ABSTRACT
Marginalized ethnic groups commonly experience discrimination, and these experiences are increasingly linked to adverse health outcomes. Research indicates that the psychosocial stress of discrimination is negatively associated with cardiovascular health. We report a study of the role of U.S. acculturation in this link via an examination of the relation of discrimination with cardiovascular responses to a psychosocial evaluative stressor in a sample of Latino, East Asian, and European American young adults and explored the role of U.S. acculturation and ethnicity in that association. Participants (n = 158, Mage = 20.49, 58% Females, 53.8% Latinos, 14.6% European Americans, 12.7% East Asians) from a larger study on stress reactivity self-reported on experiences of discrimination, U.S. acculturation (rating scale, nativity) and ethnicity. We obtained measures of heart rate variability (HRV), as indexed by root mean-squared successive differences (RMSSD) and high-frequency HRV (HFHRV). Relevant to this study, participants engaged in a 3-minute standing baseline, and then took part in the 5-minute speech task of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Results indicated that discrimination, parental nativity, and quadratic time interacted to influence the RMSSD trajectory during the TSST. Specifically, those reporting higher levels of discrimination and had at least one U.S. born parent exhibited a decrease in RMSSD (? = 0.18, RSE = 0.08, z = 2.30, p = .021, 95%CI [0.03, 0.33]). We also found that during the TSST, East Asians surprisingly exhibited significantly lower HFHRV, as compared with European Americans (? = -233.78, RSE = 86.93, z = -2.69, p = 0.007, 95%CI [-404.17, -63.40]), while Latinos were not significantly different from European Americans in HFHRV (? = -15.00, RSE = 92.99, z = -0.16, p = .872, 95%CI [-197.26, 167.26]). Furthermore, higher discrimination was associated with lower HFHRV (? = -12.68, RSE = 4.20, z = -3.02, p = 0.003, 95%CI [-20.92, -4.45]). Taken together, these findings suggest that perceiving higher levels of discrimination can play a role in the ability to physiologically regulate during stress, and that U.S. acculturation may also contribute. It also suggests the importance of considering ethnicity, as the cardiovascular health of those of various marginalized ethnic groups may be differentially affected. Paper Session 34 - Current state of the art of COVID-19 research Saturday 15:45-16:45.
ABSTRACT
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far-reaching, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. Of particular concern is the impact on individuals experiencing domestic violence (DV), an urgent public health issue. Reports have indicated that certain regions have experienced surges in DV, and it has been speculated that prolonged periods of state-mandated isolation are the source of these surges. The current study utilized publicly available records to examine fluctuations in DV coinciding with COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in a diverse metropolitan county. Data from two major agencies in Orange County, CA (i.e., Anaheim, Santa Ana) specifying police-reported DV assault were extracted from a web-based crime mapping engine. A total of 7,488 assault incidents were extracted from January 1st, 2020 through March 31st, 2021. All incidents were coded for time in weeks to examine the time course of DV among other types of assault, allowing for a longitudinal view of incidents over a 60-week window. Prior to any major lockdown, about 45% and 85% of assaults reported to police were DV-related in Anaheim and Santa Ana, respectively. A changepoint analysis determined whether and when DV assaults changed when mapped with coinciding tightening or loosening of restrictions county-wide. Results indicated that in Anaheim, there was no meaningful change in DV assault rates at any time interval. In Santa Ana, however, rates spiked in the week following the first major lockdown in March 2020, remaining stable at this higher level thereafter. To evaluate this spike in DV assault, a piecewise regression analysis indicated DV assault incidents in Santa Ana increased 7% in the week following the initial lockdown week (b = .07, SE = .03, t = 2.45, p = .01). The slope of the lines before and after the first week of lockdown were not significantly different, confirming that levels of DV assaults remained relatively stable after the initial spike in DV (b =-.0004, SE = .003, t =-1.77, p = .08). Results suggest that reported surges in DV vary between communities, and that systemic issues may set the stage for the surge of an already endemic problem. In under-resourced communities, simultaneous traumas compound risk for both immediate harm and long-term physical and mental health problems.