Smaller Hippocampal Volume among Black and Latinx Youth Living in High-Stigma Contexts

Abstract

Are macro-level features of the social context associated with neurodevelopment in children? Answering this question is challenging, because most neuroimaging studies are conducted in one location, making it impossible to link contextual variation with neural outcomes. Here, we use one of the first national, multi-site neuroimaging studies with substantial variability in sociopolitical contexts: the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (N=11,534; M=9.9 years). We measured stigma surrounding gender, race, and Latinx ethnicity using objective state-level indicators of social policies and prejudicial attitudes and two neural markers consistently linked with stress exposure: hippocampal volume and amygdala reactivity to threat. In a pre-registered analysis, we find that African-American and Latinx youth in higher stigma environments have smaller hippocampal volume, controlling for demographics and family socioeconomic status. Stigmatizing environments were unrelated to hippocampal volume in non-stigmatized youth, providing evidence of specificity. We demonstrate that contextual approaches may yield new insights into neurodevelopment.

Antipoverty programs mitigate socioeconomic disparities in hippocampal volume and internalizing problems among U.S. youths

“…In such designs, all participants experience the same macro-social context, which requires a focus solely on individual-level explanations for observed associations. However, our results, together with other recent studies, (Hatzenbuehler et al, 2021) demonstrate that the magnitude of individual-level associations between environmental factors, like SES, and adolescent outcomes vary systematically as a function of characteristics of macro-social context. This context therefore demands consideration when comparing results collected in different communities, and may provide an explanation for replication failures in studies focused on examining associations solely at the individual level.…”

Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study Linked External Data (LED): Protocol and practices for geocoding and assignment of environmental data

“… Domain Measure Description Temporal Domain of Data Spatial Resolution of Data Citation or Data Source Descriptive Statistics of ABCD Built Environment Variables Laws and Biases Race Bias Composite of multiple multi decade surveys tapping implicit and explicit attitudes at a state-wide level. 2016 State Hatzenbuehler et al (2021) Range: -1.98–1.11 Mean (SD): -0.18 (0.74) Gender Bias Composite of multiple multi decade surveys tapping implicit and explicit attitudes as well as data on women’s economic and political status. 2016 State Hatzenbuehler et al (2021) Range: -1.84–1.27 Mean (SD): -0.25 (0.90) Ethnicity Bias Composite of multiple multi decade surveys tapping implicit and explicit attitudes as well as data on state-level immigration policies.…”

“… 2016 State Hatzenbuehler et al (2021) Range: -1.98–1.11 Mean (SD): -0.18 (0.74) Gender Bias Composite of multiple multi decade surveys tapping implicit and explicit attitudes as well as data on women’s economic and political status. 2016 State Hatzenbuehler et al (2021) Range: -1.84–1.27 Mean (SD): -0.25 (0.90) Ethnicity Bias Composite of multiple multi decade surveys tapping implicit and explicit attitudes as well as data on state-level immigration policies. 2016 State Hatzenbuehler et al (2021) Range: -1.75–0.64 Mean (SD): -0.48 (0.69) Marijuana Laws Categorization of current marijuana status as recreational, medicinal, low THC/CBD, or no legal access.…”

“… 2016 State Hatzenbuehler et al (2021) Range: -1.84–1.27 Mean (SD): -0.25 (0.90) Ethnicity Bias Composite of multiple multi decade surveys tapping implicit and explicit attitudes as well as data on state-level immigration policies. 2016 State Hatzenbuehler et al (2021) Range: -1.75–0.64 Mean (SD): -0.48 (0.69) Marijuana Laws Categorization of current marijuana status as recreational, medicinal, low THC/CBD, or no legal access. 2016 State http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx and https://www.mpp.org/states/ Proportion: 0.25 recreational 0.45 medical 0.29 low T/C 0.01 not legal Urbanization Gross Residential Density Housing units per acre from EPA’s Smart Location Database.…”

“…The ABCD Study provides a novel opportunity to address such critical questions with empirical data, given the geographic variability of the sites involved in the ABCD Study, which affords significant divergence across youth in their exposure to such systemic biases. To address such questions, colleagues at Harvard University created state-level indicators of three types of structural stigma ( Hatzenbuehler et al, 2021 ): gender (i.e., potential bias about women), race (i.e., potential bias about Black individuals), and ethnicity (i.e., potential bias about Latinx individuals). This information was linked to each youth in the ABCD Study as a function of their baseline site (state) of participation and does not yet include information about whether the child moved to a different state, which may have different state level indicators, at later visits.…”