1
|
Owens C, Hadley C. The relationship between mental well-being and wealth varies by wealth type, place and sex/gender: Evidence from Namibia. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24064. [PMID: 38459957 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper explores the impact of livelihood strategies and place on mental well-being. Identifying different socioeconomic factors that impact mental well-being across contexts is pressing given the global rise in mental health disorders. Numerous studies in the population and social sciences have emphasized the protective role of material wealth on human health and well-being; however, scholars frequently assess wealth as a one-dimensional variable, which may fail to capture diverse forms of wealth. Acknowledging different forms of wealth may be particularly important in settings where agricultural economies coexist with cash economies. Using data from the 2013 Namibia Demographic Health Survey (n = 13 377), we use a newly developed measure of success in agricultural activities, an agricultural wealth index, or AWI, generated by Hackman et al., (2021). To examine the role of different forms of wealth on mental health symptoms. We find mental well-being, assessed through three survey questions, is lower among urban dwellers and females and shows varied associations with wealth type and sex/gender. In general, success in agricultural activities is associated with better mental well-being, while the association with market success is null or and conditional upon sex/gender and place. This study adds to recent work on the value of using multidimensional measures of wealth and raises important questions about why wealth type and sex/gender differentially impact mental well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Owens
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Department of Quantitative Theory and Methods, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Craig Hadley
- Department of Quantitative Theory and Methods, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hoke MK, Long AM. Human biology and the study of precarity: How the intersection of uncertainty and inequality is taking us to new extremes. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24018. [PMID: 38053455 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inequality represents an extreme environment to which humans must respond. One phenomenon that contributes to this growing extreme is precarity or the intersection of uncertainty and some form of inequality. While precarity has an important intellectual history in the fields of sociology and sociocultural anthropology, it has not been well studied in the field of human biology. Rather human biologists have engaged with the study of closely related concepts such as uncertainty and resource insecurity. In this article, we propose that human biology take on the study of precarity as a novel way of investigating inequality. We first provide a brief intellectual history of precarity which is followed by a review of research on uncertainty and resource security in human biology which, while not exhaustive, illustrates some key gaps that precarity may aid us in addressing. We then review some of the pathways through which precarity comes to affect human biology and health and some of the evidence for why the unpredictable nature of precarity may make it a unique physiological stress. A case study based on research in Nuñoa, Peru provides an important example of how precarity can elucidate the influences of health in an extreme setting, albeit with insights that apply more broadly. We conclude that precarity holds important potential for the study of human biology, including helping us more effectively operationalize and study uncertainty, encouraging us to explore the predictability of resources and stressors, and reminding us to think about the intersectional nature of stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan K Hoke
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anneliese M Long
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rosen F, Settel L, Irvine F, Koselka EPD, Miller JD, Young SL. Associations between food insecurity and child and parental physical, nutritional, psychosocial and economic well-being globally during the first 1000 days: A scoping review. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2024; 20:e13574. [PMID: 37828823 PMCID: PMC10750018 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Food insecurity affects billions of individuals annually and contributes to myriad poor health outcomes. Experiences of food insecurity may be particularly harmful during the first 1000 days, but literature on the topic has not been synthesized. We therefore aimed to characterize all available studies examining associations between food insecurity and nutritional, psychosocial, physical and economic well-being among parents and children during this period. We implemented a standardized search strategy across 11 databases. Four researchers screened 10,257 articles, 120 of which met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa (43.3%), followed by North America (20.8%). Studies were primarily quantitative (95.8%), cross-sectional (70.0%) and focused on women (pregnant or post-partum, 48.3%) or women and children (15.8%). Physical health outcomes were the most investigated (n = 87 studies), followed by nutritional (n = 69), psychosocial (n = 35) and economic well-being (n = 2). The most studied associations were between food insecurity and stunting (n = 15), maternal depression (n = 12), child dietary diversity (n = 7) and maternal body mass index (n = 6). The strength of evidence for the observed associations varied across populations as well as within and between examined outcomes. We recommend that future studies recruit more diverse study populations, consider temporality of relationships, use instruments that facilitate cross-site comparisons, measure individual-level food insecurity and outcomes most likely to be impacted by food insecurity, evaluate contextual factors that may modify the effects of food insecurity and employ analytic techniques that permit assessment of causal pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Rosen
- Department of Global Health StudiesNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| | - Lily Settel
- Department of Global Health StudiesNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| | - Faith Irvine
- Department of Global Health StudiesNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| | | | - Joshua D. Miller
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
- Department of NutritionUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Sera L. Young
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
- Institute for Policy ResearchNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Thayer Z, Uwizeye G, McKerracher L. Toolkit article: Approaches to measuring social inequities in health in human biology research. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23804. [PMID: 36173013 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Across populations, human morbidity and mortality risks generally follow clear gradients, with socially-disadvantaged individuals and groups tending to have higher morbidity and mortality at all life stages relative to those more socially advantaged. Anthropologists specialize in understanding the proximate and ultimate factors that shape variation in human biological functioning and health and are therefore well-situated to explore the relationships between social position and health in diverse ecological and cultural contexts. While human biologists have developed sophisticated methods for assessing health using minimally-invasive methods, at a disciplinary level, we have room for conceptual and methodological improvement in how we frame, measure, and analyze the social inequities that might shape health inequities. This toolkit paper elaborates on some steps human biologists should take to enhance the quality of our research on health inequities. Specifically, we address: (1) how to frame unequal health outcomes (i.e., inequalities vs. disparities vs. inequities) and the importance of identifying our conceptual models of how these inequities emerge; (2) how to measure various axes of social inequities across diverse cultural contexts, and (3) approaches to community collaboration and dissemination. We end by discussing (4) future directions in human biology research of health inequities, including understanding the ultimate causes of sensitivity to social inequities and transitioning from research to action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zaneta Thayer
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Glorieuse Uwizeye
- Arthur Labatt School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Qin Y, Guo P, Li J, Liu J, Jiang S, Yang F, Wang R, Wang J, Liu H, Zhang X, Wang K, Wu Q, Shi W. The relationship between social capital and postpartum depression symptoms of lactating women in minority areas—A cross-sectional study from Guangxi, China. Front Psychol 2022; 13:905028. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.905028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) is the most common mental illness affecting women during lactation, and good social capital is considered a protective factor. This study aimed to investigate PPD symptoms, and explore the relationships between social capital and PPD symptoms of lactating women in southwest minority areas in China.Materials and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 413 lactating women in Guangxi, China. Data were collected using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Chinese version of the Social Capital Assessment Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors influencing PPD symptoms, and a structural equation model was used to examine how social participation and cognitive social capital mediated PPD symptoms.ResultsThe total prevalence of PPD symptoms (score > 12) was 16.46%, and that of mild depression symptoms (9–12 score) was 22.03%. Nine variables predicted PPD symptoms and explained 71.6% of the variance in the regression model: higher age, lack of medical security, fixed occupation, breastfeeding time, self-caregiver, maternity leave, social participation, social trust, and social reciprocity. Furthermore, cognitive social capital mediated the relationship between social participation and PPD symptoms, with a mediation effect rate was 44.00%.ConclusionThe findings of this study highlight that social capital, support from family members, maternity leave, and medical insurance play protective roles in the PPD symptoms of lactating women. It is necessary to improve social capital as a key strategy for interventions for PPD symptoms, and active social participation activities are critical to reducing PPD symptoms among lactating women in minority areas.
Collapse
|
6
|
Perinatal and early childhood biomarkers of psychosocial stress and adverse experiences. Pediatr Res 2022; 92:956-965. [PMID: 35091705 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-01933-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The human brain develops through a complex interplay of genetic and environmental influences. During critical periods of development, experiences shape brain architecture, often with long-lasting effects. If experiences are adverse, the effects may include the risk of mental and physical disease, whereas positive environments may increase the likelihood of healthy outcomes. Understanding how psychosocial stress and adverse experiences are embedded in biological systems and how we can identify markers of risk may lead to discovering new approaches to improve patient care and outcomes. Biomarkers can be used to identify specific intervention targets and at-risk children early when physiological system malleability increases the likelihood of intervention success. However, identifying reliable biomarkers has been challenging, particularly in the perinatal period and the first years of life, including in preterm infants. This review explores the landscape of psychosocial stress and adverse experience biomarkers. We highlight potential benefits and challenges of identifying risk clinically and different sub-signatures of stress, and in their ability to inform targeted interventions. Finally, we propose that the combination of preterm birth and adversity amplifies the risk for abnormal development and calls for a focus on this group of infants within the field of psychosocial stress and adverse experience biomarkers. IMPACT: Reviews the landscape of biomarkers of psychosocial stress and adverse experiences in the perinatal period and early childhood and highlights the potential benefits and challenges of their clinical utility in identifying risk status in children, and in developing targeted interventions. Explores associations between psychosocial stress and adverse experiences in childhood with prematurity and identifies potential areas of assessment and intervention to improve outcomes in this at-risk group.
Collapse
|
7
|
Thompson AL, Jahnke JR, Teran E, Bentley ME. Pathways linking maternal mental health and child health in a dual burden context: Evidence from Galapagos, Ecuador. Soc Sci Med 2022; 305:115043. [PMID: 35660699 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Research in low-and-middle income countries links maternal depression to child undernutrition; conversely, maternal depression is a risk factor for child overweight in higher income settings. Less is known about impacts of maternal mental health in dual burden contexts or the environmental and behavioral pathways linking maternal mental health to child health outcomes. Consequently, we examine the association between maternal mental health and the dual burden of undernutrition/infectious disease and overweight/obesity in children and test whether pathogenic, dietary and caregiving exposures mediate this association. Data come from 113 mothers and their 204 children, aged 2 weeks to 15 years, participating in the Healthy Families Study in Galapagos, Ecuador from July 2018 to May 2019, with mental health, anthropometry, diet and household environmental measures. Path analyses were used to test for direct and indirect effects of maternal distress on the likelihood of children experiencing the dual burden. We found that maternal distress is directly associated with a greater risk of having a child in the household with the dual burden with significant indirect paths through the emotional climate of the household and child diet quality. Maternal distress also moderated the impact of exposure to pathogens and diet quality. Our results highlight the need to understand how maternal distress may shape care practices in environments that present challenges for mothers in acquiring adequate resources and support needed to promote healthy child growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Johanna R Jahnke
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Enrique Teran
- Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador; Galapagos Science Center, San Cristobal, Ecuador
| | - Margaret E Bentley
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Trudell JP, Burnet ML, Ziegler BR, Luginaah I. The impact of food insecurity on mental health in Africa: A systematic review. Soc Sci Med 2021; 278:113953. [PMID: 33971482 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In 2018, 676.1 million people in Africa (52.5% of the population) were moderately or severely food insecure. This exceptionally high prevalence continues to increase as Africa experiences conflict, climate change, and economic declines. When Sustainable Development Goal 2.1 set out to end hunger and ensure access to sufficient food, particularly for vulnerable populations, by 2030, food insecurity emerged as a global priority. Food insecurity has been hypothesized to negatively impact mental health, a stigmatized area of health in Africa for which care is often inaccessible. This systematic review examines existing literature on the relationship between food insecurity and mental health in Africa, where progress remains to be made on both fronts. A systematic search of seven databases (EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsychINFO ProQuest, Medline Ovid, Scopus, and Nursing and Allied Health) was conducted. Results were limited to studies examining food insecurity and mental health, written in English and published between January 2000 and May 2020. After title, abstract, full-text review, and quality appraisal using tools from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 64 studies remained. Findings were summarized using a narrative synthesis approach. Studies unanimously highlighted that food insecurity is associated with poor mental health. This relationship was dose-responsive and independent of the measured mental health outcome. Two highly represented groups in the literature were women around pregnancy and people affected by HIV/AIDS. Factors which mediated the relationship included age, sex, social interactions, physical health, seasonality, and rural residence. The findings suggest that the relationship is likely amplified in specific populations such as women and seniors, and interventions which target livelihood as opposed to income may be more effective. Further research is needed which compares food insecurity's effect on mental health between at-risk populations, in order to guide resource allocation and context-specific policy making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Paul Trudell
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Maddison L Burnet
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Bianca R Ziegler
- Department of Geography, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; Environment Health and Hazards Lab, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| | - Isaac Luginaah
- Department of Geography, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; Environment Health and Hazards Lab, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hoke MK, McCabe KA. Malnutrition, illness, poverty, and infant growth: A test of a syndemic hypothesis in Nuñoa, Peru. Soc Sci Med 2021; 295:113720. [PMID: 33608135 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The concept of syndemics provides an important framework for understanding the complex interactions of biological and social conditions. Its use in public health and epidemiological research has increased substantially in the past ten years. Many syndemic analyses rely on the use of a sum score and subsequently fail to demonstrate biological interaction, leading some scholars to question the utility of the syndemic approach. Here, we utilize data from 86 mother/infant pairs from the rural district of Nuñoa, Peru to test a potential syndemic relationship among infection, malnutrition and infant growth. Between 2014 and 2015, surveys were conducted to assess household wealth, sanitation, dietary diversity, and reported illness, while anthropometric measures of mothers and infants were conducted to assess nutritional status via height-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores. Ethnographic insight was used in the selection of key economic variables including the development of an agricultural wealth index. We then assessed whether this constellation of health outcomes met the criteria for a syndemic by performing a quantitative analysis in which we tested for (1) an association between economic marginalization and high-risk environments; (2) the concentration of malnutrition, poor growth, and infection; and (3) biological interaction among these health outcomes. We found that economic measures were associated with pathogenic and nutritional risk, and that these in turn were associated with infectious disease, nutritional status, and growth. However, we did not find evidence that the proposed syndemic met criteria (2) or (3). We conclude that, despite being both socially and biologically plausible, a syndemic of malnutrition, poor growth, and infection did not exist in this context. This analysis moves syndemic research forward by demonstrating that such hypotheses are falsifiable, thus presenting a process by which they may be tested and lending support to the use of syndemic theory as an effective analytic framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan K Hoke
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, United States; Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Perinatal Food Insecurity and Postpartum Psychosocial Stress are Positively Associated Among Kenyan Women of Mixed HIV Status. AIDS Behav 2020; 24:1632-1642. [PMID: 31538283 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02676-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Stress and food insecurity (FI) are associated with poor perinatal and HIV outcomes. We hypothesized that FI would increase postpartum stress among women in Kenya, and that the impact would be greater in women with HIV. Among 371 pregnant women, we identified latent FI trajectories across the perinatal period, and estimated their association with postpartum stress. Stress metrics included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC). We identified two FI trajectories: persistent moderate FI and persistent mild FI. Moderate FI (vs. mild) was associated with higher PSS; this association was stronger among HIV-negative women. We observed a trend towards higher HCC associated with moderate FI, which did not differ by HIV status. HCC and PSS were not correlated. In summary, moderate FI (vs. mild) was associated with increased stress. The lack of PSS-HCC correlation could reflect different physiological pathways. Interventions to mitigate FI could alleviate postpartum stress.
Collapse
|
11
|
Lachaud J, Hruschka DJ, Kaiser BN, Brewis A. Agricultural wealth better predicts mental wellbeing than market wealth among highly vulnerable households in Haiti: Evidence for the benefits of a multidimensional approach to poverty. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 32:e23328. [PMID: 31512352 PMCID: PMC7577539 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Lack of wealth (poverty) impacts almost every aspect of human biology. Accordingly, many studies include its assessment. In almost all cases, approaches to assessing poverty are based on lack of success within cash economies (eg, lack of income, employment). However, this operationalization deflects attention from alternative forms of poverty that may have the most substantial influence on human wellbeing. We test how a multidimensional measure of poverty that considers agricultural assets expands the explanatory power of the construct of household poverty by associating it with one key aspect of wellbeing: symptoms of mental health. METHODS We used the case of three highly vulnerable but distinctive communities in Haiti-urban, town with a rural hinterland, and rural. Based on survey responses from adults in 4055 geographically sampled households, linear regression models were used to predict depression and anxiety symptom levels controlling for a wide range of covariates related to detailed measures of material poverty, including cash-economy and agricultural assets, income, financial stress, and food insecurity. RESULTS Household assets related to the cash economy were significantly associated with lower (ie, better) depression scores (-0.7, [95% CI: -1.2 to, -0.1]) but unrelated to anxiety scores (-0.3 [95% CI: -0.8 to 0.3]). Agricultural wealth was significantly-and more strongly-associated with both reductions in depression symptoms (-1.4 [95% CI: -2.2 to -0.7]) and anxiety symptoms (-1.8 [95% CI: -2.6 to -1.0]). These associations were consistent across the three sites, except in the fully urban site in Port-au-Prince where level of depression symptoms was not significantly associated with household agricultural wealth. CONCLUSIONS Standard measures of poverty based on success in the cash economy can mask important associations between poverty and wellbeing, in this case related to household-level subsistence capacity and crucial food-producing household assets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James Lachaud
- Center for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, ON
| | - Daniel J. Hruschka
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| | - Bonnie N. Kaiser
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Alexandra Brewis
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Whittle HJ, Sheira LA, Wolfe WR, Frongillo EA, Palar K, Merenstein D, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Weber KM, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Metsch L, Turan JM, Wentz EL, Tien PC, Weiser SD. Food insecurity is associated with anxiety, stress, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in a cohort of women with or at risk of HIV in the United States. J Nutr 2019; 149:1393-1403. [PMID: 31127819 PMCID: PMC6675617 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Food insecurity, which disproportionately affects marginalized women in the United States, is associated with depressive symptoms. Few studies have examined relations of food insecurity with other mental health outcomes. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of food insecurity with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS), a prospective cohort study of women with or at risk of HIV in the United States. METHODS Participants were 2553 women with or at risk of HIV, predominantly African American/black (71.6%). Structured questionnaires were conducted during April 2013-March 2016 every 6 mo. Food security (FS) was the primary predictor, measured using the Household Food Security Survey Module. We measured longitudinal outcomes for GAD (GAD-7 score and a binary GAD-7 screener for moderate-to-severe GAD). Only cross-sectional data were available for outcomes measuring perceived stress (PSS-10 score) and PTSD (PCL-C score and a binary PCL-C screener for PTSD). We examined associations of FS with the outcomes through use of multivariable linear and logistic regression, including lagged associations with GAD outcomes. RESULTS After adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related factors including HIV serostatus, current marginal, low, and very low FS were associated with increasingly higher GAD-7 scores, and with 1.41 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.80; P < 0.01), 2.03 (95% CI: 1.59, 2.61; P < 0.001), and 3.23 (95% CI: 2.43, 4.29; P < 0.001) times higher odds of screening positive for moderate-to-severe GAD, respectively. Low and very low FS at the previous visit (6 mo earlier) were independently associated with GAD outcomes at current visit. Associations of FS with PSS-10 and PCL-C scores exhibited similar dose-response relations. Very low FS was associated with 1.93 (95% CI: 1.15, 3.24; P < 0.05) times higher odds of screening positive for PTSD. CONCLUSIONS Food insecurity may be associated with a range of poor mental health outcomes among women in the United States with or at risk of HIV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henry J Whittle
- Centre for Psychiatry, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK,Address correspondence to HJW (e-mail: )
| | | | | | - Edward A Frongillo
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
| | | | - Daniel Merenstein
- Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
| | - Tracey E Wilson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, School of Public Health, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Adebola Adedimeji
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Kathleen M Weber
- Cook County Health and Hospitals System and Hektoen Institute of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Adaora A Adimora
- School of Medicine and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Ighovwerha Ofotokun
- School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, and Grady Healthcare System, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lisa Metsch
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Janet M Turan
- Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Eryka L Wentz
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Phyllis C Tien
- Department of Medicine, UCSF and Medical Service, Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Sheri D Weiser
- Division of HIV, ID and Global Medicine,Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, UCSF, San Francisco, CA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Slopen N, Zhang J, Urlacher SS, De Silva G, Mittal M. Maternal experiences of intimate partner violence and C-reactive protein levels in young children in Tanzania. SSM Popul Health 2018; 6:107-115. [PMID: 30258969 PMCID: PMC6153386 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical public health issue that impacts women and children across the globe. Prior studies have documented that maternal experiences of IPV are associated with adverse psychological and physical health outcomes in children; however, research on the underlying physiological pathways linking IPV to these conditions is limited. Drawing on data from the 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey, we examined the relationship between maternal report of IPV in the past 12 months and inflammation among children ages 6 months to 5 years. Our study included 503 children who were randomly selected to provide a blood sample and had a mother who had ever been married and who had completed the Domestic Violence Module, which collected information on physical, sexual, and emotional violence. Analyses were stratified based on a threshold for acute immune activation status, defined by the threshold of CRP > 1.1 mg/L for young children in Tanzania. In bivariate analyses, healthy children whose mothers reported IPV showed a marginally elevated median CRP level compared to children whose mothers did not report IPV (0.35 vs. 0.41 mg/L; p = 0.13). Similarly, among children with active or recent infections, those whose mothers reported IPV had an elevated median CRP compared to children whose mothers did not (4.06 vs 3.09 mg/L; p = 0.03). In adjusted multiple variable regression models to account for child, mother, and household characteristics, maternal IPV was positively associated with (log) CRP in both healthy children and children with active or recent infection. Although longitudinal research with additional biomarkers of inflammation is needed, our results provide support for the hypothesis that inflammation may function as a biological pathway linking maternal IPV to poor psychological and physical health outcomes among children of mothers who are victimized-and this may extend to very young children and children in non-Western contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Slopen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Samuel S. Urlacher
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gretchen De Silva
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Mona Mittal
- Department of Family Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Holdsworth EA, Schell LM. Maternal-infant interaction as an influence on infant adiposity. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [PMID: 28602028 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this research is to identify whether specific aspects of the early life psychosocial environment such as quality of home and maternal-infant interaction are associated with increased infant adiposity, in a disadvantaged population in the United States. METHODS Data on 121 mother-infant pairs from the Albany Pregnancy and Infancy Lead Study were analyzed using three multiple linear regression models with subscapular skinfold thickness (SST), triceps skinfold thickness (TST), and weight z-scores at 12 months of age as outcome variables. Maternal-infant interaction was indexed by the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scales (NCATS) and home environment quality was indexed by the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME). RESULTS In models including infant birth weight, cigarette use in second trimester, infant caloric intake at 9-12 months, size at birth for gestational age, infant sex, and mother's prepregnancy BMI, specific subscales of NCATs predicted infant adiposity z-scores. Poorer mother's response to infant distress was associated with greater SST ( β = -0.20, P = .02), TST ( β = -0.19, P = .04), and weight ( β = -0.14, P = .05). Better maternal sensitivity to infant cues was associated with larger SST ( β = 0.25, P < .01), while mother's poorer social-emotional growth fostering predicted greater SST ( β = -0.23, P < .01) and weight ( β = -0.16, P = .03). Better scores on HOME Organization of the Environment were associated with greater SST ( β = 0.34, P = .02) and TST ( β = 0.33, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Emotionally relevant aspects of the maternal-infant interaction predicted infant adiposity, though in different directions. This indicates that the psychosocial environment, through maternal behavior, may influence infant adiposity. However, the general home environment was not consistently related to infant adiposity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lawrence M Schell
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, New York.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, New York.,Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, New York
| |
Collapse
|