This project studies the influence of culture on individual adaptation through investigating cultural, social-psychological and dietary influences on individual differences in physiological and psychological adaptation. Individual differences in variables such as blood pressure, serum lipids, anxiety and depression have most often been attributed to individual-level factors such as diet or stressful experiences. This project will use contemporary culture theory and methods to examine how cultural models construct shared meanings, which in turn affect the behavior of individuals and their health status. The research hypothesizes that high cultural consonance, the degree to which individuals approximate shared cultural models, will be associated with better physiological and psychological adaptation, as measured by lower blood pressure and other variables associated with stress and distress. The research will be done in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, a community with a considerable amount of socio-cultural and dietary variability. The research will take place in four diverse neighborhoods in three stages: unstructured interviewing will be used to elicit cultural domains; then cultural consensus analysis will be used to test for shared knowledge; and finally data on individual psycho-biological adaptation will be collected from a survey sample. The research will contribute to our understanding of how individuals adapt in their cultural setting as well as advance our knowledge of this important region of the world.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
Application #
0091903
Program Officer
Deborah Winslow
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2001-05-01
Budget End
2005-04-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$293,420
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Tuscaloosa
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
35487