collecting-hair-samples-for-hair-cortisol-analysis-african

Collecting Hair Samples for Hair Cortisol Analysis in African Americans

The hormone cortisol is typically assessed in saliva, serum, or urine samples. More recently, cortisol has been successfully extracted from hair, ...

The Ohio State University

Social disparities in the receipt of contraceptive services were assessed among a sample of 2,031 sexually experienced adolescent females 15 to 18 years of age using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Findings revealed no social disparities in receipt of contraceptive services; rather, adolescent females who had a parent with less than a high school degree were more likely to receive contraceptive services. Adolescents' individual characteristics, including perceptions of maternal disapproval of sexual activity and use of contraceptives, barriers in access to and use of birth control, health needs, and enabling resources were significantly associated with their receipt of contraceptive services. Neighborhood characteristics were not significantly associated with adolescents' receipt of services in this study.

Social disparities in the receipt of contraceptive services among sexually experienced adolescent females.

We examined relationships between neighborhood social disorganization and trichomoniasis among young US adults.

Neighborhood social disorganization and the acquisition of trichomoniasis among young adults in the United States.

To examine racial and ethnic disparities in human papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and vaccination among young adult females aged 18-24 years.

Racial and ethnic disparities in human papillomavirus awareness and vaccination among young adult women.

To examine the associations between parental perceptions of the neighborhood context and adolescent depression including potential gender differences in outcomes.

Parental perceptions of the neighborhood context and adolescent depression.

Adolescents and young adults have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the USA despite national priority goals targeting their reduction. Research on the role of neighborhoods in shaping STI risk among youth has increased in recent years, but few studies have explored the longitudinal effects of neighborhoods on STI acquisition during the adolescent to young adult transition. The aims of this study were to examine: (1) the longitudinal relationships between the neighborhood context (poverty, residential instability, and racial/ethnic concentration) of exposure during adolescence and young adults' acquisition of chlamydia, and (2) the extent to which sexual risk behaviors and depression over the transition from adolescence to young adulthood mediate the relationship between the neighborhood context of exposure during adolescence and young adults' acquisition of chlamydia. A longitudinal observational design was employed using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), waves 1-3 (1994-2002). The sample was composed of 11,460 young adults aged 18 to 27 years. Neighborhood measures during adolescence were derived from the 1990 US Census appended to adolescents' interview data. Chlamydia infection was measured via urine assay at wave 3 and 4.6 % of the young adults in the sample tested positive for chlamydia. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted adjusting for numerous neighborhood and individual risk factors. Multivariate findings indicated exposure to neighborhood poverty during adolescence increased the likelihood of a positive urine test for chlamydia during young adulthood (AOR = 1.23, 95 % CI = 1.06, 1.42), and the association was not mediated by sexual risk behaviors or depression. Further research is needed to better understand the pathways through which exposure to neighborhood poverty contributes to chlamydia over the life course as are comprehensive STI prevention strategies addressing neighborhood poverty.

Neighborhoods and infectious disease risk: acquisition of chlamydia during the transition to young adulthood.

To examine racial-ethnic differences in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody levels among U.S. children and adolescents. Elevated titers among seropositive youth can indicate viral reactivation-an indirect measure of impaired cell-mediated immunity.

Racial-ethnic differences in Epstein-Barr virus antibody titers among U.S. children and adolescents.

To examine the longitudinal associations between exposure to violence with a weapon during the past year among adolescents and hypertension during adulthood, including the extent to which adult cardiovascular risk factors mediated the association.

Effects of exposure to violence with a weapon during adolescence on adult hypertension.

Previous studies have linked childhood adversity to low-grade inflammation via C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. This study analyzed the association between low-grade inflammation and prior biological parental incarceration. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994-2008) were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models. Measures included high-sensitivity (hs)-CRP (<3 mg/L = reference, 3-10 mg/L = low-grade inflammation, and >10 mg/L = acute inflammation), parent incarceration occurring in the child's lifetime, and frequency and timing of incarceration with respect to child's age (0-18 years or >18 years vs. never) of incarceration. Analyses were stratified by child's gender. Final sample sizes were n = 5,396 males and n = 6,447 females for maternal incarceration and n = 4,956 males and n = 5,860 females for paternal incarceration. In models with and without potential mediators, females whose fathers were ever incarcerated were more likely to have hs-CRP levels of 3-10 mg/L than females whose fathers were never incarcerated (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.09, 1.91]). Additionally, daughter's age (<18 years; AOR: 1.48, 95% CI: [1.11, 1.97]) and frequency of father's incarceration were significant (AOR: 1.24, 95% CI: [1.04, 1.49]). No mediating effects were observed. Males whose fathers were incarcerated when they were ≥18 years were less likely to have hs-CRP levels of 3-10 mg/L than those whose father was never incarcerated; the association was nonsignificant in the mediated model. Further investigation is needed on the physiological effects of exposure to parental incarceration and interventions to support children. 

C-Reactive Protein Levels Among U.S. Adults Exposed to Parental Incarceration.

The immune system plays a critical role in the prevention of infectious and chronic disease. We investigate associations between exposure to neighborhood immigrant concentration across the transition from adolescence to adulthood and immune function among Latino young adults, including moderation by nativity. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1994-2008) were analyzed. Immune function was measured via Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody levels (higher levels indicate impaired immune function) among EBV-positive Latino adults (N=1130). Results indicated the averaged individual exposure to immigrant concentration (mean % of foreign-born residents in the census tract across waves 1-4) was associated with immune function for foreign-born Latinos only (b=-0.37, P<0.05). For waves of exposure, only the cumulative measure of living in an immigrant enclave (census tracts with ≥40% foreign-born residents) across all waves was associated with immune function and only for foreign-born Latinos (b=-0.22, P<0.05). Research on the mechanisms through which neighborhood immigrant concentration confers salubrious physiological outcomes for foreign-born Latinos is needed. 

Exposure to neighborhood immigrant concentration from adolescence to young adulthood and immune function among Latino young adults.

Black-White disparities in adolescent health are widespread and thought to be explained, in part, by exposure to chronic stress. Cortisol assayed from hair is increasingly recognized as a valid and reliable measure for chronic physiological stress, but the feasibility of collecting hair among large probability samples of diverse adolescents is unknown.

Feasibility of Hair Collection for Cortisol Measurement in Population Research on Adolescent Health.

Emerging evidence indicates that exposure to violent areas may influence youth wellbeing. We employ smartphone GPS data on youth activity spaces to examine the extent of, and potential explanations for, racial disparities in these exposures. Multilevel models of data from the  study indicate that exposures to violent areas vary significantly across days of the week and between youth who reside in the same neighborhood. African American youth are exposed to areas with substantially higher levels of violence. Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood is significantly associated with exposure to violent areas and explains a non-trivial proportion of the racial difference in this outcome. However, neighborhood factors are incomplete explanations of the racial disparity. Characteristics of the activity locations at which youth spend time explain the residual racial disparity in exposure to violent areas. These findings highlight the importance of youth activity spaces, above and beyond their neighborhood environments.

Understanding Racial Differences in Exposure to Violent Areas: Integrating Survey, Smartphone, and Administrative Data Resources.

Adolescent females have a higher prevalence of depression in comparison to their male peers - a disparity that has been increasing over the past decade. Depression is of concern as it is associated with chronic disease and to immune dysregulation, which may be one mechanism linking depression to future pathology. This study examined the extent to which sex moderated the association between depressive symptoms and immune dysregulation during adolescence using Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation, a biomarker of cellular immune response, as a model.

Depressive symptoms are associated with salivary shedding of Epstein-Barr virus in female adolescents: The role of sex differences.

In the United States, parental incarceration (PI) has been increasingly recognized as an understudied adverse childhood experience. In response, a rapidly expanding body of research has begun to investigate the effects of PI on youth mental and physical health outcomes.

Article	Year
Social disparities in the receipt of contraceptive services among sexually experienced adolescent females. Social work in public health\| PubMed ID: 20446181	2010
Neighborhood social disorganization and the acquisition of trichomoniasis among young adults in the United States. American journal of public health\| PubMed ID: 21778488	2011
Racial and ethnic disparities in human papillomavirus awareness and vaccination among young adult women. Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)\| PubMed ID: 22092458	2011
Parental perceptions of the neighborhood context and adolescent depression. Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)\| PubMed ID: 22924562	2012
Neighborhoods and infectious disease risk: acquisition of chlamydia during the transition to young adulthood. Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine\| PubMed ID: 23494850	2014
Racial-ethnic differences in Epstein-Barr virus antibody titers among U.S. children and adolescents. Annals of epidemiology\| PubMed ID: 23621993	2013
Effects of exposure to violence with a weapon during adolescence on adult hypertension. Annals of epidemiology\| PubMed ID: 24530410	2014
C-Reactive Protein Levels Among U.S. Adults Exposed to Parental Incarceration. Biological research for nursing\| PubMed ID: 25539769	2015
Exposure to neighborhood immigrant concentration from adolescence to young adulthood and immune function among Latino young adults. Health & place\| PubMed ID: 25618565	2015
Feasibility of Hair Collection for Cortisol Measurement in Population Research on Adolescent Health. Nursing research\| PubMed ID: 27124260	2016
Understanding Racial Differences in Exposure to Violent Areas: Integrating Survey, Smartphone, and Administrative Data Resources. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science\| PubMed ID: 28845047	2017
Depressive symptoms are associated with salivary shedding of Epstein-Barr virus in female adolescents: The role of sex differences. Psychoneuroendocrinology\| PubMed ID: 28954244	2017
Health Outcomes of Youth in the United States Exposed to Parental Incarceration: An Integrative Review. Journal of forensic nursing\| PubMed ID: 29781966	2018

Jodi L. Ford

Biography

JoVE Journal Publications

Other Publications