Association of depression, psycho-social stress and acculturation with respiratory disease among Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts

Explaining Substance Use among Puerto Rican Older Adults: Impact of Perceived Discrimination, Perceived Stress, and Social Activities

Background: Despite Puerto Ricans having one of the highest rates of substance use among Hispanic groups in the United States, limited research has focused on the impact of perceived discrimination and stress on substance use among older adults. Individuals who experience stressful events are inclined to engage in harmful behaviors as a coping mechanism. Objectives: Based on the propositions of the General Strain Theory, the current study explores the relationship between perceived discrimination, perceived stress, social activities, and the use of alcohol and cigarettes. Methods: Baseline data from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study collected in 2014 was used to conduct a logistic regression analysis. Results: The findings reveal that while perceived discrimination is significantly linked to both types of substance use, social activities may serve as a protective factor for cigarette use. Conclusion/Importance: Our study findings emphasize the need to examine perceived discrimination as a stressor impacting the health and well-being of Puerto Ricans in later adulthood. Policy implications for reducing substance use and directions for future research are discussed.

Sex differences in the interaction of short-term particulate matter exposure and psychosocial stressors on C-reactive protein in a Puerto Rican cohort

There is substantial evidence linking particulate matter air pollution with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, health disparities between populations may exist due to imprecisely defined non-innate susceptibility factors. Psychosocial stressors are associated with cardiovascular disease and may increase non-innate susceptibility to air-pollution. We investigated whether the association between short-term changes in ambient particulate matter and cardiovascular health risk differed by psychosocial stressors in a Puerto Rican cohort, comparing women and men. We used data from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS), a longitudinal study of cardiovascular health among adults, collected between 2004 and 2013. We used mixed effect models to estimate the association of current-day ambient particle number concentration (PNC) on C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, and effect modification by psychosocial stressors (depression, acculturation, perceived stress, discrimination, negative life events and a composite score). Point estimates of percent difference in CRP per interquartile range change in PNC varied among women with contrasting levels of stressors: negative life events (15.7% high vs. 6.5% low), depression score (10.6% high vs. 4.6% low) and composite stress score (16.2% high vs. 7.0% low). There were minimal differences among men. For Puerto Rican adults, cardiovascular non-innate susceptibility to adverse effects of ambient particles may be greater for women under high stress. This work contributes to understanding health disparities among minority ethnic populations.

Puerto Rican Victimization and Crime on the Mainland: The Role of Acculturation

This study addresses criminal victimization and contact with police among older Puerto Ricans living in Northeastern United States. Framing their experiences within the context of immigration, we assess the role that acculturation and perceived stress play on Puerto Rican crime and victimization. Data from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS; N = 1,504) were analyzed using multiple logistic regressions. The experience of criminal victimization by Puerto Ricans is associated with higher educational attainment, increased perceived stress, and also with psychological acculturation. Contact with police is associated with linguistic, but not psychological, acculturation. Our findings give strength to the argument that exposure to crime and the criminal justice system increases with acculturation and that this argument is relevant to Puerto Ricans. Thus, the association between acculturation, criminal victimization, and police contact depends on the conceptualization of acculturation used. The relationship between stress, acculturation, and crime among Latinos is complex and warrants further assessment.

Acculturative stress, work-related psychosocial factors and depression in Korean-Chinese migrant workers in Korea

OBJECTIVES

The purposes of this study were to identify the relationships among acculturative stress, work-related psychosocial factors and depression in Korean-Chinese migrant workers living in Korea and to determine whether work-related psychosocial factors mediate the relationship between acculturative stress and depression.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 200 Korean-Chinese full-time migrant workers was recruited, and 170 completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Acculturative stress was assessed by Sandh and Asrabadi's Acculturative Stress Scale. Work-related psychosocial factors were assessed by job demand, insufficient job control and interpersonal conflict measures from the Korean Occupational Stress Scale. Depression was assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Self-administered or face-to-face surveys were conducted by trained data collectors. Multiple regression and path analysis were used.

RESULTS

Roughly 30% of the sample met the criteria for depression. Female workers had significantly higher depression scores than male workers. Acculturative stress and work-related psychosocial factors significantly predicted 26.3% of the variance in depression. A path model revealed the mediating effect of job demand on the relationship between acculturative stress and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that work-related psychosocial factors are salient factors that lead to depression among Korean-Chinese migrant workers living in Korea. The results suggest that occupational health-care professionals should promote the prevention and management of depression in this population and highlight the importance of acculturation context in the development of interventions designed to reduce work-related stress.

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among older Puerto Rican adults living in Massachusetts

There remains limited research on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Puerto Rican adults. We compared lifestyle and CVD risk factors in Puerto Rican men and women with normal fasting glucose (NFG), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), or type 2 diabetes (T2D), and investigated achievement of American Diabetes Association (ADA) treatment goals in those with T2D. Baseline data from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study were analyzed, which included 1,287 adults aged 45-75 years. Obesity, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia were prevalent and increased from NFG to IFG and T2D. In individuals without T2D, fasting insulin correlated significantly with body mass index. Achievement of ADA goals was poor; LDL cholesterol was most achieved (59.4%), followed by blood pressure (27.2%) and glycosylated hemoglobin (27.0%). Poverty, female sex, current alcohol use, and diabetes or anti-hypertensive medication use were associated with not meeting goals. Puerto Rican adults living in the Boston area showed several metabolic abnormalities and high CVD risk, likely due to pervasive obesity and socio-economic disparities.