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Welcome to the DSC Study

We are currently recruiting African American women aged 18 years and older to better understand how discrimination and sociocognitive processes (e.g., thought patterns, worldviews) can influence cardiovascular disease risk for African American women. All eligible participants who complete this 7-day study will receive up to $135 for their participation. You can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria below.

 

Potential participants can determine study eligibility and sign up for the study clicking the button below.

Study Details

The DSC study will include an initial intake exam (approximately 1.5 hours) and a 7-day follow-up using your smartphone device. We will also ask to obtain physiological measurements (e.g., height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate).  We will also ask that you submit saliva samples to examine your physiological state. Saliva will be analyzed for cortisol (stress hormone), alpha-amylase (inflammation), and telomere length (a measure of cellular aging to determine physiological age). Specifically, we will ask to complete the following tasks which are all for research purposes.

Virtual Intake Exam

  • Survey questionnaires that will examine your experiences of discrimination and sociocognitive processes (e.g., thought patterns, worldviews), and other relevant factors (e.g., perceived stress, resilience). 

  • Physiological measurements (e.g., blood pressure cuff measurements, height, and weight)

  • Saliva samples involving chewing a sterile cotton swab and placing it in a clean specimen tube.

  • You will receive a $30 gift card for completing this part of the study (1.5 hour)

7-Day Protocol

  • You will be asked to download a mobile app (available for both IOS and Android devices) on your mobile phones. 

  • Complete questionnaires related to discrimination, cognitive appraisal, and emotions. (3-4 min) at 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, and 8 pm

  • Submit a saliva sample at waking and within 30 minutes of completing the electronic surveys

  • You will receive a $105 in digital gift cards for completing this part of the study.

Eligibility Criteria

Am I eligible for the DSC Study?

To participate in the DSC Study you meet the following criteria:

  1. Self-Identified Black or African American female

  2. 18 years or older

  3. Comfort submitting saliva samples

  4.  ownership of a smartphone with IOS or Android operating system

What makes me ineligible for the DSC Study?

You are not eligible to participate in the study if you have the following:
  1. Inflammatory disorders
  2. Use of  an asthma inhaler or antidepressants within last 3 months
  3. Previous diagnosis of mental illness (e.g. clinical depression, bipolar disorder);
  4. Diabetes
  5. Hepatitis
  6. Cardiovascular disease;
  7. Current pregnancy
  8. Other chronic illness (e.g.,seropositive for HIV).

Can I share the study with individuals who may be eligible?

Absolutely!! One of the best way to recruit participants for this important study is by word of mouth. So if you feel others will benefit from this important study please share!

  • Why Focus on African American/Black Women?
    49% percent of African American women aged 20 and older have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite new interventions, CVD illness and death remain persistently higher for African American women. Prior research has shown discrimination (e.g., race, gender) can be a significant CVD risk factor among African American women. Stress associated with discrimination increases CVD risk by contributing to cumulative physiological burden (allostatic load) and accelerating aging (e.g., shorter telomere length) among African-American women.
  • How are African American/Black Women Identified
    Black is used as an overarching term for individuals who are part of the African diaspora regardless of nationality, including but not limited to African Americans, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinos, and sub-Saharan Africans. African Americans are individuals born in the United States who are of African ancestry. Black and African American are often used interchangeably and identification with, or feel you belong to, any of the aforementioned groups is considered “Black/African American”.
  • What Will Happen to My Information?
    Participants can be assured that the information gathered will be kept confidential. All data will be matched to an ID number that is assigned during the intake appointment. An electronic codebook matching the participant's name and ID number will only be available to research staff on a secured computer, this electronic document will be encrypted and password-protected. Study data will be entered and stored in an electronic form for data analysis and will not include any identifying information.
  • Why Participate in the Research Project?
    You may not directly benefit from participating in this study. However, your participation in this study will contribute to the understanding of how stressful experiences may contribute to cardiovascular risk for Black women. The information from this study may be used to help develop interventions that target the unique stressors faced by Black women to improve cardiovascular health outcomes in this population. This study is prepared to compensate you for your time.
  • Why Do You Need My Saliva?
    Your saliva samples will be used to measure biological markers of stress reactivity, including the hormone cortisol, the enzyme salivary alpha amylase, and the cytokine (an index of inflammation) interleukin 6. Additionally, we will take a separate sample to measure telomeres. Your saliva samples will be deidentified, meaning we will not associate your data with your personal information (e.g., name) and stored only for the time necessary to assess these biological markers. We need your saliva to analyze these markers to get a measure of stress reactivity and biological aging.
  • What are Telomeres?
    A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA sequences at the end of a chromosome. Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes from becoming frayed or tangled. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres become slightly shorter. Eventually, they become so short that the cell can no longer divide successfully, and the cell dies. We measure this by analyzing the length of the protective covering at the end of your chromosomes. We use to understand how stress may contribute to biological aging.

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