Health Psychology

Llabre, Maria M.; Goodman, Zachary T.

doi: 10.1037/hea0001384pmid: 38815095

Objective: The goal of this article is to describe a conceptual multilevel model that provides evidence of embodiment of a societal stressor on the health of the individuals and illustrate with simulated data how omitting components in the analysis model fails to properly capture how context influences health. Method: We describe a two-level model with variables at each level: stress at the group level and appraisal at the individual level. These factors are assumed to influence the blood pressure of individuals. Importantly, the person-level predictor is responsible for bringing the group-level predictor to the individual level by a cross-level interaction between stress and appraisal and/or a mediated effect of stress. When combined, the model components may be partitioned into a pure direct effect, a pure indirect effect, pure interaction effect, and an interaction-in-mediation effect. Data were generated in accordance with the model with each component accounting for some proportion of variance in blood pressure. Results: To the extent these components operate in the process of embodiment, a proposition we argue is reasonable, failure to specify the analytic model with all components leads to failure to characterize embodiment and misattribution of the effect and mechanism. Conclusions: To fully quantify embodiment of a societal stressor on a health outcome, studies should use multilevel designs and estimate cross-level interactions and mediated effects.

McElroy, Todd; Dickinson, David L.; Vale, Stephen

doi: 10.1037/hea0001360pmid: 38421766

Objectives: This study investigated the causal impact of sleep durations on participants’ physical activity (PA) in real-world conditions. Method: We performed a secondary analysis of PA data from 146 young adults using a randomized crossover design: both restricted (5–6 hr/night) and well-rested (8–9 hr/night) sleep weeks were assessed, with a washout week in between. Sleep and activity were tracked via research-grade actigraphy. Data analysis of PA involved repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression techniques. Results: Analysis plans and hypothesis were preregistered before data analysis. The exogenously assigned sleep restriction (SR) treatment reduced nightly sleep an average of 92.65 min (±40.44 min) compared to one’s well-rested sleep treatment. The impact of SR on PA was substantial, leading to a 7% reduction in average hourly PA: 18,081.2 (well-rested) versus 16,818.2 (restricted sleep). Significant findings were revealed in daily, F(1, 6) = 84.37, p < .001, ηp2 = 0.934, and hourly comparisons, F(1, 166) = 30.47, p < .001, ηp2 = 0.155. Further, sensitivity analysis using a variety of regression specifications also found that exogenously assigned SR decreased average wake-hour activity counts by approximately 4.4%–4.7% (p < .01 in all cases) when controlling for other factors. Exploratory analysis showed the PA effects of SR manifested via reductions in PA intensity with concurrent increases in the proportion of time considered as sedentary. Conclusions: SR significantly lowered PA by around 7%, characterized by reduced intensity and elevated sedentary behavior in a naturalistic setting.

Zuo, Chenyi; Ren, Yi; Ming, Hua; Mei, Kehan; Huang, Silin

doi: 10.1037/hea0001375pmid: 38602829

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the double-edged effect of social mobility belief on socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents’ mental and physical health and further explore whether intentional self-regulation is the common psychological mechanism of social mobility belief affecting physical and mental health. Method: A total of 469 adolescents (Mage = 13.96 years, 49.3% boys) from two rural public schools in China were included in this study. Adolescents completed questionnaires measuring social mobility belief and mental health (life satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression). Physical health (allostatic load) was reflected by six indicators (resting diastolic and systolic blood pressure, body mass index, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol). Results: Social mobility belief was positively correlated with adolescents’ life satisfaction and self-esteem but negatively correlated with depression. Intentional self-regulation mediated the relationships between social mobility belief and mental health. In addition, the results showed that intentional self-regulation mediated the relationship between social mobility belief and adolescents’ physical health. Conclusions: Social mobility belief may be a “skin-deep” resilience resource positively related to mental health but negatively correlated with physical health through intentional self-regulation among socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents.

Natale, Brianna N.; Koffer, Rachel E.; Fairlie, Samantha E.; Dickman, Kristina D.; Walsh, Catherine P.; Marsland, Anna L.; Kamarck, Thomas W.

doi: 10.1037/hea0001382pmid: 38647448

Objective: Childhood trauma may contribute to lifelong health through chronic systemic inflammation. However, associations between childhood trauma and inflammation are mixed, indicating that distinct types of childhood trauma may relate to inflammation differently. Moreover, most studies use a single assessment of inflammatory markers that may not reliably estimate stable interindividual differences. The current study is the first to examine relationships between childhood trauma and an ecologically valid measure of inflammation derived from repeated assessments of interleukin (IL)-6 in daily life. We also examine the possibility that glucocorticoid sensitivity and patterns of daily cortisol may contribute to observed associations. Finally, we explore whether biological sex moderates relationships between childhood trauma and IL-6. Method: Participants were 283 healthy adults aged 40–64 (57% female, 23% Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and self-collected dried blood spots at home on 4 days to measure IL-6. Measures of salivary cortisol and blood-based glucocorticoid sensitivity were also assessed. Results: Childhood trauma was not associated with IL-6 in the sample as a whole. However, exploratory analyses showed that childhood trauma related to IL-6 differently for males and females, such that total trauma and emotional neglect predicted higher IL-6 for males but not females. Results persisted after adjustment for covariates. There was no evidence for indirect effects via cortisol or glucocorticoid sensitivity. Conclusions: Childhood trauma and, specifically, emotional neglect were associated with IL-6 in daily life among middle-aged males. Additional research is needed to elucidate biological and behavioral pathways underlying these associations.

Belloir, Joseph A.; Ensari, Ipek; Jackman, Kasey; Shechter, Ari; Bhargava, Anisha; Bockting, Walter O.; Caceres, Billy A.

doi: 10.1037/hea0001372pmid: 38602828

Objective: To determine the day-to-day associations between minority stressors (i.e., anticipated and experienced discrimination) and sleep health outcomes (i.e., total sleep time (TST), sleep disturbances, and sleep-related impairment) among sexual and gender minority (SGM) people of color. Method: An online sample of SGM people of color living in the United States participated in a 30-day daily diary study. Daily anticipated and experienced discrimination as well as subjective sleep outcomes were assessed via electronic diaries using validated measures. Wrist-worn actigraphy was used to objectively assess TST. Multilevel linear models (MLMs) were used to estimate the independent associations of daily intersectional minority stressors with subsequent sleep outcomes, adjusted for demographic factors and lifetime discrimination. Results: The sample included 43 SGM people of color with a mean age of 27.0 years (± 7.7) of which 84% were Latinx, 47% were multiracial, and 37% were bisexual. Results of MLMs indicated that greater report of daily experienced discrimination was positively associated with same-night sleep disturbances, B (SE) = 0.45 (0.10), p < .001. Daily anticipated discrimination was positively associated with sleep-related impairment on the following day, B (SE) = 0.77 (0.17), p < .001. However, daily anticipated and experienced discrimination were not associated with same-night TST. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of considering the differential effects of daily intersectional minority stressors on the sleep health of SGM people of color. Further research is needed to identify factors driving the link between daily minority stressors and sleep outcomes to inform sleep health interventions tailored to this population.

Bentley, Gabriella; Zamir, Osnat; Roziner, Ilan; Dahabre, Rawan; Perry, Shlomit; Karademas, Evangelos C.; Poikonen-Saksela, Paula; Mazzocco, Ketti; Oliveira-Maia, Albino J.; Pat-Horenczyk, Ruth

doi: 10.1037/hea0001345pmid:

Newbold, Tanner R.; Burak, Elif Gizem Demirag; Leshner, Glenn; Connelly, Shane; Wong, Norman; Lee, Sun Kyong; Jang, Seulki “Rachel”

doi: 10.1037/hea0001376pmid: 38635189

Objective: This study investigates the interaction between message framing and point-of-reference (self vs. others) for vaccine benefits on young adults’ COVID-19 vaccine confidence and intentions. It also examines how COVID-19-related health beliefs—such as perceived severity of COVID-19 and perceived benefits of obtaining the vaccine to protect others—mediate these interactions. Method: In a 2 (framing: gain vs. loss) × 3 (reference point: self, others, university community) between-subjects experiment (Fall 2021), 202 participants ages 18–23 were shown animated messages with embedded manipulations to convey vaccine information. Moderated mediation models tested the conditional indirect effects of framing on vaccine confidence and intentions. Results: Reference point significantly moderated the effect of framing on the perceived severity of COVID-19. More specifically, and somewhat contrary to previous literature, perceived severity was highest when messages emphasized gains for others. In turn, perceived severity correlated positively with vaccine confidence and intentions, resulting in a significant conditional indirect effect. Despite its positive relationship with COVID-19 vaccine confidence and intentions, perceived benefit to others was not a significant mediator. Conclusion: This study provides evidence for the role of reference point in moderating the effect of gain–loss message framing on COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and intentions. However, the findings differ from past research, suggesting other-gain messages may be an optimal strategy for promoting these vaccine outcomes for young adults. Overall, findings have implications for developing tailored messaging strategies that account for the nature of targeted populations and the evolving perceptions of the disease and its associated messaging campaigns.