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Prasad A, Lin J, Jelliffe-Pawlowski L, Coleman-Phox K, Rand L, Wojcicki JM. Sub-optimal maternal gestational gain is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length at birth in a predominantly Latinx cohort of newborns. Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol 2023; 9:14. [PMID: 37919818 PMCID: PMC10623801 DOI: 10.1186/s40748-023-00167-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess in utero exposures associated with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) at birth and maternal LTL in a primarily Latinx birth cohort. STUDY DESIGN Mothers and newborns were recruited postnatally before 24 h of life. Newborn LTL was collected via heelstick at birth and maternal LTL was collected postnatally. LTL was determined by quantitative PCR. Using a longitudinal design, we evaluated associations between neonatal and maternal LTL and appropriate maternal gestational gain as indicated by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). RESULT Mean infant LTL was 2.02 ± 0.30 T/S (n = 386) and maternal LTL was 1.54 ± 0.26 T/S (n = 58). Independent risk factors for shorter LTL at birth included longer gestational duration (Coeff:-0.03, 95%CI: -0.05-0.01;p < 0.01) and maternal gestational weight gain below ACOG recommendations (Coeff:-0.10, 95%CI: -0.18 - -0.02; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION Gestational weight gain below ACOG recommendations may adversely impact neonatal health in Latinx infants as indicated by shorter LTL at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apurva Prasad
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Laura Jelliffe-Pawlowski
- Preterm Birth Initiative, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Kimberley Coleman-Phox
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Larry Rand
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Janet M Wojcicki
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
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Gudi-Mindermann H, White M, Roczen J, Riedel N, Dreger S, Bolte G. Integrating the social environment with an equity perspective into the exposome paradigm: A new conceptual framework of the Social Exposome. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 233:116485. [PMID: 37352954 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The importance of the social environment and social inequalities in disease etiology is well-known due to the profound research and conceptual framework on social determinants of health. For a long period, in exposome research with its classical orientation towards detrimental health effects of biological, chemical, and physical exposures, this knowledge remained underrepresented. But currently it gains great awareness and calls for innovations in rethinking the role of social environmental health determinants. To fill this gap that exists in terms of the social domain within exposome research, we propose a novel conceptual framework of the Social Exposome, to integrate the social environment in conjunction with the physical environment into the exposome concept. The iterative development process of the Social Exposome was based on a systematic compilation of social exposures in order to achieve a holistic portrayal of the human social environment - including social, psychosocial, socioeconomic, sociodemographic, local, regional, and cultural aspects, at individual and contextual levels. In order to move the Social Exposome beyond a mere compilation of exposures, three core principles are emphasized that underly the interplay of the multitude of exposures: Multidimensionality, Reciprocity, and Timing and continuity. The key focus of the conceptual framework of the Social Exposome is on understanding the underlying mechanisms that translate social exposures into health outcomes. In particular, insights from research on health equity and environmental justice have been incorporated to uncover how social inequalities in health emerge, are maintained, and systematically drive health outcomes. Three transmission pathways are presented: Embodiment, Resilience and Susceptibility or Vulnerability, and Empowerment. The Social Exposome conceptual framework may serve as a strategic map for, both, research and intervention planning, aiming to further explore the impact of the complex social environment and to alter transmission pathways to minimize health risks and health inequalities and to foster equity in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Gudi-Mindermann
- University of Bremen, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, Germany.
| | - Maddie White
- University of Bremen, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, Germany
| | - Jana Roczen
- University of Bremen, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, Germany
| | - Natalie Riedel
- University of Bremen, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, Germany
| | - Stefanie Dreger
- University of Bremen, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, Germany
| | - Gabriele Bolte
- University of Bremen, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, Germany
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Perez AD, Dufault SM, Spears EC, Chae DH, Woods-Giscombe CL, Allen AM. Superwoman Schema and John Henryism among African American women: An intersectional perspective on coping with racism. Soc Sci Med 2023; 316:115070. [PMID: 35690497 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE John Henryism and Superwoman Schema (SWS) are dispositional characteristics adopted to overcome the challenges of chronic psychosocial stress, and have particular salience for African American women. Both show protective and harmful effects on health and share conceptual similarities and distinctions, yet there is no empirical evidence of the potential overlap resulting in uncertainty about the unique roles they may each play concerning the health of African American women. OBJECTIVE We examined: 1) whether and to what extent John Henryism and SWS represent similar or distinct constructs relevant to the unique sociohistorical and sociopolitical position of African American women, and 2) whether the two differentially predict health outcomes. METHODS Data are from a purposive and socioeconomically diverse sample of 208 African American women in the San Francisco Bay Area. First, we conducted a progressive series of tests to systematically examine the conceptual and empirical overlap between John Henryism and SWS: correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), principal component analysis and k-modes cluster analysis. Next, we used multivariable regression to examine associations with psychological distress and hypertension. RESULTS John Henryism and SWS were moderately correlated with one another (rs = 0.30-0.48). In both EFA and cluster analyses, John Henryism items were distinct from SWS subscale items. For SWS, feeling an obligation to present an image of strength and an obligation to help others predicted higher odds of hypertension (p < 0.05); having an intense motivation to succeed predicted lower odds (p = 0.048). John Henryism did not predict hypertension. Feeling an obligation to help others and an obligation to suppress emotions predicted lower levels of psychological distress (p < 0.05) whereas John Henryism predicted higher distress (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS We discuss the implications of these findings for the measurement of culturally specific phenomena and their role in contributing to the unequal burden of ill health among African American women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Perez
- Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA.
| | - Suzanne M Dufault
- Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA
| | - Erica C Spears
- Louisiana Public Health Institute, 400 Poydras St., Suite 1250, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
| | - David H Chae
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Cheryl L Woods-Giscombe
- School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carrington Hall, CB #7460, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7460, USA
| | - Amani M Allen
- Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA
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Carroll JE, Price JE, Brown J, Bamishigbin O, Shalowitz MU, Ramey S, Dunkel Schetter C. Lifetime discrimination in low to middle income mothers and cellular aging: A prospective analysis. Soc Sci Med 2022; 311:115356. [PMID: 36122526 PMCID: PMC10024938 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115356] [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: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Experiences of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, and other characteristics are associated with adverse health outcomes, including elevated rates of morbidity in later life and earlier mortality. Acceleration of biological aging is a plausible pathway linking discrimination to disease risk. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship of self-reported lifetime and everyday discrimination to women's telomere length several years after birth of a child in a longitudinal cohort study. METHODS The Community Child Health Network (CCHN) conducted a community-based participatory research project focused on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in maternal and child health. Data for the current substudy are from a longitudinal cohort study in 3 of the 5 project sites. This multi-site community-based longitudinal study was conducted in Lake County, IL north of Chicago, Washington, D.C., and rural North Carolina. Participants were low to middle-income mothers (N = 103) with a primary identity of Hispanic/Latina, Black, or non-Hispanic White who rated their experience of everyday and lifetime discrimination during an at-home interview one-month postpartum. Buccal samples were collected to assay buccal cell telomere length several years later when a consecutive child was 3-5 years of age. Telomere length derived from buccal cells was used as a biomarker indicating cellular aging and a risk factor for age-related disease. RESULTS Mothers (18-39 years old) who reported higher lifetime discrimination had shorter telomere length an average of 5.6 years later (B = -0.22 [SE = 0.04], p < 0.001). Mother's reports of everyday discrimination were not significantly related to telomere length (0.01[0.01], p = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that lifetime exposure to discrimination, but not necessarily current reports of everyday discrimination, may increase biological aging as indicated by shorter buccal cell telomere length, providing evidence of a plausible route through which discrimination contributes to increased risk for earlier onset aging and age-related disease in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith E Carroll
- University of California, Los Angeles, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, United States.
| | - Jonah Eliezer Price
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, United States
| | - Joni Brown
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, United States
| | | | - Madeleine U Shalowitz
- NorthShore University HealthSystem, Department of Pediatrics, Rush University, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Sharon Ramey
- Virginia Tech, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine and Pediatrics, United States
| | - Christine Dunkel Schetter
- University of California, Los Angeles, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, United States; University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, United States
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Castruita PA, Piña-Escudero SD, Rentería ME, Yokoyama JS. Genetic, Social, and Lifestyle Drivers of Healthy Aging and Longevity. CURRENT GENETIC MEDICINE REPORTS 2022; 10:25-34. [PMID: 38031561 PMCID: PMC10686287 DOI: 10.1007/s40142-022-00205-w] [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] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review "Healthy aging" is the state of the aging process in which a person can maintain physical, social, mental, and spiritual wellness. This literature review presents an overview of recent studies that explore how biological, social, and environmental factors contribute to healthy aging. Recent Findings A number of genome-wide association studies have been conducted recently for traits related to healthy aging, such as frailty index, healthspan, muscle strength, and parental longevity, leading to the discovery of dozens of genetic variants associated with these traits. In parallel, associations between healthy aging measures and multiple non-biological environmental elements have been identified as key moderators of the aging process, indirectly influencing day-to-day homeostatic processes. Summary Individual variations in lifespan and healthspan are influenced by genetic factors, with a heritability of ~ 25% in developed countries. Non-genetic risk variance is explained in part by social, cultural, and lifestyle conditions. Altogether, these factors contribute to a multifaceted state of wellness over time, shaping individual risk to frailty and resilience during the aging process. Notably, "Blue Zone" populations, which are characterized by an abundance in healthy lifestyles across generations, share some commonalities regarding determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Alejandra Castruita
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Health Equity Research Lab, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stefanie Danielle Piña-Escudero
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Miguel E. Rentería
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Mental Health & Neuroscience Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Insitute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute of Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Needham BL, Ali T, Allgood KL, Ro A, Hirschtick JL, Fleischer NL. Institutional Racism and Health: a Framework for Conceptualization, Measurement, and Analysis. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2022:10.1007/s40615-022-01381-9. [PMID: 35994173 PMCID: PMC9395863 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01381-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite growing interest in the health-related consequences of racially discriminatory institutional policies and practices, public health scholars have yet to reach a consensus on how to measure and analyze exposure to institutional racism. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of institutional racism in the context of quantitative research on minority health and health disparities in the United States. We begin by providing definitions of key concepts (e.g., racialization, racism, racial inequity) and describing linkages between these ideas. Next, we discuss the hypothesized mechanisms that link exposure to institutional racism with health. We then provide a framework to advance empirical research on institutional racism and health, informed by a literature review that summarizes measures and analytic approaches used in previous studies. The framework addresses six considerations: (1) policy identification, (2) population of interest, (3) exposure measurement, (4) outcome measurement, (5) study design, and (6) analytic approach. Research utilizing the proposed framework will help inform structural interventions to promote minority health and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda L Needham
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Talha Ali
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristi L Allgood
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Annie Ro
- Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, University of California-Irvine Program in Public Health, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jana L Hirschtick
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nancy L Fleischer
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Huang YC, Lin PY, Lee Y, Lee CY, Lo YC, Hung CF, Chen CS. Metabolic syndrome components and leukocyte telomere length in patients with major depressive disorder. World J Biol Psychiatry 2022; 23:483-492. [PMID: 34854357 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2021.2013091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) attrition in major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear. METHODS We recruited 70 MDD patients (mean age: 44.6 years, 60.0% female) and 51 age- and sex-matched controls (mean age: 41.2 years, 68.6% female) to examine the associations of MetS components and LTL. Five MetS components-waist circumference, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, serum levels of fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides-were assessed. LTL was measured through quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS MDD had higher prevalence of MetS (34.3 vs. 17.6%, p=.042), low HDL-C (25.7 vs. 7.8%, p=.009) and shorter LTL (-0.038 ± 0.169 vs. 0.033 ± 0.213, p=.042). Regression analysis revealed that MDD (p=.046) and age (p=.003) associated with LTL, while a significant interaction effect of group (MDD vs. controls) × HDL-C (p=.037) was observed. Post-hoc analysis showed MDD with low HDL-C had greater LTL attrition than controls without low HDL-C (p=.020). In MDD, HDL-C dysregulation negatively correlated with LTL (p=.010); but no significance after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSIONS HDL-C may be involved in accelerated ageing process regarding metabolic disturbance in MDD only. The relationship merits prospective investigations with larger sample size for clarification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chi Huang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Pao-Yen Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Institute for Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Yi Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ching Lo
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Fa Hung
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Sheng Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital and College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Caron RM, Aytur SA. Assuring Healthy Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recognizing Women's Contributions in Addressing Syndemic Interactions. Front Public Health 2022; 10:856932. [PMID: 35712273 PMCID: PMC9197070 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.856932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A syndemic framework examines disease interactions and the contributions of structural, social, economic, and environmental factors that synergistically interact to contribute to adverse health outcomes. Populations residing in environments with structural susceptibilities experience health disparities and syndemics to a greater extent than their less vulnerable counterparts. The interactions among the social determinants of health (SDoH) and the COVID-19 pandemic have had different results for marginalized populations and have worsened health outcomes for many in this synergistic pandemic. Also, the exposome, the exposure measures for an individual over their lifetime and how those exposures relate to the individual's health, may help to explain why some populations experience more serious cases of COVID-19 compared to other groups. The purpose of this perspective is to: (1) examine the relationship between the syndemic model and the SDoH-exposome; (2) highlight, via specific examples, the contributions of female health professionals to SDoH and the COVID-19 syndemic in response to the Women in Science Research Topic, and (3) propose health policy to address syndemic-exposome interactions to help mitigate or prevent public health challenges. By investing in policies that assure health for all populations, the investments could pay dividends in the form of a less severe syndemic next time since we are starting from a place of health and not disease. Lastly, due to the magnification of underlying societal inequities laid bare during the COVID-19 syndemic, we support the expansion of the disease-focused syndemic model to include societal syndemics, such as systemic racism.
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Lord BD, Martini RN, Davis MB. Understanding how genetic ancestry may influence cancer development. Trends Cancer 2022; 8:276-279. [PMID: 35027335 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Of the multifactorial determinants that lead to cancer health disparities among race groups, quantified genetic ancestry has begun to expand our knowledge beyond self-reported race. However, it is essential to study these biological determinants in the context of social determinants to truly improve clinical tools and achieve equitable survival outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany D Lord
- Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rachel N Martini
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa B Davis
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA; Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.
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Webb EK, Bird CM, deRoon-Cassini TA, Weis CN, Huggins AA, Fitzgerald JM, Miskovich T, Bennett K, Krukowski J, Torres L, Larson CL. Racial Discrimination and Resting-State Functional Connectivity of Salience Network Nodes in Trauma-Exposed Black Adults in the United States. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2144759. [PMID: 35072718 PMCID: PMC8787596 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance For Black US residents, experiences of racial discrimination are still pervasive and frequent. Recent empirical work has amplified the lived experiences and narratives of Black people and further documented the detrimental effects of racial discrimination on both mental and physical health; however, there is still a need for further research to uncover the mechanisms connecting experiences of racial discrimination with adverse health outcomes. Objective To examine neurobiological mechanisms that may offer novel insight into the association of racial discrimination with adverse health outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study included 102 Black adults who had recently experienced a traumatic injury. In the acute aftermath of the trauma, participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Individuals were recruited from the emergency department at a Midwestern level 1 trauma center in the United States between March 2016 and July 2020. Data were analyzed from February to May 2021. Exposures Self-reported lifetime exposure to racial discrimination, lifetime trauma exposure, annual household income, and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were evaluated. Main Outcomes and Measures Seed-to-voxel analyses were conducted to examine the association of racial discrimination with connectivity of salience network nodes (ie, amygdala and anterior insula). Results A total of 102 individuals were included, with a mean (SD) age of 33 (10) years and 58 (57%) women. After adjusting for acute PTSD symptoms, annual household income, and lifetime trauma exposure, greater connectivity between the amygdala and thalamus was associated with greater exposure to discrimination (t(97) = 6.05; false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected P = .03). Similarly, racial discrimination was associated with greater connectivity between the insula and precuneus (t(97) = 4.32; FDR-corrected P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance These results add to the mounting literature that racial discrimination is associated with neural correlates of vigilance and hyperarousal. The study findings extend this theory by showing that this association is apparent even when accounting for socioeconomic position, lifetime trauma, and symptoms of psychological distress related to an acute trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Kate Webb
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
| | - Claire M. Bird
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Terri A. deRoon-Cassini
- Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Carissa N. Weis
- Institute for Health and Equity, Department of Epidemiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Ashley A. Huggins
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | | | | | - Jessica Krukowski
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Lucas Torres
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Thomas MD, Mendez RM, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Sohail S, Chae DH, Márquez-Magaña L, Sellers R, Woods-Giscombé CL, Allen AM. OUP accepted manuscript. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2022; 62:762-772. [PMID: 35084030 PMCID: PMC9154235 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives African American women experience faster telomere shortening (i.e., cellular aging) compared with other racial–gender groups. Prior research demonstrates that race and gender interact to influence culturally specific norms for responding to socially-relevant stress and other stress-coping processes, which may affect healthy aging. Research Design and Methods Data are from African American Women’s Heart & Health Study participants who consented to DNA extraction (n = 140). Superwoman Schema (SWS) was measured using 5 validated subscales: presenting strength, emotion suppression, resisting vulnerability, motivation to succeed, and obligation to help others. Racial identity was measured using 3 subscales from the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity: racial centrality, private regard, and public regard. Relative telomere length (rTL) was measured using DNA extracted from blood samples. Path analysis tested associations and interactions between SWS and racial identity dimensions with rTL. Results For SWS, higher resistance to being vulnerable predicted longer telomeres. For racial identity, high private regard predicted longer telomeres while high public regard predicted shorter telomeres. Interactions were found between public regard and 2 SWS dimensions: among women with high public regard, emotion suppression (β = 0.20, p < .05) and motivation to succeed (β = 0.18, p < .05) were associated with longer rTL. The interaction between high centrality and emotion suppression predicted shorter rTL (β = −0.17, p < .05). Discussion and Implications Culturally specific responses to gendered racism and racial identity, developed early in life and shaped over the life course, are important psychosocial determinants of cellular aging among African American women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn D Thomas
- Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Address correspondence to: Marilyn D. Thomas, PhD, MPH, Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Avenue, Box 0852, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. E-mail:
| | - Rebecca M Mendez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Youchuan Zhang
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Yijie Wang
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Saba Sohail
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - David H Chae
- Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | | | - Rob Sellers
- Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Cheryl L Woods-Giscombé
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amani M Allen
- School of Public Health, Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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Elam KK, Johnson SL, Ruof A, Eisenberg DTA, Rej PH, Sandler I, Wolchik S. Examining the influence of adversity, family contexts, and a family-based intervention on parent and child telomere length. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2022; 13:2088935. [PMID: 35789082 PMCID: PMC9248961 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2022.2088935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Background: Exposure to adversity, trauma, and negative family environments can prematurely shorten telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. Conversely, some evidence indicates that positive environments and psychosocial interventions can buffer the shortening of telomere length (TL). However, most work has examined individual aspects of the family environment as predictive of TL with little work investigating multiple risk and protective factors. Further, most research has not examined parent TL relative to child TL despite its heritability. Objective: In the current study, we examined interparental conflict, positive parenting, alcohol use, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and a family-based intervention as predictive of parent TL. We also examined interparental conflict, positive parenting, ACEs, and a family-based intervention as predictive of child TL. Method: Parents and adolescents from a sample of divorced families participated in either a 10-session family-based intervention, the New Beginnings Programme (NBP), or a 2-week active control condition. Approximately six years after the intervention, a subsample of parents (n = 45) and adolescents (n = 41) were assessed for TL. Parents reported on interparental conflict, ACEs, and alcohol use. Children reported on interparental conflict, positive parenting, and ACEs. In separate models, these constructs and the NBP intervention condition were examined as predictors of parent TL and child TL. Results: Findings indicated that the family-based intervention was associated with longer TL in parents. Also, positive parenting was associated with longer TL in children. Conclusions: These findings have important implications for the role of the family and family-based preventive interventions in buffering parent and child biological stress. HIGHLIGHTS Across multiple indices of psychosocial functioning, we found a family-based intervention associated with longer telomere length in parents and positive parenting associated with longer telomere length in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kit K Elam
- Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Sarah Lindstrom Johnson
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Ariana Ruof
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter H Rej
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Irwin Sandler
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Sharlene Wolchik
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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13
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Okorie CN, Thomas MD, Méndez RM, Di Giuseppe EC, Roberts NS, Márquez-Magaña L. Geospatial Distributions of Lead Levels Found in Human Hair and Preterm Birth in San Francisco Neighborhoods. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:86. [PMID: 35010345 PMCID: PMC8751210 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010086] [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: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In San Francisco (SF), many environmental factors drive the unequal burden of preterm birth outcomes for communities of color. Here, we examine the association between human exposure to lead (Pb) and preterm birth (PTB) in 19 racially diverse SF zip codes. Pb concentrations were measured in 109 hair samples donated by 72 salons and barbershops in 2018-2019. Multi-method data collection included randomly selecting hair salons stratified by zip code, administering demographic surveys, and measuring Pb in hair samples as a biomarker of environmental exposure to heavy metals. Concentrations of Pb were measured by atomic emission spectrometry. Aggregate neighborhood Pb levels were linked to PTB and demographic data using STATA 16 SE (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA). Pb varied by zip code (p < 0.001) and correlated with PTB (p < 0.01). Increases in unadjusted Pb concentration predicted an increase in PTB (β = 0.003; p < 0.001) and after adjusting for poverty (β = 0.002; p < 0.001). Confidence intervals contained the null after further adjustment for African American/Black population density (p = 0.16), suggesting that race is more indicative of high rates of PTB than poverty. In conclusion, Pb was found in every hair sample collected from SF neighborhoods. The highest concentrations were found in predominately African American/Black and high poverty neighborhoods, necessitating public health guidelines to eliminate this environmental injustice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinomnso N. Okorie
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (R.M.M.); (E.C.D.G.); (L.M.-M.)
| | - Marilyn D. Thomas
- Departments of Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA;
| | - Rebecca M. Méndez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (R.M.M.); (E.C.D.G.); (L.M.-M.)
| | - Erendira C. Di Giuseppe
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (R.M.M.); (E.C.D.G.); (L.M.-M.)
| | - Nina S. Roberts
- Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA;
| | - Leticia Márquez-Magaña
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (R.M.M.); (E.C.D.G.); (L.M.-M.)
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14
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Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Jackson CL, Ottinger MA, Cardenas A, James KA, Malecki KM, Chen JC, Geller AM, Mitchell UA. Adopting a "Compound" Exposome Approach in Environmental Aging Biomarker Research: A Call to Action for Advancing Racial Health Equity. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:45001. [PMID: 33822649 PMCID: PMC8043128 DOI: 10.1289/ehp8392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In June 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a virtual workshop focused on integrating the science of aging and environmental health research. The concurrent COVID-19 pandemic and national attention on racism exposed shortcomings in the environmental research field's conceptualization and methodological use of race, which have subsequently hindered the ability of research to address racial health disparities. By the workshop's conclusion, the authors deduced that the utility of environmental aging biomarkers-aging biomarkers shown to be specifically influenced by environmental exposures-would be greatly diminished if these biomarkers are developed absent of considerations of broader societal factors-like structural racism-that impinge on racial health equity. OBJECTIVES The authors reached a post-workshop consensus recommendation: To advance racial health equity, a "compound" exposome approach should be widely adopted in environmental aging biomarker research. We present this recommendation here. DISCUSSION The authors believe that without explicit considerations of racial health equity, people in most need of the benefits afforded by a better understanding of the relationships between exposures and aging will be the least likely to receive them because biomarkers may not encompass cumulative impacts from their unique social and environmental stressors. Employing an exposome approach that allows for more comprehensive exposure-disease pathway characterization across broad domains, including the social exposome and neighborhood factors, is the first step. Exposome-centered study designs must then be supported with efforts aimed at increasing the recruitment and retention of racially diverse study populations and researchers and further "compounded" with strategies directed at improving the use and interpretation of race throughout the publication and dissemination process. This compound exposome approach maximizes the ability of our science to identify environmental aging biomarkers that explicate racial disparities in health and best positions the environmental research community to contribute to the elimination of racial health disparities. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8392.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamaji C. Nwanaji-Enwerem
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and MD/PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Chandra L. Jackson
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. HHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Intramural Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH, U.S. HHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mary Ann Ottinger
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Katherine A. James
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kristen M.C. Malecki
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Departments of Preventive Medicine and Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Andrew M. Geller
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Uchechi A. Mitchell
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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