Purpose in life moderates the relationship between perceived discrimination and cognitive functioning in midlife and older adults.

Objectives: Discrimination is associated with worse cognitive outcomes, but research is urgently needed to identify modifiable psychosocial resources that may buffer the impact of discrimination on cognition. Purpose in life is one such resource associated with positive health outcomes. However, it is unclear whether purpose in life may buffer the relationship between discrimination and cognition among older adults.

Necessary, burdensome, or threatening? Awareness of Black-White disparities in health care access and self-rated health for Black and White Americans.

Awareness of racial health care inequities is one prerequisite to eliminating them. Although extant research has described awareness of racial health care inequities in the United States, the health impacts of such awareness on communities that are most impacted by these inequities remains unknown. Therefore, we examined associations between awareness of Black-White racial health care inequities and self-rated health for Black and White adults in the United States.

The relationship between political efficacy and self-rated health: An analysis of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban subgroups compared to non-Latinx whites in the United States.

Latinx represent a growing population in the United States (US) that continue to experience a disproportionate burden of disease. However, health disparities vary across Latinx subgroups, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban communities, particularly when assessing self-rated health. Given the nature of political exclusion in the US, these differences may be associated with underexplored political factors, or political determinants of health, within the social environment that distinctly shape health among racial and ethnic minorities.

A Latent Class Analysis of Personal Coping Resources and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Latinx Adults.

To identify coping profiles and evaluate their implications for depressive symptoms among Latinx adults. Data come from a community-dwelling sample of Latinx adults ages 45+ in Florida ( = 461). Latent class analysis was used to identify profiles of personal coping resources based on patterns across spirituality (spiritual coping, divine fate), ethnic identity (centrality, connectedness), and personal control (mastery, self-esteem).

Factors Associated with Postpartum Maternal Functioning in Black Women: A Secondary Analysis.

In the United States, 29−44% of Black women experience postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS), yet few are properly identified and/or connected to mental care services. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to examine the relationship between maternal functioning and clinical variables (PDS, maternal−infant attachment), racial variable (Black racial identity types—low race salience, assimilated and miseducated, self-hating, anti-White, multiculturalist, and conflicted), and sociodemographic characteristics (relationship status, education, insurance, childbirth type). A total of 116 women living in the southern United States were included in the analysis.

Intersectional Approaches to Minority Aging Research.

Purpose Of Review: Growing racial/ethnic diversity among America's older adults necessitates additional research specifically focused on health and well-being among aging minoritized populations. Although Black and Latinx adults in the USA tend to face worse health outcomes as they age, substantial evidence points to unexpected health patterns (e.g.

Association between Proximity to Food Sources and Dietary Behaviors in Black and White College Graduates.

Objectives: Unequal access to healthy food environments is often implicated in racial inequities in health and behaviors that are largest among college graduates. The aim of this study was to determine associations between perceived proximity to food sources and dietary behaviors between black and white college graduates.

Methods: In a cross-sectional online survey of dietary behaviors between black and white adults who have a ≥ 4-year bachelor's degree, respondents were asked how long it typically takes for them to get to grocery stores and fast-food restaurants from home.

Loneliness Exacerbates the Association Between Bodily Pain and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Latinx Adults.

To investigate the associations between three bodily pain dimensions (intensity, frequency, severity) and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Latinxs ages 40-94 and to determine whether loneliness conditioned the pain-depressive symptoms associations. Data are from a community-based study of community-dwelling residents in Florida ( = 527). Multivariable linear regression models assessed the impact of each pain dimension on depressive symptoms, controlling for sociodemographic factors.

Perceived Neighborhood Racial Composition and Depressive Symptoms Among Black Americans Across Adulthood: Evaluating the Role of Psychosocial Risks and Resources.

To evaluate the relationships between perceived neighborhood racial composition (PNRC), psychosocial risks and resources, and depressive symptoms among young (ages 22-35), middle-aged (ages 36-49), and older (ages 50+) Black Americans. Full sample and age-stratified linear regression models estimated the PNRC-depressive symptoms association and the extent to which it persisted after accounting for psychosocial risks (i.e.

Are Distressed Black Women Also Depressed? Implications for a Mental Health Paradox.

Purpose: Recent research suggests the determinants of and links between psychological distress and psychiatric disorder are distinct among Black Americans. Yet, these associations have not been explored among Black women, despite the unique social experiences, risks, and mental health patterns they face. The present study assessed the sociodemographic and psychosocial determinants of distress and disorder and evaluated the distress-disorder association, including whether it was conditional on sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics among Black women.

Discrimination, Racial Identity, and Hypertension Among Black Americans Across Young, Middle, and Older Adulthood.

Objectives: Substantial evidence documents the protective role of racial identity-or the meaning and significance that individuals attribute to race-among Black Americans, yet the impact of racial identity on physical health outcomes beyond young adulthood is unclear. To clarify the extent to which racial identity remains influential for physical health across the life course, this study investigated (a) the direct associations between discrimination, racial identity, and hypertension, (b) whether racial identity buffered the negative effects of discrimination, and (c) the extent to which these patterns varied among young (21-35), middle-aged (36-49), and older (>50) Black adults.

Methods: Data from the Nashville Stress and Health Study (N = 627) were used to examine two identity dimensions: "racial centrality" (i.

Correlates of Elevated C-Reactive Protein Among Black Older Adults: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study.

Objectives: Substantial evidence documents gender and racial disparities in C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of systemic inflammation, among older adults. Yet, the comparative approaches of these studies may obscure distinct risk and protective factors associated with elevated CRP among older Black Americans. To pinpoint opportunities for intervention, this study utilizes a "within-group approach" to identify the sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and health-related correlates of elevated CRP among older Black women and men.

Racial/ethnic differences in social support and health among Asian American and non-Hispanic White midlife women: Results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

Objective: Although prior research suggests Asian Americans experience physical health advantages relative to other racial/ethnic groups, increasing evidence points to health inequalities within Asian American subgroups. Disparities are especially pronounced among middle-aged Asian American women, who remain an understudied population, despite studies showing that midlife corresponds with distinct social stressors and changes in the availability of protective resources, such as social support. Thus, the purpose of the study was to examine racial/ethnic differences in social support and self-rated health (SRH) among middle-aged women.

Early Life Racial Discrimination, Racial Centrality, and Allostatic Load Among African American Older Adults.

Background And Objectives: Prior research documents accelerated physiological aging among African Americans due to their greater lifetime exposure to social and economic adversity. Yet, less is known about the mechanisms through which early life stressors, such as early life racial discrimination (ELRD), and later life psychosocial resources, such as racial centrality (i.e.

Lifetime Major Discrimination Experiences Moderate the Impact of Depressive Symptoms on Chronic Conditions among Black Americans.

To clarify the ways in which Black Americans' experiences of structural racism may influence their mental and physical health in distinct ways, the present study evaluated whether major discrimination moderates the association between depressive symptoms and chronic physical health conditions among this population. -tests and chi-squared tests of significance were used to determine significant differences between women and men. The association between major discrimination and depressive symptoms was examined by assessing mean depressive symptoms scores across levels of major discrimination.

What Are the Relationships between Psychosocial Community Characteristics and Dietary Behaviors in a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Urban Population in Los Angeles County?

To address existing gaps in public health practice, we used data from a 2014 internet panel survey of 954 Los Angeles County adults to investigate the relationships between psychosocial community characteristics (PCCs) and two key chronic disease-related dietary behaviors: fruit and vegetable (F+V) and soda consumption. Negative binomial regression models estimated the associations between 'neighborhood risks and resources' and 'sense of community' factors for each dietary outcome of interest. While high perceived neighborhood violence ( < 0.

Do Racial Differences in Coping Resources Explain the Black-White Paradox in Mental Health? A Test of Multiple Mechanisms.

A central paradox in the mental health literature is the tendency for black Americans to report similar or better mental health than white Americans despite experiencing greater stress exposure. However, black Americans' higher levels of certain coping resources may explain this finding. Using data from the Nashville Stress and Health Study (n = 1,186), we examine whether black Americans have higher levels of self-esteem, social support, religious attendance, and divine control than white Americans and whether these resources, in turn, explain the black-white paradox in mental health.

Familial Financial Assistance and Body Mass Index in Black College Graduates.

Racial disparities in obesity are larger between Black and White college graduates compared to disparities among those who did not complete high school. A possible explanation is that Black adults with higher socioeconomic status (SES) experience unique obesogenic determinants. Black adults who have completed a 4-year college degree can report "uplift stress" from providing financial assistance to family members.

Household Composition, Income, and Body Mass Index Among Adults by Race/Ethnicity and Sex.

Objective: Disparities in obesity highlight the need for an examination of determinants that may be uniquely experienced by race and sex. An understudied factor is household composition with the potential for variation in its obesogenic impacts. This study examines the association between household composition and body mass index (BMI) among Black, Hispanic, and White adults and determines whether income moderates these associations.

Is John Henryism a Health Risk or Resource?: Exploring the Role of Culturally Relevant Coping for Physical and Mental Health among Black Americans.

Research shows that John Henryism, a high-effort, active coping style, is associated with poor physical health, whereas others suggest it may be psychologically beneficial. As such, it is unclear whether John Henryism represents a health risk or resource for black Americans and whether its impact varies across sociodemographic and gender groups. The present study used data from a representative community sample of black Americans (n = 627) from the Nashville Stress and Health Study (2011-2014) to clarify the physical and mental health consequences of John Henryism by assessing its relationship with depressive symptoms and allostatic load (AL).

Race, Lifetime SES, and Allostatic Load Among Older Adults.

Background: Prior research demonstrates that Black Americans receive fewer health benefits at high levels of socioeconomic status (SES) relative to Whites. Yet, few studies have considered the role of lifetime SES (ie, changes in SES from childhood to adulthood) in shaping these patterns among older adults. This study investigates the extent to which racial disparities in allostatic load (AL), an indicator of accelerated physiological aging, vary across levels of lifetime SES among Black and White adults aged 50 and older.

Does Early Life Racial Discrimination Explain a Mental Health Paradox among Black Adults?

To evaluate the impact of early life racial discrimination (ELRD) on mental health among Black adults. Data were from the Nashville Stress and Health Study ( = 618). Ordinary least squares regression models examined the relationship between ELRD and adult psychological distress; logistic regression estimated the probability of past-year major depressive disorder (MDD).

Is the Black-White mental health paradox consistent across age, gender, and psychiatric disorders?

Objectives: The Black-White mental health epidemiological paradox (i.e. Black Americans' lower or similar rates of mental disorder relative to Whites) characterizes the literature on race and mental health.

Psychological distress, social context, and gender patterns in obesity among a multiethnic sample of U.S. college students.

The growing prevalence of obesity among college students is a major public health issue, as over one-third are overweight or obese. This study used gender-stratified multivariate analyses to examine psychological distress and social contextual factors as key determinants of obesity. Students of a large public university in Southern California (N = 2392).

Varying levels of depressive symptoms and lifestyle health behaviors in a low income, urban population.

This study examined the relationships between varying levels of depressive symptoms and key dietary indicators of chronic disease risk, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and fruit and vegetable (F + V) consumption, among a racially/ethnically diverse urban population in Los Angeles County (LAC). Analyses were carried out using data from a 2012 cross-sectional health survey of 1401 low-income public health center clients. Participants with a high level of depressive symptoms consumed 30% more SSBs (IRR = 1.