Ghabrial Monica A, Andersen Judith P
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
Soc Sci Med. 2023 Mar;320:115703. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115703. Epub 2023 Jan 19.
Research with sexual and gender minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual, trans, non-binary) people of Color (SGM-PoC) has largely focused on risk and negative health outcomes. The existing strengths-based mental health research suggests that identity affirmation may be associated with psychological resilience and good mental health among SGM-PoC, but little is known about predictors of physiological resilience and biomarkers of physical health in this population. Adaptive cardiovascular flexibility is an indicator of physiological resilience and physical health in that it enables the body to mobilize resources to adapt to challenges. This study explored the association between identity affirmation and physiological resilience, observed through cardiovascular flexibility in response to stress among SGM-PoC.
Participants were 95 SGM-PoC of varying ethnoracial backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities, residing in Canada. Participants completed questionnaires on sociodemographic and psychosocial variables, including a measure of identity affirmation, the Queer People of Color Identity Affirmation Scale (QPIAS). In a laboratory setting, we induced stress using the Trier Social Stress Test and measured heart rate variability (HRV) over time using wearable electrocardiogram devices.
Results from multilevel modeling analyses revealed that high QPIAS scores were associated with adaptive cardiovascular flexibility, as evidenced by reduced HRV during stress exposure, followed by HRV increase during recovery. As QPIAS scores increased, the shape of HRV trajectory increasingly reflected our predicted pattern of adaptive cardiovascular flexibility. Meanwhile, low QPIAS scores were not associated with this pattern and appeared to predict a more flatlined HRV activity during the experiment.
Findings indicate that Queer People of Color identity affirmation may be related to physiological resilience, observed through a more adaptive cardiovascular profile when responding to stress. Identity affirmation may thus be a protective factor for SGM-PoC, pointing to the critical importance of affirming resources and strengths-based health research.
针对有色人种性取向和性别少数群体（例如女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、酷儿、无性恋、跨性别者、非二元性别者）的研究主要集中在风险和负面健康结果上。现有的基于优势的心理健康研究表明，身份认同肯定可能与有色人种性取向和性别少数群体的心理韧性及良好心理健康相关，但对于该人群生理韧性的预测因素和身体健康的生物标志物知之甚少。适应性心血管灵活性是生理韧性和身体健康的一个指标，因为它能使身体调动资源以适应挑战。本研究探讨了身份认同肯定与生理韧性之间的关联，通过有色人种性取向和性别少数群体在应激状态下的心血管灵活性来观察。
参与者为95名居住在加拿大、具有不同种族背景、性取向和性别认同的有色人种性取向和性别少数群体。参与者完成了关于社会人口统计学和心理社会变量的问卷调查，包括一项身份认同肯定测量，即有色人种酷儿身份认同肯定量表（QPIAS）。在实验室环境中，我们使用特里尔社会应激测试诱导应激，并使用可穿戴心电图设备随时间测量心率变异性（HRV）。
多层次建模分析结果显示，QPIAS得分高与适应性心血管灵活性相关，应激暴露期间HRV降低，随后恢复期间HRV增加，这证明了这一点。随着QPIAS得分的增加，HRV轨迹的形状越来越多地反映了我们预测的适应性心血管灵活性模式。同时，低QPIAS得分与这种模式无关，似乎预示着实验期间HRV活动更为平稳。
研究结果表明，有色人种酷儿身份认同肯定可能与生理韧性相关，在应对压力时通过更具适应性的心血管特征得以观察到。因此，身份认同肯定可能是有色人种性取向和性别少数群体的一个保护因素，这表明肯定资源和基于优势的健康研究至关重要。
