scholarly journals Interaction of Neighborhood and Genetic Risk on Waist Circumference in African-American Adults: A Longitudinal Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler McDaniel ◽  
Dawn K Wilson ◽  
M Sandra Coulon ◽  
Allison M Sweeney ◽  
M Lee Van Horn
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Risk Model ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Buccal Swab ◽  
Metabolic Risk ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Understanding determinants of metabolic risk has become a national priority given the increasingly high prevalence rate of this condition among U.S. adults. Purpose This study’s aim was to assess the impact of gene-by-neighborhood social environment interactions on waist circumference (WC) as a primary marker of metabolic risk in underserved African-American adults. Based on a dual-risk model, it was hypothesized that those with the highest genetic risk and who experienced negative neighborhood environment conditions would demonstrate higher WC than those with fewer risk factors. Methods This study utilized a subsample of participants from the Positive Action for Today’s Health environmental intervention to improve access and safety for walking in higher-crime neighborhoods, who were willing to provide buccal swab samples for genotyping stress-related genetic pathways. Assessments were conducted with 228 African-American adults at baseline, 12, 18, and 24 months. Results Analyses indicated three significant gene-by-environment interactions on WC outcomes within the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) genetic pathway. Two interactions supported the dual-risk hypotheses, including the SNS genetic risk-by-neighborhood social life interaction (b = −0.11, t(618) = −2.02, p = .04), and SNS genetic risk-by-informal social control interaction (b = −0.51, t(618) = −1.95, p = .05) on WC outcomes. These interactions indicated that higher genetic risk and lower social-environmental supports were associated with higher WC. There was also one significant SNS genetic risk-by-neighborhood satisfaction interaction (b = 1.48, t(618) = 2.23, p = .02) on WC that was inconsistent with the dual-risk pattern. Conclusions Findings indicate that neighborhood and genetic factors dually influence metabolic risk and that these relations may be complex and warrant further study. Trial Registration NCT01025726.

scholarly journals Aggressive Policing and the Educational Performance of Minority Youth

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joscha Legewie ◽  
Jeffrey Fagan
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
African American ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Educational Performance ◽  
High Crime ◽  
The Impact

An increasing number of minority youth experience contact with the criminal justice system. But how does the expansion of police presence in poor urban communities affect educational outcomes? Previous research points at multiple mechanisms with opposing effects. This article presents the first causal evidence of the impact of aggressive policing on minority youths’ educational performance. Under Operation Impact, the New York Police Department (NYPD) saturated high-crime areas with additional police officers with the mission to engage in aggressive, order-maintenance policing. To estimate the effect of this policing program, we use administrative data from more than 250,000 adolescents age 9 to 15 and a difference-in-differences approach based on variation in the timing of police surges across neighborhoods. We find that exposure to police surges significantly reduced test scores for African American boys, consistent with their greater exposure to policing. The size of the effect increases with age, but there is no discernible effect for African American girls and Hispanic students. Aggressive policing can thus lower educational performance for some minority groups. These findings provide evidence that the consequences of policing extend into key domains of social life, with implications for the educational trajectories of minority youth and social inequality more broadly.

scholarly journals BMI-Specific Waist Circumference Thresholds to Discriminate Elevated Cardiometabolic Risk in White and African American Adults

Obesity Facts ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda E. Staiano ◽  
Claude Bouchard ◽  
Peter T. Katzmarzyk
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk ◽  
African American Adults

scholarly journals Examining the Impact of Employment Status on Sleep Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Low-Income Neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, PA

SLEEP ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D Baird ◽  
Tamara Dubowitz ◽  
Jonathan Cantor ◽  
Wendy M Troxel
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Poor Sleep Quality ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
American Adult ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Study Objectives African Americans have faced disproportionate socioeconomic and health consequences associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study examines employment and its association with sleep quality during the initial months of the pandemic in a low-income, predominantly African American adult sample. Methods In the early months of COVID-19 (March to May 2020), we administered a survey to an ongoing, longitudinal cohort of older adults to assess the impact of COVID-related changes in employment on self-reported sleep quality (N=460; 93.9% African American). Participants had prior sleep quality assessed in 2018 and a subset also had sleep quality assessed in 2013 and 2016. Primary analyses focused on the prevalence of poor sleep quality and changes in sleep quality between 2018 and 2020, according to employment status. Financial strain and prior income were assessed as moderators of the association between employment status and sleep quality. We plotted trend lines showing sleep quality from 2013 to 2020 in a subset (n=339) with all four waves of sleep data available. Results All participants experienced increases in poor sleep quality between 2018 and 2020, with no statistical differences between the employment groups. However, we found some evidence of moderation by financial strain and income. The trend analysis demonstrated increases in poor sleep quality primarily between 2018 and 2020. Conclusions Sleep quality worsened during the pandemic among low-income African American adults. Policies to support the financially vulnerable and marginalized populations could benefit sleep quality.

scholarly journals Housing Insecurity and the Emotional and Physical Health of African Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 335-336
Author(s):  
Aarti Bhat ◽  
August Jenkins ◽  
David Almeida
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Housing insecurity—or limited and/or unreliable access to quality housing— is a potent on-going stressor that can adversely impact individual well-being. This study extends previous research by investigating the impact of housing insecurity on both the emotional and physical health of aging African American adults using the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher oversample of African Americans collected from 2012-2013 (N = 508; M age = 43.02; 57% women). Participants reported on their negative affect, number of chronic health conditions experienced in the last year, and experiences of housing insecurity since the 2008 recession (e.g., homelessness, threatened with foreclosure or eviction, lost home). Negative affect and chronic conditions, respectively, were regressed on housing insecurity, and the potential moderating effect of age was tested. Results showed that housing insecurity was associated with more negative affect (B = 0.05, SE = 0.03, p = .002) and chronic health conditions (B = 0.26, SE = 0.03, p < .001). Additionally, the association between housing insecurity and negative affect was moderated by age (B = -0.11, SE = 0.00, p = .019), such that the effect of housing insecurity on negative affect was stronger for younger adults than for older adults. These results suggest that experiences of insecure housing leave African American adults vulnerable to compromised emotional and physical health, however, the negative effects of housing insecurity may attenuate with age.

scholarly journals Social Relationships and Social Engagement Among African American Adults With a History of Incarceration

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 304-304
Author(s):  
Bridget Farmer ◽  
Jennifer Johnson ◽  
Rodlescia Sneed
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
History Of ◽  
Relationship Structure ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Strong social relationships and social engagement are crucial for both successful aging and successful community re-entry after incarceration. Here, we utilized a mixed methods approach to understand the impact of incarceration on social relationships and social engagement among formerly incarcerated community-dwelling African-American adults aged >50. Participants in the 2012 or 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study answered questions regarding prior incarceration, social relationships, and participation in social activities. Additionally, we utilized key informant interviews to further explore how incarceration might impact relationships and social engagement. This presentation will describe quantitative associations between prior incarceration and social relationship structure & function. Further, we will use our qualitative interview data to further explore possible explanations for our findings. Finally, we will describe how MCUAAAR Scientist/Faculty interactions facilitated this work.

Abstract MP58: Racial Residential Segregation is Associated With Worse Cardiovascular Health in African American Adults: The Jackson Heart Study

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharrelle Barber ◽  
Kiarri Kershaw ◽  
Xu Wang ◽  
Mario Sims ◽  
Julianne Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Jackson Heart Study ◽  
Racial Residential Segregation ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Heart Study ◽  
Neighborhood Environments ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Racial residential segregation results in increased exposure to adverse neighborhood environments for African Americans; however, the impact of segregation on ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) has not been examined in large, socioeconomically diverse African American samples. Using a novel spatial measure of neighborhood-level racial residential segregation, we examined the association between segregation and ideal CVH in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). Hypothesis: Racial residential segregation will be associated with worse cardiovascular health among African American adults. Methods: The sample included 4,354 men and women ages 21-93 from the baseline exam of the JHS (2000-2004). Racial residential segregation was assessed at the census-tract level. Data on racial composition (% African American) from the 2000 US Census was used to calculate the local G i * statistic- a spatially-weighted z-score that represents how much a neighborhood’s racial/ethnic composition deviates from the larger metropolitan area. Ideal CVH was assessed using the AHA Life’s Simple Seven (LS7) index which includes 3 behavioral (nutrition, physical activity, and smoking) and 4 biological (systolic BP, glucose, BMI, and cholesterol) metrics of CVH. Multivariable regression models were used to test associations between segregation and the LS7 index continuously (range: 0-14) and categorically (Inadequate: 0-4; Average: 5-9; and Optimal: 10-14). Covariates included age, sex, income, education, and insurance status. Results: The average LS7 summary score was 7.03 (±2.1) and was lowest in the most racially segregated neighborhood environments (High Segregation: 6.88 ±2.1 vs. Low Segregation: 7.55 ±2.1). The prevalence of inadequate CVH was higher in racially segregated neighborhoods (12.3%) compared to neighborhoods that were the least segregated (6.9%). After adjusting for key socio-demographic characteristics, racial residential segregation was inversely associated with ideal CVH (B=-0.041 ±0.02, p=0.0146). Moreover, a 1-SD unit increase in segregation was associated with a 6% increased odds of having inadequate CVH (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00-1.12, p=0.0461). Conclusion: In conclusion, African Americans in racially segregated neighborhoods are less likely to achieve ideal CVH even after accounting for individual-level factors. Policies aimed at restricting housing segregation/discrimination and/or structural interventions designed to improve neighborhood environments may be viable strategies to improving CVH in this at-risk population.

scholarly journals Epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of BMI, BMI change and waist circumference in African American adults identifies multiple replicated loci

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (15) ◽  
pp. 4464-4479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen W. Demerath ◽  
Weihua Guan ◽  
Megan L. Grove ◽  
Stella Aslibekyan ◽  
Michael Mendelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Association Study ◽  
African American Adults

scholarly journals The Impact of Neighborhood Environment, Social Support, and Avoidance Coping on Depressive Symptoms of Pregnant African-American Women

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Giurgescu ◽  
Shannon N. Zenk ◽  
Thomas N. Templin ◽  
Christopher G. Engeland ◽  
Barbara L. Dancy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Avoidance Coping ◽  
American Women ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Home Availability and the Impact of Weekly Stressful Events Are Associated with Fruit and Vegetable Intake among African American and Hispanic/Latina Women

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey A. Ledoux ◽  
Scherezade K. Mama ◽  
Daniel P. O'Connor ◽  
Heather Adamus ◽  
Margaret L. Fraser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Home Availability

Background. Mediating and moderating variables may interfere with the association between neighborhood availability of grocery stores (NAG) and supermarkets (NAS) and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake.Objective. The purpose of this study was to test mediation of home availability of FV (HAFV) and moderation of impact of weekly stressful events (IWSE) on the association between NAG and NAS with FV consumption among African American (AA) and Hispanic/Latina (HL) women.Methods. Three hundred nine AA and HL, 25–60 year old women in the Health Is Power (HIP) randomized controlled trial completed validated measures of HAFV, IWSE, and FV intake at baseline. Trained field assessors coded NAG and NAS. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.Results. NAG and NAS were not associated with FV intake or HAFV, so HAFV was not a mediator. HAFV (std. Beta = .29,P<0.001) and IWSE (std. Beta = .17;P<0.05) were related to FV intake (R2  =0.17;P<0.001), but IWSE was not a moderator.Conclusion. Increasing HAFV and decreasing the IWSE should increase FV consumption. The extent to which the neighborhood environment is related to the home food environment and diet, and the mechanisms for the association between IWSE and diet should be examined in future research.

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