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Drawing on separate strands of research documenting the psychological consequences of (a) precarious employment and other challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) ableism, this study incorporates both into an examination of disability-based differences in the joint significance of discrimination and work precarity during the pandemic for mental health. Analyses utilizing data from a regional survey of people with and without disabilities in the Intermountain West (N = 2,012) provide evidence that precarious employment, greater discrimination, and disability independently predict depressive symptoms. Further, in the context of greater discrimination, more precarious employment is found to have greater significance for people with disabilities compared to those who are not currently disabled. These findings challenge us to think about how we engage in research concerning ableism and macro-level stressors, and underscore the role of power structures and positionality in shaping the psychological impact of employment challenges experienced during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the association between food insecurity and mental health over a 3‐year period. It also assesses the salience of life stressors and psychosocial coping resources for this association. We utilize data from a two‐wave community survey of Miami‐Dade County, Florida residents (N = 1488). Findings from SEM analysis reveal that greater food insecurity at W1 is associated with greater depressive symptoms at W2, lending credence to characterizations of food insecurity as a chronic stressor. This association is partly mediated by variation over the study period in social support and mastery. However, no significant mediating effects are observed for the social stress indicators assessed. Food insecurity is associated with diminished psychosocial coping resources, which leads to greater psychological distress. We discuss how these findings extend a stress and coping model of food insecurity, and implications for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deleterious mental health effects associated with the COVID‐19 pandemic are increasingly apparent, however, questions remain about the extent to which pandemic‐related stressor exposure has contributed to increased psychological distress among an already disadvantaged group, individuals with disabilities. The first aim of the study was to examine the distribution of pandemic‐related stressors across multiple dimensions—employment, personal and family finances, personal relationships, and quality of social life—among individuals with and without disabilities. The second aim of the study was to examine the association between a composite COVID‐19 stressor score and two mental health outcomes—depressive and anxiety symptoms—among the two subsamples. The study used quota‐based online survey data (N = 2043) collected in the summer of 2020 from adults (18 and older) residing in the Intermountain West, half of whom had a self‐reported disability. Study results demonstrated that individuals with disabilities experienced pandemic‐related stressors at significantly higher rates relative to their non‐disabled counterparts. Further, pandemic stressor exposure was associated with greater negative effects on their psychological well‐being. We argue that the COVID‐19 pandemic is generating a secondary mental illness pandemic, and that individuals with disabilities are affected by it at significantly higher proportions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated gender differences in the associations of functional limitation with food insecurity and depressive symptoms. Using data from 3,624 respondents ages 18to 80 years from two pooled cross-sectional cycles (2011–2012 and 2013–2014) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a structural equation model was estimated to assess gender differences in the association between physical limitation and food insecurity, and whether indicators of economic resources mediated an observed interaction. Results demonstrate that food insecurity accounted for about one-tenthof the association between functional limitation and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, these associations were more pronounced among women and were not explained by variation in economic resources. Food insecurity thus appears to be an indicator of psychological adversity among people with functional limitations, especially women, independent of other indicators of economic resources and hardship. Health promotion and social programs should address food insecurity as a unique dimension of adversity in efforts to improve health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Social influence is a key determinant of health behaviors and outcomes. Research in the social network tradition emphasizes social structural mechanisms like network content (i.e., the degree to which particular attitudes, attributes, or behaviors are present in the network) and social proximity (i.e., opportunities for social interaction). In contrast, psychologists are oriented toward the individual, identifying how personality traits like self-monitoring affect susceptibility to peer pressure. Here, we integrate social network and personality approaches, examining social influence on body size using surveys of 379 adults with dependent children. Our findings suggest that the association between social network body size composition and respondent BMI is contingent on both individual susceptibility to influence (i.e., high self-monitoring) and social proximity (i.e., opportunities for co-eating). These results indicate that individuals embedded in social networks bring unique sets of social skills and orientations to interactions, potentially influencing the flow of content across networks. Highlights • Social network and personality approaches to social influence are seldom integrated. • Developed a scale to measure self-monitoring of eating behavior in social settings. • Found associations between social network body size composition and respondent BMI. • Social influence was contingent on individual self-monitoring and social proximity. • Personality may affect receptiveness to influence and transmission of network content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite increased awareness of obesity-related health risks and myriad treatment options, obesity still affects more than one-third of persons in the United States and is a substantial public health problem. Studies show that physicians play a key role in obesity prevention and treatment. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which obesity is diagnosed and treated at the level of patient-physician interaction. Methods: We used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), a nationally representative data set of US physician office visits. We estimated the number of obesity diagnoses and prescriptions of weight-loss management solutions (exercise counseling, diet counseling, or weight-loss drugs) in clinical practice from 1996 through 2014. We also calculated rates of obesity diagnosis and compared these rates with national rates of obesity based on body mass index data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the same period. Results: The estimated number of weight gain–related physician office visits increased from 2.3 million in 1996 to a peak of 7.6 million in 2012, and then fell to 4.5 million in 2014. National estimates of obesity diagnoses resulting from physician office visits ranged from 7.1 million in 1996 to 12.7 million in 2014 and substantially outnumbered the estimates for weight gain–related physician office visits throughout the study period. Estimates of exercise counseling and diet counseling and weight-loss medication prescriptions resulting from physician office visits fluctuated over time but never exceeded obesity diagnoses. When compared with national rates of obesity from the BRFSS, rates of obesity diagnoses resulting from physician office visits were substantially lower in the NAMCS (17%-30% vs 1%). National trends for weight-loss medication prescriptions closely mirrored those of weight gain–related physician office visits, even though fluctuations were substantial. Conclusions: Our results suggest that obesity is largely underdiagnosed and undertreated in clinical encounters. Future studies should investigate the structural changes needed to better engage physicians in obesity prevention and care. Practitioners should also reflect on their biases in treating obesity as a chronic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper was to expand upon research documenting the adverse mental health effects of food insecurity by assessing the explanatory role of gender differences in family roles and arrangements among a nationally-representative sample of U.S. adults. Using data from the combined 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 cycles of The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we estimated a series of models using adult food insecurity measures and self-reported gender as main predictors of depressive symptoms and alcohol use. Our results demonstrate that marriage is protective against greater depressive symptomatology among women and men, and higher alcohol consumption among men. However, the protective effects of marriage against high alcohol use are reduced within the context of food insecurity among men. Further, the results indicate that parenthood is protective against greater depressive symptoms and alcohol consumption among women, but not men. The protective effects of having children are, however, diminished among women in food insecure households. These findings add to the growing literature on the mental health consequences of household food insecurity, and extend this work by clarifying ways in which family roles come to bear on gender differences in the association between food insecurity and psychological and behavioural outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objective: The purpose of this paper is to examine drug use and incarceration history among rural Appalachian women. Methods: This study involved random selection, screening, and interviews with rural women from local jails in Appalachia. Results: Of the women randomly selected and screened, 97% met criteria for substance use intervention. Significant factors associated with incarceration history included age, education, custody status, and mental health. A significant interaction was observed between male sex partners and drug use on incarceration history. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that the drug/crime relationship among rural Appalachian women is associated with their high-risk home environment, partner relationships, and mental health. Specifically, in addition to drug use, factors such as family and child relationships, anxiety, victimization, and relationships with partners should also be considered in the trajectory of criminal careers among rural Appalachian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With increasing rates of obesity in the United States, attention to life chances and psychological consequences associated with weight stigma and weight‐based discrimination has also intensified. While research has demonstrated the negative effects of weight‐based discrimination on mental health, little is known about whether different social groups are disproportionately vulnerable to these experiences. Drawing on the modified labelling theory, the focus of this paper is to investigate the psychological correlates of body weight and self‐perceived weight‐based discrimination among American women at the intersection of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). Analyses use data from the National Health Measurement Study (NHMS), a national multi‐stage probability sample of non‐institutional, English‐speaking adults, ages 35 to 89 in 2005–2006. Our findings demonstrate that the effect of weight‐based discrimination on psychological well‐being is highly contingent on social status. Specifically, the psychological consequences of discrimination on Hispanic women and women in the lowest household income group is significantly greater relative to White women and women with higher household income, controlling for obesity status and self‐rated health. These results suggest that higher social status has a buffering effect of weight stigma on psychological well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we examined leisure-time aerobic physical activity (PA) and PA self-ef- ficacy levels and assessed their relationship in a vulnerable adult population. Methods: Data regarding 909 respondents were drawn through the baseline interview from a group randomized community-based intervention in Appalachia. Leisure-time PA was assessed by using the Godin Leisure Time Questionnaire. Results: Levels of leisure-time physical activity and related self-efficacy were low among the study participants. In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, physical activity self-efficacy was positively associated with engagement in the recommended levels of physical activity. Conclusion: Promotion of physical activity by emphasizing an individual's confidence in ability to perform may be relevant for future health interventions concerned with adoption of health behaviors among vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has documented social contagion in obesity and related health behaviors, but less is known about the social processes underlying these patterns. Focusing on married or cohabitating couples, we simultaneously explore three potential social mechanisms influencing obesity: normative body size, social control, and behavior modeling. We analyze the association between partner characteristics and the obesity-related health behaviors of focal respondents, comparing the effects of partners’ body type, partners’ attempts to manage respondents’ eating behaviors, and partners’ own health behaviors on respondents’ health behaviors (physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and fast food consumption). Data on 215 partners are extracted from a larger study of social mechanisms of obesity in family and community contexts conducted in 2011 in the United States. Negative binomial regression models indicate that partner behavior is significantly related to respondent behavior (p < .001), net of controls. These results are suggestive of a behavior modeling mechanism in obesity-related patterns of consumption and physical activity. In contrast, we find little support for the influence of normative body size or partner social control in this sample, though generalizations about the relevance of these processes may be inappropriate. These results underscore the importance of policies and interventions that target dyads and social groups, suggesting that adoption of exercise or diet modifications in one individual is likely to spread to others, creating a social environment characterized by mutual reinforcement of healthy behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the dynamics of policy reforms pertaining to care for older adults in post-socialist Lithuania. In the Soviet era social services in Lithuania were in a rudimentary stage of development. By the early 1990s a combination of long-term demographic trends such as ageing, a decline in fertility rates and an increase in divorce rates, and the impact of radical neo-liberal reforms significantly increased the number of older individuals living alone and in poverty. In response, a number of measures were undertaken to reform older-age care, resulting in decentralisation, institutional layering and institutional recalibration of social services. It is argued that the historical legacy has proved to be especially significant in the institutional development of social services by reproducing a State-centred system, although with a growing trend towards the privatisation and marketisation of social care. The role of various organised interests and civic groups, policy makers and international organisations, as well as ideologies and broader sets of cultural values in shaping social services pertaining to the care of older adults are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research has quantitatively evaluated the impacts of stigma upon working women with disabilities (WWD), nuanced, qualitative accounts voiced by these women are rare. To address this literature gap, we conducted seven focus groups with 42 WWD. We asked: "What are women's experiences of disability disclosure and accommodation in the workplace?" Findings reveal that WWD face intentional and unintentional structural discrimination and must weigh the pros and cons of disclosure and navigate devaluation threats in pursuing workplace accommodations. "Going the extra mile" emerged as a stigma management technique which was prevalent among women of higher social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]