg Sweden
| | - Kristina Krause
- Department of Psychology; Chemnitz University of Technology; Chemnitz Germany
| | - Amelie Gamble
- Department of Psychology; University of Gothenburg; Göteborg Sweden
| | - Terry Hartig
- Institute for Housing and Urban Research; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
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208
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Associations of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors with urinary measures of cortisol and catecholamines in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 41:132-41. [PMID: 24495614 PMCID: PMC3985093 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress hormones have been hypothesized to contribute to the social patterning of cardiovascular disease but evidence of differences in hormone levels across social groups is scant. PURPOSE To examine the associations of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors with urinary levels of cortisol and catecholamines and determine whether these associations are modified by race/ethnicity. METHODS Measures of cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine were obtained on 12-h overnight urine specimens from 942 White, African American and Hispanic participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Linear regression was used to examine associations of income-wealth index, education, depression, anger, anxiety and chronic stress with the four hormones after adjustment for covariates. RESULTS Higher income-wealth index was associated with lower levels of urinary cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine, after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, medication use, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol use. Education and psychosocial factors were not associated with urinary stress hormone levels in the full sample. However, there was some evidence of effect modification by race: SES factors were more strongly inversely associated with cortisol in African Americans than in other groups and anger was inversely associated with catecholamines in African Americans but not in the other groups. CONCLUSIONS Lower SES as measured by income-wealth index in a multi-ethnic sample is associated with higher levels of urinary cortisol and catecholamines. Heterogeneity in these associations by race/ethnicity warrants further exploration.
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209
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Houle B. The Effect of Incarceration on Adult Male BMI Trajectories, United States, 1981-2006. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2014; 1:21-28. [PMID: 24812594 PMCID: PMC4010134 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-013-0003-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of obesity and overweight is socially patterned, with higher prevalence among women, racial/ethnic minorities, and those with lower socio-economic status. Contextual factors also affect obesity risk. However, an omitted factor has been incarceration, particularly since it disproportionately affects minorities. This study examines the effects of incarceration on adult male body mass index (BMI) in the United States over the life course, and whether effects vary by race/ethnicity and education. BMI trajectories were analyzed over age using growth curve models of men ages 18-49 from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth panel study. BMI was based on self-reported height/weight (kg/m2). Being currently incarcerated increased BMI, but the effect varied by race/ethnicity and education: blacks experienced the largest increases, while effects were lowered for men with more education than a high school diploma. Cumulative exposure to prison increased BMI for all groups. These results suggest a differential effect of incarceration on adult male BMI among some racial/ethnic-education minority groups. Particularly given that these groups are most commonly imprisoned, incarceration may help structure obesity disparities and disadvantage across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Houle
- Population Program, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder; 1440 15Street, 483 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0483 USA
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210
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Harrison C, Ratcliffe JM, Mitchell M, Smith MA. Cortisol reactivity to psychosocial stress is greater in sexual risk takers. Health Psychol Behav Med 2014; 2:221-230. [PMID: 25750779 PMCID: PMC4346022 DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2014.889571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have reported an association between deviant behaviour and cortisol reactivity to stress. However, relatively few studies have investigated the relationship between psychobiological stress reactivity and sexual risk-taking behaviours. In this study, cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was measured in 26 healthy young adults prior to the administration of a sexual health and behaviour questionnaire. The cortisol response to the TSST was greater in those individuals who reported that at least one of their previous two sexual partners was someone whom they had just met. Results are discussed in the context of a model which suggests that early life stress dysregulates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and increases the likelihood of later life risk-taking behaviour. The findings have implications in terms of improving our understanding of psychobiological factors which predispose individuals to engage in adverse sexual health behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Harrison
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
| | - Joanne M Ratcliffe
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
| | - Melanie Mitchell
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
| | - Michael A Smith
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
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211
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Rudolph KE, Wand GS, Stuart EA, Glass TA, Marques AH, Duncko R, Merikangas KR. The association between cortisol and neighborhood disadvantage in a U.S. population-based sample of adolescents. Health Place 2014; 25:68-77. [PMID: 24367996 PMCID: PMC3913161 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The association between neighborhood conditions and cortisol is rarely studied in children or adolescents and has been hampered by small sample size and racial/ethnic and geographic homogeneity. Our objective was to estimate the association between neighborhood disadvantage and salivary cortisol levels in a large, geographically and racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement. Salivary cortisol was collected before and after an interview administered in the adolescent's home. We used a propensity score approach to match adolescents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods with those in non-disadvantaged neighborhoods to create two similar groups based on the time and day of cortisol collection as well as demographic characteristics. Adolescents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods had higher pre-interview cortisol levels and steeper rates of decline in cortisol levels over the course of the interview than similar adolescents in non-disadvantaged neighborhoods. This bolsters the evidence base suggesting that place may influence the stress response system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara E Rudolph
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Gary S Wand
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Stuart
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 824 N. Broadway Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Thomas A Glass
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Andrea H Marques
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 35 Convent Dr., MSC#3720, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Roman Duncko
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Kathleen R Merikangas
- Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 35 Convent Dr., MSC#3720, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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212
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Vorhees CV, Graham DL, Amos-Kroohs RM, Braun AA, Grace CE, Schaefer TL, Skelton MR, Erikson KM, Aschner M, Williams MT. Effects of developmental manganese, stress, and the combination of both on monoamines, growth, and corticosterone. Toxicol Rep 2014; 1:1046-1061. [PMID: 25574457 PMCID: PMC4285371 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental exposure to manganese (Mn) or stress can each be detrimental to brain development. Here, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to two housing conditions and Mn from postnatal day (P)4–28. Within each litter two males and two females were assigned to the following groups: 0 (vehicle), 50, or 100 mg/kg Mn by gavage every other day. Half the litters were reared in cages with standard bedding and half with no bedding. One pair/group in each litter had an acute shallow water stressor before tissue collection (i.e., standing in shallow water). Separate litters were assessed at P11, 19, or 29. Mn-treated rats raised in standard cages showed no change in baseline corticosterone but following acute stress increased more than controls on P19; no Mn effects were seen on P11 or P29. Mn increased neostriatal dopamine in females at P19 and norepinephrine at P11 and P29. Mn increased hippocampal dopamine at P11 and P29 and 5-HT at P29 regardless of housing or sex. Mn had no effect on hypothalamic dopamine, but increased norepinephrine in males at P29 and 5-HT in males at all ages irrespective of rearing condition. Barren reared rats showed no or opposite effects of Mn, i.e., barren rearing + Mn attenuated corticosterone increases to acute stress. Barren rearing also altered the Mn-induced changes in dopamine and norepinephrine in the neostriatum, but not in the hippocampus. Barren rearing caused a Mn-associated increase in hypothalamic dopamine at P19 and P29 not seen in standard reared Mn-treated groups. Developmental Mn alters monoamines and corticosterone as a function of age, stress (acute and chronic), and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles V. Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +513 636 8624 MTW; 513 636 8622 CVV; fax: +513 636 3912
| | - Devon L. Graham
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Robyn M. Amos-Kroohs
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Amanda A. Braun
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Curtis E. Grace
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tori L. Schaefer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matthew R. Skelton
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Keith M. Erikson
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael T. Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +513 636 8624 MTW; 513 636 8622 CVV; fax: +513 636 3912
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213
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Relationship status and relationship instability, but not dominance, predict individual differences in baseline cortisol levels. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84003. [PMID: 24358324 PMCID: PMC3865306 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated variation in baseline cortisol levels in relation to relationship status (single or in a relationship), relationship characteristics (length, stability, presence or absence of clear dominance), or individual attributes (dominant or subordinate status, relative physical attractiveness, relationship worries). Study participants were 77 men and 75 women aged between 18 and 38 years. Individuals in romantic relationships had lower cortisol levels than singles. Individuals of African ethnicity, however, showed the opposite pattern. Individuals who perceived their relationship to be highly unstable had higher cortisol levels. Aside from African-Americans, married individuals reported the lowest relationship instability and the lowest cortisol levels, followed by individuals in long-term relationships, and by individuals in short-term relationships. The presence or absence of clear dominance in the relationship, dominance status, or relationship worries did not affect cortisol levels. Therefore relationship status and relationship instability were better predictors of variation in cortisol (presumably through stress-related mechanisms) than individual attributes.
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214
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Allan BA, Autin KL, Duffy RD. Examining Social Class and Work Meaning Within the Psychology of Working Framework. JOURNAL OF CAREER ASSESSMENT 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/1069072713514811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we used the psychology of working framework to examine how social class relates to the experience of meaningful work with two samples of working adults. In Study 1, participants in higher social classes were more likely to experience work meaning than people in lower social classes. Regardless of class, participants reported serving others or contributing to the greater good as the primary source of their work’s meaning. In Study 2, we used a latent, multiple mediator model to test whether the three components of work volition mediated the relation between social class and work meaning. The model was a good fit to the data and partially supported our hypotheses. Specifically, volition and financial constraints fully mediated the relation between social class and work meaning, suggesting that social class may be linked to work meaning due to increased volition and decreased financial constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake A. Allan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kelsey L. Autin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ryan D. Duffy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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215
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Milbrath C. Socio-cultural selection and the sculpting of the human genome: Cultures’ directional forces on evolution and development. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2012.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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216
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Tung J, Gilad Y. Social environmental effects on gene regulation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013; 70:4323-39. [PMID: 23685902 PMCID: PMC3809334 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1357-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Social environmental conditions, particularly the experience of social adversity, have long been connected with health and mortality in humans and other social mammals. Efforts to identify the physiological basis for these effects have historically focused on their neurological, endocrinological, and immunological consequences. Recently, this search has been extended to understanding the role of gene regulation in sensing, mediating, and determining susceptibility to social environmental variation. Studies in laboratory rodents, captive primates, and human populations have revealed correlations between social conditions and the regulation of a large number of genes, some of which are likely causal. Gene expression responses to the social environment are, in turn, mediated by a set of underlying regulatory mechanisms, of which epigenetic marks are the best studied to date. Importantly, a number of genes involved in the response to the social environment are also associated with susceptibility to other external stressors, as well as certain diseases. Hence, gene regulatory studies are a promising avenue for understanding, and potentially developing strategies to address, the effects of social adversity on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Box 90383, Durham, NC, 27708, USA,
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217
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Mendez DD, Hogan VK, Culhane JF. Institutional racism, neighborhood factors, stress, and preterm birth. ETHNICITY & HEALTH 2013; 19:479-99. [PMID: 24134165 PMCID: PMC11219028 DOI: 10.1080/13557858.2013.846300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Racial/ethnic disparities in the risk of preterm birth may be explained by various factors, and previous studies are limited in examining the role of institutional racism. This study focused on the following questions: what is the association between preterm birth and institutional racism as measured by residential racial segregation (geographic separation by race) and redlining (black-white disparity in mortgage loan denial); and what is the association between preterm birth and reported stress, discrimination, and neighborhood quality. DESIGN We used data from a clinic-based sample of pregnant women (n = 3462) participating in a stress and pregnancy study conducted from 1999 to 2004 in Philadelphia, PA (USA). We linked data from the 2000 US Census and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data from 1999 to 2004 and developed measures of residential redlining and segregation. RESULTS Among the entire population, there was an increased risk for preterm birth among women who were older, unmarried, tobacco users, higher number of previous births, high levels of experiences of everyday discrimination, owned their homes, lived in nonredlined areas, and areas with high levels of segregation measured by the isolation index. Among black women, living in a redlined area (where blacks were more likely to be denied mortgage loans compared to whites) was moderately associated with a decreased risk of preterm birth (aRR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.6, 0.99). CONCLUSION Residential redlining as a form institutional racism and neighborhood characteristic may be important for understanding racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy and preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara D. Mendez
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Vijaya K. Hogan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer F. Culhane
- NCS CHOP Study Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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218
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Adult cognitive ability and socioeconomic status as mediators of the effects of childhood disadvantage on salivary cortisol in aging adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:2127-39. [PMID: 23684478 PMCID: PMC4755320 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Revised: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In this longitudinal study we investigate the influence of childhood disadvantage on midlife hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation. Two mechanisms by which early life stress may affect later pathophysiology are through its influence on cognitive functioning or later socioeconomic (SES) disadvantage. We predicted that individual differences in young adult cognitive ability and midlife SES would mediate the influence of childhood disadvantage on midlife cortisol. On each of three nonconsecutive days, participants provided five salivary cortisol samples corresponding to their diurnal rhythm (N=727 men; mean age 55, SD=2.6). We calculated three measures of cortisol regulation (area-under-the curve cortisol reflecting total daytime cortisol output; cortisol-awakening-response; and wake-to-bed slope), averaging scores for each measure across multiple days. Childhood disadvantage combined four dichotomous indicators used previously by Rutter (1985): father low SES; mother education less than 12th grade; major family disruption/separation before age 18; and large family size (more than 5 siblings). The two mediators were a measure of general cognitive ability assessed at age 20 and highest achieved midlife SES. Men from more disadvantaged childhoods were significantly more likely to have dysregulated cortisol at midlife, with higher daytime cortisol levels decades after their childhood experience. Effects of childhood disadvantage were both direct and indirect. Cognitive ability and adult SES, however, only partially mediated the associations between early life stress and midlife cortisol. Specific indirect effects accounted for 33.8% of the total effect of childhood disadvantage [β=0.12 (0.05; 0.18)] on total daytime cortisol. Associations remained significant after accounting for ethnicity, smoking status, and self-reported depressive symptoms.
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219
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Mendez DD, Hogan VK, Culhane JF. Stress during pregnancy: the role of institutional racism. Stress Health 2013; 29:266-74. [PMID: 23055409 PMCID: PMC11221571 DOI: 10.1002/smi.2462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Institutional racism, also known as structural racism, can be defined as differential access to resources and opportunities by race as well as policies, laws, and practices that reinforce racial inequity. This study examines how institutional racism in the form of residential redlining (neighbourhood-level racial inequities in mortgage lending) and segregation (geographic separation of groups by race) is associated with self-reported stress among a diverse cohort of pregnant women. Institutional racism was measured by a residential redlining index using Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data and residential segregation using 2000 US Census data. These redlining and segregation indices were linked with data from a pregnancy cohort study (n = 4652), which included individual measures of reported stress. We ran multilevel linear regression models to examine the association between redlining, segregation and reported stress. Hispanic women compared with all other women were slightly more likely to report stress. There was no significant relationship between redlining and stress among this population. However, higher neighbourhood percentage black was inversely associated with stress. This study suggests that some forms of segregation may be associated with reported stress. Future studies should consider how redlining and segregation may provide an understanding of how institutional racism and the neighbourhood context may influence stress and health of populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara D Mendez
- School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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220
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Social stress up-regulates inflammatory gene expression in the leukocyte transcriptome via β-adrenergic induction of myelopoiesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:16574-9. [PMID: 24062448 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1310655110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 421] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Across a variety of adverse life circumstances, such as social isolation and low socioeconomic status, mammalian immune cells have been found to show a conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) involving increased expression of proinflammatory genes. The present study examines whether such effects might stem in part from the selective up-regulation of a subpopulation of immature proinflammatory monocytes (Ly-6c(high) in mice, CD16(-) in humans) within the circulating leukocyte pool. Transcriptome representation analyses showed relative expansion of the immature proinflammatory monocyte transcriptome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from people subject to chronic social stress (low socioeconomic status) and mice subject to repeated social defeat. Cellular dissection of the mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptome confirmed these results, and promoter-based bioinformatic analyses indicated increased activity of transcription factors involved in early myeloid lineage differentiation and proinflammatory effector function (PU.1, NF-κB, EGR1, MZF1, NRF2). Analysis of bone marrow hematopoiesis confirmed increased myelopoietic output of Ly-6c(high) monocytes and Ly-6c(intermediate) granulocytes in mice subject to repeated social defeat, and these effects were blocked by pharmacologic antagonists of β-adrenoreceptors and the myelopoietic growth factor GM-CSF. These results suggest that sympathetic nervous system-induced up-regulation of myelopoiesis mediates the proinflammatory component of the leukocyte CTRA dynamic and may contribute to the increased risk of inflammation-related disease associated with adverse social conditions.
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221
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Lawson GM, Duda JT, Avants BB, Wu J, Farah MJ. Associations between children's socioeconomic status and prefrontal cortical thickness. Dev Sci 2013; 16:641-52. [PMID: 24033570 PMCID: PMC3775298 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) predicts executive function performance and measures of prefrontal cortical function, but little is known about its anatomical correlates. Structural MRI and demographic data from a sample of 283 healthy children from the NIH MRI Study of Normal Brain Development were used to investigate the relationship between SES and prefrontal cortical thickness. Specifically, we assessed the association between two principal measures of childhood SES, family income and parental education, and gray matter thickness in specific subregions of prefrontal cortex and on the asymmetry of these areas. After correcting for multiple comparisons and controlling for potentially confounding variables, parental education significantly predicted cortical thickness in the right anterior cingulate gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus. These results suggest that brain structure in frontal regions may provide a meaningful link between SES and cognitive function among healthy, typically developing children.
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222
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Patterson ZR, Abizaid A. Stress induced obesity: lessons from rodent models of stress. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:130. [PMID: 23898237 PMCID: PMC3721047 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress was once defined as the non-specific result of the body to any demand or challenge to homeostasis. A more current view of stress is the behavioral and physiological responses generated in the face of, or in anticipation of, a perceived threat. The stress response involves activation of the sympathetic nervous system and recruitment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. When an organism encounters a stressor (social, physical, etc.), these endogenous stress systems are stimulated in order to generate a fight-or-flight response, and manage the stressful situation. As such, an organism is forced to liberate energy resources in attempt to meet the energetic demands posed by the stressor. A change in the energy homeostatic balance is thus required to exploit an appropriate resource and deliver useable energy to the target muscles and tissues involved in the stress response. Acutely, this change in energy homeostasis and the liberation of energy is considered advantageous, as it is required for the survival of the organism. However, when an organism is subjected to a prolonged stressor, as is the case during chronic stress, a continuous irregularity in energy homeostasis is considered detrimental and may lead to the development of metabolic disturbances such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes mellitus and obesity. This concept has been studied extensively using animal models, and the neurobiological underpinnings of stress induced metabolic disorders are beginning to surface. However, different animal models of stress continue to produce divergent metabolic phenotypes wherein some animals become anorexic and lose body mass while others increase food intake and body mass and become vulnerable to the development of metabolic disturbances. It remains unclear exactly what factors associated with stress models can be used to predict the metabolic outcome of the organism. This review will explore a variety of rodent stress models and discuss the elements that influence the metabolic outcome in order to further extend our understanding of stress-induced obesity.
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223
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[Social inequalities in health, early child development and biological embedding]. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 2013; 61 Suppl 2:S39-46. [PMID: 23684106 DOI: 10.1016/j.respe.2013.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper describes evidence that led to the concept of biological embedding and introduces approaches designed to elucidate its mechanisms and role. Biological embedding occurs when: experience gets under the skin and alters human biological and developmental processes; systematic differences in experience in different social environments in society lead to systematically different biological and developmental states; these differences are stable and long term; and, finally, they have the capacity to influence health, well-being, learning, or behavior over the life course. The concept of biological embedding emerged from insights in population health on the unique characteristics of socioeconomic gradients: ubiquity in poor and post-scarcity societies alike; gradient seen regardless of whether SES is measured by income, education or occupation; cutting widely across health, well-being, learning and behavior outcomes; replicating itself on new conditions entering society; and, often, showing that flatter gradients mean better overall societal outcomes. Most important, the gradient begins the life course as a gradient in developmental health, suggesting that the emergence of a multifaceted resilience/vulnerability early in life is the best place to look for evidence of biological embedding. In order to understand its character, the metaphor of the "archeology of biological embedding" has been used, wherein the surficial stratum of the "dig" is experience and behavior; the shallow stratum is organ system and cellular function; and the deep stratum is gene function. We are now ready to address the fundamental question of biological embedding: how do early childhood environments work together with genetic variation and epigenetic regulation to generate gradients in health and human development across the life course?
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224
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Ruiz RJ, Pickler RH, Marti CN, Jallo N. Family cohesion, acculturation, maternal cortisol, and preterm birth in Mexican-American women. Int J Womens Health 2013; 5:243-52. [PMID: 23696717 PMCID: PMC3658537 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s42268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To examine the potential moderating effects of family cohesion and acculturation on the physiological stress response (cortisol) as a predictor of preterm birth (PTB) in pregnant Mexican-American women. Methods The sample included 470 participants; 33 had preterm births. All participants were self-identified as Mexican-American. In this cross-sectional study, family cohesion was measured by a self-report questionnaire. Acculturation was measured by self-report questionnaire as well as by years in the United States and country of birth. Stress was measured by serum cortisol. All measures were obtained at 22–24 weeks gestation. Additional data including history of PTB were obtained from the health record. Data analysis was primarily conducted using logistic regression. Results The relationship between stress and PTB was predicted by family cohesion (estimate/ standard error [E/SE] = −2.46, P = 0.014) and acculturation (E/SE = 2.56, P = 0.011). In addition, there was an interaction between family cohesion and history of previous PTB (E/SE = −2.12, P = 0.035). Conclusion Results indicate that the impact of cortisol on PTB is predicted by acculturation and family cohesion such that higher levels of cortisol in conjunction with higher levels of acculturation and lower levels of family cohesion are associated with increased risk of PTB. In addition, low family cohesion in combination with a history of PTB was associated with higher levels of PTB. Assessment of family cohesion, including problem solving, adherence to family decisions, family shared space, and activity, should be included as part of prenatal assessment for risk of PTB. Subsequently, interventions that focus on improving the individual’s response to an imbalance in family functioning are needed. In addition, prenatal assessment of level of acculturation may also identify those who are at risk for PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Jeanne Ruiz
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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225
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Schmid PC, Schmid Mast M. Power increases performance in a social evaluation situation as a result of decreased stress responses. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.1937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marianne Schmid Mast
- Department of Work and Organizational Psychology; University of Neuchatel; Neuchatel; Switzerland
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226
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Jaremka LM, Lindgren ME, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Synergistic relationships among stress, depression, and troubled relationships: insights from psychoneuroimmunology. Depress Anxiety 2013; 30:288-96. [PMID: 23412999 PMCID: PMC3816362 DOI: 10.1002/da.22078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress and depression consistently elevate inflammation and are often experienced simultaneously, which is exemplified by people in troubled relationships. Troubled relationships also elevate inflammation, which may be partially explained by their ability to engender high levels of stress and depression. People who are stressed, depressed, or in troubled relationships are also at greater risk for health problems than their less distressed counterparts. Inflammation, a risk factor for a variety of age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and frailty, may be one key mechanistic pathway linking distress to poor health. Obesity may further broaden the health implications of stress and depression; people who are stressed or depressed are often overweight, and adipose tissue is a major source of proinflammatory cytokines. Stress, depression, and troubled relationships may have synergistic inflammatory effects: loneliness, subclinical depression, and major depression enhance inflammatory responses to an acute stressful event. The relationship between distress and inflammation is bidirectional; depression enhances inflammation and inflammation promotes depression. Interesting questions emerge from this literature. For instance, some stressors may be more potent than others and thus may be more strongly linked to inflammation. In addition, it is possible that psychological and interpersonal resources may buffer the negative inflammatory effects of stress. Understanding the links among stress, depression, troubled relationships, and inflammation is an exciting area of research that may provide mechanistic insight into the links between distress and poor health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Jaremka
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
| | - Monica E. Lindgren
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
| | - Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Psychiatry, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
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227
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Muennig P, Kuebler M, Kim J, Todorovic D, Rosen Z. Gender differences in material, psychological, and social domains of the income gradient in mortality: implications for policy. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59191. [PMID: 23527129 PMCID: PMC3604107 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
We set out to examine the material, psychological, and sociological pathways mediating the income gradient in health and mortality. We used the 2008 General Social Survey-National Death Index dataset (N = 26,870), which contains three decades of social survey data in the US linked to thirty years of mortality follow-up. We grouped a large number of variables into 3 domains: material, psychological, and sociological using factor analysis. We then employed discrete-time hazard models to examine the extent to which these three domains mediated the income-mortality association among men and women. Overall, the gradient was weaker for females than for males. While psychological and material factors explained mortality hazards among females, hazards among males were explained only by social capital. Poor health significantly predicted both income and mortality, particularly among females, suggesting a strong role for reverse causation. We also find that many traditional associations between income and mortality are absent in this dataset, such as perceived social status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Muennig
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Meghan Kuebler
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jaeseung Kim
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Dusan Todorovic
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Zohn Rosen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
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228
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Vaghri Z, Guhn M, Weinberg J, Grunau RE, Yu W, Hertzman C. Hair cortisol reflects socio-economic factors and hair zinc in preschoolers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:331-40. [PMID: 22809790 PMCID: PMC4821190 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 06/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between children's hair cortisol and socioeconomic status of the family, as measured by parental education and income. Low family socioeconomic status has traditionally been considered a long-term environmental stressor. Measurement of hair cortisol provides an integrated index of cumulative stress exposure across an extended period of time. The present study is the first to examine the relationship between hair cortisol and parental education as well as parental income in a representative sample of preschoolers. Data on hair cortisol, family income, and parental education were collected for a representative sample of 339 children (Mean age=4.6 years; SD=.5 years) from across 23 neighbourhoods of the city of Vancouver, Canada. As maternal education was shown previously to be associated with hair zinc level, hair zinc measurements were included as well in order to explore potential relationships between hair zinc and hair cortisol. The relationship between hair cortisol and parental education was examined using hierarchical regression, with hair zinc, gender, age, and single parenthood included as covariates. Maternal and paternal education both were correlated significantly with hair cortisol (r=-0.18; p=.001). The relationship remained statistically significant even after controlling for all demographic covariates as well as for hair zinc and after taking the neighbourhood-level clustering of the data into account. Parental income, on the other hand, was not related significantly to children's hair cortisol. This study provides evidence that lower maternal and paternal education are associated with higher hair cortisol levels. As hair cortisol provides an integrated index of cortisol exposure over an extended time period, these findings suggest a possibly stable influence of SES on the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Cumulative exposure to cortisol during early childhood may be greater in children from low socio-economic backgrounds, possibly through increased exposure to environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziba Vaghri
- The University of British Columbia, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), 440 - 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Canada.
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229
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Kohler IV, Soldo BJ, Anglewicz P, Chilima B, Kohler HP. Association of blood lipids, creatinine, albumin, and CRP with socioeconomic status in Malawi. Popul Health Metr 2013; 11:4. [PMID: 23448548 PMCID: PMC3701600 DOI: 10.1186/1478-7954-11-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objective of these analyses is to document the relationship between biomarker-based indicators of health and socioeconomic status (SES) in a low-income African population where the cumulative effects of exposure to multiple stressors on physiological functions and health in general are expected to be highly detrimental for the well-being of individuals. METHODS Biomarkers were collected subsequent to the 2008 round of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH), a population-based study in rural Malawi, including blood lipids (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, ratio of total cholesterol to HDL), biomarkers of renal and liver organ function (albumin and creatinine) and wide-range C-reactive protein (CRP) as a non-specific biomarker for inflammation. These biomarkers represent widely used indicators of health that are individually or cumulatively recognized as risk factors for age-related diseases among prime-aged and elderly individuals. Quantile regressions are used to estimate the age-gradient and the within-day variation of each biomarker distribution. Differences in biomarker levels by socioeconomic status are investigated using descriptive and multivariate statistics. RESULTS Overall, the number of significant associations between the biomarkers and socioeconomic measures is very modest. None of the biomarkers significantly varies with schooling. Except for CRP where being married is weakly associated with lower risk of having an elevated CRP level, marriage is not associated with the biomarkers measured in the MLSFH. Similarly, being Muslim is associated with a lower risk of having elevated CRP but otherwise religion does not predict being in the high-risk quartiles of any of the MLSFH biomarkers. Wealth does not predict being in the high-risk quartile of any of the MLSFH biomarkers, with the exception of a weak effect on creatinine. Being overweight or obese is associated with increased likelihood of being in the high-risk quartile for cholesterol, Chol/HDL ratio, and LDL. CONCLUSIONS The results provide only weak evidence for variation of the biomarkers by socioeconomic indicators in a poor Malawian context. Our findings underscore the need for further research to understand the determinants of health outcomes in a poor low-income context such as rural Malawi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana V Kohler
- Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Beth J Soldo
- Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Philip Anglewicz
- Department of International Health and Development, Tulane University, 1440 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Ben Chilima
- Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Private Bag 65, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Hans-Peter Kohler
- Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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A review on the relationship between testosterone and life-course persistent antisocial behavior. Psychiatry Res 2012; 200:984-1010. [PMID: 22925371 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2012.07.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2011] [Revised: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 07/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Life-course persistent antisocial behavior is 10 to 14 times more prevalent in males and it has been suggested that testosterone levels could account for this gender bias. Preliminary studies with measures of fetal testosterone find inconsistent associations with antisocial behavior, especially studies that use the 2D:4D ratio as a proxy for fetal testosterone. However, circulating testosterone consistently shows positive associations with antisocial behaviors throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, particularly in males. It is suggested that high fetal/circulating testosterone interactively influence the maturation and functionality of mesolimbic dopaminergic circuitry, right orbitofrontal cortex, and cortico-subcortical connectivity, resulting in a strong reward motivation, low social sensitivity, and dampened regulation of strong motivational/emotional processes. The link between these testosterone induced endophenotypes and actual display of antisocial behavior is strongly modulated by different social (e.g., social rejection, low SES) and genetic (e.g., MAOA, 5HTT) risk factors that can disturb socio-, psycho-, and biological development and interact with testosterone in shaping behavior. When these additional risk factors are present, the testosterone induced endophenotypes may increase the risk for a chronic antisocial lifestyle. However, behavioral endophenotypes induced by testosterone can also predispose towards socially adaptive traits such as a strong achievement motivation, leadership, fair bargaining behaviors, and social assertiveness. These adaptive traits are more likely to emerge when the high testosterone individual has positive social experiences that promote prosocial behaviors such as strong and secure attachments with his caregivers, affiliation with prosocial peers, and sufficient socioeconomic resources. A theoretical model is presented, various hypotheses are examined, and future venues for research are discussed.
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231
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Chen E, Miller GE. Socioeconomic status and health: mediating and moderating factors. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2012; 9:723-49. [PMID: 23245339 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Health disparities (differences in health by socioeconomic groups) are a pressing issue in our society. This article provides an overview of a multilevel approach that seeks to understand the mechanisms underlying health disparities by considering factors at the individual, family, and neighborhood levels. In addition, we describe an approach to connecting these factors to various levels of biological processes (systemic inflammation, cellular processes, and genomic pathways) that drive disease pathophysiology. In the second half of the article, we address the question of why some low-socioeconomic-status (low-SES) individuals manage to maintain good physical health. We identify naturally occurring psychosocial factors that help buffer these individuals from adverse physiological responses and pathogenic processes leading to chronic disease. What is protective for low-SES individuals is not the same as what is protective for high-SES individuals, and this needs to be taken into account in interventions aimed at reducing health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Chen
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
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Jiménez JA, Shivpuri S, de los Monteros KE, Matthews KA, Mills PJ, Gallo LC. Associations between socioeconomic status and catecholamine levels vary by acculturation status in Mexican-American women. Ann Behav Med 2012; 44:129-35. [PMID: 22555944 DOI: 10.1007/s12160-012-9365-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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< .01) and EPI (p< .05), and a SES by nativity interaction approached significance for NOREPI (p= .05). Simple slope analyses revealed that higher SES related to lower catecholamine levels in Spanish-speaking women, and higher NOREPI in English-speaking women. Although nonsignificant, similar patterns were observed for nativity. CONCLUSIONS Associations between SES and catecholamines may vary by acculturation, and cultural factors should be considered when examining SES health effects in Hispanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Jiménez
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
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233
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Zhan Y, Yu J, Chen R, Gao J, Ding R, Fu Y, Zhang L, Hu D. Socioeconomic status and metabolic syndrome in the general population of China: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2012; 12:921. [PMID: 23110697 PMCID: PMC3526583 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Individual socioeconomic status (SES) has been found to be associated with cardiovascular diseases in developed countries, but the association between individual SES and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is still unclear in China. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between individual SES and MetS in China. Methods A cross-sectional study of 10054 community residents was performed from May to August 2007 using multistage stratified random sampling. SES was assessed in terms of education, personal monthly income, and household monthly income. The association between SES and MetS was determined by logistic regression models. Results After the adjustments regarding age, marital status, smoking, drinking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and community type, odds ratios (ORs) for MetS of individuals with education level of 7~12 years and >12 years were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.75 to 0.99) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.62 to 0.91) respectively compared with those with education level of <7 years in women. Following the adjustments as above, ORs for MetS of individuals with household monthly income level of middle and higher were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.86 to 0.97), and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.65 to 0.88) respectively compared with those with lower household monthly income level in women. The association between SES and MetS was not significant in men. Conclusions Gender had an influence on the association between individual SES and MetS. Lower education and household monthly income level were associated with higher risk of MetS among community residents in women, while such association was not significant in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqiang Zhan
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
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234
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Hackman DA, Betancourt LM, Brodsky NL, Hurt H, Farah MJ. Neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent stress reactivity. Front Hum Neurosci 2012; 6:277. [PMID: 23091454 PMCID: PMC3469875 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher levels of life stress, which in turn affect stress physiology. SES is related to basal cortisol and diurnal change, but it is not clear if SES is associated with cortisol reactivity to stress. To address this question, we examined the relationship between two indices of SES, parental education and concentrated neighborhood disadvantage, and the cortisol reactivity of African–American adolescents to a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). We found that concentrated disadvantage was associated with cortisol reactivity and this relationship was moderated by gender, such that higher concentrated disadvantage predicted higher cortisol reactivity and steeper recovery in boys but not in girls. Parental education, alone or as moderated by gender, did not predict reactivity or recovery, while neither education nor concentrated disadvantage predicted estimates of baseline cortisol. This finding is consistent with animal literature showing differential vulnerability, by gender, to the effects of adverse early experience on stress regulation and the differential effects of neighborhood disadvantage in adolescent males and females. This suggests that the mechanisms underlying SES differences in brain development and particularly reactivity to environmental stressors may vary across genders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Hackman
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience and Society, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
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235
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Putting the concept of biological embedding in historical perspective. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109 Suppl 2:17160-7. [PMID: 23045673 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1202203109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper describes evidence that led to the concept of biological embedding and research approaches designed to elucidates its mechanisms. Biological embedding occurs when experience gets under the skin and alters human biological and developmental processes; when systematic differences in experience in different social environments in society lead to systematically different biological and developmental states; when these differences are stable and long term; and, finally, when they have the capacity to influence health, well-being, learning, or behavior over the life course. Biological embedding emerged from insights in population health on the unique characteristics of socioeconomic gradients: Ubiquity in poor and postscarcity societies alike; gradient seen regardless of whether socioeconomic status is measured by income, education, or occupation; cutting widely across health, well-being, learning, and behavior outcomes; replicating itself on new conditions entering society; and, often, showing that flatter gradients mean better overall societal outcomes. Most important, the gradient begins the life course as a gradient in developmental health, suggesting that the emergence of a multifaceted resilience/vulnerability early in life is the best place to look for evidence of biological embedding. To understand its character, the metaphor of the "archeology of biological embedding" has been used, wherein the surficial stratum of the "dig" is experience and behavior, the shallow stratum is organ system and cellular function, and the deep stratum is gene function. We are now ready to address the fundamental question of biological embedding: How do early childhood environments work together with genetic variation and epigenetic regulation to generate gradients in health and human development across the life course?
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236
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Aizer A, Stroud L, Buka S. Maternal Stress and Child Outcomes: Evidence from Siblings. THE JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCES 2012; 51:523-555. [PMID: 29118458 DOI: 10.3386/w18422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We study how maternal stress affects offspring outcomes. We find that in-utero exposure to elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol negatively affects offspring cognition, health and educational attainment. These findings are based on comparisons between siblings which limits variation to short-lived shocks and controls for unobserved differences between mothers that could bias estimates. Our results are consistent with recent experimental results in the neurobiological literature linking exogenous exposure to stress hormones in-utero with declines in offspring cognitive, behavioral and motor development. Moreover, we find that not only are mothers with low levels of human capital characterized by higher and more variable cortisol levels, but that the negative impact of elevated cortisol on their offspring is greater. These results suggest that maternal stress may play a role in the intergenerational persistence of poverty.
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237
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Karb RA, Elliott MR, Dowd JB, Morenoff JD. Neighborhood-level stressors, social support, and diurnal patterns of cortisol: the Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Soc Sci Med 2012; 75:1038-47. [PMID: 22698925 PMCID: PMC3556931 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2011] [Revised: 03/06/2012] [Accepted: 03/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neighborhood disadvantage has consistently been linked to increased rates of morbidity and mortality, but the mechanisms through which neighborhood environments may get "under the skin" remain largely unknown. Differential exposure to chronic environmental stressors has been identified as a potential pathway linking neighborhood disadvantage and poor health, particularly through the dysregulation of stress-related biological pathways such as cortisol secretion, but the majority of existing observational studies on stress and neuroendocrine functioning have focused exclusively on individual-level stressors and psychosocial characteristics. This paper aims to fill that gap by examining the association between features of the neighborhood environment and the diurnal cortisol patterns of 308 individuals from Chicago, Illinois, USA. We found that respondents in neighborhoods with high levels of perceived and observed stressors or low levels of social support experienced a flatter rate of cortisol decline throughout the day. In addition, overall mean cortisol levels were found to be lower in higher stress, lower support neighborhoods. This study adds to the growing evidence of hypocortisolism among chronically stressed adult populations and suggests hypocortisolism rather than hypercortisolism as a potential mechanism linking social disadvantage to poor health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael R. Elliott
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
| | - Jennifer B. Dowd
- CUNY School of Public Health, Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
- CUNY Institute for Demographic Research (CIDR), University of Michigan
| | - Jeffrey D. Morenoff
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
- Department of Sociology, University of Michigan
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238
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Moore CJ, Cunningham SA. Social position, psychological stress, and obesity: a systematic review. J Acad Nutr Diet 2012; 112:518-26. [PMID: 22709702 DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2011.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This review presents a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between social position and obesity, focusing on stress as a contributing factor. Through a systematic review of the literature, the studies that assess associations between social position, stress levels, dietary behaviors, and obesity risk in human beings were identified. Fourteen studies were retained based upon a priori inclusion/exclusion criteria. Across studies, individuals in higher status positions tended to have lower stress levels, healthier eating patterns, and lower body weight. Higher stress was associated with less healthy dietary behaviors and with higher body weight. These patterns were more pronounced in women than in men. The nature of the stress-eating-obesity relationship is complicated, and this literature must be developed further, because its advancement may be instrumental in identifying successful stress management techniques that can be used by food and nutrition practitioners to improve nutrition-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla J Moore
- Yerkes National Primate Center, Emory University, 2409 Taylor Lane, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, USA.
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239
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McLean J, Krishnadas R, Batty GD, Burns H, Deans KA, Ford I, McConnachie A, McGinty A, McLean JS, Millar K, Sattar N, Shiels PG, Tannahill C, Velupillai YN, Packard CJ, Condon BR, Hadley DM, Cavanagh J. Early life socioeconomic status, chronic physiological stress and hippocampal N-acetyl aspartate concentrations. Behav Brain Res 2012; 235:225-30. [PMID: 22917526 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2012] [Revised: 08/06/2012] [Accepted: 08/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early life socioeconomic deprivation has been associated with cognitive and behavioural changes that persist through towards adulthood. In this study, we investigated whether early life socioeconomic status is associated with changes in the hippocampus N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), using the non-invasive technique of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). METHODS We performed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) of the hippocampus at 3T in 30 adult males, selected from the PSOBID cohort. We conducted multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between early socioeconomic status (SES) and concentration of N-acetyl-aspartate in the hippocampus. We also examined whether the relationship between these variables was mediated by markers of chronic physiological stress. RESULTS Greater socioeconomic deprivation was associated with lower hippocampal NAA concentrations bilaterally. The relationship between early life SES and hippocampal NAA concentrations was mediated by allostatic load index - a marker of chronic physiological stress. CONCLUSIONS Greater early life socioeconomic deprivation was associated with lower concentrations of NAA reflecting lesser neuronal integrity. This relationship was mediated by greater physiological stress. Further work, to better understand the biological processes underlying the effects of poverty, physiological stress on hippocampal metabolites is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- John McLean
- Sackler Institute of Psychobiological Research, Institute of Health and Wellbeing University of Glasgow, Glasgow G51 4TF, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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240
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Cavigelli SA, Chaudhry HS. Social status, glucocorticoids, immune function, and health: can animal studies help us understand human socioeconomic-status-related health disparities? Horm Behav 2012; 62:295-313. [PMID: 22841799 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2011] [Revised: 07/15/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
For humans in developed nations, socioeconomic status (SES)--relative income, education and occupational position in a society--is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality rates, with increasing SES predicting longer life span (e.g. Marmot et al., 1991). Mechanisms underlying this relationship have been examined, but the relative role of each mechanism still remains unknown. By understanding the relative role of specific mechanisms that underlie dramatic health disparities between high and low social status individuals we can begin to identify effective, targeted methods to alleviate health disparities. In the current paper, we take advantage of a growing number of animal studies that have quantified biological health-related correlates (glucocorticoid production and immune function) of social status and compare these studies to the current literature on human SES and health to determine if and how animal studies can further our understanding of SES-associated human health disparities. Specifically, we compared social-status related glucocorticoid production and immune function in humans and animals. From the review, we show that our present understanding of the relationships between social status and glucocorticoid production/immune function is still growing, but that there are already identifiable parallels (and non-parallels) between humans and animals. We propose timely areas of future study focused on (1) specific aspects of social status that may influence stress-related physiology, (2) mechanisms underlying long-term influences of social status on physiology and health, and (3) intervention studies to alleviate potentially negative physiological correlates of social status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia A Cavigelli
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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241
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Slade GD, Sanders AE, By K. Role of allostatic load in sociodemographic patterns of pain prevalence in the U.S. population. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2012; 13:666-75. [PMID: 22677453 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2012.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Revised: 03/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Persistent stressors associated with sociodemographic disadvantage exert a physiologic toll, labeled "allostatic load," that contributes to disparities in some health conditions. We investigated the contribution of allostatic load to pain prevalence in U.S. adults. Interviews with 14,184 adults in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey asked about severe headache, pain that lasted >24 hours, and widespread pain. Ten biomarkers of allostatic load were quantified from blood (glycated hemoglobin), serum (C-reactive protein, homocysteine, cholesterol, triglycerides), urine (creatinine, albumin), and physical measurements (body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure). Log-binomial regression models estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Prevalence ranged from 3.4% for widespread pain to 26.9% for pain >24 hours. After adjustment for demographic characteristics, low income was associated with greater prevalence of pain >24 hours (PR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.49, 1.83), severe headache (PR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.68, 2.50), and widespread pain (PR = 3.67, 95% CI = 2.56, 5.27). Racial/ethnic minorities had lower prevalence of all 3 pain conditions than non-Hispanic whites. While greater allostatic load was associated with elevated prevalence of pain, allostatic load did not meaningfully attenuate PRs associated with income or race/ethnicity. We conclude that greater pain prevalence among low-income groups is not explained by greater allostatic load. PERSPECTIVE In U.S. adults, pain occurs more frequently in lower-income groups, although the relationship is not attributable to their experience of greater allostatic load. While allostatic load contributes to population variation in pain, other etiologic mechanisms contributing to pain are needed to account for income disparities in pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary D Slade
- Center for Neurosensory Disorders, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7450, USA.
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242
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Martin CG, Bruce J, Fisher PA. Racial and ethnic differences in diurnal cortisol rhythms in preadolescents: the role of parental psychosocial risk and monitoring. Horm Behav 2012; 61:661-8. [PMID: 22414445 PMCID: PMC3419379 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Revised: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Racial/ethnic minorities experience persistent health disparities due in part to their exposure to chronic SES and psychosocial risk. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and its hormonal end product, cortisol, are believed to mediate the associations between chronic stress and poor health. In this study, racial/ethnic differences in diurnal salivary cortisol rhythms in 179 preadolescent youths and the contributing roles of SES risk, psychosocial risk, perceived discrimination, harsh parenting, and parental monitoring were examined. The analyses revealed racial/ethnic differences in diurnal cortisol rhythms, with African Americans having significantly flatter morning-to-evening cortisol slopes than Caucasians and with Latinos having significantly lower evening cortisol levels than Caucasians. Greater psychosocial risk and less parental monitoring were associated with flatter cortisol slopes. Racial/ethnic differences on the cortisol measures persisted when controlling for SES, psychosocial risk, and parenting quality. The need to assess chronic risk across the lifespan and disentangle possible genetic from environmental contributors is discussed.
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243
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Thomtén J, Soares JJ, Sundin Ö. Pain among women: Associations with socio-economic factors over time and the mediating role of depressive symptoms. Scand J Pain 2012; 3:62-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2011.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/31/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background and aims
Lower socioeconomic status (SES), based on economic situation, education and occupation, has been associated with greater morbidity and mortality in a wide range of diseases, and socioeconomic inequalities have been found in several chronic pain populations. Since women are overrepresented in several clinical pain conditions, there is a need to understand the influence of SES among women with pain. In a previous cross-sectional study, socioeconomic-and work conditions were associated with pain among women from the general population of Sweden. In the present study, based on baseline and follow-up measures from 2300 of the same sample, we examined associations between pain variables, socioeconomic status and work conditions over time by means of multiple logistic/linear regression analyses. Additionally, a possible mediating role of depressive symptoms on the relationship between SES and pain was examined.
Methods
The study was a prospective panel survey with two measurements 12 months apart among 2300 women with and without pain from the general population in Stockholm (aged 18–64). Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to identify associations between SES and pain outcomes.
Results
Results revealed that pain is a rather stable condition with large impact on daily functioning among many women. Certain SES variables (educational level, financial strain, occupational level) were related to pain and pain related disability prospectively. Financial strain and to be a blue-collar worker were related to the incidence of pain among all women, while educational level was related to worse pain outcomes among women with pain in terms of pain intensity, pain frequency, number of pain locations and pain-related disability. Symptoms of depression were associated with pain incidence and with pain variables (intensity, number of pain locations and pain-related disability) and with lower SES.
Conclusions
Financial strain and occupational level were here identified as risk factors for the incidence of pain, and could be interpreted as increasing both physical and psychological stress and thereby work both as predisposing the individual to pain and to perpetuate the development of a pain condition. Educational level was associated with the course of pain in terms of pain duration and pain-related disability which may indicate that once affected by pain, lower educational level may be related to less functional coping strategies in the adaptation to the pain condition. Depressive symptoms could be understood as a mediator of the relationship between SES and pain among women in terms of limiting the individual’s strategies to handle pain in a functional manner by increasing passive behavior patterns such as avoidance.
Implications
The interplay between SES and symptoms of depression should be regarded in preventive interventions and in treatment of pain among women. An overall risk-profile in terms of psychosocial and biological factors needs to be assessed early on within pain treatment for women. Increased knowledge of socioeconomic risk factors for long term pain, e.g. low educational level, is needed on all levels among all professionals within the healthcare system in order to facilitate effective communication in the treatment of women with pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Thomtén
- Department of Psychology , Division of Social Sciences , Mid Sweden University , Östersund , Sweden
| | | | - Örjan Sundin
- Department of Psychology , Division of Social Sciences , Mid Sweden University , Östersund , Sweden
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Young adults' medicine use for headache: the combined effect of socioeconomic position and perceived stress, and the contribution of sense of coherence. Res Social Adm Pharm 2012; 8:533-41. [PMID: 22436582 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2011] [Revised: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over-the-counter analgesic (OTCA) use is increasingly common and may have potential harmful side effects. The primary reason for using analgesics is headache symptoms. Whether OTCA use for headache is sensitive to psychosocial and social circumstances is an understudied topic. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine the combined effect of socioeconomic position (SEP) and perceived stress on OTCA use for headache. An additional objective was to determine whether sense of coherence (SOC) modifies the association. METHODS Data derived from the cross-sectional "Danish Lifestyle and Medicine Use Study," 2009. The study population consisted of men and women ages 25-44 years (n = 955). The dependent variable was OTCA use for headache within the past 14 days. The independent variables were SEP, perceived stress, and SOC. Gender, headache prevalence, and response method were included as covariates. Associations were examined by means of logistic regression analyses, and reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS The OR for OTCA use was 1.42 (0.94-2.14) (statistically nonsignificant) among participants with low SEP but no perceived stress (reference high SEP, no perceived stress), 2.09 (1.53-2.85) for participants with perceived stress and high SEP, and 2.65 (1.66-4.25) among participants with perceived stress and low SEP. In analysis, stratified by SOC associations were stronger among participants with low SOC than among those with high SOC. CONCLUSIONS Individuals exposed to both low SEP and high perceived stress have high odds for using OTCA for headache, apparently higher than participants only exposed to 1 of these factors. SOC may act as a buffer against the harmful effects of perceived stress and low SEP on OTCA use. Health care professionals and policymakers need to be aware of the sensitivity of OTCA use to psychosocial and social circumstances.
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Buwalda B, Scholte J, de Boer SF, Coppens CM, Koolhaas JM. The acute glucocorticoid stress response does not differentiate between rewarding and aversive social stimuli in rats. Horm Behav 2012; 61:218-26. [PMID: 22210197 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2011] [Revised: 12/13/2011] [Accepted: 12/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The mere presence of elevated plasma levels of corticosterone is generally regarded as evidence of compromised well-being. However, environmental stimuli do not necessarily need to be of a noxious or adverse nature to elicit activation of the stress response systems. In the present study, the physiological and neuroendocrine responses to repeated social stimuli that can be regarded as emotional opposites, i.e. social defeat and sexual behavior, were compared. Similar corticosterone responses were observed in animals confronted for the first time with either a highly aggressive male intruder or a receptive female, but a decrease was noticed in defeated rats tested during a third interaction. Only if animals are being physically attacked does the corticosterone response remain similar to the one observed during sexual behavior. In addition, the number of activated cells in the parvocellular hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, as visualized by c-Fos immunocytochemistry, shows no difference between rats 1h after the third exposure to defeat or sex. Finally, biotelemetric recordings of heart rate, body temperature and locomotor activity show a robust response to both social stimuli that is generally, however, higher in animals being confronted with a receptive female. The data clearly indicate that acute plasma corticosterone levels are not reflecting the emotional valence of a salient stimulus. The magnitude of the response seems to be a direct reflection of the behavioral activity and hence of the metabolic requirements of activated tissues. Next to its direct metabolic role, acute increases in plasma corticosterone will have neurobiological and behavioral effects that largely depend on the neural circuitry that is activated by the stimulus that triggered its release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bauke Buwalda
- Behavioral Physiology, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Exposure to environmental and lifestyle factors and attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder in children — A review of epidemiological studies. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2012; 25:330-55. [DOI: 10.2478/s13382-012-0048-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 07/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Although the mechanisms that lead to the development of ADHD remain unclear, genetic and environmental factors have been implicated. These include heavy metals and chemical exposures, nutritional and lifestyle/psychosocial factors. The aim of this review was to investigate the association between ADHD or ADHD-related symptoms and widespread environmental factors such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), tobacco smoke, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) and alcohol. Medline, PubMed and Ebsco search was performed to identify the studies which analyze the association of prenatal and postnatal child exposure to environmental toxicants and lifestyle factors and ADHD or ADHD-related symptoms. The review is restricted to human studies published since 2000 in English in peer reviewed journals. Despite much research has been done on the association between environmental risk factors and ADHD or ADHD symptoms, results are not consistent. Most studies in this field, focused on exposure to tobacco smoke, found an association between that exposure and ADHD and ADHD symptoms. On the other hand, the impact of phthalates, BPA, PFCs, PAHs and alcohol is less frequently investigated and does not allow a firm conclusion regarding the association with the outcomes of interest.
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247
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Gruenewald TL, Karlamangla AS, Hu P, Stein-Merkin S, Crandall C, Koretz B, Seeman TE. History of socioeconomic disadvantage and allostatic load in later life. Soc Sci Med 2011; 74:75-83. [PMID: 22115943 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2010] [Revised: 09/15/2011] [Accepted: 09/29/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in understanding how the experience of socioeconomic status (SES) adversity across the life course may accumulate to negatively affect the functioning of biological regulatory systems important to functioning and health in later adulthood. The goal of the present analyses was to examine whether greater life course SES adversity experience would be associated with higher scores on a multi-system allostatic load (AL) index of physiological function in adulthood. Data for these analyses are from 1008 participants (92.2% White) from the Biomarker Substudy of the Study of Midlife in the US (MIDUS). Multiple indicators of SES adversity in childhood (parent educational attainment, welfare status, financial situation) and two points in adulthood (educational attainment, household income, difficulty paying bills, availability of money to meet basic needs, current financial situation) were used to construct SES adversity measures for each life course phase. An AL score was constructed using information on 24 biomarkers from 7 different physiological systems (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, cardiovascular, lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, inflammatory immune activity). Analyses indicate higher AL as a function of greater SES adversity at each phase of, and cumulatively across, the life course. Associations were only moderately attenuated when accounting for a wide array of health status, behavioral and psychosocial factors. Findings suggest that SES adversity experience may cumulate across the life course to have a negative impact on multiple biological systems in adulthood. An important aim of future research is the replication of current findings in this predominantly White sample in more ethnically diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L Gruenewald
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, United States.
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248
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Agbedia OO, Varma VR, Seplaki CL, Seeman TE, Fried LP, Li L, Harris GC, Rebok GW, Xue QL, Tan EJ, Tanner E, Parisi JM, McGill S, Carlson MC. Blunted diurnal decline of cortisol among older adults with low socioeconomic status. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2011; 1231:56-64. [PMID: 21884161 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06151.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with increased risk for adverse health outcomes; those with low SES are thought to experience greater environmental disadvantage and exposure to chronic stress over the life course. The effects of chronic stress on health have been measured by cortisol levels and variations in their diurnal pattern. However, the patterns of association between SES and cortisol have been equivocal in older adults. This paper examined in 98 older adults participating in the Brain Health Substudy of the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial baseline patterns of diurnal variation in salivary cortisol associated with lower versus higher SES using total income and perceived SES relative to others. For each measure, participants stratified into lower versus higher SES showed a more blunted rate of decline in diurnal salivary cortisol over the day in adjusted models (P values ≤ 0.05). There were no SES-related differences in awakening cortisol, cortisol-awakening response, or area under the curve. These findings confirm prior evidence of a biologic pathway through which socioeconomic disadvantage is linked to biologic vulnerability, and through which the impact of volunteer service in Experience Corps may be measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owhofasa O Agbedia
- Department of Mental Health & Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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249
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Kaplan RM. Health psychology: where are we and where do we go from here? Mens Sana Monogr 2011; 7:3-9. [PMID: 21836775 PMCID: PMC3151453 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1229.43584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2008] [Revised: 10/08/2008] [Accepted: 10/09/2008] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Human behaviour plays a significant role in most of the leading causes of death. Psychological science has the potential to enhance health outcomes through a better understanding of health promoting and health damaging behaviours. Health psychology and the related field of behavioural medicine focus on the interplay among biological dispositions, behaviour, and social context. The field might advance by building better collaboration with other fields of medicine, sharing expertise on technical aspects of psychometric outcomes assessment, identifying behavioural interventions to reduce health disparities, and creating an infrastructure that fosters multidisciplinary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Kaplan
- Editor-in-Chief, Health Psychology. Fred W. and Pamela K. Wasserman Professor. Chair, Department of Health Services, University of California, Los Angeles
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250
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Mendez DD, Hogan VK, Culhane J. Institutional racism and pregnancy health: using Home Mortgage Disclosure act data to develop an index for Mortgage discrimination at the community level. Public Health Rep 2011; 126 Suppl 3:102-14. [PMID: 21836743 DOI: 10.1177/00333549111260s315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We used Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data to demonstrate a method for constructing a residential redlining index to measure institutional racism at the community level. We examined the application of the index to understand the social context of health inequities by applying the residential redlining index among a cohort of pregnant women in Philadelphia. METHODS We used HMDA data from 1999-2004 to create residential redlining indices for each census tract in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. We linked the redlining indices to data from a pregnancy cohort study and the 2000 Census. We spatially mapped the levels of redlining for each census tract for this pregnancy cohort and tested the association between residential redlining and other community-level measures of segregation and individual health. RESULTS From 1999-2004, loan applicants in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, of black race/ethnicity were almost two times as likely to be denied a mortgage loan compared with applicants who were white (e.g., 1999 odds ratio [OR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63, 2.28; and 2004 OR=2.26, 95% CI 1.98, 2.58). The majority (77.5%) of the pregnancy cohort resided in redlined neighborhoods, and there were significant differences in residence in redlined areas by race/ethnicity (p<0.001). Among the pregnancy cohort, redlining was associated with residential segregation as measured by the percentage of black population (r=0.155), dissimilarity (r=0.250), exposure (r=-0.115), and isolation (r=0.174) indices. CONCLUSIONS The evidence of institutional racism may contribute to our understanding of health disparities. Residential redlining and mortgage discrimination against communities may be a major factor influencing neighborhood structure, composition, development, and wealth attainment. This residential redlining index as a measure for institutional racism can be applied in health research to understand the unique social and neighborhood contexts that contribute to health inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara D Mendez
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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