Psychosocial stressors predict lower cardiovascular disease risk among Mexican-American adults living in a high-risk community: Findings from the Texas City Stress and Health Study

The objective of this study was to examine the link between systemic and general psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in a group of U.S. Latinos as a function of acculturation and education within the blended guiding conceptual framework of the biopsychosocial model of the stress process plus the reserve capacity model. We analyzed data from self-identifying Mexican-origin adults (n = 396, 56.9% female, Mage = 58.2 years, 55.5% < 12 years of education, 79% U.S.-born) from the Texas City Stress and Health Study. We used established measures of perceived stress (general stress), neighborhood stress and discrimination (systemic stress) to capture psychosocial stress, our primary predictor. We used the atherosclerotic CVD calculator to assess 10-year CVD risk, our primary outcome. This calculator uses demographics, cholesterol, blood pressure, and history of hypertension, smoking, and diabetes to compute CVD risk in the next 10 years. We also created an acculturation index using English-language use, childhood interaction, and preservation of cultural values. Participants reported years of education. Contrary to expectations, findings showed that higher levels of all three forms of psychosocial stress, perceived stress, neighborhood stress, and perceived discrimination, predicted lower 10-year CVD risk. Acculturation and education did not moderate the effects of psychosocial stress on 10-year CVD risk. Contextualized within the biopsychosocial and reserve capacity framework, we interpret our findings such that participants who accurately reported their stressors may have turned to their social networks to handle the stress, thereby reducing their risk for CVD. We highlight the importance of examining strengths within the sociocultural environment when considering cardiovascular inequities among Latinos.

The discourse of deservingness: Racialized framing during rumored ICE raids

On February 12–14th, 2017, there were rumors of an ICE raid in the small East Texas city of Hometown. Reports that ICE was present circulated on social media platforms and radio stations in the area. Consequently, the Latinx community had high anxiety and fear of deportation and looked to the Spanish speaking radio DJs for information and advice. In this paper, we argue that heighten threats of deportation can accentuate divisions among the Latinx community based on fallacies regarding criminality and immigration. The authors utilized a collection of qualitative data to review the racialized framing that occurs during rumored ICE raids. A discourse of deservingness based on the notion of the “good” versus “bad” immigrant was internalized by vulnerable immigrants to alleviate stress about deportation.

Falta de efetivos e insegurança em refinarias de petróleo

Resumo Introdução: refinarias de petróleo são indústrias perigosas. Uma das causas importantes de acidentes constantemente apontada pelos trabalhadores é a falta de pessoal. No entanto, em geral as investigações se limitam às suas causas imediatas e, muitas vezes, atribuem culpa aos operadores, mesmo quando decorrentes de processos operacionais inseguros e da organização inadequada do trabalho. Objetivo: levantar questões sobre as relações entre falta de pessoal e segurança em refinarias. Métodos: as reflexões e questionamentos levantados se baseiam em relatórios oficiais sobre o acidente da refinaria de petróleo BP Texas City, ocorrido nos Estados Unidos em 2005, e em documentos de organizações sindicais, da mídia investigativa e da literatura científica. Discussão: a análise dos documentos mostrou de forma categórica que a falta de operadores contribui para acidentes e que seus efeitos debilitam a segurança, podendo se manifestar até muito tempo após a redução de pessoal. Embora essa situação seja continua e objetivamente denunciada pelos operadores e suas representações, raramente seus argumentos são considerados com a mesma seriedade com que se analisam as causas diretas e materiais de acidentes. Pelo alto grau de consciência sobre os riscos a que estão expostos e a responsabilidade de enfrentá-los, os trabalhadores devem ser ouvidos.

My Brother's Keeper: Healthcare Experiences of the Poor in One Texas City

Access to healthcare is an important issue in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which individuals living under the federal poverty line experience negative interactions with the health care system. I interviewed 11 individuals in the Waco area who are currently living under the federal poverty guideline. Answers were recorded and analyzed. Common themes amongst the participants included (1) financial insecurity combined with a lack of health insurance discouraged individuals from visiting a healthcare provider, (2) inadequate transportation to a healthcare establishment, (3) feelings of disrespect when receiving treatment from healthcare professionals, and (4) difficulty following up with treatment. In conclusion, the problems that arise in the healthcare system regarding the treatment of individuals living in poverty cannot be attributed solely to lack of funds.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil Samples from Diboll, East Texas (USA)

Concentrations of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzanthrone, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and triphenylene) of soil samples from Diboll, an East Texas city (USA), were analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Samples were collected from five sites; Old Orchard Park, two heavy traffic intersections (Judd Street and Lumberjack Drive), an industrial site (West Borden Drive), and a truck stop. Acetone and dichloromethane extracts in all samples showed the presence of fluoranthene and pyrene. The sum of fluoranthene and pyrene concentrations in sites followed the order West Borden Drive &gt; Judd Street &gt; Lumberjack Drive &gt; Old Orchard Park &gt; truck stop. Concentrations of fluoranthene and pyrene were in the range 12.3 &ndash; 396.5 &mu;g kg-1 (ppb) and 13.6 &ndash; 209.8 &mu;g kg-1 (in dry soil), respectively. Benzanthrone, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, and triphenylene concentrations were &lt; 2 ppb levels. The higher concentrations in soils were associated with sites close to heavy traffic and vehicular emissions.

Commander Zeita Merchant, PhD

Commander Zeita Merchant, PhD, is currently the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago and has served on active duty in the Coast Guard for more than 20 years. She was previously Special Assistant to the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, and has also held the positions of Executive Officer of Marine Safety Unit Texas City, Supervisor, Port of Miami Field Office, and Chief of Port Operations at US Coast Guard Sector Miami. From 2010 to 2012, Commander Merchant served as a Congressional Fellow in the US House of Representatives. She graduated with honors from Tougaloo College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and received her Master of Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School in 2003, her Master of Public Administration from the Trachtenberg School in 2010, and her Doctorate in Business Administration from the National Graduate School in 2011. Commander Merchant has been honored with many professional, academic, and community service awards throughout her career, including no less than eleven medals for her service in the Coast Guard, and is a recognized authority in the field of Marine Safety, Emergency, and Environmental Management.