Association of dispositional optimism with Life\u27s Simple 7\u27s Cardiovascular Health Index: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study (SCAS)

OBJECTIVES: Mounting evidence links positive psychological functioning to restorative health processes and favourable medical outcomes. However, very little is known about the relationship between optimism, an indicator of psychological functioning and the American Heart Association (AHA)-defined concept of cardiovascular health (CVH), particularly in Hispanics/Latinos of diverse backgrounds. To address limitations of existing literature, this study investigated the association between dispositional optimism and CVH in a heterogeneous sample of Hispanics/Latinos residing in the USA. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data were analysed from 4919 adults ages 18-75 of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos parent study and the Sociocultural Ancillary Study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Optimism was assessed using the 6-item Life Orientation Test-Revised (range from 6 to 30). AHA classification standards were used to derive an additive CVH score with operationalisation of indicators as Ideal, Intermediate and Poor. The overall CVH score included indicators of diet, body mass index, physical activity, cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose and smoking status. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were used to examine associations of optimism with CVH (Life\u27s Simple 7), after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Each increase in the optimism total score was associated with a greater CVH score (β=0.03 per unit increase, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.05). When modelling tertiles of optimism, participants with moderate (β=0.24 to 95% CI 0.06 to 0.42) and high (β=0.12, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.24) levels of optimism displayed greater CVH scores when compared with their least optimistic peers. CONCLUSION: This study offers preliminary evidence for an association between optimism and CVH in a large heterogeneous group of Hispanic/Latino adults. Our study adds scientific knowledge of psychological assets that may promote CVH and suggests a novel therapeutic target for consideration. Future studies are needed to explore causality and potential mechanism underlying the relationship between positive emotion and heart health

Lust and Lineage: The Complex Politics of Chaucer’s The Clerk’s Tale

Chaucer’s The Clerk’s Tale is one of the more perplexing stories in The Canterbury Tales, filled with paradox and resulting in a cacophony of fiery criticism. The difficulties posed by Griselda’s unwavering submission, the opaque ambitions behind Walter’s actions, the unclear moralistic ending and contradictory epilogue form the very paradoxes that force the reader to investigate their own reading of Griselda’s suffering. By examining one facet in particular, the political allegory underpinning the tale, The Clerk’s Tale’s contradictions immediately and immovably appear, creating a confounding yet arresting narrative about the interrelation between ruler and subject, husband and wife, king and queen. For at its core, The Clerk’s Tale posits two very simple issues: the problem of tolerating an intolerable tyrant and the correct manner of reforming a clearly unstable system of governance. For within the tale, looking solely at the political spectrum of this densely packed allegory, Chaucer weaves an intricate web where he advocates for a variety of disparate and revolutionary ideas. The tale, when read as a criticism of ruling power, is extraordinarily dynamic, as each and every line interplays the theme of sovereignty and the right to rule through the interactions of Walter, Griselda and the people. While Walter appears bestial, incompetent, and perhaps even politically impotent, patient Griselda remains steadfast, chaste and, most important of all, powerful, and it is this delicate balance of power and powerlessness, obedience and violence, religion and politics that perhaps draws readers to this tale

Lust and Lineage: The Complex Politics of Chaucer’s The Clerk’s Tale

Chaucer’s The Clerk’s Tale is one of the more perplexing stories in The Canterbury Tales, filled with paradox and resulting in a cacophony of fiery criticism. The difficulties posed by Griselda’s unwavering submission, the opaque ambitions behind Walter’s actions, the unclear moralistic ending and contradictory epilogue form the very paradoxes that force the reader to investigate their own reading of Griselda’s suffering. By examining one facet in particular, the political allegory underpinning the tale, The Clerk’s Tale’s contradictions immediately and immovably appear, creating a confounding yet arresting narrative about the interrelation between ruler and subject, husband and wife, king and queen. For at its core, The Clerk’s Tale posits two very simple issues: the problem of tolerating an intolerable tyrant and the correct manner of reforming a clearly unstable system of governance. For within the tale, looking solely at the political spectrum of this densely packed allegory, Chaucer weaves an intricate web where he advocates for a variety of disparate and revolutionary ideas. The tale, when read as a criticism of ruling power, is extraordinarily dynamic, as each and every line interplays the theme of sovereignty and the right to rule through the interactions of Walter, Griselda and the people. While Walter appears bestial, incompetent, and perhaps even politically impotent, patient Griselda remains steadfast, chaste and, most important of all, powerful, and it is this delicate balance of power and powerlessness, obedience and violence, religion and politics that perhaps draws readers to this tale

Association of acculturation with cardiac structure and function among Hispanics/Latinos: a cross-sectional analysis of the echocardiographic study of Latinos.

OBJECTIVE:Hispanics/Latinos, the largest immigrant population in the USA, undergo the process of acculturation and have a large burden of heart failure risk. Few studies have examined the association of acculturation on cardiac structure and function. DESIGN:Cross-sectional. SETTING:The Echocardiographic Study of Latinos. PARTICIPANTS:1818 Hispanic adult participants with baseline echocardiographic assessment and acculturation measured by the Short Acculturation Scale, nativity, age at immigration, length of US residence, generational status and language. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:Echocardiographic assessment of left atrial volume index (LAVI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), early diastolic transmitral inflow and mitral annular velocities. RESULTS:The study population was predominantly Spanish-speaking and foreign-born with mean residence in the US of 22.7 years, mean age of 56.4 years; 50% had hypertension, 28% had diabetes and 44% had a body mass index &gt;30 kg/m2. Multivariable analyses demonstrated higher LAVI with increasing years of US residence. Foreign-born and first-generation participants had higher E/e' but lower LAVI and e' velocities compared with the second generation. Higher acculturation and income &gt;20K were associated with higher LVMI, LAVI and E/e' but lower e' velocities. Preferential Spanish-speakers with an income <20K had a higher E/e'. CONCLUSIONS:Acculturation was associated with abnormal cardiac structure and function, with some effect modification by socioeconomic status

Childhood Trauma and Adult Risk Factors and Disease in Hispanics/Latinos in the US: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are implicated in diseases of adulthood. We report the prevalence of ACEs in Hispanics/Latinos in the US and their association with major risk factors and diseases in adulthood

Machismo, marianismo, and negative cognitive-emotional factors: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study.

There is limited research on the traditional Hispanic male and female gender roles of machismo and marianismo, respectively, in relation to negative cognitions and emotions. Given the vulnerability of Hispanics to negative cognitions and emotions, it is important to examine sociocultural correlates of emotional distress. Therefore, we examined associations of machismo and marianismo with negative cognitive-emotional factors (i.e., depression symptoms; cynical hostility; and trait anxiety and anger) in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study, a cross-sectional cohort study of sociocultural and psychosocial correlates of cardiometabolic health. Participants were aged 18–74 years and self-identified as Hispanic of Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, and other Hispanic background (N = 4,426). Results revealed that specific components of machismo (traditional machismo) and marianismo (family and spiritual pillar dimensions) were associated with higher levels of negative cognitions and emotions after adjusting for socio-demographic factors (p < .05); these associations remained consistent across sex, Hispanic background group, and acculturation. Findings can inform mental health interventions and contribute to our understanding of the importance of gender role socialization in the context of self-reported negative cognitive-emotional factors in Hispanics