The School of Nursing is proud to announce that two Hillman scholars, Andrea Cazales and Latesha Harris, have been awarded the Hillman AERO Small Grant. These grants aim to support scholar research that represents a significant step in building a trajectory of work leading to publication or the development of an innovation.
Latesha Harris
Racism-Related Stress and Cardiometabolic Risk in African American Women
Background: Cardiometabolic diseases are the leading causes of death in women and disproportionately affect African American women in the United States, particularly at younger ages (18-40 years).1 There is a critical need to identify non-traditional factors that may affect early cardiometabolic risk (CMR) in African American women. The overall goal of this study is to examine associations between racism-related stress and CMR in African American women and identify psychosocial protective factors that moderate these associations.
Design and Sample: We propose a cross-sectional study with 50 African American women aged 18-40 years, recruited from historically Black neighborhoods in North Carolina, local organizations serving the Black community, and college campuses. Table 1 lists our inclusion/exclusion criteria. We will collect survey data on racism-related stress, expectations of police violence, neighborhood segregation, social support, spirituality, and Africentrism. We will relate these factors to biologic measures of CMR including, adiposity, blood pressure, glucose, lipid profile, ankle-brachial index, and systemic inflammation (e.g.,hsCRP, TNF-a, IL-6, adhesion molecules). We will test for effect modification adjusting for socio-demographic data and health behaviors. Feasibility: This study has already received IRB Approval (IRB: 22-178) and has enrolled approximately 20 participants. We are seeking funding to expand our current enrollment. Impact: The proposed study is the first to investigate where racism-related stress, including police violence, is related to greater CMR in African American women. Pilot data generated from this study will be used for a future National Institutes of Health Early Independence or Pathway to Independence Award to longitudinally evaluate the impact of structural racism and racism-related stress on CMR in African American women.
Andrea Cazales
Understanding Obesity: A Multi-method Study of Latine Adolescents’ Perception, Risks, and Protective factors
Abstract: Obesity is a national epidemic in the United States (US), affecting 14.7 million children and adolescents. Hispanic/Latino (hereafter referred to as Latine) youth experience the highest rates of overweight/obesity among all racial and ethnic groups in the US and are at greater risk of type II diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and even premature death in adulthood [1]. The disproportionate rate of obesity among Latine adolescents may explain the disparities in CVD risk observed in adulthood, further underscoring the importance of focusing on this unique ethnic and developmental age group. Despite their increased risk for obesity, however, Latine adolescents remain historically underrepresented in obesity research and current knowledge about factors that influence obesity has mostly focused on adult populations or studies that combine all pediatric age groups using only a deficit-focused approach. Adolescence is a critical period of development and is associated with increased stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. In recent years, the interplay of mental health and obesity during adolescence has gained importance as reports of anxiety and depression among adolescents increased 24% from 2016 and 2019 [2]. Though Latine adolescents in the US face multiple psychosocial and sociocultural risks (e.g., bicultural and acculturative stress, nativity, family socioeconomic status), there is some evidence to suggest that peer support and a strong cultural identity exert protective effects that can mitigate obesity in this population [3, 4]. The overall purpose of this project is to better understand the perception of obesity among Latine adolescents (aged 12-19 years), and to identify psychosocial risk and protective factors during adolescence that are associated with body mass index (BMI) trajectories from adolescence to early adulthood. Thus, the specific aims are: Aim 1: To better understand the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about obesity among Latine adolescents (age 12-19 years). We will conduct a qualitative descriptive study using focus groups with Latine adolescents at Casa Azul, the only Latine-led and Latine-serving organization in Wilson County, where 67% of the population is overweight/obese. Aim 2: To identify psychosocial risk and protective factors (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms, peer support) associated with trajectories of BMI in Latine adolescents. We will use existing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a multi-site epidemiologic study of over 20,000 US adolescents in grades 7-12 enrolled during the 1994-95 school year. We will include Latine participants in Add Health who have BMI data at least three time points between 1994 and 2016 (n=967).
Impact: The proposed study will serve as the foundation for my PhD dissertation. The project is well-aligned with the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation to promote equitable, person-centered care. While prior studies of obesity in Latine populations use a deficit-focused approach, which examines perceived weaknesses of individuals, the current study will explore perceptions of obesity and identify potential strengths to overcome its negative health effects