The Association of Multidimensional Sleep Health With HbA1c and Depressive Symptoms in African American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: Sleep is important for diabetes-related health outcomes. Using a multidimensional sleep health framework, we examined the association of individual sleep health dimensions and a composite sleep health score with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and depressive symptoms among African American adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Participants (N = 257; mean age = 62.

Coping With Discrimination Among African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes: Factor Structure and Associations With Diabetes Control, Mental Distress, and Psychosocial Resources.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes undermines diabetes-related health outcomes among African Americans, who have a disproportionately high incidence of the disease. Experiences of discrimination are common among African Americans and compound diabetes-related stress, exacerbating poor health outcomes. Appropriate use of coping strategies may mitigate the detrimental effect of discrimination on diabetes-related outcomes, but examining associations between coping strategies and health outcomes is needed to inform potential interventions.

Psychological distress and self-reported mental disorders: the partially mediating role of coping strategies.

Background And Objectives: Accumulating evidence suggests a substantial prevalence of mental health disorders worldwide and the association between psychological distress and mental disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are underexplored. Using longitudinal data, this study examined coping strategies as a potential mechanism.

Feasibility and Performance of Hemoglobin A1C Self-Testing During COVID-19 Among African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of implementing A1C self-testing at home using the A1CNow® Self Check and to compare the accuracy of the A1CNow to a reference standard in African Americans with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: African American adults with T2D were recruited from 13 different churches (N = 123). Phase 1, conducted during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, examined the feasibility of A1C assessment using the A1CNow performed at home by untrained participants.

Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Culturally Tailored for African Americans: COVID-19-Related Factors Influencing Restart of the TX STRIDE Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this substudy was to determine the most acceptable way to restart the Texas Strength Through Resilience in Diabetes Education (TX STRIDE) study safely using remote technologies. Following the emergence of COVID-19, all in-person TX STRIDE intervention and data collection sessions were paused.

Methods: Qualitative descriptive methods using telephone interviews were conducted during the research pause.

The roles of resilience and belonging in mediating the association between positivity and anxiety among underrepresented college students.

Investigate the association of positivity with generalized anxiety and the mediating roles of resilience and sense of belonging in underrepresented college students. College students ( = 425; 18.4% White, 17.

A Resilience Intervention for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Proof-of-Concept in Community Health Centers.

Background: Given the psychological stress associated with managing type 2 diabetes (T2D), resilience-promoting interventions may particularly benefit populations experiencing high levels of stress (e.g., racial/ethnic minority and lower-income individuals).

Associations of Historical Loss, Resilience, and Coping with Loss-related Emotional Symptoms in the Anishinaabe.

Native Americans have higher rates of mental health symptoms and chronic disease compared to the general population, partly due to historical loss (eg, land, language, culture). Few studies have examined strength-based characteristics that enable Native populations to cope with loss and reduce loss-related emotional symptoms (eg, anxiety, anger). We recruited 81 participants (mean age 47.

Perceived stress, psychological resilience, hair cortisol concentration, and metabolic syndrome severity: A moderated mediation model.

Background: Psychological resilience is considered to protect against detrimental effects of perceived stress on cardiovascular and metabolic health, but few studies have tested biological mechanisms underlying these relationships.

Purpose: This study examined whether psychological resilience moderated the indirect association of perceived stress with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) severity via hair cortisol concentration (HCC), a retrospective index of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity.

Method: Participants included 228 adults (73 White, 86 Hispanic, 69 African American; mean age 45.

Race moderates the association of perceived everyday discrimination and hair cortisol concentration.

The influence of discrimination on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function is considered to be more pronounced for racial minority versus majority groups, although empirical support for this argument is not strong. This study examined whether the association of perceived discrimination was more strongly associated with long-term, retrospective cortisol output (as measured by hair cortisol concentration [HCC]) among African American compared to White adults. Participants included 141 community-dwelling adults (72 White, 69 African American; mean age 45.

The longitudinal association of psychological resources with chronic conditions and the mediating roles of health behaviours and allostatic load.

To investigate the association of psychological resources with the prevalence of chronic conditions up to 10 years later, and the mediating roles of health behaviours and allostatic load. Participants from the study ( = 850) completed surveys and biomarker assessments over the course of 10 years. Primary outcome was the prevalence of chronic conditions later in life, controlling for baseline chronic conditions.

"Our Job is that Whole Gray Zone in Between There": Investigating Genetic Counselors' Strategies for Managing and Communicating Uncertainty.

Ample research suggests that uncertainty is a major concern for individuals undergoing genetic testing and for genetic mutation carriers, and that their management of uncertainty is largely influenced by healthcare providers, including genetic counselors (GCs). Indeed, uncertainty is inherent in genetic testing results. To help patients grapple with uncertainty, GCs need to effectively manage the uncertainty inherent in genetic testing and communicate it appropriately to patients.

Resilience-based Diabetes Self-management Education: Perspectives From African American Participants, Community Leaders, and Healthcare Providers.

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative, focus group study was to further refine the Resilience-based Diabetes Self-management Education (RB-DSME) recruitment process and intervention, build greater trust in the community, and identify strategies to enhance its sustainability as a community-based intervention in African American church settings. Methods Six 2-hour focus groups (N = 55; 10 men and 45 women) were led by a trained moderator with a written guide to facilitate discussion. Two sessions were conducted with individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who participated in previous RB-DSME pilot interventions and their family members, two sessions with local church leaders, and two sessions with community healthcare providers who care for patients with T2DM.

Personal and Environmental Resources Mediate the Positivity-Emotional Dysfunction Relationship.

Objectives: We investigated the relationships among positivity, perceived personal and environmental resources, and emotional dysfunction in adolescent girls. We hypothesized that perceived resources would mediate the relationship between positivity and emotional dysfunction.

Methods: Participants (N = 510) attending an all-girls public school completed a survey assessing emotional dysfunction (depressive symptoms and perceived stress), positivity (positive/negative emotions), and personal/ environmental resources (resilience, hope, percent adaptive coping, community connectedness, social support, and school connectedness).

Hair cortisol concentration and glycated hemoglobin in African American adults.

Background: African Americans have higher diabetes prevalence compared to Whites. They also have elevated cortisol levels - indicating possible HPA axis dysregulation - which may raise blood glucose as part of the biological response to physiological and psychosocial stress. Little is known about chronic cortisol levels in African Americans, and even less about the role of chronically elevated cortisol in type 2 diabetes development in this racial group.

A resilience intervention in African-American adults with type 2 diabetes.

Objectives: To explore the feasibility and outcomes of a resilience-based diabetes self-management education (RB-DSME) program to improve psychological and physiological health in African-American adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: An experimental group (N = 32) received RB-DSME and a comparison group (N = 33) received standard DSME. Psychological and physiological measures were taken at baseline and 6 months.

Culturally tailored diabetes prevention in the workplace: focus group interviews with Hispanic employees.

Purpose: The purpose was to conduct focus groups with Hispanic employees to obtain input into adaptation of previous DSME interventions for use as a workplace diabetes prevention program.

Methods: From a list of interested Hispanic employees who attended a local health fair (n = 68), 36 were randomly selected to participate in focus groups held during supper mealtime breaks. An experienced bilingual moderator directed the sessions, using interview guidelines developed by the research team.

Positivity and indicators of health among African Americans with diabetes.

Objectives: To examine the utility of the positivity ratio to distinguish differences in psychological and physiological health in African Americans with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Study participants (N = 93) were recruited through radio and church announcements and grouped by their positivity ratio.

Results: Multivariate analyses showed flourishing individuals had the highest resilience and lowest depressive symptoms and HbA1c (A1C), whereas depressed individuals recorded the lowest resilience and highest depressive symptoms and A1C.

Relationships Among Positive Emotions, Coping, Resilience and Mental Health.

The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions suggests that positive emotions can widen the range of potential coping strategies that come to mind and subsequently enhance one's resilience against stress. Studies have shown that high stress, especially chronic levels of stress, strongly contributes to the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, researchers have also found that individuals who possess high levels of resilience are protected from stress and thus report lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Pharmacist reporting of serious adverse drug events to the Food and Drug Administration.

Objective: To identify barriers to and facilitators of pharmacist reporting of serious adverse drug events (ADEs) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Method: Two focus groups consisting of practicing pharmacists were held in Austin, TX, in 2009. The following open-ended questions were used in the focus groups: (1) What do you think would make it easier to report serious ADEs to the FDA? (2) What do you think would make it more difficult to report serious ADEs to the FDA? A content analysis was performed on the generated transcripts.

Effect of social influences on pharmacists' intention to report adverse drug events.

Objectives: To identify the groups or individuals that influence pharmacists' decision making to report adverse drug events (ADEs), determine the differences in social influence or subjective norm between intenders and nonintenders, and determine the relationship between subjective norm toward reporting serious ADEs and practice and demographic characteristics.

Design: Nonexperimental cross-sectional study.

Setting: Texas during June and July 2009.

Coping profiles characterize individual flourishing, languishing, and depression.

According to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, negative emotions narrow one's thought-action repertoire. In contrast, positive emotions have a broadening effect, expanding cognitive capacity, increasing potential coping strategies that come to mind, and enhancing decision-making, reaction, and adaptation to adversity. Fredrickson and Losada determined that a positivity ratio - the ratio of experienced positive to negative emotions - at or above 2.

An investigation of exercise and the placebo effect.

Objective: To replicate previous research that concluded exercise affects health via a placebo effect: simply telling workers with physically active jobs that their "work is exercise" improves health.

Method: A convenience sample of university building service workers (n=53) learned "their work is exercise" or about job safety.

Results: Groups demonstrated similar outcomes at 4 and 8 weeks for weight, percent fat, waist circumference, and behavioral measures.

Texas pharmacists' knowledge of reporting serious adverse drug events to the Food and Drug Administration.

Objectives: To assess Texas pharmacists' knowledge of adverse drug event (ADE) reporting to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to determine demographic and practice characteristics associated with this knowledge.

Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Setting: Austin, TX, in June and July 2009.