non-Hispanic White Samples Research Articles

Self-esteem, diet self-efficacy, body mass index, and eating disorders: modeling effects in an ethnically diverse sample.

Disordered eating patterns, particularly binge eating, are prevalent in Hispanic samples, yet the biopsychosocial risk factors remain understudied in minority populations. The relationship between diet self-efficacy and bulimic symptoms has been established in non-Hispanic white samples but not yet in Hispanics. This study sought to identify the direct role of diet self-efficacy on eating disorder risk and symptomology in a multicultural Hispanic sample, and to investigate the potential indirect relations among diet self-efficacy, self-esteem, body mass index (BMI), and eating disorder risk and symptomology in Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. The present study surveyed 1339 college students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Participants completed four standardized scales to assess acculturation, diet self-efficacy, global self-esteem, and eating disorder symptomology and risk. Self-reported height and weight were used for BMI calculations, and the data were analyzed in a robust maximum-likelihood structural equation modeling (SEM) framework. The findings highlighted diet self-efficacy as a predictor of eating disorder risk and symptomology. Diet self-efficacy partially explained the covariation between self-esteem and eating disorder risk and symptomology, and between BMI and eating disorder risk and symptomology for the entire sample. Diet self-efficacy emerged as an important construct to consider in developing eating disorder prevention and treatment models.

Assessing the Preliminary Validity of an Adaptation of the Sociocentric Egocentric Questionnaire With a Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Sample

The goal of this article is to assess the validity of the Sociocentric Egocentric Questionnaire (SEQ) with Latinos ( n = 88) and non-Hispanic Whites ( n = 85) by comparing it with the Individualism and Collectivism Scale (IndCol). Both scales were designed to measure similar constructs, and it is hypothesized that high correlations between both scales would provide evidence to support the validity of the SEQ for Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites. Three different procedures assessed and found preliminary evidence to support the validity of the SEQ. First, 11 of the 12 correlations between the IndCol and the SEQ were significant in the expected direction; second, Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites’ scoring patterns were similar to those reported in national samples; and third, an exploratory factor analyses found the existence of two factors explaining the intercorrelations of the SEQ. Implications of these findings for research, clinical practice, and the amelioration of Latino health disparities are discussed.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: a meta-analysis of race and substance use outcomes.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective intervention for reducing substance use. However, because CBT trials have included predominantly White samples caution must be used when generalizing these effects to Blacks and Hispanics. This meta-analysis compared the impact of CBT in reducing substance use between studies with a predominantly non-Hispanic White sample (hereafter NHW studies) and studies with a predominantly Black and/or Hispanic sample (hereafter BH studies). From 322 manuscripts identified in the literature, 16 met criteria for inclusion. Effect sizes between CBT and comparison group at posttest had similar effects on substance abuse across NHW and BH studies. However, when comparing pre-posttest effect sizes from groups receiving CBT between NHW and BH studies, CBT's impact was significantly stronger in NHW studies. T-test comparisons indicated reduced retention/engagement in BH studies, albeit failing to reach statistical significance. Results highlight the need for further research testing CBT's impact on substance use among Blacks and Hispanics.

An examination of the association between 5-HTTLPR, combat exposure, and PTSD diagnosis among U.S. veterans.

ObjectiveTo examine the association between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) gene, combat exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and among two samples of combat-exposed veterans.MethodThe first sample included 550 non-Hispanic Black (NHB) combat-exposed veterans. The second sample included 555 non-Hispanic White (NHW) combat-exposed veterans. Participants were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 variants of the SLC6A4 gene. A structured clinical interview was used to diagnose PTSD. Combat and civilian trauma exposure were assessed with validated self-report instruments. Logistic regression was used to test for main effects of 5-HTTLPR on PTSD diagnosis as well as gene x environment (GxE) interactions after adjusting for sex, ancestry proportion scores, civilian trauma exposure, and combat exposure.ResultsWithin the NHB sample, a significant additive effect was observed for 5-HTTLPR (OR = 1.502, p = .0025), such that the odds of having a current diagnosis of PTSD increased by 1.502 for each additional S’ allele. No evidence for an association between 5-HTTLPR and PTSD was observed in the NHW sample. In addition, no evidence for combat x 5-HTTLPR effects were observed in either sample.ConclusionThe present study suggests that there may be an association between 5-HTTLPR genotype and PTSD diagnosis among NHB veterans; however, no evidence for the hypothesized 5-HTTLPR x combat interaction was found.

Testing Cognitive and Emotion-Focused Models of Worry in Black and White Samples

Several models have been proposed to conceptualize worry. Broadly, the models can be classified as cognitive (including the Avoidance Model, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Model, and the Metacognitive Model) and emotion-focused (including Emotion Dysregulation and Acceptance-Based models). Although these models have received strong empirical investigation in primarily non-Hispanic White samples, no known study has examined the applicability to racial and ethnic minority groups. The current study compared the proportion of variance explained by cognitive and emotion-focused models of worry in White and Black samples. Results indicated that cognitive and emotion-focused models significantly predicted worry in both Black and White samples. However, the overall amount of variance in worry explained by the models was less for Black samples. Specifically, controlling for gender, the cognitive models explained 53% of the variance in worry in the White sample compared with 19% in the Black sample. Similarly, the emotion-focused models explained 34% of the variance in worry in the White sample but only 13% in the Black sample. These findings suggest that well-established conceptual frameworks for worry failed to explain the bulk of the variance in worry in Black samples, leaving much unknown. Additional research is needed to identify key variables that may further explain worry in ethnic minority samples.

EFFECT OF THE APOE ε4 ALLELE AND COMBAT EXPOSURE ON PTSD AMONG IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN-ERA VETERANS.

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele has been implicated in a range of neuropsychiatric conditions. The present research examined if the ε4 allele of the APOE gene moderated the effect of combat exposure on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. Participants included 765 non-Hispanic White (NHW) and 859 non-Hispanic Black (NHB) Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. A structured interview established psychiatric diagnoses. Combat exposure and PTSD symptom severity were assessed via self-report. The most common lifetime diagnoses were depression (39.2%), PTSD (38.4%), and alcohol dependence (24.38%). After correcting for multiple comparisons, no significant effects were observed on any of the outcomes among the NHW sample; however, within the NHB sample, significant gene × environment (G × E) interactions were observed for lifetime PTSD (P = .0029) and PTSD symptom severity (P = .0009). In each case, the APOE ε4 allele had no effect on the outcomes when combat exposure was low; however, when combat exposure was high, an additive effect was observed such that ε4 homozygotes exposed to high levels of combat reported the highest rates of PTSD (92%) and the worst symptom severity scores on the Davidson Trauma Scale (M = 79.5). Although preliminary, these findings suggest that the APOE ε4 allele, in conjunction with exposure to high levels of combat exposure, may increase veterans' risk for developing PTSD.

Gender, Race, and Delinquent Behavior: An Extension of Power-Control Theory to American Indian Adolescents

Research testing Hagan’s power-control theory has largely been tested with samples of non-Hispanic whites. We extend prior research by testing the theory’s merits with a sample of American Indian (AI) adolescents. Overall, we find mixed support for the theory’s merits. However, we find that our measure of patriarchy is a robust predictor of AI female delinquent activity. We also find that a grandparent in the household serves to greatly reduce involvement in violent behavior among AI females. Compared to a sample of non-Hispanic whites, these results reveal the importance of testing explanations of deviant behavior across racial and ethnic groups.

Psychometric properties of the social phobia and social interaction anxiety scales: Evidence of construct equivalence in an African American sample

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Scale and Social Interaction Anxiety scale in a community sample of African Americans. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis of the combined scales comparing the data to 2- and 3-factor solutions commonly reported in the literature. The results indicated that neither solution produce an adequate fit to the data in this study. We then proceeded to conduct an exploratory factor analysis within a confirmatory framework of both scales. While we were able to extract a 2-factor solution from the data, the item composition of the factors was somewhat different for African Americans than what is typically reported in non-Hispanic White samples. While we conclude that use of the two social anxiety scales is warranted, we make recommendations regarding the interpretation of both scales with African Americans.

Cooking with KidsPositively Affects Fourth Graders' Vegetable Preferences and Attitudes and Self-Efficacy for Food and Cooking

Cooking with Kids (CWK), an experiential school-based food education program, has demonstrated modest influence on fruit and vegetable preference, food and cooking attitudes (AT), and self-efficacy (SE) among fourth-grade, mostly low-income Hispanic students in a quasiexperimental study with an inconsistent baseline. Effect was notably strong for boys and those without previous cooking experience. The aim of this project was to assess the effect of CWK with a mostly non-Hispanic white sample that assured no previous CWK exposure. The randomized, controlled assessment of CWK effect on fourth graders was conducted with 257 students in 12 classes in four public schools. CWK included a 1-hour introductory lesson, three 2-hour cooking classes, and three 1-hour fruit and vegetable tasting sessions led by trained food educators during the school day for one semester. Fruit preference, vegetable preference, and cooking AT and SE were assessed with a tested 35-item measure, shown to have test-retest reliability. Univariate analyses considered gender and previous cooking experience. Intervention efficacy was confirmed in this mostly white sample (75%; 79% with previous cooking experience; 54% girls). Increases in vegetable preference, AT, and SE were all significantly greater in CWK students with ηp (2) of 0.03, 0.02, and 0.06, respectively. CWK most strongly improved AT and SE for boys without previous cooking experience. CWK significantly improved fourth-grade students' vegetable preferences, AT, and SE toward food and cooking, which are factors important to healthful eating and obesity prevention. Noncookers, especially boys, benefitted from this intervention.

Long‐term consequences of membership in trajectory groups of delinquent behavior in an urban sample: Violence, drug use, interpersonal, and neighborhood attributes

Research on stability and change in delinquent behavior over time has important implications for both the individual and the criminal justice system. The present research looks at this issue by examining the associations between the trajectories of delinquent behavior in adolescence and adult functioning. Data for the present study are from a four-wave longitudinal study of African American and Hispanic participants. Participants provided information at mean ages 14, 19, 24, and 29. We used growth mixture modeling to extract trajectory groups of delinquent behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Regression analyses were conducted to examine whether memberships in the trajectory groups of delinquent behavior from mean age 14 to mean age 24 were associated with violence, substance abuse and dependence, partner discord, peer substance use, and residence in a high-crime neighborhood at mean age 29 when compared with the reference trajectory group of participants with low or no delinquent behavior. Four trajectory groups of delinquent behavior were identified: the no/low, the decreasing, the moderate, and the high persistent trajectory groups. Memberships in the trajectory groups were significantly correlated with variations in adult functioning. Memberships in some trajectory groups of delinquent behavior are significant predictors of later violent behavior, substance abuse and dependence, partner discord, peer substance use, and residence in a high-crime neighborhood. The findings reinforce the importance of investing in interventions to address different patterns of delinquent behavior. Findings are discussed in relation to previous investigations with non-Hispanic White samples.

Normative performance on the executive clock drawing task in a multi-ethnic bilingual cohort: a project FRONTIER study.

The executive clock drawing task (CLOX) test is a neuropsychological measure intended to aid in the assessment and detection of dementia in older populations. Few studies have provided normative data for this measure, with even less research available regarding the impact of sociodemographic factors on test scores. This study presents normative data for the CLOX in a sample of English and Spanish-speaking Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites. The total sample included 445 cognitively healthy older adults seen as part of an ongoing study of rural cognitive aging, project FRONTIER. Unlike previous studies, criteria for "normality" (i.e., unimpaired) for CLOX1 and CLOX2 were based not merely on global impairment, but also on domain-specific impairment of executive functioning on the Executive Interview 25-item Examination and/or Trail Making Test B, or visuospatial/constructional impairment on the Line Orientation and Figure Copy subtests of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, respectively. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that CLOX1 scores require adjustment by Age across ethnicities, whereas Education and Gender are necessary stratification markers for CLOX1 performance only in non-Hispanic Whites. None of the demographic variables were valid predictors of CLOX2 performance, negating the need for such adjustments. In addition to being the first study to provide separate normative data for CLOX performance in Hispanic and non-Hispanic White samples, the current study offers a novel approach to defining "normal" by cognitive domain. We also highlight the need to directly examine the impact of sociodemographic factors before applying normative corrections based on factors that have negligible impact on test scores.

Different clinical characteristics in hispanic and non-hispanic whites with ileal pouch–anal anastomosis: A case–control study

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly diagnosed in ethnic and racial minorities. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become the treatment of choice for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients requiring surgery. Few studies have characterized the natural history of IPAA and the pouch outcomes in the Hispanic American population. Ethnicity was designated by self-report and the Hispanics who had IPAA for UC were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and pouch outcomes were compared between Hispanic and a sample of Non-Hispanic whites (1:4 ratio) randomly selected from the same database. Exclusion criteria were patients with a preoperative diagnosis of Crohn's disease or familial adenomatous polyposis, and patients of other ethnic groups. Thirty-six Hispanics with IPAA were identified. Hispanic patients were younger at UC diagnosis 23.1 ± 13.1 vs. 30.4 ± 12.6 yrs and at colectomy 31.9 ± 13.9 vs. 38.8 ± 13.8 yrs than controls. The interval between diagnosis and colectomy was comparable between the two groups. There were more uninsured in the Hispanic group than controls (13.9% vs. 2.8%). There were no significant differences in gender distribution, family history of IBD, smoking history, extent of UC, fulminant colitis, pouch configuration, stage of pouch, presence of extraintestinal manifestations, or concurrent autoimmune disorders. Pouch-related disorders and pouch failure were also similar. There appeared to be some difference in the preoperative characteristics of patients who underwent colectomy for UC between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, but outcomes after the restorative proctocolectomy with IPAA were comparable. Further studies are needed to characterize the natural history of UC and IPAA in the Hispanic population and the associated biosocioeconomic factors.

The Spanish Version of the Mutuality Scale: Evidence for the Cultural Equivalence of Mutuality in Mexican American Families

Mutuality, the positive quality of the relationship between the family caregiver and care receiver, is an important variable in family care for frail older adults. It has been shown to be associated with lower levels of caregiver strain and higher levels of caregiving rewards. However, the concept and measure of mutuality were developed with non-Hispanic White samples. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of an instrument-the Spanish Version of the Mutuality Scale. We determined for Mexican American families: (a) the functional equivalence of mutuality, (b) a comparative descriptive framework for mutuality, and (c) the language equivalence of the Mutuality Scale and the Spanish Version of the Mutuality Scale. Evaluating mutuality levels for Mexican American older adults and caregivers, especially in view of their strong cultural norm of familism, is essential.

Genetic Variation Is Associated With C-Reactive Protein Levels in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Increased serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have suggested that genetic variation within the CRP gene is associated with serum CRP. We genotyped CRP genetic variants in 7159 individuals from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). NHANES III is American population-based sample linked to hundreds of phenotypes, including CRP; however, the CRP assay used in this survey is not a high-sensitivity CRP assay, and 65% of participants (n=4679) had CRP measurements at or below the level of detection. Despite these limitations, we identified specific CRP single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes associated with serum CRP levels in the general population. Two variants were associated with increased levels of serum CRP: SNP rs3093058 (in linkage disequilibrium with a CRP promoter SNP rs3093062) in the non-Hispanic black sample and the triallelic promoter SNP rs3091244 in the non-Hispanic black and Mexican American samples. Two other SNPs were associated with decreased levels of serum CRP in either the non-Hispanic black (rs1205 and rs2808630) or Mexican American (rs1205) samples. Three haplotypes inferred from 7 SNPs (ATTGCGA, TTAGCGA, and AAAGAGA) were associated (P < or = 0.01) with increased levels of serum CRP in the non-Hispanic black sample; 2 haplotypes (ATTGCGA and AAAGCGA) were associated (P < 0.05) with increased levels in the Mexican American sample; and 1 haplotype (AAAGCGA) was associated (P < 0.03) with increased levels in the non-Hispanic white sample. Post hoc analysis suggests that the AA genotype of the triallelic SNP rs3091244, after adjustment for covariates, was associated with prevalent coronary heart disease in the non-Hispanic white population sample. Genetic variation within CRP is associated with serum CRP levels in the general population and may be associated with prevalent coronary heart disease.

Validity of Self-Reported Hypertension in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, 1988–1991

Background.The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is the main data source for hypertension surveillance. However, because of a gap of almost 10 years between each NHANES, self-reported data from annual surveys need to be examined as an alternative data source. This study analyzes the validity of self-reported hypertension in a national sample of non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican-Americans.Methods.Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values positive (PVP) and negative (PVN) of self-reported hypertension were calculated against two definitions of hypertension: the definition recommended by the Third Joint National Committee on Hypertension, JNC III (blood pressure ≥140/90 and/or taking antihypertension medication) and a broader definition including control with lifestyle modifications. Data used come from the NHANES III, 1988–1991.Results.Overall test characteristics using the JNC III definition are sensitivity 71%, specificity 90%, PVP 72%, and PVN 89%. Test characteristics were consistently higher for the broad than for the JNC III definition. Validity of self-reported hypertension is higher among women than among men and among persons with a medical visit during the past year than among those with no visits: validity was lowest among Mexican-American men. Due to the similarity between sensitivity and PVP, the prevalence of self-reported hypertension is nearly equal to the prevalence of JNC III-defined hypertension.Conclusions.Self-reported hypertension may be used for surveillance of hypertension trends, in the absence of measured blood pressure, among non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic black women and persons with a medical visit in the past year. Validation should be repeated with each NHANES.