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Ojembe B, Kapiriri L, Griffin M, Schormans AF. "You're Not Understood, and You're Isolated": A Narrative Account of Loneliness by Black Older Adults in Ontario, Canada. Can J Aging 2024; 43:203-216. [PMID: 38088160 DOI: 10.1017/s0714980823000594] [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: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Loneliness among older adults is a leading health and social concern globally and in Canada, including racialized and minoritized groups. Although previous studies have explored loneliness among ethnic minoritized groups in Canada, little is known about the constellating factors contributing to loneliness among native-born and immigrant Black older adults (BOAs) in Canada and their unique ways of dealing with the experience. Our study explores the constellating factors shaping loneliness experiences among BOAs living in Ontario. Using a narrative approach, we purposively selected and interviewed 13 BOAs. Time as a driver of change, a sense of belonging reinforced through place identity, and challenges of making a new home were dominant themes. Our finding highlights the need for increased cultural sensitivity at the micro and macro levels, which will improve a sense of belonging and reduce loneliness among racialized immigrant older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blessing Ojembe
- Department of Health, Aging and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lydia Kapiriri
- Department of Health, Aging and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meridith Griffin
- Department of Health, Aging and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ann Fudge Schormans
- School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Knauft K, Zilioli S, Tarraf W, Rorai V, Perry TE, Lichtenberg PA. Social connectedness in older Urban African-American adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: the roles of education and partnership. Aging Ment Health 2024; 28:874-881. [PMID: 37986033 PMCID: PMC11102929 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2023.2282682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined education, partnership status, and the moderating role of the lockdown period on social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of urban African-American older adults. METHODS Five hundred thirty-four African-American adults living in Detroit (91.0% female, Mage = 74.53) reported demographic information pre-pandemic and answered one social connectedness questionnaire between April and December 2020. RESULTS Participants interviewed after the lockdown (post-June 2020) reported more loneliness than those interviewed during the lockdown (April-June, 2020). Married/partnered participants reported less loneliness and social isolation. Loneliness did not differ between those with high education levels interviewed during the lockdown compared to post-lockdown. However, among individuals with low education levels, those interviewed after the lockdown reported more loneliness than those interviewed during the lockdown period. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest partnership status is associated with more social connectedness during the pandemic and education accentuates the effects of forced isolation related to loneliness among urban African-American older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University
| | | | | | - Tam E. Perry
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University
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Bryan BT, Thompson KN, Goldman-Mellor S, Moffitt TE, Odgers CL, So SLS, Uddin Rahman M, Wertz J, Matthews T, Arseneault L. The socioeconomic consequences of loneliness: Evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal study of young adults. Soc Sci Med 2024; 345:116697. [PMID: 38490911 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116697] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The negative health consequences of loneliness have led to increasing concern about the economic cost of loneliness in recent years. Loneliness may also incur an economic burden more directly, by impacting socioeconomic position. Much of the research to date has focused on employment status which may not fully capture socioeconomic position and has relied on cross-sectional data, leaving questions around the robustness of the association and reverse causation. The present study used longitudinal data to test prospective associations between loneliness and multiple indicators of social position in young adulthood, specifically, whether participants who were lonelier at age 12 were more likely to be out of employment, education and training (NEET) and lower on employability and subjective social status as young adults. The data were drawn from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a birth cohort of 2,232 individuals born in England and Wales during 1994-1995. Loneliness and subjective social status were measured at ages 12, 18 and 26. Employability and NEET status were assessed at age 18. Findings indicate that greater loneliness at age 12 was prospectively associated with reduced employability and lower social status in young adulthood. The association between loneliness and lower social status in young adulthood was robust when controlling for a range of confounders using a sibling-control design. Results also indicate that loneliness is unidirectionally associated with reduced subjective social status across adolescence and young adulthood. Overall, our findings suggest that loneliness may have direct costs to the economy resulting from reduced employability and social position, underlining the importance of addressing loneliness early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget T Bryan
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Katherine N Thompson
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK; Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University, 700 Mitch Daniels Blvd, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2059, USA
| | - Sidra Goldman-Mellor
- Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of California Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, 95343, USA
| | - Terrie E Moffitt
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, 27708, USA
| | - Candice L Odgers
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California Irvine, 4201 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, 92617, USA
| | - Sincere Long Shin So
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK; Chinese University of Hong Kong, Central Ave, Hong Kong, China
| | - Momtahena Uddin Rahman
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Jasmin Wertz
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Timothy Matthews
- School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, Park Row, London, SE10 9LS, UK
| | - Louise Arseneault
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
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Hughes G, Moore L, Hennessy M, Sandset T, Jentoft EE, Haldar M. What kind of a problem is loneliness? Representations of connectedness and participation from a study of telepresence technologies in the UK. Front Digit Health 2024; 6:1304085. [PMID: 38440196 PMCID: PMC10910053 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1304085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Loneliness is represented in UK policy as a public health problem with consequences in terms of individual suffering, population burden and service use. However, loneliness is historically and culturally produced; manifestations of loneliness and social isolation also require social and cultural analysis. We explored meanings of loneliness and social isolation in the UK 2020-2022 and considered what the solutions of telepresence technologies reveal about the problems they are used to address. Through qualitative methods we traced the introduction and use of two telepresence technologies and representations of these, and other technologies, in policy and UK media. Our dataset comprises interviews, fieldnotes, policy documents, grey literature and newspaper articles. We found loneliness was represented as a problem of individual human connection and of collective participation in social life, with technology understood as having the potential to enhance and inhibit connections and participation. Technologically-mediated connections were frequently perceived as inferior to in-person contact, particularly in light of the enforced social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that addressing loneliness requires attending to other, related, health and social problems and introducing technological solutions requires integration into the complex social and organisational dynamics that shape technology adoption. We conclude that loneliness is primarily understood as a painful lack of co-presence, no longer regarded as simply a subjective experience, but as a social and policy problem demanding resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Hughes
- School of Business, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Moore
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Megan Hennessy
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Sandset
- Centre for Sustainable Healthcare Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elian E. Jentoft
- Centre for the Study of Digitalization of Public Services and Citizenship, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marit Haldar
- Centre for the Study of Digitalization of Public Services and Citizenship, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
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Quach LT, Ritchie CS, Reynolds Z, Paul R, Seeley J, Tong Y, Hoeppner S, Okello S, Nakasujja N, Olivieri-Mui B, Saylor D, Greene M, Asiimwe S, Tindimwebwa E, Atwiine F, Sentongo R, Siedner MJ, Tsai AC. HIV, Social Networks, and Loneliness among Older Adults in Uganda. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:695-704. [PMID: 38281251 PMCID: PMC10947585 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04258-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Loneliness among older adults has been identified as a major public health problem. Yet little is known about loneliness, or the potential role of social networks in explaining loneliness, among older people with HIV (PWH) in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of PWH reside. To explore this issue, we analyzed data from 599 participants enrolled in the Quality of Life and Ageing with HIV in Rural Uganda study, including older adults with HIV in ambulatory care and a comparator group of people without HIV of similar age and gender. The 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale was used to measure loneliness, and HIV status was the primary explanatory variable. The study found no statistically significant correlation between loneliness and HIV status. However, individuals with HIV had smaller households, less physical and financial support, and were less socially integrated compared to those without HIV. In multivariable logistic regressions, loneliness was more likely among individuals who lived alone (aOR:3.38, 95% CI:1.47-7.76) and less likely among those who were married (aOR:0.34, 95% CI:0.22-0.53) and had a higher level of social integration (aOR:0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.92). Despite having smaller social networks and less support, older adults with HIV had similar levels of loneliness as those without HIV, which may be attributed to resiliency and access to HIV-related health services among individuals with HIV. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to better understand the mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien T Quach
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Centre for Aging and Serious Illness, Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.
- Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- The Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, USA.
| | - Christine S Ritchie
- Centre for Aging and Serious Illness, Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zahra Reynolds
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert Paul
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri at St. Louis, St. Louis, USA
| | - Janet Seeley
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Yao Tong
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susanne Hoeppner
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samson Okello
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Noeline Nakasujja
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University School of Medicine, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Brianne Olivieri-Mui
- Department of Health Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deanna Saylor
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Meredith Greene
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Regenstreif Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Stephen Asiimwe
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
- Kabwohe Clinical Research Center, Kabwohe, Uganda
| | | | - Flavia Atwiine
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Ruth Sentongo
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Mark J Siedner
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Alexander C Tsai
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
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Bergman YS, Faran Y, Caspi E, Klonover E. Subjective Age and Loneliness in Older Adults: The Moderating Role of Attachment Patterns. J Appl Gerontol 2023:7334648231223357. [PMID: 38131214 DOI: 10.1177/07334648231223357] [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: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Loneliness in older adults has been associated with a myriad of undesirable physical and psychological consequences, as well as with negative age and aging perceptions. However, little is known regarding the effect of individual differences in the ability to seek, maintain, and benefit from close relationships in this context. Accordingly, we examined the associations between subjective age (i.e., how old/young one feels vis-à-vis his/her chronological age; SA), attachment patterns, and loneliness. Data were collected from 840 older adults in Israel (Mage = 74.75, SD = 5.50, range = 67-94), who provided information pertaining to SA, attachment anxiety/avoidance, and loneliness. Loneliness was associated with an older SA, as well as with high levels of attachment anxiety/avoidance. Moreover, the association between SA and loneliness was nullified for individuals with low levels of attachment anxiety/avoidance. The discussion highlights the importance of both age perceptions and attachment patterns for understanding the underlying mechanisms of late-life loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav S Bergman
- Faculty of Social Work, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel
| | - Yifat Faran
- Faculty of Social Work, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel
| | - Eden Caspi
- Faculty of Social Work, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel
| | - Eyal Klonover
- Faculty of Social Work, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel
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Min SH, Topaz M, Lee C, Schnall R. Racial Differences in Older Adult's Mental Health and Cognitive Symptomatology: Identifying Subgroups Using Multiple-Group Latent Class Analysis. J Aging Health 2023:8982643231212547. [PMID: 37907211 PMCID: PMC11139013 DOI: 10.1177/08982643231212547] [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] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Little is known on the potential racial differences in latent subgroup membership based on mental health and cognitive symptomatology among older adults. METHODS This is a secondary data analysis of Wave 2 data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 1819). Symptoms were depression, anxiety, loneliness, happiness, and cognition. Multiple-group latent class analysis was conducted to identify latent subgroups based on mental health and cognitive symptoms and to compare these differences between race. RESULTS Class 1: "Severe Cognition & Mild-Moderate Mood Impaired," Class 2: "Moderate Cognition & Mood Impaired," and Class 3: "Mild Cognition Impaired & Healthy Mood" were identified. Black older adults were more likely to be in Class 1 while White older adults were more likely to be in Class 2 and Class 3. DISCUSSION Clinicians need to provide culturally-sensitive care when assessing and treating symptoms across different racial groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Hee Min
- School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maxim Topaz
- School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chiyoung Lee
- Bothell School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, USA
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Iwuagwu AO. "Ọmụgwọ" As Unpaid Labor? The Perceptions of Postpartum Caregiving Among Older Grandmothers in Southeast Nigeria. Innov Aging 2023; 8:igad069. [PMID: 38577519 PMCID: PMC10993719 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igad069] [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: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives In Nigeria and many Sub-Saharan African countries where the majority are poor and cannot afford formal postpartum care, nursing mothers rely primarily on their mothers or older female relatives for postpartum care. Despite their invaluable contributions, such grandmothers often operate in a reality of inadequate social and institutional support. Yet, little is known about how women perceive this form of traditional care in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study explored the views of older grandmothers in Southeast Nigeria about postpartum caregiving, called "Ọmụgwọ." Research Design and Methods Using a qualitative descriptive inquiry, the author employed criterion-purposive sampling and snowballing to recruit 17 older grandmothers who participated in the interviews, and data were analyzed in themes. Results Three themes and eight subthemes emerged. The themes cover perceptions supporting the continuity of Ọmụgwọ practice irrespective, the influence of culture on Ọmụgwọ practice, and the indirect rewards of the practice. Discussion and Implications The findings of this study could potentially influence postpartum caregiving policies for female older adults in Sub-Saharan Africa and further advance the quality of informal care during postpartum periods in Africa.
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Simons RL, Ong ML, Lei MK, Beach SRH, Zhang Y, Philibert R, Mielke MM. Changes in Loneliness, BDNF, and Biological Aging Predict Trajectories in a Blood-Based Epigenetic Measure of Cortical Aging: A Study of Older Black Americans. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:842. [PMID: 37107599 PMCID: PMC10138024 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent epigenetic measure of aging has developed based on human cortex tissue. This cortical clock (CC) dramatically outperformed extant blood-based epigenetic clocks in predicting brain age and neurological degeneration. Unfortunately, measures that require brain tissue are of limited utility to investigators striving to identify everyday risk factors for dementia. The present study investigated the utility of using the CpG sites included in the CC to formulate a peripheral blood-based cortical measure of brain age (CC-Bd). To establish the utility of CC-Bd, we used growth curves with individually varying time points and longitudinal data from a sample of 694 aging African Americans. We examined whether three risk factors that have been linked to cognitive decline-loneliness, depression, and BDNFm-predicted CC-Bd after controlling for several factors, including three new-generation epigenetic clocks. Our findings showed that two clocks-DunedinPACE and PoAm-predicted CC-BD, but that increases in loneliness and BDNFm continued to be robust predictors of accelerated CC-Bd even after taking these effects into account. This suggests that CC-Bd is assessing something more than the pan-tissue epigenetic clocks but that, at least in part, brain health is also associated with the general aging of the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald L. Simons
- Department of Sociology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Mei Ling Ong
- Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Man-Kit Lei
- Department of Sociology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Sociology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Robert Philibert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa School of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Michelle M. Mielke
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
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