Postdoc Fellow
National Institute on Aging
Racism-related Stress as a Driver of Inflammation: Evaluating the Influences of Discrimination, Neighborhood Disadvantage, and Coping Behaviors in the HANDLS StudyInflammation is an understudied pathway potentially linking racism-related stress and poor cardiovascular health among Black/African American individuals. Exposure to racism has been associated with elevated inflammation among racial minority groups in past research; however, most studies have been cross-sectional and did not examine different aspects of racism concurrently. Moreover, religion is foundational to the African American community. Limited work has examined whether religious coping behaviors diminish the health detriments associated with racism-related stress. Faith may provide resilience to the effects of chronic stress on cardiovascular health.
The proposed study will utilize participant data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study to test the longitudinal associations between racism-related stressors and inflammation in a sample of 188 middle-aged Black/African American and White adults. Exposure to racism-related stress (interpersonal discrimination, socioeconomic-related pressures, neighborhood disadvantage) and religiosity have been measured through participant self-report. Existing data on neighborhood characteristics are publicly available. Blood serum samples were collected at baseline and at each follow-up visit. We will assess levels of inflammatory proteins across two visits using cytokine assays.
We hypothesize that among White adults, poverty status may contribute to higher inflammatory markers, whereas racism-related stressors (discrimination, neighborhood disadvantage) may drive elevated inflammation among African American adults. However, among African American adults who turn to religious coping, the detrimental health consequences associated with racism will be lessened over time. We do not expect these same effects among White adults.
This study will provide insight into how racism-related stress and religious coping influence the inflammatory process and biological aging.
