Amy M. Burdette

An examination of processes linking perceived neighborhood disorder and obesity

In this paper, we use data collected from a statewide probability sample of Texas, USA adults to test whether perceptions of neighborhood disorder are associated with increased risk of obesity. Building on prior research, we also test whether the association between neighborhood disorder and obesity is mediated by psychological, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms. We propose and test a theoretical model which suggests that psychological distress is a lynchpin mechanism that links neighborhood disorder with obesity risk through chronic activation of the physiological stress response, poor self-rated overall diet quality, and irregular exercise. The results of our analyses are generally consistent with this theoretical model. We find that neighborhood disorder is associated with increased risk of obesity, and this association is entirely mediated by psychological distress. We also observe that the positive association between psychological distress and obesity is fully mediated by physiological distress and poor self-rated overall diet quality and only partially mediated by irregular exercise.

Neighborhood disorder, sleep quality, and psychological distress: Testing a model of structural amplification

Using data from the 2004 Survey of Texas Adults (n=1504), we examine the association between perceived neighborhood disorder and psychological distress. Building on previous research, we test whether the effect of neighborhood disorder is mediated and moderated by sleep quality. Our specific analytic strategy follows a two-stage theoretical model of structural amplification. In the first stage, perceptions of neighborhood disorder increase psychological distress indirectly by reducing sleep quality. In the second stage, the effect of neighborhood disorder on psychological distress is amplified by poor sleep quality. The results of our analyses are generally consistent with our theoretical model. We find that neighborhood disorder is associated with poorer sleep quality and greater psychological distress. We also observe that the positive association between neighborhood disorder and psychological distress is mediated (partially) and moderated (amplified) by poor sleep quality.

Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity

Although previous scholarship has examined the relationship between religious involvement and a wide range of family outcomes, the relationship between religion and extramarital sexual behavior remains understudied. The authors investigate how religious affiliation, participation, and biblical beliefs explain differences in self-reported marital infidelity. This study examines data from the 1991-2004 General Social Surveys and finds that religious factors are associated with the likelihood of marital infidelity. Both church attendance and biblical beliefs are associated with lower odds of self-reported infidelity. Additionally, the authors find substantial denominational variations in the odds of marital infidelity, particularly among those who strongly affiliate with their religious group.

Does sleep quality mediate the association between neighborhood disorder and self-rated physical health?

OBJECTIVES We examine the association between perceived neighborhood disorder and self-rated physical health. Building on previous research, we test whether this association is mediated by sleep quality. METHODS We use data from the 2004 Survey of Texas Adults (n=1323) to estimate a series of ordinary least squares regression models. We formally assess mediation by testing for significant changes in the effect of neighborhood disorder before and after adjusting for sleep quality. RESULTS We find that residence in a neighborhood that is perceived as noisy, unclean, and crime-ridden is associated with poorer self-rated physical health, even with controls for irregular exercise, poor diet quality, smoking, binge drinking, obesity and a host of relevant sociodemographic factors. Our results also indicate that the relationship between neighborhood disorder and self-rated physical health is partially mediated by lower sleep quality. CONCLUSION Targeted interventions designed to promote sleep quality in disadvantaged neighborhoods may help to improve the physical health of residents in the short-term. Policies aimed at solving the problem of neighborhood disorder are needed to support sleep quality and physical health in the long-term.

Religious involvement and healthy lifestyles: Evidence from the survey of Texas adults

Background: Although research shows that religious involvement is associated with a wide range of individual health behaviors, it has yet to be determined whether the effect of religious involvement extends to an overall pattern of regular health practices that may constitute a lifestyle.Purpose: Building on prior research, we test whether religious individuals tend to engage in healthier lifestyles than individuals who are less religious.Methods: Using data collected from a statewide probability sample of 1,369 Texas adults, we estimate a series of ordinary least squares regression models to assess the net effect of religious involvement on overall healthy lifestyle scores.Results: The results of our study indicate that religious individuals do tend to engage in healthier lifestyles, and this pattern is similar for men and women and across race/ethnic groups. We also find some evidence to suggest that the association between religious involvement and healthy lifestyles may be less pronounced in old age.Conclusions: Assuming that religious involvement is associated with healthier lifestyles, additional research is needed to account for these patterns. Future studies should also consider whether healthy lifestyles may serve as a mechanism through which religious involvement might favor health and longevity.

Neighborhood Environment and Body Mass Index Trajectories From Adolescence to Adulthood

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether neighborhood conditions during adolescence are associated with body mass index (BMI) extending into young adulthood. METHODS Latent growth curve modeling was used to examine BMI over three waves (1996, 2001, and 2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 9,115). RESULTS Parental perceptions of neighborhood disorder and neighborhood structural disadvantage were positively associated with BMI at baseline. Although parental perceptions of disorder were not associated with the rate of change in BMI over time, neighborhood structural disadvantage was positively associated with the slope of BMI. Adolescents who lived in more disadvantaged neighborhoods not only had higher BMI at the beginning of the study, but they also gained weight at a faster rate than those who lived in more advantaged neighborhoods at the first wave of data collection. The data also revealed notable gender, racial, and ethnic subgroup variations in the relationship between neighborhood context and BMI. CONCLUSION The neighborhood environment during the critical period of adolescence appears to have a long-term effect on BMI in adulthood. Policy interventions focusing on the neighborhood environment may have far-reaching effects on adult health.

Conservative Protestantism and Attitudes toward Homosexuality: Does Political Orientation Mediate this Relationship?

Abstract Although several studies show that conservative Protestants are generally opposed to homosexuality, explanations for this association are not well established. Using data from the 1998 General Social Survey, we test whether political orientation mediates the relationship between conservative Protestantism and attitudes toward homosexuality. Results indicate that conservative Protestants are more politically conservative than non-affiliates. We also find that conservative Protestants are less accepting of homosexuality than non-affiliates, although a significant portion of this association is explained by political orientation. Once political orientation is controlled, the attitudes of conservative Protestants are no different from non-affiliates, and politically conservative respondents are less accepting of homosexuality than their more liberal counterparts. In the end, we conclude that political orientation is a mechanism that partially explains the association between conservative Protestantism and attitudes toward homosexuality.

Religious Attendance and Biological Functioning A Multiple Specification Approach

Objective: This study explores the role of religious attendance across a wide range of biological markers. Method: The data are drawn from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project to assess continuous and categorical biomarker specifications. Results: Across specifications, higher levels of attendance are associated with lower levels of pulse rate and overall allostatic load. Depending on the specification, higher levels of attendance are also associated with lower levels of body mass, diastolic blood pressure, C-reactive protein, and Epstein–Barr virus. Attendance is unrelated to dehydroepiandrosterone, systolic blood pressure, and glycosylated hemoglobin across specifications. Discussion: The study confirms that religious attendance is associated with healthier biological functioning in later life. Additional research is needed to verify these patterns with other data sources and to test viable mediators of the association between religious attendance and biological risk.

Religious Involvement and Attitudes Toward Parenting Among Low-Income Urban Women

The authors employ data from the Welfare, Children, and Families project, a probability sample of 2,402 low-income women with children living in low-income neighborhoods in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio, to test whether religious attendance is associated with parental satisfaction, perceived parental demands, and parental distress over 2 years. They also consider three potential mediators of the association between religious attendance and attitudes toward parenting: social support, self-esteem, and psychological distress. Results show that women who frequently attend religious services report greater parental satisfaction, perceive fewer parental demands, and report less parental distress than do women who attend less frequently. The authors also find that the mediators under study help to partially explain the relationship between religious attendance and attitudes toward parenting.

Religious Involvement and Adolescent Substance Use

Religious involvement – indicated by observable feelings, beliefs, activities, and experiences in relation to spiritual, divine, or supernatural entities – is a prevalent and powerful force in the lives of American adolescents. According to national estimates, over 80% of adolescents report affiliations with religious groups (mostly Catholic and Conservative Protestant denominations), roughly 38% attend religious services at least once per week, and over 90% believe in God and Heaven (Gallup & Bezilla, 1992 ; Regnerus, 2007 ; Smith, Denton, Faris, & Regnerus, 2002) . Studies show that religious involvement is associated with a wide range of favorable adolescent outcomes, including generally healthier lifestyles, greater mental and physical well-being, conformity to rules and laws, positive family relationships, and lower rates of risky sexual practices (Regnerus, 2003 ; Smith, 2003a ; Wallace & Forman, 1998) . Given the far-reaching impact of religion in adolescence, it is not at all surprising to find that religious involvement may also promote abstinence and moderate substance use behaviors and favorable treatment outcomes. In this chapter, we provide an overview of published research on the association between religious involvement and substance use in adolescence. Although we consider the research that follows to be representative of the field, it is not intended to be exhaustive. After describing the basic association between religious involvement and substance use in adolescence, we discuss several theoretical and empirical explanations for this association. We conclude with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of prior research and several viable avenues for future research.