Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cultural Identity as a Moderator of Stress Physiology

博士论文研究：文化认同作为应激生理学的调节因素

• 批准号: 1926605
• 负责人: Elizabeth Quinn
• 金额: $ 2.52万
• 依托单位: Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1926605&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Cultural; Identity

In this doctoral research project, the investigator will examine biological pathways through which exposure to social stress can affect physiological well-being. The research will focus on Native American populations who are historically understudied yet experience high levels of stress-related disparities. Stress physiology will be assessed using various biomarkers, including salivary cortisol, blood pressure (BP), and additional biometric data. Semi-structured interviews, demographic questionnaires, psychometric measures, and identity scales will be used to assess how cultural identity, psychosocial stress, historical trauma, health status and stress physiology interact. The results of this research will advance understanding of how seemingly unrelated psychological mechanisms and social environments may contribute to disparities in physiological well-being among minority populations in the United States. The project will also support student training and science outreach activities, including among groups underrepresented in STEM fields. This project will investigate the relationship between psychosocial stress, stress physiology, and physiological disparities by assessing: 1: the prevalence of diagnosed and suspected stress-related conditions in an Indigenous Community in the Pacific Northwest (ICPN); 2: allostatic load (chronic stress) in members of ICPN, as defined by an Allostatic Load Index (ALI) comprising neuroendocrine, metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune system biomarkers; and 3: the relationship between variation in HPA-axis regulation (stress physiology) and allostatic load, and stress-related disease occurrence, Indigenous ancestry, historical trauma, and cultural identity in ICPN. This project moves away from a research focus on purely biological factors in understanding racial disparities, toward a holistic understanding of how unequal social and psychological environments negatively impact physiological well-being.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在这个博士研究项目中，研究者将研究暴露在社会压力下影响生理健康的生物学途径。这项研究将把重点放在历史上未被充分研究的美洲原住民身上，他们经历了与压力相关的高度差异。应激生理学将使用各种生物标志物进行评估，包括唾液皮质醇、血压（BP）和其他生物特征数据。半结构化访谈、人口调查问卷、心理测量测量和身份量表将用于评估文化认同、社会心理压力、历史创伤、健康状况和压力生理如何相互作用。这项研究的结果将促进对看似无关的心理机制和社会环境如何可能导致美国少数民族人群生理健康差异的理解。该项目还将支持学生培训和科学推广活动，包括STEM领域中代表性不足的群体。该项目将调查心理社会压力、压力生理学和生理差异之间的关系，通过评估：1：太平洋西北地区土著社区（ICPN）诊断和疑似压力相关疾病的患病率；2: ICPN成员的适应负荷（慢性应激），由包括神经内分泌、代谢、心血管和免疫系统生物标志物的适应负荷指数（ALI）定义；和3:hpa轴调节（应激生理）和适应负荷的变化与ICPN中应激相关疾病的发生、土著血统、历史创伤和文化认同的关系。该项目将研究重点从纯粹的生物学因素转移到理解种族差异，转向对不平等的社会和心理环境如何对生理健康产生负面影响的整体理解。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。