Epidemiology
Sharon Cobb; Shervin Assari
Abstract
AbstractBackground and aims: According to the sponge hypothesis, compared to men’s self-rated health (SRH),women’s SRH is more likely to reflect conditions other than chronic medical conditions (CMCs) suchas psychiatric disorders (PDs). As a result, poor SRH is a weaker predictive factor ...
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AbstractBackground and aims: According to the sponge hypothesis, compared to men’s self-rated health (SRH),women’s SRH is more likely to reflect conditions other than chronic medical conditions (CMCs) suchas psychiatric disorders (PDs). As a result, poor SRH is a weaker predictive factor for mortality risk forwomen than men. Most of this literature, however, is done in samples that are predominantly middleclassWhite. To test the sponge hypothesis among economically disadvantaged African Americans(AAs), this study compared low-income AA men and women for the effects of the number of PDs andCMCs on SRH.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a non-random sample (n = 150) ofeconomically disadvantaged AA adults with PD(s). Structured face-to-face interviews were used tocollect data. SRH was measured using a single-item measure. PDs and CMCs were also self-reported.We applied linear regression models to test the interactions between SRH and the number of PDs andCMC as well as gender.Results: The number of PDs and CMCs were associated with SRH in the pooled sample of low-incomeAA adults with PD(s). However, we found a significant interaction between the number of PDs andgender. This interaction suggested a stronger association between PDs and SRH for AA women thanAA men. Gender did not alter the association between the number of CMCs and SRH.Conclusion: The number of PDs is a determinant of SRH for low-income AA women but not AA men,supporting the sponge hypothesis.
Shervin Assari
Abstract
Background and aims: As suggested by the Minorities’ Diminished Return Theory, the associationbetween socioeconomic status and health is weaker for racial and ethnic minorities compared toWhites. The current study compared Blacks and Whites in terms of the association between maritalstatus and ...
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Background and aims: As suggested by the Minorities’ Diminished Return Theory, the associationbetween socioeconomic status and health is weaker for racial and ethnic minorities compared toWhites. The current study compared Blacks and Whites in terms of the association between maritalstatus and physical health.Methods: The State of the State Survey (SOSS) included 881 adults (92 Blacks and 782 Whites)generalizable to the state of Michigan, the United States. The marital status and self-rated physical health(SRPH), which was measured using a single item, were considered as independent and dependentvariables, respectively. In addition, age, gender, education, and employment were covariates and race/ethnicity was regarded as the moderating factor. Finally, logistic regression was used for data analysis.Results: Based on the results, being married was associated with better SRPH, which is the netconsidered by all confounders. A significant interaction was found between race and marital status onSRPH, suggesting a larger association for Blacks compared to Whites. In race stratified models, maritalstatus was related to better SRPH for Whites and Blacks, but the magnitude of this link was larger forBlacks compared to Whites.Conclusion: Overall, marital status was differently linked to SRPM for Whites and Blacks. Accordingly,policymakers should be cautious while not assuming that diverse racial and ethnic groups with similareconomic resources have similar health status.
Shervin Assari
Abstract
Background and aims: Exposure and vulnerability to racial discrimination is not solely a function ofrace but the intersection of race and gender, with Black men experiencing more discrimination thanBlack women. This phenomenon is explained by the subordinate male target hypothesis, suggestingthat majority ...
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Background and aims: Exposure and vulnerability to racial discrimination is not solely a function ofrace but the intersection of race and gender, with Black men experiencing more discrimination thanBlack women. This phenomenon is explained by the subordinate male target hypothesis, suggestingthat majority men specifically target men of color. If that is the case, implicit bias would be mostcommon among the majority men. The current cross-sectional study investigated race by genderdifferences in implicit bias against Blacks.Methods: Data came from Harvard University’s Project Implicit, an online survey, conducted during2006-2016. Data included 444 422 implicit association tests (IATs) which were taken by Blacks(n=56 384) and Whites (n=388 038). Using IAT, the dependent variable was implicit bias againstBlacks. Independent variables were race, gender, and age. Using SPSS, linear regressions were utilizedto test the additive and multiplicative effects of race and gender on implicit bias against Blacks.Results: Race (b = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.38-0.39) and gender (b = 0.05; 95% CI = 0.05-0.05) wereassociated with IAT score suggesting higher implicit bias against Blacks among Whites and men. Asignificant interaction was found between race and gender (b = 0.05; 95% CI = 0.04-0.07), suggestingthe highest level of implicit bias against Blacks among White men.Conclusion: It is not solely race and gender but their intersection that shapes social distribution ofimplicit bias against Blacks. This finding extends the previous literature showing that not solely race orgender but their intersection influences exposure to discrimination.
Epidemiology
Shervin Assari; Maryam Moghani Lankarani
Abstract
Background and aims: The aim of this study was to explore ethnic differences in demographic and socioeconomic determinants of poor physical and mental self-rated health (SRH) in the United States. Methods: We used data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES) 2001- 2003, which included ...
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Background and aims: The aim of this study was to explore ethnic differences in demographic and socioeconomic determinants of poor physical and mental self-rated health (SRH) in the United States. Methods: We used data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES) 2001- 2003, which included a national household probability sample of 18237 individuals including 520 Vietnamese, 508 Filipino, 600 Chinese, 656 other Asian, 577 Cuban, 495 Puerto Rican, 1442 Mexican, 1106 other Hispanic, 4746 African American, and 7587 non-Latino Whites. Demographic factors (age and gender), socioeconomic factors (education and income), body mass index (BMI), and physical and mental SRH were measured. Pearson correlation was used to explore correlates of physical and mental SRH across ethnic groups. Results: While age was positively associated with poor physical SRH, ethnic groups differed in the effect of age on mental SRH. Age was positively associated with mental SRH among Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and African American individuals, but this was not so for other Asians, Mexicans, other Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites. Chinese and Cubans were the only groups where female gender was associated with poor physical and mental SRH. With other Asians being an exception, education and income were protective against poor physical and mental SRH in all ethnic groups. Ethnic groups also differed in how their mental and physical SRH reflect BMI. Conclusion: Demographic and socioeconomic determinants of physical and mental SRH vary across ethnic groups. Poor physical and mental SRH are differently shaped by social determinants across ethnic groups. These ethnic differences may cause bias in health measurement in ethnically diverse populations.