TITLE:
Integrating Biomarkers into Research with Latino Immigrants in the United States
AUTHORS:
Heather H. McClure, J. Josh Snodgrass, Charles R. Martinez. Jr., J. Mark Eddy, Thomas W. McDade, Melanie J. Hyers, Anne Johnstone-Díaz
KEYWORDS:
Biomarker; Latino; Immigrant; Psychosocial Stress
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Anthropology,
Vol.3 No.2,
May
16,
2013
ABSTRACT: Despite extensive research into the toll of
persistent psychosocial stress on individual physiology and health, little is
known about the effects of chronic biosocial stress for immigrant populations.
In the present paper, the
authors review challenges encountered when integrating minimally-invasive
stress-related biomarkers (e.g., blood pressure, Epstein-Barr Virus [EBV]
antibodies, C-reactive protein [CRP], and salivary cortisol), as well as
anthropometric (e.g., height, weight, waist circumference) and metabolic
measures (e.g., glucose, cholesterol), into research with Latino immigrant
adults and families in Oregon, USA. Finally, the authors present lessons
learned and discuss strategies to support the full engagement of Latino immigrants
as participants in studies that rely on the collection of biological data as a
central component of research into psychosocial stress and its effects.