Emotional suppression and well-being in immigrants and majority group members in the Netherlands

We were interested in interethnic differences in emotional suppression. We propose a model in which suppression of specific emotional experiences (suppressive behaviours during interactions with others) mediates the relationship between emotional suppression tendency (intention to suppress emotions) and well-being, operationalised as mood disturbance, life dissatisfaction and depressive and physical symptoms. The sample consisted of 427 majority group members and 344 non-Western and 465 Western immigrants in the Netherlands. Non-Western immigrants scored higher on emotional suppression tendency and lower on well-being than the other groups. We did not find interethnic differences in suppression of specific emotional experiences. The full mediation model was supported in all groups. Interethnic differences in well-being could not be accounted for by differences in emotional suppression

Does Gender Discrimination Impact Regular Mammography Screening? Findings from the Race Differences in Screening Mammography Study

Objective: To determine if gender discrimination, conceptualized as a negative life stressor, is a deterrent to adherence to mammography screening guidelines. Methods: African American and white women (1451) aged 40–79 years who obtained an index screening mammogram at one of five urban hospitals in Connecticut between October 1996 and January 1998 were enrolled in this study. This logistic regression analysis includes the 1229 women who completed telephone interviews at baseline and follow-up (average 29.4 months later) and for whom the study outcome, nonadherence to age-specific mammography screening guidelines, was determined. Gender discrimination was measured as lifetime experience in seven possible situations. Results: Gender discrimination, reported by nearly 38% of the study population, was significantly associated with non-adherence to mammography guidelines in women with annual family incomes of $50,000 or greater (or 1.99, 95% CI 1.33, 2.98) and did not differ across racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that gender discrimination can adversely influence regular mammography screening in some women. With nearly half of women nonadherent to screening mammography guidelines in this study and with decreasing mammography rates nationwide, it is important to address the complexity of nonadherence across subgroups of women. Life stressors, such as experiences of gender discrimination, may have considerable consequences, potentially influencing health prevention prioritization in women

Sociocultural considerations in aging men's health: implications and recommendations for the clinician

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jomh.2009.07.00

Understanding patient options, utilization patterns, and burdens associated with breast cancer screening.

Abstract Despite ongoing awareness, educational campaigns, and advances in technology, breast cancer screening remains a complex topic for women and for the health care system. Lack of consensus among organizations developing screening guidelines has caused confusion for patients and providers. The psychosocial factors related to breast cancer screening are not well understood. The prevailing algorithm for screening results in significant rates of patient recall for further diagnostic imaging or procedures, the majority of which rule out breast cancer rather than confirming it. For women, the consequences of the status quo range from unnecessary stress to additional out-of-pocket expenses to indirect costs that are more difficult to quantify. A more thoughtful approach to breast cancer screening, coupled with a research agenda that recognizes the indirect and intangible costs that women bear, is needed to improve cost and quality outcomes in this area

Distress, anxiety, depression, and emotional well-being in African-American men with prostate cancer

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.165

Identifying and understanding barriers to sexually transmissible infection testing among young people

Background: To counter the disproportionate impact of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) among young people and encourage higher levels of STI testing, it is necessary to identify the factors that influence STI testing. Methods: A mixed-methods study incorporating a cross-sectional quantitative survey and qualitative analysis of individual interviews was conducted in England. Some 275 university students aged 17-25 years completed an online questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of eight men and women. Results: Multivariate analysis of quantitative data revealed that injunctive norms (i.e. a desire to comply with others' wishes for testing), descriptive norms (i.e. perceptions of others' behaviour) and shame related to STIs predicted past testing behaviour. Intention to undergo testing was predicted by greater perceived susceptibility, past testing, stronger injunctive norms and greater willingness to disclose sexual histories. Qualitative analysis of interview data confirmed the importance of perceived susceptibility, normative beliefs, stigma and shame, and perceived ease of testing. Conclusions: To increase STI testing among young people, there is a need to promote pro-testing norms, address low perceived susceptibility and make testing easier

Emotions, delay, and avoidance in cancer screening:Roles for fear, embarrassment and disgust

Delay and avoidance are massive problems in cancer screening. While work continues to examine demographic and cognitive factors, emotions are central and likely causally implicated. In this chapter, a discrete emotions view of the origins of cancer screening is presented. After characterizing emotions, focus rests on evaluating the evidence regarding how and why three avoidance-promoting emotions (fear, embarrassment, and disgust) are implicated. The chapter describes the symptoms and medical examinations that elicit these emotions and suggests that people fail to screen for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers because screenings elicit (or are anticipated to elicit) these feelings. It concludes by assessing some of the measurement, design, and interpretative challenges in the area, considers the sexual nature of many screens, and discusses the fact that screenings may elicit multiple emotional responses.<br/

It’s not queasy being green : the role of disgust in willingness-to-pay for more sustainable product alternatives

Scholars differ in the extent to which they regard the “yuck factor” as an important predictor of sustainable consumption decisions. In the present decision experiment we tested whether people’s disgust traits predicted relative willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sustainable product alternatives, including atypically-shaped fruit and vegetables; insect-based food products; and medicines/drinks with reclaimed ingredients from sewage. In a community sample of 510 participants (255 women), using path analyses we examined the extent to which effects of disgust traits on WTP were mediated by cognitive appraisals of perceived taste, health risk, naturalness, visual appeal, and nutritional/medicinal value. Further, we assessed whether these effects were moderated by the tendency to regulate disgust using reappraisal and suppression techniques. Across all product categories, when controlling for important covariates such as pro-environmental attitudes, we found a significant negative effect of trait disgust propensity on WTP. In total, a 1 SD increase in participants’ disgust propensity scores predicted between 6% and 11% decrease in WTP. Appraisals of perceived naturalness, taste, health risk, and visual appeal significantly mediated these effects, differing in importance across the product categories, and explaining approximately half of the total effect of disgust propensity on WTP. Little-to-no support was found for moderation of effects by trait reappraisal or suppression. Individual differences in disgust are likely to be a barrier for certain viable sustainable alternatives to prototypical products. Marketing interventions targeting consumer appraisals, including in particular the perceived naturalness and taste, of these kinds of products may be effective