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Presentation
Mediating factors of perceived discrimination: physiological and affective markers.
Society for Personality and Social Psychology (2014)
  • Kymberlee M. O'Brien, University of Massachusetts Boston
  • Edward Tronick, University of Massachusetts Boston
  • Celia L. Moore, University of Massachusetts Boston
Abstract
Early life adversity influences later health and may be mediated by psychosocial, affective, and physiological stress and immune factors. We report evidence from MIDUS biomarker project (N = 845, age 34-84, M = 55.09, SD = 11.70) confirming the predicted relationship between early adversity and frequency of diagnosed chronic illnesses (M = 2.8, SD =1.2). Specific psychosocial and physiological variables were tested as mediators. Lifetime (M = .95, SD = 1.5) and daily (M = 12.8, SD = 1.2) discrimination, urinary cortisol (M = 1.1, SD = 1.2 ug/dL), IL-6 (M =2.8, SD = 2.8 pg/mL) (all ps<.001), and affect solidarity (M = 3.4, SD = .29; p<.05) all mediated the observed relationship. Higher discrimination and IL-6 and lower uCORT were associated with greater chronic illnesses. Higher affect solidarity was associated with fewer chronic illnesses. Early adversity can influence chronic illnesses; however, disease trajectories are open to diverse mediating factors.
Keywords
  • discrimination,
  • stress,
  • mediators,
  • psychophysiology,
  • hair cortisol
Publication Date
Winter February, 2014
Citation Information
Kymberlee M. O'Brien, Edward Tronick and Celia L. Moore. "Mediating factors of perceived discrimination: physiological and affective markers." Society for Personality and Social Psychology (2014)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kymberlee_obrien/7/