Differential effects of perceived discrimination on the diurnal cortisol rhythm of African Americans and Whites

Fuller‐Rowell, Thomas E.; Doan, Stacey N.; Eccles, Jacquelynne S.

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.05.011

Cited by 117 publications

(118 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Last, the results demonstrate a significant association between perceived discrimination and allostatic load. This finding is consistent with the idea that discrimination can be a chronic social-environment stressor that over time has a detrimental impact on physiological systems (Fuller-Rowell et al, 2012;Mays et al, 2007;Williams & Mohammed, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Poverty and Health

2012

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Social-class discrimination is evident in many societies around the world, but little is known about its impact on the poor or its role as an explanatory variable in the link between socioeconomic status and health. The current study tested the extent to which perceived discrimination explains socioeconomic gradients in physical health. Participants were 252 adolescents (51% male, 49% female; mean age = 17.51 years, SD = 1.03 years) who participated in Wave 3 of an ongoing longitudinal study focusing on the developmental consequences of rural poverty. Physical health was operationalized as allostatic load, a measure of cumulative wear and tear on the body caused by overactivation of physiological systems that respond to stress. Mediation analyses suggested that 13% of the effect of poverty on allostatic load is explained by perceived discrimination. The findings suggest that social-class discrimination is one important mechanism behind the influence of poverty on physical health.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Poverty and Health

2012

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“…Recent findings from the HELIUS study suggest that, for example, while PED is related to elevated WC in South-Asian Surinamese participants, Moroccans tend to respond to PED with reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, rather than increased adiposity (UZ Ikram, MB Snijder, C Agyemang, et al Forthcoming 2016). In an American sample, perceived discrimination was associated with weaker diurnal cortisol rhythms in white Americans, but stronger diurnal rhythms among African-Americans 41. Such differences in physiological responses might potentially be attributable to epigenetic regulations (eg, fetal programming),42 and life course stress, as a response to environmental stressors in the countries of origin and the host country 43.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Association of perceived ethnic discrimination with general and abdominal obesity in ethnic minority groups: the HELIUS study

Schmengler

Ikram

Snijder

et al. 2016

J Epidemiol Community Health

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“…Thus, the noted associations between history of childhood abuse and cortisol levels may be attributable to other trauma exposures or stressors that covary with exposures to childhood abuse. Alternative explanations, such as exposure to discrimination, which has previously been linked to increased HPA axis activity among African-Americans,37 and other psychosocial risk factors should be considered in the future. Second, as is commonly found in the literature,38 there was considerable overlap between the different types of abuse.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood abuse is associated with increased hair cortisol levels among urban pregnant women

Schreier

Enlow

Ritz

et al. 2015

J Epidemiol Community Health

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Background Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity is known to be altered following events such as childhood abuse. However, despite potential adverse consequences for the offspring of women who have experienced abuse, very little is known about altered HPA axis activity during pregnancy. Methods During pregnancy, 180 women from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds reported on their exposure to emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse before the age of 11, and general post-traumatic stress symptoms (ie, not limited to childhood years or abuse experiences). Around delivery, they provided hair samples for the assessment of cortisol levels during pregnancy. Hair cortisol was assessed for each pregnancy trimester. The effect of childhood abuse on hair cortisol was assessed using mixed-effects analyses of covariance models allowing for within-subject correlated observations, and were first performed in the entire sample and subsequently stratified by race/ethnicity. Results Controlling for post-traumatic stress symptoms, hair cortisol levels varied by history of child abuse, F(2,166)=3.66, p=0.028. Childhood physical and/or sexual abuse was associated with greater hair cortisol levels, t(166)=2.65, p=0.009, compared with no history of abuse. Because childhood rates of abuse and hair cortisol levels varied by race/ethnicity, analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity. The associations between history of abuse and cortisol levels were only significant among black women, F(2,23)=5.37, p=0.012. Conclusions Childhood abuse, especially physical and/or sexual abuse, is associated with differences in cortisol production during pregnancy, particularly among black women. Future research should investigate how these differences impact physical and mental health outcomes among offspring of affected women.

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Differential effects of perceived discrimination on the diurnal cortisol rhythm of African Americans and Whites

Cited by 117 publications

References 62 publications

Poverty and Health

Poverty and Health

Association of perceived ethnic discrimination with general and abdominal obesity in ethnic minority groups: the HELIUS study

Childhood abuse is associated with increased hair cortisol levels among urban pregnant women

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