Discrimination, affect, and cancer risk factors among African Americans

Adolfo G. Cuevas; Lorraine R. Reitzel; Claire E. Adams; Yumei Cao; Nga Nguyen; David W. Wetter; Kellie L. Watkins; Seann D. Regan; Lorna H. McNeill

doi:10.5993/AJHB.38.1.4

Discrimination, affect, and cancer risk factors among African Americans

Adolfo G. Cuevas, Lorraine R. Reitzel, Claire E. Adams, Yumei Cao, Nga Nguyen, David W. Wetter, Kellie L. Watkins, Seann D. Regan, Lorna H. McNeill

Global Public Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Objectives: To examine whether stress or depressive symptoms mediated associations between perceived discrimination and multiple modifiable behavioral risk factors for cancer among 1363 African American adults. Methods: Nonparametric bootstrapping procedures, adjusted for sociodemographics, were used to assess mediation. Results: Stress and depressive symptoms each mediated associations between discrimination and current smoking, and discrimination and the total number of behavioral risk factors for cancer. Depressive symptoms also mediated the association between discrimination and overweight/obesity (p values < .05). Conclusions: Discrimination may influence certain behavioral risk factors for cancer through heightened levels of stress and depressive symptoms. Interventions to reduce cancer risk may need to address experiences of discrimination, as well as the stress and depression they engender. Copyright (c) PNG Publications. All rights reserved.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	31-41
Number of pages	11
Journal	American Journal of Health Behavior
Volume	38
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.38.1.4
State	Published - Jan 2014

Keywords

Cancer risk factors
Depression
Discrimination
Stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
Social Psychology
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Access to Document

10.5993/AJHB.38.1.4

Cite this

@article{4f0e4f2242644697944f8e25adb8d0b4,

title = "Discrimination, affect, and cancer risk factors among African Americans",

abstract = "Objectives: To examine whether stress or depressive symptoms mediated associations between perceived discrimination and multiple modifiable behavioral risk factors for cancer among 1363 African American adults. Methods: Nonparametric bootstrapping procedures, adjusted for sociodemographics, were used to assess mediation. Results: Stress and depressive symptoms each mediated associations between discrimination and current smoking, and discrimination and the total number of behavioral risk factors for cancer. Depressive symptoms also mediated the association between discrimination and overweight/obesity (p values < .05). Conclusions: Discrimination may influence certain behavioral risk factors for cancer through heightened levels of stress and depressive symptoms. Interventions to reduce cancer risk may need to address experiences of discrimination, as well as the stress and depression they engender. Copyright (c) PNG Publications. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "Cancer risk factors, Depression, Discrimination, Stress",

author = "Cuevas, {Adolfo G.} and Reitzel, {Lorraine R.} and Adams, {Claire E.} and Yumei Cao and Nga Nguyen and Wetter, {David W.} and Watkins, {Kellie L.} and Regan, {Seann D.} and McNeill, {Lorna H.}",

year = "2014",

month = jan,

doi = "10.5993/AJHB.38.1.4",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "38",

pages = "31--41",

journal = "American Journal of Health Behavior",

issn = "1087-3244",

publisher = "PNG Publications",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Discrimination, affect, and cancer risk factors among African Americans

AU - Cuevas, Adolfo G.

AU - Reitzel, Lorraine R.

AU - Adams, Claire E.

AU - Cao, Yumei

AU - Nguyen, Nga

AU - Wetter, David W.

AU - Watkins, Kellie L.

AU - Regan, Seann D.

AU - McNeill, Lorna H.

PY - 2014/1

Y1 - 2014/1

N2 - Objectives: To examine whether stress or depressive symptoms mediated associations between perceived discrimination and multiple modifiable behavioral risk factors for cancer among 1363 African American adults. Methods: Nonparametric bootstrapping procedures, adjusted for sociodemographics, were used to assess mediation. Results: Stress and depressive symptoms each mediated associations between discrimination and current smoking, and discrimination and the total number of behavioral risk factors for cancer. Depressive symptoms also mediated the association between discrimination and overweight/obesity (p values < .05). Conclusions: Discrimination may influence certain behavioral risk factors for cancer through heightened levels of stress and depressive symptoms. Interventions to reduce cancer risk may need to address experiences of discrimination, as well as the stress and depression they engender. Copyright (c) PNG Publications. All rights reserved.

AB - Objectives: To examine whether stress or depressive symptoms mediated associations between perceived discrimination and multiple modifiable behavioral risk factors for cancer among 1363 African American adults. Methods: Nonparametric bootstrapping procedures, adjusted for sociodemographics, were used to assess mediation. Results: Stress and depressive symptoms each mediated associations between discrimination and current smoking, and discrimination and the total number of behavioral risk factors for cancer. Depressive symptoms also mediated the association between discrimination and overweight/obesity (p values < .05). Conclusions: Discrimination may influence certain behavioral risk factors for cancer through heightened levels of stress and depressive symptoms. Interventions to reduce cancer risk may need to address experiences of discrimination, as well as the stress and depression they engender. Copyright (c) PNG Publications. All rights reserved.

KW - Cancer risk factors

KW - Depression

KW - Discrimination

KW - Stress

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888882139&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84888882139&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.5993/AJHB.38.1.4

DO - 10.5993/AJHB.38.1.4

M3 - Article

C2 - 24034678

AN - SCOPUS:84888882139

SN - 1087-3244

VL - 38

SP - 31

EP - 41

JO - American Journal of Health Behavior

JF - American Journal of Health Behavior

IS - 1

ER -

Discrimination, affect, and cancer risk factors among African Americans

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this