Dissertation Research: Culture Change, Stress and Immune Function in Western Samoan Youth

关于健康和文化变化的人类学研究强调，这种变化往往是社会心理压力的重要来源。 目前，大量研究一致证明压力对人体免疫功能产生负面影响。 本研究旨在将发展视角引入压力和文化变迁的人类学研究中，并将免疫学措施纳入压力和适应的人类学中。来自正在经历不同程度现代化的 6 个西萨摩亚村庄的个人将接受 Epstein-Barr 病毒抗体水平（衡量细胞介导的免疫功能）、皮质醇（衡量反应性）和 C 反应蛋白（衡量病原体暴露的标志）的评估。 这些措施将与卫生部年度丝虫病调查合作，通过指尖采血样本采集的干血斑来获得。 还将收集压力和文化变革多个维度的数据。 本研究从跨文化的角度探讨压力与免疫功能之间的关系，并将发展的角度应用于现代化压力问题。

Anthropological studies of health and culture change emphasize that such change is frequently a significant source of psychosocial stress. Numerous studies have now consistently demonstrated the negative effects of stress on human immune function. This study proposes to introduce a developmental perspective to anthropological studies of stress and culture change, and to incorporate immunological measures into the anthropology of stress and adaptation. Individuals from 6 Western Samoan villages undergoing varying degrees of modernization will be assessed for Epstein-Barr virus antibody levels (a measure of cell-mediated immune function), cortisol (a measure of reactivity), and C-reactive protein (a marker of pathogen exposure). These measures will be obtained from dried blood spots collected via finger-stick blood samples in collaboration with the annual Department of Health filariasis survey. Data also will be collected on multiple dimensions of stress and culture change. This study pursues a cross-cultural perspective on the relationships between stress and immune function and applies a developmental perspective to the problem of modernization stress.