Profiles of sleep and depression risk among Caribbean Blacks.

Objectives: Sleep problems are associated with a host of psychiatric disorders and have been attributed to race disparities in health and wellness. Studies of sleep and mental health do not typically consider within-group differences among Blacks. Thus, our understanding of how the sleep-mental health relationship among Caribbean Blacks is limited. This study identified sleep profiles among Caribbean-born Blacks who reside in the United States.Design: Latent class analysis and data from the National Survey of American Life Re-interview study were used to identify and compare the associations between 'sleep quality classes,' sociodemographic factors, stress, and depression risk among Caribbean Blacks.Results: Two sleep quality classes were identified - 'good sleep quality' and 'poor sleep quality' - with each class demonstrating a complex pattern of sleep experiences, and illuminating the association between sleep and depression risk.Conclusions: Findings provide insight into the influence of sociodemographic factors and social stressors on the sleep experience of Caribbean Blacks and the importance of considering within-group differences to better understand risk and resilience among Caribbean Blacks living in the United States. Findings also highlight the importance of screening for sleep problems in an effort to reduce the burden of depression experienced by this population.

Correlates of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Among Black Caribbean Americans.

Despite the rapid growth of the Black Caribbean population in the United States, we know little about the presentation and prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among these groups. This study examines the demographic correlates and the effect of racial discrimination on OCD symptoms among a nationally-representative sample of Black Caribbean and African American adults (n = 5,191). Drawing on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF) for OCD, we examine two types of obsessions (harm and contamination) and four types of compulsions (repeating, washing, ordering, and counting). There we no significant differences between Black Caribbeans and African Americans in obsessions and compulsions. Analysis among Black Caribbeans found that compared with Jamaican and Trinidadian Americans, Haitian American individuals reported the fewest number of obsessions and compulsions. We show that Black Caribbean Americans with lower income, lower self-rated physical and mental health, and more experiences with racial discrimination report higher levels of OCD. More specifically, racial discrimination was associated with contamination and harm obsessions, as well as washing and repeating compulsions. Our findings highlight the need to consider specific domains of OCD relative to Black Caribbeans, and the relationship between social and demographic variables on symptomology.

Black Nativity and Health Disparities: A Research Paradigm for Understanding the Social Determinants of Health.

After more than a century of research and debate, the scientific community has yet to reach agreement on the principal causes of racialized disparities in population health. This debate currently centers on the degree to which "race residuals" are a result of unobserved differences in the social context or unobserved differences in population characteristics. The comparative study of native and foreign-born Black populations represents a quasi-experimental design where race is "held constant". Such studies present a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of the social determinants of population health disparities. Since native and foreign-born Black populations occupy different sociocultural locations, and since populations with greater African ancestry have greater genetic diversity, comparative studies of these populations will advance our understanding of the complex relationship between sociocultural context, population characteristics and health outcomes. Therefore, we offer a conceptual framing for the comparative study of native and foreign-born Blacks along with a review of 208 studies that compare the mental and physical health of these populations. Although there is some complexity, especially with respect to mental health, the overall pattern is that foreign-born Blacks have better health outcomes than native-born Blacks. After reviewing these studies, we conclude with suggestions for future studies in this promising area of social and medical research.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Major and Everyday Discrimination Among Older Adults: African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Non-Latino Whites.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined differences in major and everyday discrimination between African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Latino White older adults. METHODS: Data are taken from the National Survey of American Life. Measures of major (e.g., unfairly fired and harassed by police) and everyday (e.g., treated with less courtesy, insulted, and followed in stores) discrimination were examined. RESULTS: Both African Americans and Black Caribbeans reported more major and everyday discrimination than non-Latino Whites. However, there were no significant differences between African Americans and Whites with regards to being fired, neighbors making life difficult and receiving poor service. There were no significant differences between African Americans and Black Caribbeans in major or everyday discrimination. DISCUSSION: The discussion notes the importance of examining racial as well as within group ethnic differences within the Black American population in the types of discrimination. It also notes the importance of examining indicators of both major and everyday discrimination.

Everyday Discrimination Typologies Among Older African Americans: Gender and Socioeconomic Status.

OBJECTIVES: Discrimination is associated with several negative social, economic, and health consequences. Past research focuses on the impact of discrimination while less is known about both the type and correlates of discrimination, particularly among older adults. METHODS: Using the National Survey of American Life, we used latent class analysis to identify discrimination typologies (frequency and type) among African Americans aged 55 and older. We then used multinomial logistic regression to identify demographic correlates of discrimination types, including a statistical interaction between gender and educational attainment. RESULTS: We identified three discrimination typologies. Increasing age was associated with lower probability of belonging to the high discrimination and disrespect and condescension subtypes. Men and non-Southern residents were most likely to belong in the high discrimination subtype. Higher levels of education increased the probability of belonging in the high discrimination and disrespect and condescension subtypes for older men, but not women. DISCUSSION: Older African American men, particularly those with more education, are vulnerable to both high-frequency discrimination and discrimination characterized by disrespect and condescension. This finding suggests that, for men with more years of education, increased exposure to discrimination reflects efforts to maintain social hierarchies (male target hypothesis).