A Landscape of Subjective and Objective Stress in African American Dementia Family Caregivers

2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fawn A. Cothran ◽  
Emily Chang ◽  
Laurel Beckett ◽  
Julie T. Bidwell ◽  
Candice A. Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Inequities ◽  
Multicomponent Interventions ◽  
Objective Indicators ◽  
Objective Stress

Stress is a significant part of daily life, and systemic social inequities, such as racism and discrimination, are well-established contributors of chronic stress for African Americans. Added exposure to the stress of caregiving may exacerbate adverse health outcomes. This secondary analysis describes subjective and objective stress in African American family caregivers, and relationships of subjective and objective stress to health outcomes. Baseline data from 142 African American dementia family caregivers from the “Great Village” study were described using means and frequencies; regression models and Pearson’s correlation were used to examine associations between demographics, social determinants of health, and health outcomes. Mixed models were used to examine change and change variation in cortisol. Most caregivers had moderate degrees of stress. Stress was associated with sleep disruption and depressive symptoms, and discrimination appeared to be an independent contributor to depressive symptoms. This work provides a foundation for interpreting subjective and objective indicators of stress to tailor existing multicomponent interventions.

Depression and Intimate Partner Violence Among African American Women Living in Impoverished Inner-City Neighborhoods

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 899-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
George C. T. Mugoya ◽  
Tricia Witte ◽  
Anneliese Bolland ◽  
Sara Tomek ◽  
Lisa M. Hooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
African American ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
American Women

Mental health correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization including negative physical and mental health outcomes are well documented. However, certain subgroups of African American women, such as those living in impoverished, urban communities, are underrepresented in most studies and may experience IPV at higher rates. Furthermore, the circumstances of this women including poverty makes them at risk to IPV and its consequences. The present study estimated the prevalence of IPV victimization and its association with depression in a sample of low-income African American women participating in the Mobile Youth and Poverty Study. Participants in this study were caregivers of adolescents living in extremely impoverished conditions and were part of the Mobile Youth Survey, a community-based, longitudinal, multiple cohort survey conducted between the years 1998 and 2011. Data for the current study were collected between the years 2001 and 2010. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES-D). The independent variable was IPV measured using a subsample of items from the Conflict Tactics Scale. Nearly three quarters (73.6%, n = 489) of the sample experienced some form of IPV and 49.1% ( n = 326) had a CES-D depression score of 16 or greater indicating mild to severe depression symptoms. The highest proportion of women who met the CES-D criteria for depression were those experiencing the most severe IPV irrespective of category (i.e., physical, psychological, or combined). Logistic regression analyses showed that women reporting the most severe abuse, irrespective of category, were significantly more likely to meet the CES-D criteria for depression. In addition, low education and receipt of economic assistance were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The combination of poor economic conditions and IPV may predispose African American women living in impoverished, urban communities to mental health outcomes such as depression.

Methodologic Considerations for Epigenomic Investigation of Preterm Birth in African American Women

2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110303
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. Nowak ◽  
Carmen Giurgescu ◽  
Jodi L. Ford ◽  
Amy Mackos ◽  
Joyce Ohm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
African American Women ◽  
White Women ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
American Women ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes

Epigenetic modifications are chemical changes that can modify gene expression without changing the sequence of the gene. These modifications are potentially identifiable and reversible, making the epigenome an important area of research for discovering biomarkers to identify those who may be at risk and providing therapeutic interventions to prevent adverse health outcomes. African Americans bear a disproportionate risk of adverse health outcomes (e.g., hypertension, cancer). Indeed, African American women experience preterm birth (PTB; <37 completed weeks gestation) at more than twice the rate of non-Hispanic White women. Research suggests that environmental influences may play a significant role in PTB outcomes for this population. However, the biological pathways by which these influences contribute to PTB are poorly understood. This paper describes research methods and ethical considerations for the collection and analysis of biological samples based on our study examining the epigenetic regulation of stress pathways in PTB in pregnant African American women.

scholarly journals Gene polymorphisms and gene scores linked to low serum carotenoid status and their associations with metabolic disturbance and depressive symptoms in African-American adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (6) ◽  
pp. 992-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
May A. Beydoun ◽  
Michael A. Nalls ◽  
J. Atilio Canas ◽  
Michele K. Evans ◽  
Alan B. Zonderman
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Gene Polymorphisms ◽  
Metabolic Disturbance ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Model Assessment ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Low Serum

Gene polymorphisms provide a means to obtain unconfounded associations between carotenoids and various health outcomes. In the present study, we tested whether gene polymorphisms and gene scores linked to low serum carotenoid status are related to metabolic disturbance and depressive symptoms in African-American adults residing in Baltimore city, MD, using cross-sectional data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study (age range 30–64 years, n 873–994). We examined twenty-four SNP of various gene loci that were previously shown to be associated with low serum carotenoid status (SNPlcar). Gene risk scores were created: five low specific-carotenoid risk scores (LSCRS: α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein+zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and lycopene) and one low total-carotenoid risk score (LTCRS: total carotenoids). SNPlcar, LSCRS and LTCRS were entered as predictors for a number of health outcomes. These included obesity, National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III metabolic syndrome and its components, elevated homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, C-reactive protein, hyperuricaemia and elevated depressive symptoms (EDS, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression score ≥ 16). Among the key findings, SNPlcar were not associated with the main outcomes after correction for multiple testing. However, an inverse association was found between the LTCRS and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) dyslipidaemia. Specifically, the α-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin LSCRS were associated with a lower odds of HDL-C dyslipidaemia. However, the β-cryptoxanthin LSCRS was linked to a higher odds of EDS, with a linear dose–response relationship. In summary, gene risk scores linked to low serum carotenoids had mixed effects on HDL-C dyslipidaemia and EDS. Further studies using larger African-American population samples are needed.

scholarly journals Associations Between Sexual Assault Severity and Psychological and Physical Health Outcomes: Similarities and Differences Among African American and Caucasian Survivors

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (19) ◽  
pp. 4020-4040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheri E. Pegram ◽  
Antonia Abbey
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Caucasian Women

There are well-established associations between sexual assault victimization and deleterious psychological and physical health outcomes. The present study contributes to the emerging health disparities literature by examining similarities and differences in relationships between the severity of the sexual assault and health in a community sample of African American and Caucasian survivors. Although the overall pattern of relationships was expected to be comparable for all survivors, some associations were hypothesized to be stronger for African American survivors as compared with Caucasian survivors based on theories of chronic stress. Single, African American, and Caucasian women were recruited for a study of dating experiences through random digit dialing in one large metropolitan area. Participants who experienced a sexual assault since age 14 were included in this study (121 African American and 100 Caucasian women). Multigroup path analyses indicated that for both African American and Caucasian survivors, sexual assault severity was significantly positively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and depressive symptoms were significantly positively associated with physical health symptoms. Among African American survivors, sexual assault severity affected physical health symptoms indirectly through its impact on depressive symptoms, and assault severity indirectly affected drinking problems through its impact on PTSD symptoms; these relationships were not found for Caucasian survivors. These findings highlight the need for additional research that focuses on health disparities in sexual assault survivors’ recovery process, so that treatment programs address culturally relevant issues.

scholarly journals Sleep Problems, Anxiety, and Global Self-Rated Health Among Hospice Family Caregivers

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla T. Washington ◽  
Debra Parker Oliver ◽  
Jamie B. Smith ◽  
Christina S. McCrae ◽  
Shanky M. Balchandani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Hospice Patients

Background: Although research has linked sleep problems, anxiety, and poor health outcomes among patients’ family members in nonhospice settings, little is known about these often interrelated issues among hospice family caregivers. Objectives: We sought to examine the relationships between sleep problems, anxiety, and global self-rated health among hospice family caregivers. Methods, Setting, and Patients: We conducted a secondary analysis of quantitative data from 395 family caregivers of hospice patients in the Midwest and Southeastern United States. Results: Nearly one-third of the hospice family caregivers who participated in this study experienced clinically noteworthy levels of sleep problems and/or anxiety. Caregivers’ symptoms of anxiety and sleep problems were strongly correlated. Caregivers who reported more frequent sleep problems and higher levels of anxiety reported poorer overall health. Conclusion: Hospice providers, who are charged with attending to the needs of both patients and their family caregivers, may improve their practice by regularly assessing for sleep problems and anxiety among family caregivers and providing appropriate interventions or referrals.

scholarly journals Parenting Style in Childhood and Mental Health Outcomes of Caregiving in Middle and Later Adulthood

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 817-817
Author(s):  
Yujun Liu ◽  
M Courtney Hughes ◽  
Abby Baumbach
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Parenting Style ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Negatively Associated

Abstract Objectives. This study examined the association between remembered parenting style of both mothers and fathers in childhood and mental health outcomes of caregiving in middle and later adulthood. Methods. Data were from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, a national survey that included 7,108 participants aged 24 to 75 years at baseline. The sample analyzed in the current study included 244 MIDUS participants who had given personal care to their mothers or fathers for one month or more during the last 12 months in the second and third waves. Parenting style variables, which included maternal/paternal affection and maternal/paternal discipline, were from the first wave; mental health outcome variables, which included emotional distress, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction, were from the second and third waves. Multiple regression and multilevel modeling were applied using R. Results. Maternal affection was negatively associated with emotional distress. Paternal affection was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. The associations between maternal/paternal discipline and mental health outcomes were not significant. Among the caregivers who provided care for parents, those who had mothers with high affection in childhood experienced a lower level of emotional distress, those who had fathers with high affection experienced a lower level of depressive symptoms in middle and later adulthood. Discussion. Our findings have advanced the understanding of the long-term consequences of parenting style in childhood on mental health outcomes among family caregivers in later life. The results have implications in the development of interventions focusing on mental health outcomes among family caregivers.

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