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The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Social epidemiology of diabetes and associated conditions
Tiffany L Gary-Webb1, Shakira F Suglia, Parisa Tehranifar
1Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W. 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA, tlg2124@columbia.edu.
Abstract:
Research focusing on the social determinants of diabetes has focused on individual-level factors such as health behaviors, socioeconomic status, and depression. Fewer studies that incorporate a broader consideration of the multiple contexts or organizational levels (eg, family, health care setting, neighborhood) within which individuals are embedded exist in the mainstream diabetes literature. Such an approach would enhance our understanding of this complex disease, and thus, future avenues of research should consider the following: (1) a life-course approach, which examines the influence of early life exposures on the development of diabetes; (2) aiming to understand the biological mechanisms of social determinants of diabetes; and (3) implementing interventions on multiple levels. Integrating this multilevel and life-course approach will require transdisciplinary science that brings together highly specialized expertise from multiple disciplines. Broadening the study of social determinants is a necessary step toward improving the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
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