Maternal experiences of ethnic discrimination and child cardiometabolic outcomes in the Study of Latino Youth

Natalie Slopen; Garrett Strizich; Simin Hua; Linda C Gallo; David H Chae; Naomi Priest; Matthew J Gurka; Shrikant I Bangdiwala; Julia I Bravin; Earle C Chambers; Martha L Daviglus; Maria M Llabre; Mercedes R Carnethon; Carmen R Isasi

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2019.03.011

Maternal experiences of ethnic discrimination and child cardiometabolic outcomes in the Study of Latino Youth

Ann Epidemiol. 2019 Jun:34:52-57. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2019.03.011. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland, College Park. Electronic address: nslopen@umd.edu.
² Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
³ Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA.
⁴ Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
⁵ ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; Population Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville.
⁷ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
⁸ Department of Family and Social Medicine, Bronx, NY.
⁹ Institute for Minority Health Research, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.
¹¹ Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.

Abstract

Purpose: Limited research has examined maternal experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination in relation to child cardiometabolic health. In this study, we investigated whether maternal experiences of ethnic discrimination were associated with cardiometabolic risk in Hispanic/Latino youth several years later.

Methods: Our sample included 1146 youth (8-16 years) from the Study of Latino Youth (2012-2014), who were children of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos participants (2008-2011). We used regression models to examine the prospective associations between maternal report of ethnic discrimination in relation to her child's body mass index (BMI) z-score, metabolic syndrome score (MetS), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels 2 years later.

Results: Maternal ethnic discrimination was associated with youth hsCRP, but not BMI or MetS (P-values >.05). Adjusting for age, nativity, and national background, maternal ethnic discrimination was associated with higher (log) hsCRP levels (β = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.32) in children. This association was robust to adjustment for maternal and household characteristics (β = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.31), as well as maternal depression and maternal BMI.

Conclusions: Maternal ethnic discrimination is associated with inflammation among Hispanic/Latino youth, and not BMI z-score or MetS. Studies are needed to address temporality and pathways.

Keywords: Cardiometabolic health; Children; Discrimination; Study of Latino Youth.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Body Mass Index
C-Reactive Protein / analysis
Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology
Cardiovascular Diseases / ethnology*
Cardiovascular Diseases / psychology*
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Male
Metabolic Syndrome / epidemiology
Metabolic Syndrome / ethnology*
Metabolic Syndrome / psychology*
Mothers / psychology*
Racism / ethnology
Racism / psychology*
Risk Factors
Social Discrimination / psychology*

Substances

C-Reactive Protein

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding