Racial discrimination, educational attainment, and biological dysregulation among midlife African American women

Amani M Allen¹, Marilyn D Thomas², Eli K Michaels³, Alexis N Reeves⁴, Uche Okoye⁵, Melisa M Price⁶, Rebecca E Hasson⁷, S Leonard Syme⁸, David H Chae⁹

Affiliations

¹ Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: anjeter@berkeley.edu.
² Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: Marilyn.thomas@berkeley.edu.
³ Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: elikmichaels@berkley.edu.
⁴ Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: alexisnicolereeves@berkeley.edu.
⁵ Division of Community Health Sciences, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: uchookoye@berkeley.edu.
⁶ Division of Community Health Sciences, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: melisa.price@ucsf.edu.
⁷ Schools of Kinesiology and Public Health, University of Michigan, 2110 Observatory Lodge/1402 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: hassonr@umich.edu.
⁸ Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: slsyme@berkeley.edu.
⁹ Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Human Sciences, Auburn University, 210 Spidle Hall, Auburn, GA, 36849, USA. Electronic address: david.chae@auburn.edu.

PMID: 30286445
PMCID: PMC6289261
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.001

Racial discrimination, educational attainment, and biological dysregulation among midlife African American women

Amani M Allen et al. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019 Jan.

. 2019 Jan:99:225-235.

doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.001. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

Authors

Amani M Allen¹, Marilyn D Thomas², Eli K Michaels³, Alexis N Reeves⁴, Uche Okoye⁵, Melisa M Price⁶, Rebecca E Hasson⁷, S Leonard Syme⁸, David H Chae⁹

Affiliations

¹ Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: anjeter@berkeley.edu.
² Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: Marilyn.thomas@berkeley.edu.
³ Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: elikmichaels@berkley.edu.
⁴ Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: alexisnicolereeves@berkeley.edu.
⁵ Division of Community Health Sciences, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: uchookoye@berkeley.edu.
⁶ Division of Community Health Sciences, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: melisa.price@ucsf.edu.
⁷ Schools of Kinesiology and Public Health, University of Michigan, 2110 Observatory Lodge/1402 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: hassonr@umich.edu.
⁸ Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way #5302, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA. Electronic address: slsyme@berkeley.edu.
⁹ Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Human Sciences, Auburn University, 210 Spidle Hall, Auburn, GA, 36849, USA. Electronic address: david.chae@auburn.edu.

PMID: 30286445
PMCID: PMC6289261
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.001

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between self-reported racial discrimination and allostatic load, and whether the association differs by socioeconomic position.

Methods: We recruited a purposive cross-section of midlife (ages 30-50) African American women residing in four San Francisco Bay area counties (n = 208). Racial discrimination was measured using the Experience of Discrimination scale. Allostatic load was measured as a composite of 15 biomarkers assessing cardiometabolic, neuroendocrine, and inflammatory activity. We calculated four composite measures of allostatic load and three system-specific measures of biological dysregulation. Multivariable regression was used to examine associations, while adjusting for relevant confounders.

Results: In the high education group, reporting low (b = -1.09, P = .02, 95% CI = -1.99, -0.18) and very high (b = -1.88, P = .003, 95% CI = -3.11, -0.65) discrimination was associated with lower allostatic load (reference=moderate). Among those with lower education, reporting low (b = 2.05, P = .008, 95% CI = 0.55,3.56) discrimination was associated with higher allostatic load. Similar but less consistent associations were found for poverty status. Associations were similar for cardiometabolic functioning, but not for neuroendocrine or inflammatory activity.

Conclusions: Racial discrimination may be an important predictor of cumulative physiologic dysregulation. Factors associated with educational attainment may mitigate this association for African American women and other groups experiencing chronic social stress.

Keywords: African American; Allostatic load; Race/ethnicity; Racial discrimination; Socioeconomic position; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of interest: none

Figures

**Figure 1:**
Allostatic load (AL₇₅) by Racial Discrimination and Educational Attainment (n=206), San Francisco Bay Area Note: Reference group is moderate. *p<0.10, **p<0.05, ***p<0.01; HS Diploma=High School Diploma

**Figure 2:**
Linear Regression of Allostatic Load (AL_IQR) and Racial Discrimination by Poverty Level (n=206) Note: Reference group is moderate. FPL is Federal Poverty Line. *p<0.10, **p<0.05, ***p<0.01

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Racial discrimination, educational attainment, and biological dysregulation among midlife African American women

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Racial discrimination, educational attainment, and biological dysregulation among midlife African American women

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