Relationships among Neighborhood Environment, Racial Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and Preterm Birth in African American Women

Giurgescu, Carmen; Zenk, Shannon N.; Dancy, Barbara L.; Park, Chang Gyu; Dieber, William; Block, Richard

doi:10.1111/j.1552-6909.2012.01409.x

Cited by 102 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…14, 22 Race was considered because previous research has shown that reproductive hormone metabolism and perceived stress vary by race. 23, 24 At the end of the follow-up period, total percent body fat was measured using duel energy X-ray absorptiometry scans.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Stress, Reproductive Hormones, and Ovulatory Function

et al. 2015

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Background Stress has been shown to suppress ovulation in experimental models, but its effect on human reproduction at the population level is unclear. Methods Healthy women (n=259), aged 18–44 years from Western New York, were followed for two menstrual cycles (2005–2007). Women completed daily perceived stress assessments, a 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) up to four times each cycle, and a 14-item PSS at baseline. Mixed model analyses were used to assess effects of stress on log reproductive hormone concentrations and sporadic anovulation. Results High versus low daily stress was associated with lower estradiol (-9.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI)= -15.6% to -3.0%), free estradiol (-10.4% [-16.5% to -3.9%]), and LH (-14.8% = [-21.3% to -7.7%]), and higher FSH (6.2% [2.0% to 10.5%]) after adjusting for age, race, percent body fat, depression score, and time-varying hormones and vigorous exercise. High versus low daily stress was also associated with lower luteal progesterone (-10.4% [-19.7% to -0.10%]) and higher odds of anovulation (adjusted OR = 2.2 [95% CI=1.0 to 4.7]). For each unit increase in daily stress level, women had a 70% higher odds of an anovulatory episode (OR=1.7 [1.1 to 2.4]). Similar but attenuated results were found for the association between the PSS-4 and reproductive hormones, while null findings were found for the baseline PSS. Conclusion Daily perceived stress does appear to interfere with menstrual cycle function among women with no known reproductive disorders, warranting further research to explore potential population-level impacts and causal biologic mechanisms.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Stress, Reproductive Hormones, and Ovulatory Function

et al. 2015

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“…Second, in a smaller but racially homogeneous study of 72 AA women, Giurgescu et al also reported no statistically significant association between perceptions of neighborhood social disorder or crime and PTD rates. 8 While these two studies suggest that perceptions of residential environment may have no influence on PTD among AA women, neither study examined effect modification by sociodemographic characteristics, such as educational attainment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…5,6 Two studies with data on AAwomen have examined the impact of perceptions of the residential environment on PTD rates, and found associations that were non-significant (though in the expected direction). 7,8 First, in a cohort of 1898 pregnant AA and White women, Dole and colleagues reported a 40 % increase in PTD rates for White women who perceived their neighborhoods as unsafe, compared to those who perceived their neighborhood as safe. 7 However, when their analyses were restricted to AA women, there was no increase in PTD rates comparing women who reported unsafe versus safe neighborhoods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood Context and Preterm Delivery among African American Women: the Mediating Role of Psychosocial Factors

et al. 2016

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Preterm delivery (PTD), or birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation, is a serious public health issue, and racial disparities persist. In a recently published study, perceptions of the residential environment (or neighborhood context) were associated with PTD rates among urban African American women with low educational attainment (≤12 years); however, the mechanisms of these associations are unknown. Given this gap in the literature, we used data from the Life Influences on Fetal Environments Study of postpartum African American women from Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan (2009Michigan ( -2011 n = 399), to examine whether psychosocial factors (depressive symptomology, psychological distress, and perceived stress) mediate associations between perceptions of the neighborhood context and PTD. Validated scales were used to measure women's perceptions of their neighborhood safety, walkability, healthy food availability (higher=better), and social disorder (higher=more disorder). The psychosocial indicators were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale (K6), and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale. Statistical mediation was assessed using an unadjusted logistic regression-based path analysis for estimating direct and indirect effects. The associations between perceived walkability, food availability, and social disorder were not mediated by psychosocial factors. However, perceptions of neighborhood safety were inversely associated with depressive symptoms which were positively associated with PTD rates. Also, higher perceived neighborhood social disorder was associated with higher PTD rates, net of the indirect paths through psychosocial factors. Future research should identify other mechanisms of the perceived neighborhood context-PTD associations, which would inform PTD prevention efforts among high-risk groups.

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“…Evidence of concurrent validity has had acceptable correlations ranging from 0.52–0.80 (Dupuy, 1984). The PGWBI has been used with good reliability with pregnant and postpartum women, including African American women (Giurgescu, Zenk, Dancy, Park, Dieber, & Block, 2012; Giurgescu et al, 2013). In the current study Cronbach’s alpha for the PGWBI was 0.94.…”

Section: Study Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Church Member Support Benefits Psychological Well-Being of Pregnant African American Women

Giurgescu

Murn

2016

Journal of Christian Nursing

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Depression during pregnancy is common, and pregnant African American (AA) women are more likely to experience depressive symptoms compared with pregnant non-Hispanic white women. This study explored AA women’s experience of church attendance, church member support, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being at 15–25 weeks’ gestation. Nurses need to be aware of the importance of church support and encourage clergy and church members to be supportive of pregnant women.

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Relationships among Neighborhood Environment, Racial Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and Preterm Birth in African American Women

Cited by 102 publications

References 40 publications

Perceived Stress, Reproductive Hormones, and Ovulatory Function

Perceived Stress, Reproductive Hormones, and Ovulatory Function

Neighborhood Context and Preterm Delivery among African American Women: the Mediating Role of Psychosocial Factors

Church Member Support Benefits Psychological Well-Being of Pregnant African American Women

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