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Griffith EE, Robbins PA, Ferede BT, Bentley-Edwards KL. Religious participation is associated with fewer dementia diagnoses among Black people in the United States. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24125. [PMID: 38940191 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Black people had the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) of any racial/ethnic group in the United States (US) as of 2020. As racial disparities in the prevalence of ADRD are being investigated, more evidence is necessary to determine the pathways and mechanisms that either slow ADRD progression or improve quality of life for those affected. Religion/spirituality (R/S) has been shown to affect health outcomes but has rarely been studied as a possible pathway for reducing ADRD risk. Crucially, Black people also report higher levels of R/S than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. This research asks if R/S affects ADRD risk among Black adults and if any effects persist after controlling for hypertension. METHODS We conducted a secondary data analysis drawing from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal dataset with an oversampling of Black adults. RESULTS We used logistic regression analysis to demonstrate how R/S has an ameliorating impact on ADRD risk among Black people, even after controlling for hypertension. Those who never attended religious services had 2.37 higher odds of being diagnosed with ADRD than those who attended more than once a week. Further, as R/S attendance increased, ADRD risk decreased linearly. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate the importance that existing cultural networks (e.g., R/S) can have for reducing ADRD burden for Black people and has important implications for the role of R/S in shaping ADRD symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric E Griffith
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Durham, USA
- Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University, Durham, USA
| | - Paul A Robbins
- Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University, Durham, USA
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA
| | - Bethlehem T Ferede
- Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University, Durham, USA
| | - Keisha L Bentley-Edwards
- Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University, Durham, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, USA
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Gibb JK, Williams S, Mikelsteins K, Charles J, McKinnon L, Beach L, McKerracher L, Fields J. Queering food security research: A critical analysis of 2SLGBTQ+ People's experiences of food insecurity in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic. Soc Sci Med 2024; 345:116709. [PMID: 38422687 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116709] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Household food insecurity (HFI), stress, isolation, and discrimination are major determinants of health that disproportionately affect 2SLGBTQ + people. The COVID-19 pandemic potentially exacerbated these inequities. This study investigates HFI rates among 2SLGBTQ + adults living in diverse household conditions during the pandemic and explores the idea that heteronormative conceptions of the "household" may affect measurement of HFI. METHODS Cross-sectional survey responses were collected from 437 self-identified 2SLGBTQ + people from Toronto, Canada between March and July 2021. The survey measured HFI, sexual/gender identities, socio-demographic factors, household composition, and psycho-social stress/distress. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess variation in odds of marginal, moderate, and severe HFI in relation to sexual/gender identities, household composition, psycho-social distress, and socio-demographic covariates. RESULTS Forty-two percent of respondents reported some level of HFI, with severe HFI higher among respondents who were bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, and/or assigned-female-at-birth. Living alone was associated with decreased odds of reporting marginal HFI but increased odds of moderate or severe HFI compared to living with a partner, family, or roommates; living with children was associated with decreased odds of both marginal and severe HFI. One indicator of psycho-social distress (perceived discrimination) was associated with higher odds of all levels of HFI, while the other (isolation) was associated with decreased odds of marginal HFI. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the high prevalence of HFI linked with discrimination among 2SLGBTQ + individuals during the pandemic. The complicated results regarding household composition and social isolation may suggest a need to revise definitions of the household when measuring, monitoring, and seeking to mitigate HFI in 2SLGBTQ + communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Gibb
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA; Department of Health & Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Sarah Williams
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
| | - Kaspars Mikelsteins
- Department of Health & Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jada Charles
- Department of Health & Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada; Department of Sociology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Leela McKinnon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Laura Beach
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Luseadra McKerracher
- Aarhus Institute for Advanced Studies and Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jessica Fields
- Department of Health & Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada; Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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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.
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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
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Pazos BA, Morales AL, Ramallo V, González-José R, de Azevedo S, Taire DL. Mapping spatial morbidity patterns for bronchiolitis related to socioeconomic estimators: A spatial epidemiology approach to identify health disparities in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23938. [PMID: 37417369 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe the frequency of hospitalizations of infants under 1 year of age with bronchiolitis in Puerto Madryn, Argentina, and to study the spatial distribution of cases throughout the city in relation to socioeconomic indicators. To visualize and better understand the underlying processes behind the local manifestation of the disease by creating a vulnerability map of the city. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study of all patients discharged for bronchiolitis from the local public Hospital in 2017, considering length of hospital stay, readmission rate, patient age, home address and socioeconomic indicators (household overcrowding). To understand the local spatial distribution of the disease and its relationship to overcrowding, we used GIS and Moran's global and local spatial autocorrelation indices. RESULTS The spatial distribution of bronchiolitis cases was not random, but significantly aggregated. Of the 120 hospitalized children, 100 infants (83.33%) live in areas identified as having at least one unsatisfied basic need (UBN). We found a positive and statistically significant relationship between frequency of cases and percentage of overcrowded housing by census radius. CONCLUSIONS A clear association was found between bronchiolitis and neighborhoods with UBNs, and overcrowding is likely to be a particularly important explanatory factor in this association. By combining GIS tools, spatial statistics, geo-referenced epidemiological data, and population-level information, vulnerability maps can be created to facilitate visualization of priority areas for development and implementation of more effective health interventions. Incorporating the spatial and syndemic perspective into health studies makes important contributions to the understanding of local health-disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno A Pazos
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Centro Nacional Patagónico (IPCSH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Ciencias de las Imágenes, Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Computadoras, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- Departamento de Informática, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Argentina
| | - Arturo L Morales
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Centro Nacional Patagónico (IPCSH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Ciencias de las Imágenes, Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Computadoras, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- Departamento de Informática, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Argentina
| | - Virginia Ramallo
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Centro Nacional Patagónico (IPCSH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Rolando González-José
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Centro Nacional Patagónico (IPCSH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
- Programa de Referencia y Biobanco Genómico de la Población Argentina (PoblAr), Secretaría de Planeamiento y Políticas en Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, CABA, Argentina
| | - Soledad de Azevedo
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Centro Nacional Patagónico (IPCSH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Damián L Taire
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Centro Nacional Patagónico (IPCSH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
- Departamento de Neumonología Pediátrica, Hospital Zonal "Dr. Andrés R. Isola", Puerto Madryn, Argentina
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Chua KJ, Knorr DA, Jimenez J, Francia A, Rojas V, Garcia JI, Fox M. What Do Your Neighbors Think About You? How Perceived Neighbor Attitudes Toward Latinos Influence Mental Health Among a Pregnant Latina Cohort. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2023:10.1007/s40615-023-01684-5. [PMID: 37391606 PMCID: PMC10756922 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01684-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Latina women living in the USA experience disproportionately higher rates of psychological distress compared to their non-Latina White counterparts. Poor maternal mental health during pregnancy can contribute to intergenerational mental health disparities. Through this pathway, mothers' experiences, environments, and exposures (henceforth "exposures") during pregnancy become biologically embodied and can negatively affect the fetus and life-long developmental trajectories of her child. One of the exposures that can affect mother-offspring dyads is the neighborhood. With the goal of integrating anthropological and sociological theories to explain mental health disparities among pregnant Latina women, we explored how perceptions of neighbor attitudes may influence mental health during pregnancy. We analyzed self-reported responses from 239 pregnant Latina women in Southern California (131 foreign-born, 108 US-born) on their mental health and perceived attitudes of their neighbors using multiple linear regression models. Among foreign-born Latina women, living in neighborhoods with more favorable views of Latinos was associated with lower depression scores (pooled β = - .70, SE = .29, p = .019) and lower pregnancy-related anxiety scores (pooled β = - .11, SE = .05, p = .021), but greater state anxiety scores (pooled β = .09, SE = .04, p = .021). Among US-born women, there were no associations between neighbor attitudes and mental health. Overall, results suggest that social environments are correlated with mental health and that foreign-born and US-born Latinas have varied mental health experiences in the USA. Our findings highlight the importance of improving aspects of neighborhood cohesion as part of maternal-fetal care management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine J Chua
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California Center for Population Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Delaney A Knorr
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California Center for Population Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Janelly Jimenez
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Arlene Francia
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Valeria Rojas
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jhoana Infante Garcia
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Molly Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- California Center for Population Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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