Section investigators explored interactive relations of lifetime discrimination burden and racial discrimination-chronic stressors among African Americans (AAs)-and age with MRI-assessed white matter lesion volume (WMLV), a prognostic indicator of poor clinical brain health outcomes. The study included 71 participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) SCAN study who underwent quantitative magnetic resonance imaging coded for WMLV. Participants self-reported lifetime discrimination burden and racial discrimination approximately 5 years earlier. There were significant interactive relations of age and (a) quadratic, lifetime discrimination burden, and (b) quadratic, racial discrimination with WMLV. Among older AA, increases in lifetime discrimination burden and racial discrimination were associated with increases in WMLV; in younger AA, decreasing levels of racial discrimination were related to increases in WMLV. Among older AA, as lifetime discrimination burden and racial discrimination increased, so did WMLV. However, in younger AA, decreases in racial discrimination were associated with increased WMLV. Studies have linked self-reported discrimination to telomere attrition, a biological marker of accelerated cellular aging. However, it is unknown whether intersections between social categories-race, socioeconomic status (SES), sex, and age-influence the association of varying forms of discrimination with telomere length. Section investigators examined these associations in a socioeconomically and racially diverse urban sample. Cross-sectional data were from 341 middle-aged (30-64 years) African American and White, community participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span Study (HANDLS). After adjusting for depressive symptoms, waist circumference, and lifetime substance use, two themes emerged: 1) among women with higher SES greater lifetime discrimination burden, gender discrimination, and racial discrimination and (2) among younger adults, irrespective of race and sex, greater frequency of discrimination across sources was associated with shorter telomeres. Irrespective of race, women with higher SES and younger adults reporting greater discrimination may be at particular risk for accelerated aging. Telomere attrition promotes and accelerates chronic health conditions for which there are health disparities. Section investigators examined the association of handgrip strength (HS) with protein intake, diet quality, and nutritional and cardiovascular biomarkers in African American and White adults in HANDLS participants. Socio-demographic correlates, dietary intakes and biomarkers, HS, physical performance measures were collected. HS was measured using a dynamometer with the dominant hand. Functional measures included chair, tandem, and single leg stands. Two 24-hour recalls were collected using the US Department of Agriculture Automated Multiple Pass Method. The total protein intake and diet quality, evaluated by adherence to the DASH eating plan and Healthy Eating Index-2010, were calculated. Biomarkers included nutritional anemia, and serum levels of albumin, cholesterol, magnesium, and glucose. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, hypertension, and diabetes, HS/BMI ratio was significantly associated with protein intake per kg body weight and diet quality, assessed by either the DASH adherence or Health Eating Index-2010 scores. For both men and women, participants in the upper tertile of HS maintained a single leg and tandem stances longer and completed 5 and 10 chair stands in shorter time compared to individuals in the lower HS tertile. Of the nutritional status indicators, the percent of men in the upper HS tertile with low serum magnesium and albumin, was significantly lower than those in the lower HS tertile. The only difference observed for women was a lower percent of diabetes These findings confirm the role of protein and a healthful diet in the maintenance of muscle strength. In this community sample, HS was significantly associated with other physical performance measures but did not appear to be strongly associated with indicators of nutritional risk. These findings support the use of HS as a proxy for functional status and indicate the need for research to explore its role as a predictor of nutritional risk. Section investigators examined satisfaction, test anxiety, and performance using computer-based cognitive batteries versus a paper-and-pencil neuropsychological battery among older Blacks. Self-identified African American adults (n = 87, age range: 55-86; mean education = 14) completed two computer-based tests (CogState and Joggle) and a paper-and-pencil neuropsychological battery. After each battery, participants reported their testing anxiety and satisfaction using the batteries. Descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses compared satisfaction, anxiety, and performance across the batteries. Results: Majority of the participants reported more satisfaction with the computer-based (Joggle: 66%; CogState: 77%) than the neuropsychological (52%) battery. Participants also reported less testing anxiety after completing the computer-based batteries than the neuropsychological battery, F(2, 172) = 22.96, p < .001. Older adults' familiarity and comfort level with the computer were not associated with their performance on the computer-based tests (p > .05). Although testing anxiety was not associated with performance across the batteries, age and education quality were uniquely associated with performance on the CogState and neuropsychological batteries. These results suggest computer-based cognitive batteries are less intimidating than the commonly used paper-and-pencil neuropsychological tests for Black adults. Thus, these cognitive batteries may be useful tools for monitoring cognitive status in older African American adults.
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