The goal of the current proposal is to examine whether affective (i.e., emotional) reactivity to daily stressors is associated with allostatic loa, a multi-system index of physiological function that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This project will also determine whether older adults-by virtue of their less resilient physiological systems-are more adversely affected by daily stressors than are their younger counterparts. Finally, we will determine how history of chronic stressor exposure may influence the associations between affective reactivity to daily stressors, age, and allostatic load. Knowledge gained from the proposed research could reveal factors that place people at increased risk for debilitating physical health problems, potentially identifying an important pathway through which health disparities emerge in later life.
All people face physical health declines as they age, but immense variability exists in the rate at which these declines occur. Some of this variability may be due to how people react to the daily stressors in their lives. The goal of the current study is o determine whether affective reactivity to daily stressors is associated with allostatic load (a multi-system index of physiological function) and if this association changes in magnitude with age. By conducting this research, it may be possible to identify an important pathway through which health disparities emerge in later life.
| Piazza, Jennifer R; Stawski, Robert S; Sheffler, Julia L (2018) Age, Daily Stress Processes, and Allostatic Load: A Longitudinal Study. J Aging Health :898264318788493 |
| Piazza, Jennifer R; Dmitrieva, Natalia O; Charles, Susan T et al. (2018) Diurnal cortisol profiles, inflammation, and functional limitations in aging: Findings from the MIDUS study. Health Psychol 37:839-849 |
| Charles, Susan T; Piazza, Jennifer R; Urban, Emily J (2017) Mixed Emotions Across Adulthood: When, Where, and Why? Curr Opin Behav Sci 15:58-61 |
| Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie J; Sheffler, Julia L; Stanley, Ian H et al. (2017) When Emotional Pain Becomes Physical: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Pain, and the Role of Mood and Anxiety Disorders. J Clin Psychol 73:1403-1428 |
