Natural menopause timing and menopause symptoms among lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual women in the Nurses' Health Study II.

Objective: This study aimed to examine sexual orientation differences in natural menopause timing and symptoms between lesbian and bisexual women compared with heterosexual women.

Methods: We used longitudinal questionnaire data (1989-2015) from 92,314 women (858 lesbian, 375 bisexual) in the Nurses' Health Study II cohort. Women were 24-44 yr old at baseline and biennially reported their menopause status, including reasons for cessation of menstrual periods.

Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement.

Background: African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular diseases, potentially due to altered central hemodynamics. Racism and sexism often lead to African American women taking on numerous caretaking roles and overall increases their use of the Strong Black Woman (ie, Superwoman) mindset, which may have negative health consequences. We hypothesized that endorsing the Superwoman role and its Obligation to Help Others dimension would be associated with a deleterious central hemodynamics profile in African American women.

Does stress from incarceration of family and friends contribute to signs of early vascular ageing in African American women?

Background: Early vascular ageing (EVA) contributes to elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which disproportionately affects African American women. Incarceration, an event disproportionately impacting African Americans, may be a stressor contributing to EVA in African American women. Further, the subjective perspective, commonly referred to as appraisal, of incarceration may also be important for health.

Historical Redlining and Heart Failure Outcomes Following Hospitalization in the Southeastern United States.

Background: Historical redlining, a discriminatory lending practice, is an understudied component of the patient risk environment following hospital discharge. We investigated associations between redlining, patient race, and outcomes following heart failure hospitalization.

Methods And Results: We followed a hospital-based cohort of Black and White patients using electronic medical records for acute heart failure hospitalizations between 2010 and 2018 (n=6800).

Financial responsibility, financial context, and ambulatory blood pressure in early middle-aged African-American women.

Background: African-American women have excess rates of elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension compared to women of all other racial/ethnic backgrounds. Several researchers have speculated that race and gender-related socioeconomic status (SES) stressors might play a role.

Objective: To examine the association between a novel SES-related stressor highly salient among African-American women, financial responsibility for one's household, and 48-h ambulatory BP.

The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women.

Objectives: Similar to women overall, Black women are socialized to be communal and "self-sacrificing," but unlike women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black women are also socialized to be "strong" and "invulnerable." This phenomenon is labeled Superwoman schema. This study examined associations between Superwoman schema endorsement and subjective sleep quality.

Perceived stress and progression of cardiometabolic risk factors among South Asians with prediabetes in a lifestyle intervention trial.

Aims: To examine associations between perceived stress and cardiometabolic risk factors in South Asians with prediabetes and assess whether a diabetes prevention program mitigates the impact of stress on cardiometabolic health.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Diabetes Community Lifestyle Improvement Program, a lifestyle modification trial for diabetes prevention in India (n = 564). Indicators for cardiometabolic health (weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, HbA1c, and lipids) were measured at each visit while perceived stress was assessed via questionnaire at baseline.

Social and economic factors and black-white disparities in cardiovascular health: A decomposition analysis.

Background: Cardiovascular health (CVH) in Black adults, and particularly in Black women, has lagged behind White adults for decades and contributes to higher mortality rates for Black adults. We quantified the contribution of five social and economic factors to observed racial disparities in CVH by gender.

Methods: We analyzed data from N = 8,019 adults aged ≥20 years free of cardiovascular disease assessed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2018.

Racism-Related Experiences and Adiposity: Findings From the Black Women's Experiences Living With Lupus (BeWELL) Study.

Introduction: Studies suggest that higher rates of excess adiposity in Black women may in part be driven by experiences of racism. Racial microaggressions, which include unintentional and subtle slights and insults, and responses to racism such as racism-related vigilance, may contribute to adiposity in this population. This study examined these understudied racism-related facets as well as interpersonal racial discrimination in relation to adiposity in a cohort of Black women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Race-specific associations between psychological distress and obesity: the role of social cohesion.

Objective: Nearly two-thirds of Black women in the US are obese. Studies have focused more on lifestyle and behavioral factors to explain racial disparities; less research has examined psychosocial factors such as psychological distress and social cohesion. While research suggests that social cohesion may confer benefits for health, no studies have assessed how social cohesion is related to both mental health and obesity, and potential racial differences.

Temporal relationships between device-derived sedentary behavior, physical activity, and sleep in early childhood.

Study Objectives: Understanding the ideal composition of a child's day requires a better understanding of the relations between wake behaviors (sedentary behavior [SB], physical activity [PA]) and sleep. Here, we examine between- and within-person temporal associations between daytime wake behaviors and overnight sleep in early childhood, an important age when healthy behaviors are initiated and 24-hour behaviors are largely determined by caregivers.

Methods: Daily, repeated measures of wake behavior and overnight sleep were assessed via wrist-worn actigraphy (mean = 9 days/nights) in 240 children (50.