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Assari S. Black Americans' Diminished Health Returns of Professional Occupations: A Thirty-Year Follow-Up Study of Middle-Aged and Older Adults. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024:10.1007/s40615-024-02034-9. [PMID: 38807025 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-02034-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Occupational classes exert substantial effects on both subjective and objective health outcomes. However, it remains unclear whether the health impact of similar occupational classes varies across racial groups among middle-aged and older adults in the United States. AIM Grounded in the theory of Minorities' Diminished Returns (MDRs), which posits that health benefits from resources such as employment are systematically weaker for racial minority populations, particularly Non-Latino Black individuals, this study tested Black-White disparities in the effects of similar occupational classes on health outcomes in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we employed a 30-year longitudinal design with a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Six occupational classes-operator, managerial, professional specialty, sales, clerical/admin, and service-served as the key predictor variables (independent variables), with race as the moderator. Various health outcomes, including self-rated health, chronic disease, body mass index (BMI), activities of daily living (ADL), and cognitive function, were measured longitudinally from wave 1 to wave 15 (from baseline to 30 years later). Statistical analyses, incorporating logistic regression models, were conducted to assess associations between occupational class and health outcomes overall and based on race. RESULTS Our analysis included 7538 Non-Latino White or Non-Latino Black participants followed for up to 30 years. Initial findings revealed positive health effects of professional occupations on cognitive function and self-rated health over 30 years of follow-uWe also identified significant interactions between race and professional occupational class on all health outcomes, indicating notable racial differences in the effects of professional occupations on health outcomes across domains. The effects of professional occupational class were weaker for Non-Latino Black individuals than for Non-Latino White individuals. CONCLUSION Consistent with the Minorities' Diminished Returns theory, our findings indicated less pronounced positive effects of professional occupations on a wide range of health outcomes for Non-Latino Black individuals compared to Non-Latino Whites. These disparities emphasize the critical need to address structural factors that contribute to the diminished returns of prestigious occupations for Non-Latino Black populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Internal Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Coaston TN, Sakowitz S, Chervu NL, Branche C, Shuch BM, Benharash P, Revels S. Social determinants as predictors of resection and long-term mortality in Black patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Surgery 2024; 175:505-512. [PMID: 37949695 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2023.09.046] [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: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Minorities diminished returns theory posits that socioeconomic attainment conveys fewer health benefits for Black than White individuals. The current study evaluates the effects of social constructs on resection rates and survival for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS Patients with potentially resectable NSCLC stage IA to IIIA were identified using the 2004 to 2017 National Cancer Database. Patients were stratified into quartiles based on population-level education and income. Logistic regression was used to predict risk-adjusted resection rates. Mortality was assessed with Cox proportional hazard modeling. RESULTS Of the 416,025 patients identified, 213,643 (51.4%) underwent resection. Among White patients, the lowest income (adjusted odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.74-0.78, P < .01) and education quartiles (adjusted odds ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.79-0.84, P < .01) were associated with decreased odds of resection. The lowest education quartile among Black patients was not associated with lower resection rates. The lowest income quartile (adjusted odds ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.61-0.74, P < .01) was associated with reduced resection. White patients in the lowest education and income quartiles experienced increased hazard of 5-year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.13, 95% CI 1.11-1.15, P < .01 and adjusted hazard ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.06-1.11, P < .01 respectively). In Black patients, there were no significant differences in 5-year survival between Black patients in the highest education and income quartiles and those in the lowest quartiles. CONCLUSION Among Black patients with NSCLC, educational attainment is not associated with increased resection rates. In addition, higher education and income were not associated with improved 5-year survival. The diminished gains experienced by Black patients, compared to Whites patients, illustrate the presence of pervasive race-specific mechanisms in observed inequalities in cancer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy N Coaston
- Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories, Division of Cardiac Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Sara Sakowitz
- Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories, Division of Cardiac Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. https://twitter.com/SaraSakowiz
| | - Nikhil L Chervu
- Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories, Division of Cardiac Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Corynn Branche
- Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories, Division of Cardiac Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Brian M Shuch
- Division of Urologic Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Peyman Benharash
- Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories, Division of Cardiac Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Sha'Shonda Revels
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
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Rodriguez JM, Koo C, Di Pasquale G, Assari S. Black-White differences in perceived lifetime discrimination by education and income in the MIDUS Study in the U.S. J Biosoc Sci 2023; 55:795-811. [PMID: 36352755 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932022000360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence on the negative effects of perceived discrimination on health outcomes and their interactions with indicators of socioeconomic status. However, less has been studied on whether income and education lead individuals of a different race to encounter different discriminatory experiences in their lifetime. Using data from the national survey of the Midlife Development in the United States-MIDUS 1 (1995-1996) and MIDUS Refresher (2011-2014)-on eight measures of perceived lifetime discrimination, this study compares discriminatory experiences of Black and White persons in two time periods. We applied generalized structural equation models and generalized linear models to test multiplicative effects of income and education by race on lifetime discrimination. In both periods, we find substantive disparities between White and Black people in all types of lifetime discrimination, with Black people reporting much higher levels of discrimination. Such disparities exacerbated in the top cohorts of society, yet these associations have changed in time, with White individuals reporting increasing levels of discrimination. Results show that, for Black people in the mid-1990s, perceived discrimination increased as education and income increased. This finding persisted for education by the early 2010s; income effects changed as now both, low- and high-income Black people, reported the highest levels of discrimination. These findings highlight a policy conundrum, given that increasing income and education represent a desirable course of action to improve overall discrimination and health outcomes. Yet, we show that they may unintendingly exacerbate racial disparities in discrimination. We also show that the U.S. is moving toward a stagnation period in health outcomes improvement, with racial disparities in discrimination shrinking at the expense of a deterioration of whites' lifetime discriminatory experiences. Our results highlight the need for a multi-systems policy approach to prevent all forms of discrimination including those due to historical, institutional, legal, and sociopolitical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier M Rodriguez
- Claremont Graduate University, Department of Politics and Government, Claremont, United States
| | - Chungeun Koo
- Gachon University, Korea Inequality Research Lab, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Shervin Assari
- Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Department of Family Medicine, Los Angeles, United States
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Aguayo L, Chang C, McCormack LR, Shalowitz MU. Parental determinants associated with early growth after the first year of life by race and ethnicity. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1213534. [PMID: 37565242 PMCID: PMC10411553 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1213534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate maternal and parental factors associated with changes in children's body mass index percentile (BMI-P) from 12 to 24 months. Methods Data from a prospective cohort of racially and ethnically diverse mothers, fathers, and children (n = 245) were used. Changes in BMI-P from 12 to 24 months of age were examined using height and weight measurements collected at both times. Separate longitudinal mixed-effects models with maximum likelihood were introduced to examine the determinants introduced by mothers and determinants from both parents among all children, and by race and ethnicity. Results Models that examine maternal and parental factors showed that children's overall BMI-P decreased from 12 to 24 months [β = -4.85, 95% confidence interval (CI), -7.47 to -2.23]. Stratified tests showed that White children whose parents graduated high school or completed a 4-year college degree or higher had greater decreases in BMI-P than White children born to parents with less than high school education (β = -60.39, 95% CI, -115.05 to -5.72; β = -61.49, 95% CI, -122.44 to -0.53). Among Hispanic/Latinx children, mean BMI-P significantly decreased from 12 to 24 months (β = -7.12, 95% CI, -11.59 to -2.64). Mother's older age (β = 1.83, 95% CI, 0.29-3.36) and child female sex (β = 11.21, 95% CI, 1.61-20.82) were associated with gains in children's BMI-P, while father's older age was associated with decreases (β = -1.19, 95% CI, -2.30 to -0.08). Conclusions Parental determinants associated with children's early growth varied by children's sex and racial and ethnic background. Results highlight the importance of understanding racial and ethnicity-specific obesity risks and including fathers in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Aguayo
- Hubert School of Global Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Cecilia Chang
- Research Institute, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Luke R. McCormack
- Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Madeleine U. Shalowitz
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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Adinkrah E, Najand B, Rahmani A, Maharlouei N, Ekwegh T, Cobb S, Zare H. Social Determinants of Mental, Physical, and Oral Health of Middle-Aged and Older African Americans in South Los Angeles. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16765. [PMID: 36554645 PMCID: PMC9779480 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of research suggests that financial difficulties could weaken the protective effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators, including education and income, on the health status of marginalized communities, such as African Americans. AIM We investigated the separate and joint effects of education, income, and financial difficulties on mental, physical, and oral self-rated health (SRH) outcomes in African American middle-aged and older adults. METHODS This cross-sectional study enrolled 150 middle-aged and older African Americans residing in South Los Angeles. Data on demographic factors (age and gender), socioeconomic characteristics (education, income, and financial difficulties), and self-rated health (mental, physical, and oral health) were collected. Three linear regression models were used to analyze the data. RESULTS Higher education and income were associated with a lower level of financial strain in a bivariate analysis. However, according to multivariable models, only financial difficulties were associated with poor mental, physical, and oral health. As similar patterns emerged for all three health outcomes, the risk associated with financial difficulties seems robust. CONCLUSIONS According to our multivariable models, financial strain is a more salient social determinant of health within African American communities than education and income in economically constrained urban environments such as South Los Angeles. While education and income lose some protective effects, financial strain continues to deteriorate the health of African American communities across domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Adinkrah
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Babak Najand
- Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Arash Rahmani
- Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Najmeh Maharlouei
- Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Tavonia Ekwegh
- Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Sharon Cobb
- Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Hossein Zare
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- School of Business, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), Adelphi, Garden City, NY 20783, USA
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Siddiq H, Najand B. Immigration Status, Socioeconomic Status, and Self-Rated Health in Europe. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15657. [PMID: 36497731 PMCID: PMC9735665 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The literature has established a protective effect of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators on health. However, at least in the US, these SES indicators tend to generate fewer health gains for marginalized groups including immigrants. As this literature mainly originated in the US, it is necessary to study whether these indicators similarly correlate with the health of foreign-born and native-born individuals in Europe. The current study was based on the Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs) theory and compared the effects of three SES indicators, namely parental education, own education and income, on self-rated health (SRH) of immigrant and native-born individuals. We used data from the European Social Survey 2020 (ESS 2020). Participants included 14,213 individuals who identified as either native-born (n = 9052) or foreign-born (n = 508). Education, income, and parental education were the independent variables. Self-rated health (SRH) was the outcome. Age and sex were covariates. Linear regression and logistic regression were used for data analysis. Overall, high education, income, and parental education were associated with lower odds of poor SRH. We documented a statistical interaction between immigration status and parental education, indicating a weaker inverse association between parental education and poor SRH for foreign-born than native-born individuals. The links between some but not all SES indicators vary across foreign-born and native-born individuals in Europe. Host countries seem to undervalue the parental educational attainment of foreign-born families. Future research should explore the role of time, period, cohort and country of origin as well as host country and associated policies in equalizing returns of SES indicators on the health of population subgroups. The results are important given that most studies on MDRs are developed in the US, and less is known about Europe. The results are also very important given the growing anti-immigrant sentiment and nationalist movements in Europe and the rest of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hafifa Siddiq
- School of Nursing, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Babak Najand
- Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
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Assari S. Cingulo-opercular and Cingulo-parietal Brain Networks Functional Connectivity in Pre-adolescents: Multiplicative Effects of Race, Ethnicity, and Parental Education. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 6:76-99. [PMID: 34734154 DOI: 10.22158/rhs.v6n2p76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Introduction A growing body of research has shown a diminished association between socioeconomic status (SES) indicators and a wide range of neuroimaging indicators for racial and ethnic minorities compared to majority groups. However, less is known about these effects for resting-state functional connectivity between various brain networks. Purpose This study investigated racial and ethnic variation in the correlation between parental education and resting-state functional connectivity between the cingulo-opercular (CO) and cingulo-parietal (CP) networks in children. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study; we analyzed the resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsfMRI) data of 8,464 American pre-adolescents between the ages of 9 and 10. The main outcome measured was resting-state functional connectivity between the CO and CP networks calculated using rsfMRI. The independent variable was parental education, which was treated as a nominal variable. Age, sex, and family marital status were the study covariates. Race and ethnicity were the moderators. Mixed-effects regression models were used for data analysis, with and without interaction terms between parental education and race and ethnicity. Results Higher parental education was associated with higher resting-state functional connectivity between the CO and CP networks. Race and ethnicity both showed statistically significant interactions with parental education on children's resting-state functional connectivity between CO and CP networks, suggesting that the correlation between parental education and the resting-state functional connectivity was significantly weaker for Black and Hispanic pre-adolescents compared to White and non-Hispanic pre-adolescents. Conclusions In line with the Minorities' Diminished Returns theory, the association between parental education and pre-adolescents resting-state functional connectivity between CO and CP networks may be weaker in Black and Hispanic children than in White and non-Hispanic children. The weaker link between parental education and brain functional connectivity for Blacks and Hispanics than for Whites and non-Hispanics may reflect racism, racialization, and social stratification that collectively minimize the returns of SES indicators, such as parental education for non-Whites, who become others in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.,Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.,Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
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Sabik NJ, Matsick JL, McCormick-Huhn K, Cole ER. Bringing an Intersectional Lens to “Open” Science: An Analysis of Representation in the Reproducibility Project. PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN QUARTERLY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/03616843211035678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Feminist psychologists have called for researchers to consider the social and historical context and the multidimensionality of participants in research studies. The Reproducibility Project documents the degree to which the findings from mainstream psychological studies are reproduced. Drawing on intersectionality theory, we question the value of reproducing findings while ignoring who is represented, intersecting social and group identities, sociohistorical context, and the power and privilege that likely influence participants’ responses in psychology experiments. To critically examine the Reproducibility Project in psychology, we analyzed the 100 replication reports produced between 2011 and 2014 (Open Science Collaboration, 2015). We developed an intersectional analytic framework to investigate (a) representation, (b) whether demographic and identity factors were considered through a multidimensional or intersectional lens, (c) explanations of non-replication, and (d) whether socio-cultural context was considered. Results show that reports predominantly include WEIRD samples (people from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic countries). Context and identity were rarely considered, even when study design relied on these factors, and intersectional identities and structures (considering power, structural issues, discrimination, and historical context) were absent from nearly all reports. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843211035678
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J. Sabik
- Department of Health Studies, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Jes L. Matsick
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth R. Cole
- Departments of Psychology, Women's and Gender Studies, and Afroamerican and African Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Assari S, Boyce S, Bazargan M. Feasibility of Race by Sex Intersectionality Research on Suicidality in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8060437. [PMID: 34071105 PMCID: PMC8224640 DOI: 10.3390/children8060437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Intersectional research on childhood suicidality requires studies with a reliable and valid measure of suicidality, as well as a large sample size that shows some variability of suicidality across sex by race intersectional groups. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the feasibility of intersectionality research on childhood suicidality in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. We specifically explored the reliability and validity of the measure, sample size, and variability of suicidality across sex by race intersectional groups. Methods: We used cross-sectional data (wave 1) from the ABCD study, which sampled 9013 non-Hispanic white (NHW) or non-Hispanic black (NHB) children between the ages of 9 and 10 between years 2016 and 2018. Four intersectional groups were built based on race and sex: NHW males (n = 3554), NHW females (n = 3158), NHB males (n = 1164), and NHB females (n = 1137). Outcome measure was the count of suicidality symptoms, reflecting all positive history and symptoms of suicidal ideas, plans, and attempts. To validate our measure, we tested the correlation between our suicidality measure and depression and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) sub-scores. Cronbach alpha was calculated for reliability across each intersectional group. We also compared groups for suicidality. Results: We observed some suicidality history in observed 3.2% (n = 101) of NHW females, 4.9% (n = 175) of NHW males, 5.4% (n = 61) of NHB females, and 5.8% (n = 68) of NHB males. Our measure’s reliability was acceptable in all race by sex groups (Cronbach alpha higher than 0.70+ in all intersectional groups). Our measure was valid in all intersectional groups, documented by a positive correlation with depression and CBCL sub-scores. We could successfully model suicidality across sex by race groups, using multivariable models. Conclusion: Given the high sample size, reliability, and validity of the suicidality measure, variability of suicidality, it is feasible to investigate correlates of suicidality across race by sex intersections in the ABCD study. We also found evidence of higher suicidality in NHB than NHW children in the ABCD study. The ABCD rich data in domains of social context, self-report, schools, parenting, psychopathology, personality, and brain imaging provides a unique opportunity to study intersectional differences in neural circuits associated with youth suicidality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles Drew University, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA;
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles Drew University, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-734-858-8333
| | - Shanika Boyce
- Department of Pediatrics, Charles Drew University, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA;
| | - Mohsen Bazargan
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles Drew University, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA;
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles Drew University, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Race, Family Conflict and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors among 9-10-Year-Old American Children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105399. [PMID: 34070158 PMCID: PMC8158501 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Family conflict is known to operate as a major risk factor for children’s suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). However, it is unknown whether this effect is similar or different in Black and White children. Objectives: We compared Black and White children for the association between family conflict and STBs in a national sample of 9–10-year-old American children. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. This study included 9918 White or Black children between the ages of 9 and 10 living in married households. The predictor variable was family conflict. Race was the moderator. The outcome variable was STBs, treated as a count variable, reflecting positive STB items that were endorsed. Covariates included ethnicity, sex, age, immigration status, family structure, parental education, and parental employment, and household income. Poisson regression was used for data analysis. Results: Of all participants, 7751 were Whites, and 2167 were Blacks. In the pooled sample and in the absence of interaction terms, high family conflict was associated with higher STBs. A statistically significant association was found between Black race and family conflict, suggesting that the association between family conflict and STBs is stronger in Black than White children. Conclusion: The association between family conflict and STBs is stronger in Black than White children. Black children with family conflict may be at a higher risk of STBs than White children with the same family conflict level. These findings align with the literature on the more significant salience of social relations as determinants of mental health of Black than White people. Reducing family conflict should be regarded a significant element of suicide prevention for Black children in the US.
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Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Cerebellum Cortex Fractional Anisotropy in Pre-Adolescents. ADOLESCENTS 2021; 1:70-94. [PMID: 34095893 DOI: 10.3390/adolescents1020007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy is a proxy of the integrity of the cerebellum cortex. However, less is known about how it is shaped by race and socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as parental education and household income. Purpose In a national sample of American pre-adolescents, this study had two aims: to test the effects of two SES indicators, namely parental education and household income, on cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy, and to explore racial differences in these effects. Methods Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we analyzed the diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) data of 9565, 9-10-year-old pre-adolescents. The main outcomes were cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy separately calculated for right and left hemispheres using dMRI. The independent variables were parental education and household income; both treated as categorical variables. Age, sex, ethnicity, and family marital status were the covariates. Race was the moderator. To analyze the data, we used mixed-effects regression models without and with interaction terms. We controlled for propensity score and MRI device. Results High parental education and household income were associated with lower right and left cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy. In the pooled sample, we found significant interactions between race and parental education and household income, suggesting that the effects of parental education and household income on the right and left cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy are all significantly larger for White than for Black pre-adolescents. Conclusions The effects of SES indicators, namely parental education and household income, on pre-adolescents' cerebellum cortex microstructure and integrity are weaker in Black than in White families. This finding is in line with the Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs), defined as weaker effects of SES indicators for Blacks and other racial and minority groups than for Whites.
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Assari S. Parental Education and Children’s Sleep Problems: Minorities’ Diminished Returns. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.34172/ijer.2021.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims: While increased parental education reduces children’s sleep problems, less is known about racial variation in such protection. According to Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) theory, economic resources such as parental education show weaker health effects for minority groups such as Blacks and Latinos than non-Latino Whites, which is due to racism and social stratification. In this study, we investigated the association between parental education and children’s sleep problems, as a proxy of sleep problems, by race. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 11718 American children aged 9-10. All participants were recruited to the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The independent variable was parental education, a five-level nominal variable. The dependent variable – sleep problems, was a continuous variable. Race/ethnicity was the effect modifier. Age, sex, and marital status were the covariates. Mixed-effects regression models were used for data analysis. Results: Parental education was associated with children’s sleep problems. However, there was a weaker inverse association seen in non-Latino Black and Latino families compared to non-Latino White families. This was documented by a significant statistical interaction between race and ethnicity and parental education on children’s sleep problems. Conclusion: Diminished protective effect of parental education on children’s sleep problems for non-Latino Black and Latino families compared to non-Latino White families is similar to the MDRs in other domains. Worse than expected sleep may contribute to higher-than-expected health risks of middle-class Black and Latino children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Assari S, Akhlaghipour G. Not Race or Age but Their Interaction Predicts Pre-Adolescents' Inhibitory Control. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 3:50-71. [PMID: 33283174 DOI: 10.22158/ct.v3n2p50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background African American pre-adolescents are at a higher risk of risky behaviors such as aggression, drug use, alcohol use, and subsequent poor outcomes compared to Caucasian pre-adolescents. All these high-risk behaviors are connected to low levels of inhibitory control (IC). Aim We used the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) data to compare Caucasian and African American pre-adolescents for the effect of age on pre-adolescents IC, a driver of high-risk behaviors. Methods This cross-sectional analysis included 4,626 pre-adolescents between ages 9 and 10 from the ABCD study. Regression was used to analyze the data. The predictor variable was age measured in months. The main outcome was IC measured by a stop-signal task (SST). Race was the effect modifier. Results Overall, age was associated with IC. Race also showed a statistically significant interaction with age on pre-adolescents' IC, indicating weaker effects of age on IC for African American than Caucasian pre-adolescents. Conclusion Age-related changes in IC are more pronounced for Caucasian than African American pre-adolescents. To eliminate the racial gap in brain development between African American and Caucasian pre-adolescents, we should address structural and societal barriers that alter age-related development for racial minority pre-adolescents. Social and public policies, rather than health policies, are needed to address structural and societal barriers that hinder African American adolescents' brain development. Interventions should add resources to the urban areas that many African American families live in so their children can have better age-related brain development. Such changes would be essential given IC in pre-adolescents is a predictor of a wide range of behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA.,Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA
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Assari S. Social Epidemiology of Perceived Discrimination in the United States: Role of Race, Educational Attainment, and Income. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH 2020; 7:136-141. [PMID: 33094165 DOI: 10.34172/ijer.2020.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims This study aimed to compare non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) American adults for the associations of educational attainment and household income with perceived racial discrimination. Methods The 2010 National Alcohol Survey (NAS N12), a nationally representative study, included 2635 adults who were either NHB (n = 273) or NHW (n = 2362). We compared NHBs and NHWs for the associations between education, income, and perceived racial discrimination. We used linear regression for data analysis. Outcome was perceived racial discrimination; the predictors were educational attainment and household income; covariates were age and gender; and moderator was race. Results In the total sample, high income was associated with lower levels of perceived racial discrimination, while educational attainment was not significantly associated with perceived racial discrimination. There was also an interaction between race and education but not household income, suggesting a difference in the association between educational attainment and perceived racial discrimination between NHB and NHW individuals. For NHW individuals, household income was inversely associated with perceived racial discrimination. For NHB individuals, however, household income was not related to perceived racial discrimination. For NHB but not NHW individuals, educational attainment was correlated with more not less perceived racial discrimination. Conclusion High income protects NHW but not NHB individuals against perceived racial discrimination, and NHB individuals with high education levels report more not less perceived racial discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Assari S. Racial Variation in the Association between Positive Urgency and Body Mass Index among American Children. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 5:129-143. [PMID: 34308087 DOI: 10.22158/rhs.v5n3p129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Positive urgency reflects a specific facet of impulsivity and correlates with several health-related risk behaviors such as obesity, food addiction, and substance use. However, less is known about whether positive urgency is similarly or differently associated with high body mass index (BMI) across diverse racial groups. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate racial differences in the associations between positive urgency and BMI in 9-10-year-old children in the US. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study used the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study data. Participants were 11590 American children between ages 9 and 10 years old. The independent variable was positive urgency measured by the Urgency, Premeditation (lack of), Perseverance (lack of), Sensation Seeking, Positive Urgency, Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-SS). The primary outcome was BMI. Race was the moderator. Demographic variables (age and sex) were covariates. Mixed-effects regression models were used for data analysis to adjust for the nested nature of the ABCD data. We also used weights (propensity score) to generate nationally representative results. Results In the pooled sample, race showed a statistically significant interaction with positive urgency on children's BMI, indicating a stronger effect of positive urgency on BMI for White children, compared to African American children. Conclusion The association between positive urgency and BMI seems to be weaker in African American children than in White American children. The role of individual-level risk factors such as impulsive traits may be smaller for African American than White American children. Future research should study the role of obesogenic environments and other area -level indicators in altering the effects of individual-level risk factors on BMI and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Assari S. American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Children's Body Mass Index: Diminished Returns of Parental Education and Family Income. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 5:64-84. [PMID: 34308086 DOI: 10.22158/rhs.v5n1p64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Background Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with several health-related outcomes, such as obesity and body mass index (BMI). However, we do not know whether SES is associated differently with children's BMI from American Indian and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AIAN/NHPI) families when compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) families. Aim To compare AIAN/NHPI and NHW families for associations between parental education, family income, and children's BMI in the United States (U.S). Methods This cross-sectional investigation used the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study data. Participants (n = 8580) included 63 AIAN/NHPI and 8517 NHW children between ages 9 and 10. The independent variables were parental education and family income. The primary outcome was BMI. Race was the moderator. Age, sex, and family structure were covariates. Mixed-effects regression models were used for data analysis. Results In the pooled sample, higher parental education and family income were associated with lower children's BMI. We found interactions between race and parental education and family income indicating weaker associations between parental education and family income and children's BMI in AIAN/NHPI families than in NHW families. Conclusion The salience of parental education and family income as social determinants of children's BMI is diminished for AIAN/NHPI families than NHW families. As a result, AIAN/NHPI children with high SES remain at risk for high BMI, while high-SES NHW children show the lowest BMI. Future research should test if obesogenic environments, food options, and physical activity-friendly neighborhoods can explain higher-than-expected BMI in high-SES AIAN/NHPI children. In other terms, more research is needed to understand if residential segregation, discrimination, and historical trauma explain the observed differences in the social patterning of childhood BMI in AIAN/NHPI and NHW communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles Drew University, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.,Department of Urban Public Health, Charles Drew University, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
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