Discrimination is a very complicated, multifaceted, and long lasting problem that prevails in social and even political structure. In subcontinent, the discrimination on the basis of skin color (colorism) is making lives...Discrimination is a very complicated, multifaceted, and long lasting problem that prevails in social and even political structure. In subcontinent, the discrimination on the basis of skin color (colorism) is making lives of women miserable who are already victims of various disparities. Colorism was found to be a predictor for both mental and physical health. This study intended to examine the impact of colorism on self-esteem of Pakistani women along with finding out other determinants of self-esteem. A cross-sectional study with 400 Pakistani females (18-40 years) from rural area was conducted. The study comprised of demographics, skin-related questions, everyday discrimination scale, and Rosenberg's self-esteem scale. Hierarchical linear regression showed residence, education, and colorism as significant predictors (-value < 0.05) of self-esteem. Self-rated skin tone moderated effect of colorism on self-esteem ( change = 0.028). It emphasized education of females with special focus on suburban areas along with participation of public health and dermatologists to discourage colorism and to stay confident with their skin tone.
Biodemography Soc Biol
· 2020 · PMID 34622724
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The present study examined the demographic correlates of gene expression in a sample of adults ( = 543) from the Study of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS). Inflammatory and antiviral gene sets were operationalized us...The present study examined the demographic correlates of gene expression in a sample of adults ( = 543) from the Study of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS). Inflammatory and antiviral gene sets were operationalized using composite scores and empirically derived co-regulatory gene sets. For both composite scores and co-regulatory gene sets, White/European Americans showed lower while Black/African Americans showed higher expression of genes involved in interferon responses and antibody synthesis. The effects of chronological age on gene expression varied by sex, such that pro-inflammatory gene expression increased with age more rapidly for females than males. The difference between the average expression of inflammatory and antiviral genes also increased with age for females but not males. Results shed light on differential gene expression as a potential physiological correlate for race/ethnicity, age, and sex-related health disparities in adulthood.
Gaydosh L, Mitchell C, Notterman D
… +5 more, Schneper L, Brooks-Gunn J, Wagner B, Koss K, McLanahan S
Biodemography Soc Biol
· 2020 · PMID 34597213
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Telomere length is often used in studies of adults as a biomarker of cellular aging and an indicator of stress exposure. However, we know little about how telomeres change over time, particularly over the course of the i...Telomere length is often used in studies of adults as a biomarker of cellular aging and an indicator of stress exposure. However, we know little about how telomeres change over time, particularly over the course of the important developmental period of adolescence. We use data on telomere length collected at two points in time spanning adolescence (Years 9 and 15) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine longitudinal patterns ( = 1,654) in telomere length. We find a quantitatively small but significant average lengthening in telomere length across adolescence and little evidence of associations between telomere length and pubertal development.
The current study explores cross-cultural differences of male and female body image ideals within a rapidly developing intercultural, immigration context that has garnered a considerable degree of popular and scholarly i...The current study explores cross-cultural differences of male and female body image ideals within a rapidly developing intercultural, immigration context that has garnered a considerable degree of popular and scholarly interest; recent Arab immigration to Germany. One hundred eighty participants (Arab immigrants or ethnic Germans) completed self-report online questionnaires (in either Arabic or German) regarding male and female body image ideals, as well as an assessment of their own body image perception. The data suggest cross-cultural differences in the body image ideals of, and held by, men and women of both groups. Slimmer ideals were held by Germans, especially German women, something that has repercussions for self-perceptions of being over- or under-weight by Arabs and Germans. Culturally-bound body image ideals are important for the study of demographic changes in such socio-biological patterns as weight, weight-related health issues, and intergroup attraction and reproduction. The current study highlights the importance of psychological research on body image ideals for better understanding trends observed in "objective" measures of physiology (e.g., weight, weight-related health conditions) or relationship patterns (e.g., marriages, reproduction).
Critical period, social mobility, and social accumulation are three hypotheses that may explain how educational mobility impacts health. Thus far, there is little evidence on how these processes are associated with biolo...Critical period, social mobility, and social accumulation are three hypotheses that may explain how educational mobility impacts health. Thus far, there is little evidence on how these processes are associated with biological aging as measured by telomere length. Using cross-sectional data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study, we examined the association between educational mobility (parental education and contemporaneous education) and telomere length. The final model is adjusted for sociodemographic factors and socioeconomic status, childhood adversity, and health behaviors/risk factors, as well as depressive symptoms. A total of 1,894 participants were included in the main analyses. High parental education was associated with longer telomere length in a fully adjusted model (B = 0.03, CI [0.002,0.07]). Downwardly mobile individuals (high parental education and low contemporaneous education) had longer telomere length compared to stably low individuals in a fully adjusted model (B = 0.05, CI [0.004,0.09]). There was support for the critical period hypothesis and partial support for the change hypothesis. There was no evidence to support the social accumulation hypothesis. Prospective studies are needed to understand the mechanism that can help further explain the association between educational mobility and telomere length.
This study explores the short-term relationships between sex ratio at birth and late fetal mortality in Italy from 1910 to 2016. As the leading scholars' attention traditionally focused on long-term trends and variations...This study explores the short-term relationships between sex ratio at birth and late fetal mortality in Italy from 1910 to 2016. As the leading scholars' attention traditionally focused on long-term trends and variations in the sex ratios at birth among different populations, less interest regarded short-term fluctuations as they were mainly seen as an effect of random variability. We detrended the national series of males proportion among live births and stillbirths by their medium-term component to consider the annual deviations from a normal trend. After controlling for fertility tendencies and wars effects, regression models seem to show the effects of stillbirth on the proportion of male newborns. A sensitivity analysis was also carried out to assess the effects of the perinatal deaths on the proportion of males at birth, combining stillbirths and early neonatal losses to control the possible misspecification between stillborn infants and early neonatal deaths. The significance of late fetal mortality reflects the mortality excess among male fetuses during the intrauterine life, showing evidence for the hypothesis selection.
Macfarlan SJ, Schacht R, Bourland I
… +13 more, Kapp S, Glad T, Lewis L, Claflin S, Darmiento N, Clegg T, Thorpe C, Peppelar T, Hall RG, Nguyen B, Davis CA, Santiago M, Henrickson C
Birth seasonality is a phenomenon whereby populations can be characterized by a single month or season in which births peak. While non-human animal research suggests that seasonal birth-pulses are related to variation in...Birth seasonality is a phenomenon whereby populations can be characterized by a single month or season in which births peak. While non-human animal research suggests that seasonal birth-pulses are related to variation in climate and local energy availability, social scientists debate the mechanisms responsible for it in humans. Here we investigate the role of precipitation, temperature, and energy availability on seasonal conception and birth pulses using a historical dataset from the Baja California peninsula - a hot, arid desert that experiences seasonal climatic fluctuations associated with the North American Monsoon. Analyses suggest that 1) local energy availability had a negative relationship with conception pulses; and 2) birth pulses had a positive relationship with local energy availability and a negative relationship with temperature. Taken together, our analyses suggest that women timed conceptions when local energy availability was lowest (challenging expectations of conception rates as simply reflecting ecological influences on female fecundity), so that children were born during the seasonal "green-up" associated with the North American Monsoon. Given our results, we speculate that birth seasonality represents a form of traditional ecological knowledge to improve neonate health and wellbeing.
Barozet E, Valenzuela CY, Cifuentes L
… +22 more, Verdugo RA, Herrera L, Acuña M, Llop E, Moraga M, Berríos S, Di Genova A, Digman D, Symon A, Asenjo S, López P, Bustamante ML, Pezo-Valderrama P, Suazo J, Caba F, Villalón M, Alvarado S, Cáceres D, Salgado K, Portales P, Loira N, Maas A
Studies of the current Chilean population performed using classical genetic markers have established that the Chilean population originated primarily from the admixture of European people, particularly Spaniards, and Ame...Studies of the current Chilean population performed using classical genetic markers have established that the Chilean population originated primarily from the admixture of European people, particularly Spaniards, and Amerindians. A socioeconomic-ethno-genetic cline was established soon after the conquest. Spaniards born in Spain or Chile occupied the highest Socioeconomic Strata, while Amerindians belonged to the lowest. The intermediate strata consisted of people with different degrees of ethnic admixture; the larger the European admixture, the higher the Socioeconomic Level. The present study of molecular genomic markers sought to calculate the percentage of Amerindian admixture and revealed a finer distribution of this cline, as well as differences between two Amerindian groups: Aymara and Mapuche. The use of two socioeconomic classifications - Class and Socioeconomic Level - reveals important differences. Furthermore, Self-reported Ethnicity (self-assignment to an ethnic group) and Self-reported Ancestry (self-recognition of Amerindian ancestors) show variations and differing relationships between socioeconomic classifications and genomic Amerindian Admixture. These data constitute a valuable input for the formulation of public healthcare policy and show that the notions of Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Strata and Class should always be a consideration in policy development.
Biodemography Soc Biol
· 2021 · PMID 34182851
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This study investigates two sources of education effects on obesity - achieved educational attainment and inherited genetic endowment for education. In doing so, we accomplish two goals. First, we assess the role of gene...This study investigates two sources of education effects on obesity - achieved educational attainment and inherited genetic endowment for education. In doing so, we accomplish two goals. First, we assess the role of genetic confounding in the association between education and health. Second, we consider the heterogeneity in the extent to which genetic potential for education is realized, and we examine its impact on obesity. Data come from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Using a polygenic score approach, we find that, net of genetic confounding, holding a college degree is associated with a lower likelihood of obesity. Moreover, among individuals who hold a college degree, those with a high education polygenic score (a greater genetic propensity to succeed in education) are less likely to be obese than those with a relatively low education polygenic score. However, when individuals with a high education polygenic score do not have a college degree, their risk of obesity is similar to that of non-college-educated individuals with a low education polygenic score, suggesting that the effect of genetic endowment for education on obesity is conditional on college education.
Few studies have examined the biosocial pathways linking socioeconomic status (SES) to accelerated aging in a population-based sample of southern US women. Even fewer have examined the importance of chronic compared to p...Few studies have examined the biosocial pathways linking socioeconomic status (SES) to accelerated aging in a population-based sample of southern US women. Even fewer have examined the importance of chronic compared to perceived stress in linking SES to women's salivary telomere length (STL). Using data from a probability-based sample of 156 US women and structural equation modeling, we examined three pathways - chronic stress exposure, stress appraisal, and coping behavior - linking SES to STL. SES was positively associated with STL (β = 0.16, < .05). Everyday discrimination was negatively associated with STL (β = -0.21, < .05), but perceived stress was positively associated with STL (β = 0.20, < .05). Current smoking decreased STL (β = -0.19, < .01). Perceived stress acted to suppress the negative relationship of chronic stress exposure on STL. Given the dearth of STL studies that include measures of both perceived and chronic stress, our study supports the importance of disentangling stress measures and a biosocial approach to the study of accelerated aging.
This paper investigates the association between advanced maternal age and under-5 mortality and morbidity in Turkey, and is the first such study in the country to use a sibling comparison model to analyze this phenomenon...This paper investigates the association between advanced maternal age and under-5 mortality and morbidity in Turkey, and is the first such study in the country to use a sibling comparison model to analyze this phenomenon. The study is based on data obtained from the 2013 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey, and analyzes the association of advanced maternal age with: (1) under-five mortality, using Cox proportional hazard models and their stratified versions to compare sibling groups born to the same mother in the 1978-2013 period, and (2) under-five morbidity; specifically, being born with low birth weight, stunting, underweight, and wasting based on between- and within-sibling groups models for the 2008-2013 period. Overall, our findings suggest that the hazard of under-5 mortality increases as maternal age increases. We conclude that period effects have failed to reverse the impeding effects of advanced maternal age on child mortality. Between-sibling group models indicate a positive but close to null association between advanced maternal age and child morbidity in general, although these positive associations vanish once we apply within-sibling group models. This result can be partially attributed to our controlling for unobserved characteristics specific to sibling groups, in addition to other methodological differences.
We investigate how the genetic risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD) relates to saving behavior. Using nationally representative data from the 1996-2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we find that genetic predi...We investigate how the genetic risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD) relates to saving behavior. Using nationally representative data from the 1996-2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we find that genetic predisposition for AD correlates with, but is not causally related to how older individuals' hold wealth in different asset types. People with a higher AD polygenic risk score (PGS) hold roughly 20 per cent less wealth in IRAs and contribute about 24 percent less to IRAs between survey periods. We hypothesize that people with a high risk of AD choose different portfolios: (i) because they know their genetic risk of developing AD from parental history, (ii) because they have the lower cognitive capacity, and (iii) because they indirectly learn about their genetic predisposition for AD as they age. Our extended model results show that the first two hypotheses do not account for the observed correlation. Consistent with the third hypothesis, the interaction between age and the AD PGS accounts for the correlation between genetic traits and asset holdings. Our findings have far-reaching implications for researchers using genetic data: when indirect learning about own predispositions is possible, correlations between genes and choices must be interpreted with caution.
Fuller G, Njune Mouapi K, Joung S
… +9 more, Shufelt C, van den Broek I, Lopez M, Dhawan S, Mastali M, Spiegel C, Bairey Merz N, Van Eyk JE, Robinson A
Biodemography Soc Biol
· 2019 · PMID 33243027
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: Remote patient monitoring can shift important data collection opportunities to low-cost settings. Here, we evaluate whether the quality of blood-samples taken by patients at home differs from samples taken from the sam...: Remote patient monitoring can shift important data collection opportunities to low-cost settings. Here, we evaluate whether the quality of blood-samples taken by patients at home differs from samples taken from the same patients by clinical staff. We examine the effects of socio-demographic and patient reported outcomes (PRO) survey data on remote blood sampling compliance and quality. : Samples were collected both in-clinic by study-staff and remotely by subjects at home. During cataloging the samples were graded for quality. We used chi-squared tests and logistic regressions to examine differences in quality and compliance between samples taken in-clinic versus samples taken by subjects at-home. : 64.6% of in-clinic samples and 69.7% of samples collected remotely at home received a (compared to ) quality grade (chi2 = 4.91; =.03). Regression analysis found remote samples had roughly 1.5 times higher odds of being quality compared to samples taken in-clinic ( <.001; 95% CI 1.18-2.03). Increased anxiety reduced odds of contributing a sample ( =.04; 95% CI.95-1.0). Response rates were significantly higher for in-clinic sampling (95.8% vs 89.8%; <.001). : Blood-samples taken by patients at home using a microsampling device yielded higher quality samples than those taken in-clinic.
Needham BL, Salerno S, Roberts E
… +3 more, Boss J, Allgood KL, Mukherjee B
Biodemography Soc Biol
· 2019 · PMID 33243026
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Social and economic disadvantage are hypothesized to increase the risk of disease and death via accelerated biological aging. Given that US blacks are socially and economically disadvantaged relative to whites, health di...Social and economic disadvantage are hypothesized to increase the risk of disease and death via accelerated biological aging. Given that US blacks are socially and economically disadvantaged relative to whites, health disparities scholars expected that blacks would have shorter telomere length-a biomarker of cell aging-than whites. Yet the majority of studies have found that blacks have longer telomere length than whites. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 3,761; 28.3% non-Hispanic black, 71.7% non-Hispanic white), we found that leukocyte telomere length was 4.00% (95% CI: 1.12%, 6.87%) longer among blacks compared to whites in the full sample, but differences were greatest among those with lower SES (5.66%; 95% CI: 0.10%, 10.32%), intermediate among those with middle SES (4.14%; 95% CI: 0.05%, 8.24%), and smallest among those with higher SES (2.33%; 95% CI: -3.02%, 7.67%). These results challenge purely genetic explanations for race differences in telomere length and point to a potential social-environmental cause of longer telomere length in US blacks.
Banerjee J, Jain U, Khobragade P
… +33 more, Weerman B, Hu P, Chien S, Dey S, Chatterjee P, Saxton J, Keller B, Crimmins E, Toga A, Jain A, Shanthi GS, Kurup R, Raman A, Chakrabarti SS, Varghese M, John JP, Joshi H, Koul P, Goswami D, Talukdar A, Mohanty RR, Yadati YSR, Padmaja M, Sankhe L, Pedgaonkar S, Arokiasamy P, Bloom DE, Langa K, Jovicich J, Dey AB, Lee J, Gambhir IS, Rajguru C
Biodemography Soc Biol
· 2020 · PMID 32727279
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The Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD) is a population-representative, prospective cohort study of late-life cognition and dementia. It is part of an ongoing int...The Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD) is a population-representative, prospective cohort study of late-life cognition and dementia. It is part of an ongoing international research collaboration that aims to measure and understand cognitive impairment and dementia risk by collecting a set of cognitive and neuropsychological assessments and informant reports, referred to as the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP). LASI-DAD provides nationally representative data drawn from a subsample of the ongoing Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI). One of LASI-DAD's distinctive features is its rich geriatric assessment, including the collection of venous blood samples and brain imaging data for a subsample of respondents. In this paper, we discuss the methodological considerations of developing and implementing the HCAP protocol in India. The lessons we learned from translating and applying the HCAP protocol in an environment where illiteracy and innumeracy are high will provide important insights to researchers interested in measuring and collecting data on late-life cognition and dementia in developing countries. We further developed an innovative blood management system that enables us to follow the collection, transportation, assay, and storage of samples. Such innovation can benefit other population surveys collecting biomarker data.
Reducing the mortality of children under-5 (U5) is an essential part of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Although Bangladesh has made progress in reducing child mortality, there remain inequalities among different...Reducing the mortality of children under-5 (U5) is an essential part of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Although Bangladesh has made progress in reducing child mortality, there remain inequalities among different sociodemographic groups. Education is one particular key factor with a multidimensional impact on child health and survival. This study assessed the association between parental education and U5 mortality using repeated cross-sectional Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. The risk of child death was substantially low among educated parents. Children of secondary or higher educated mother and father were about 30% (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.697, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.596 to 0.815, < .001) and 26% (HR = 0.738, 95% CI 0.635 to 0.858, < .001), respectively, less likely to die early. Children from wealthier households and born to mothers with long birth spacings were less likely to face an early death. The study findings emphasize on imparting education to parents as an intervention strategy to continue the reduction of child mortality rate in Bangladesh, which could be a policy direction toward achieving the SDGs.
Hand grip strength (GS) is a valid and reliable predictor of future morbidity and mortality and is considered a useful indicator of aging. In this paper, we use results from the genetic analysis in animal studies to eval...Hand grip strength (GS) is a valid and reliable predictor of future morbidity and mortality and is considered a useful indicator of aging. In this paper, we use results from the genetic analysis in animal studies to evaluate associations for GS, frailty, and subsequent mortality among humans. Specifically, we use data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) to investigate the association between three polymorphisms in a candidate frailty gene ( and GS. Results suggest that the A allele in rs724561 significantly reduces GS among older adults in the US (b = -0.340; < .006) and is significantly associated with self-reported weakness (b = 0.221; = .036). This same polymorphism was weakly associated (one-tailed) with an increased risk of mortality (b = 1.091; < .093) and adjustments for GS rendered this association statistically non-significant (b = 1.048; < .361). Overall, our results provide tentative evidence that the gene may be associated with frailty development, but we encourage further studies.
Social scientists have dealt only glancing with potential in-utero determinants of mental health. This study looks at the enduring consequences of gestational exposure to the 1918 flu pandemic for adult depression. It do...Social scientists have dealt only glancing with potential in-utero determinants of mental health. This study looks at the enduring consequences of gestational exposure to the 1918 flu pandemic for adult depression. It does so using data collected in the first wave of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1971-1975), corresponding to when those exposed in-utero were in their early to mid-50s. The results indicate very strong effects of in-utero exposure on depression. These effects are only found, however, among men. The effects are sufficiently large to eliminate sex differences in major depression within a cohort: among those born in 1919, the prevalence of major depression is about 1 in 5 for both men and women. Additional analyses further clarify the relationship, showing effects of in-utero exposure across the full spectrum and syndrome of depressive symptoms. In addition, the effects are stronger for symptoms related to depression than for symptoms related to schizophrenia. Additional analyses show that the effect of exposure is reduced somewhat when adjusting for later socioeconomic disadvantages. In addition, the effect is reduced when controlling for broader dimensions of physical health. Yet neither of these relationships explains the effects of exposure altogether.
Huynh MP, Bradshaw PT, Tana MM
… +2 more, Rachocki C, Somsouk M
Biodemography Soc Biol
· 2020 · PMID 32727275
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In the United States, obesity has increased in prevalence over time and is strongly associated with subsequent outcomes such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is unclear, however,...In the United States, obesity has increased in prevalence over time and is strongly associated with subsequent outcomes such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is unclear, however, as to how the magnitude of NAFLD risk from obesity and DM is increased in safety-net health system settings. Among the San Francisco Health Network (SFHN) patients (N = 47,211), we examined the association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and elevated liver enzyme levels, including interaction by DM status. Our findings revealed that 32.2 percent of SFHN patients were obese, and Pacific Islanders in the safety-net had the highest rates of obesity compared to other racial groups, even after using higher race-specific BMI cutoffs. In SFHN, obesity was associated with elevated liver enzymes, with the relationship stronger among those without DM. Our findings highlight how obesity is a stronger factor of NAFLD in the absence of DM, suggesting that practitioners consider screening for NAFLD among safety-net patients with obesity even if DM has not developed. These results highlight the importance of directing efforts to reduce obesity in safety-net health systems and encourage researchers to further examine effect modification between health outcomes in such populations.