Ethnic/racial differences in the association between social support and levels of C‐reactive proteins in the North Texas Heart Study

Abstract

Perceived social support has been reliably related to lower rates of morbidity and mortality. However, studies modeling C-reactive protein (CRP) as an important biological pathway linking social support to health have produced inconsistent results. Given purported ethnic/racial differences in sensitivity to social resources, the present study tested if ethnicity/race moderated the link between perceived support and CRP in a diverse community sample of 300 participants from the North Texas Heart Study. Consistent with prior research, there was no overall link between social support and CRP levels. However, the association between social support and hs-CRP levels was moderated by ethnicity/race as perceived support predicted lower hs-CRP level primarily in African Americans. These results suggest the importance of considering how ethnicity/race may inform models on the complex biological mechanisms linking social support to health.

Recollections of positive early caregiving relate to sympathetic nervous system activation and chronic inflammation in subsequent generations

“…Finally, our sample was comprised of mostly Caucasian mothers (69.2%) and was therefore limited in racial/ethnic diversity. Recent evidence has emerged suggesting possible differences across racial/ethnic groups in patterns of chronic inflammation indexed via CRP, especially in social contexts (i.e., perceived social support predicting lower levels of CRP in African Americans; Uchino et al, ). Future research should consider ethnicity/race when examining CRP in social contexts as there are often significant sociocultural differences across groups, particularly in the family environment.…”

Gender and racial/ethnic differences in sleep duration in the North Texas heart study

“…Similarly, the sample reflected significant income diversity with 12% reporting a household income less than $20,000, 10% above $150,000, and the modal annual household income reported to be $75,000 to $100,000. Detailed demographics are reported elsewhere (19). …”

Source‐specific workplace social support and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein levels among Japanese workers: A 1‐year prospective cohort study

“…Previous studies have shown that CRP predicts an increased risk of coronary heart disease [Danesh et al, ; Danesh et al, ; Buckley et al, ; Kaptoge et al, ]. Some community‐based studies have found an association between high social support and lowering high sensitivity CRP (hs‐CRP) levels [Ford et al, ; Loucks et al, ; Mezuk et al, ; Glei et al, ; Uchino et al, ].…”