Role Models and the Psychological Characteristics That Buffer Low‐Socioeconomic‐Status Youth From Cardiovascular Risk

Abstract

Little is understood about why some youth from low-socioeconomic-status (SES) environments exhibit good health despite adversity. This study tested whether role models and "shift-and-persist" approaches (reframing stressors more benignly while persisting with future optimism) protect low-SES youth from cardiovascular risk. A total of 163 youth, ages 13-16, completed role model interviews and shift-and-persist measures while cholesterol and inflammatory markers, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein were assessed. Low-SES youth with supportive role models had lower IL-6. Low-SES youth high in shift-and-persist also had lower IL-6. Shift-and-persist partially mediated the interaction of SES and role models on IL-6. Benefits were not found among high-SES youth. Identifying psychological buffers in low-SES youth has implications for health disparities.

A family-oriented psychosocial intervention reduces inflammation in low-SES African American youth

“…This style entails a combination of shifting (accepting life for what it is and adapting oneself to it) and persisting (enduring life with strength by holding on to meaning and optimism), which together mitigate the health impact of stressors that many low-SES youth face. Indeed, research shows that low-SES youth who display shift and persist traits have inflammation profiles and health outcomes similar to their high-SES peers (41,42). Consistent with our findings of partial mediation, SAAF could have instilled shift and persist tendencies via its emphasis on nurturant-involved parenting and/or its efforts to directly instill competencies in youth.…”

Health-Related Hindrance of Personal Goals of Adolescents with Cancer: The Role of the Interaction of Race/Ethnicity and Income

“…As hypothesized, household income significantly moderated the association of white/minority racial/ethnic status with HRH. Contrary to hypotheses, the current results do not support the double jeopardy hypothesis (Ferraro & Farmer, 1996), instead finding that minority lower income adolescents reported significantly less HRH than higher income minority adolescents and both groups of white adolescents, thus supporting Chen and Miller’s Shift and Persist model (2012). Differences between racial/ethnic groups remain to be elucidated by future research.…”

“…Mechanisms of resilience, however, may vary between groups. Lower HRH in lower income minority adolescents may result from utilizing more adaptive coping styles for uncontrollable stress and increased persistence towards valued goals despite adversity (Chen & Miller, 2012). An example of adaptive coping may be modifying expectations in response to stressors to mitigate the impact of cancer on psychosocial functioning.…”

“…Research examining the role of SES and race/ethnicity has generally supported a synergistic or “double jeopardy” hypothesis with regards to health outcomes (Ferraro & Farmer, 1996). However, a small but consistent segment of individuals living in low SES environments do not evidence poor health outcomes (Chen, Lee, Cavey, & Ho, 2012; Chen, Miller, Lachman, Gruenewald, & Seeman, 2012; Koinis-Mitchell et al, 2012). Chen and Miller have explained these findings through the “Shift and Persist” model (2012) suggesting that positive health outcomes in children with fewer financial resources may be due to the development of adaptive coping styles for stress (accepting stressors and reappraising uncontrollable situations in positive ways) and increased persistence towards valued goals.…”

Change the things you can: Emotion regulation is more beneficial for people from lower than from higher socioeconomic status.

“…Recent empirical tests of this model have found that lower-SES individuals who shift and persist are protected against the negative physical health effects of stress (Chen, Lee Cavey, & Ho, 2013; Chen, et al, 2012). The measure of ‘shifting and persisting’ used in this area of research does not directly tap reappraisal ability, but rather the tendency to “shift” (reappraise) and “persist” (persevering with optimism for the future).…”