Minority Health and Health Equity Archive

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21769

Welcome to the Minority Health and Health Equity Archive (MHHEA), an electronic archive for digital resource materials in the fields of minority health and health disparities research and policy. It is offered as a no-charge resource to the public, academic scholars and health science researchers interested in the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.allostatic load

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Racial/ethnic disparities in all-cause mortality in U.S. adults: the effect of allostatic load.
    (2010) Borrell, Luisa N; Dallo, Florence J; Nguyen, Norma
    The allostatic score increased the risk of all-cause mortality. Moreover, this increased risk was observed for adults younger than 65 years of age regardless of their race/ethnicity. Thus, allostatic score may be a contributor to premature death in the U.S.
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    “Weathering” and Age Patterns of Allostatic Load Scores Among Blacks and Whites in the United States
    (2006) Geronimus, Arline T.; Hicken, Margaret; Keene, Danya; Bound, John
    Abstract available at publisher's website.
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    Biomarkers of Psychological Stress in Health Disparities Research
    (2008) Djuric, Zora; Bird, Chloe E.; Furumoto-Dawson, Alice; Rauscher, Garth H.; Ruffin IV, Mack T.; Stowe, Raymond P.; Tucker, Katherine L.; Masi, Christopher M.
    Abstract available at publisher's web site.
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    The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults: challenges and opportunities
    (2010) Tucker, Katherine L; Mattei, Josiemer; Noel, Sabrina E; Collado, Bridgette M; Mendez, Jackie; Nelson, Jason; Griffith, John; Ordovas, Jose M; Falcon, Luis M
    BACKGROUND: The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study designed to examine the role of psychosocial stress on presence and development of allostatic load and health outcomes in Puerto Ricans, and potential modification by nutritional status, genetic variation, and social support. METHODS: Self-identified Puerto Ricans, aged 45-75 years and residing in the Boston, MA metro area, were recruited through door-to-door enumeration and community approaches. Participants completed a comprehensive set of questionnaires and tests. Blood, urine and salivary samples were extracted for biomarker and genetic analysis. Measurements are repeated at a two-year follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 1500 eligible participants completed baseline measurements, with nearly 80% two-year follow-up retention. The majority of the cohort is female (70%), and many have less than 8th grade education (48%), and fall below the poverty level (59%). Baseline prevalence of health conditions is high for this age range: considerable physical (26%) and cognitive (7%) impairment, obesity (57%), type 2 diabetes (40%), hypertension (69%), arthritis (50%) and depressive symptomatology (60%). CONCLUSIONS: The enrollment of minority groups presents unique challenges. This report highlights approaches to working with difficult to reach populations, and describes some of the health issues and needs of Puerto Rican older adults. These results may inform future studies and interventions aiming to improve the health of this and similar communities.
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    Allostatic load and health disparities: A theoretical orientation
    (2005) Carlson, E.D.; Chamberlain, R.M.
    Eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities requires restructuring the biomedical models that have focused on the individual as the level of analysis and emphasized the parts rather than the whole. A recently developed understanding of human physiology and adaptive regulation, constructs of allostasis and allostatic load, provides a theoretical orientation that needs to be explored. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present an orientation of allostasis and allostatic load as a theoretical framework for exploring health disparities. This article will (a) present a general background on the evolution of relevant physiologic theories, (b) offer the general theoretical definitions and explanations of allostasis, allostatic load, and mediation processes, (c) examine empirical evidence for the constructs, and (d) discuss the implications of this orientation for health disparities research.
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    Allostasis and allostatic load: expanding the discourse on stress and cardiovascular disease
    (2008) Logan, Jeongok G; Barksdale, Debra J
    Aim. The aim of this discursive paper is to introduce allostasis and allostatic load, which are relatively new concepts proposed to explain physiological responses to stress, and to suggest ways in which allostasis theory can be applied to the development of clinical interventions to increase resilience for producing better health outcome. Background. Common explanations of stress have failed adequately to explicate its association with health and chronic illness. Allostasis is the extension of the concept of homeostasis and represents the adaptation process of the complex physiological system to physical, psychosocial and environmental challenges or stress. Allostatic load is the long-term result of failed adaptation or allostasis, resulting in pathology and chronic illness. Discussion. The concepts of allostasis and allostatic load introduced the idea that external challenges initiate allostasis and chronic stress causes allostatic load that can be measured with multiple biomarkers. Finding from several studies suggests that higher allostatic load is associated with worse health outcomes. Resilience represents successful allostasis and strategies can be implemented to enhance resilience and thereby improve health outcomes. Conclusions. This theoretical model provides a comprehensive explanation of the human body’s adaptation processes in response to stress and the results of failed adaptation over time. In addition, combining the concepts of allostasis and resilience may help us to understand and implement clinical strategies better to reduce or prevent the debilitating physiological and psychological effects of chronic stress and chronic illness. Relevance to clinical practice. Clinical practice should be based on a solid theoretical foundation to improve health outcomes. Strategies to manage stress and increase resilience along with clinical interventions to manage the physiological responses to chronic stress are necessary to assist in preventing and controlling the detrimental effects of chronic disease on human life.