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Repetitive negative thinking, meaning in life, and serum cytokine levels in pregnant women: varying associations by socioeconomic status

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Abstract

Elevated proinflammatory cytokines and decreased antiinflammatory cytokines are important in the context of perinatal health, and immune dysregulation has been found among perinatal women with low socioeconomic status (SES). Data examining psychological factors that may contribute to cytokines in pregnancy are lacking. Of importance, these associations may be most evident among women with low SES. This study examined the moderating role of SES on associations among presence of meaning in life and repetitive negative thinking with cytokine levels among 67 pregnant women. A cumulative SES index was calculated using income, education, perceived social class, and receipt of governmental support. Measures included the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and serum interleukin (IL)-6 as well as IL-4. Using PROCESS, moderation analyses showed significant interactions between psychological factors and SES in predicting serum cytokines. In the context of high SES only, greater repetitive negative thinking was associated with higher levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 (p = 0.056) while greater meaning in life was associated with higher levels of the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-4 (p = 0.02). Findings from this study suggest that the benefits of these psychological factors on cytokine levels may be most readily observable among women with greater economic stability. Identifying psychological factors that positively contribute to biological functioning in women experiencing heightened economic distress will be crucial in addressing SES-related disparities in perinatal health.

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Notes

  1. Given the limited variability in the cumulative SES variable, secondary analyses were conducted with cumulative SES defined as a dichotomous variable (i.e., cumulative SES of 0 to 3 = 0, cumulative SES of 4 = 1). Findings were consistent with those reported, with the exception that the p value for the interaction between presence of meaning in life and SES on IL-4 levels went from p = 0.03 to p = 0.058. In addition, follow-up analyses of the association between repetitive negative thinking and IL-6 levels among high SES women went from p = 0.056 to p = 0.068.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the contributions of our Clinical Research Assistants and students to data collection. We would like to thank our study participants and the staff at the OSU Clinical Research Center and Wexner Medical Center Prenatal Clinic.

Funding

Funding

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 NR01366, LMC). The project described was supported by Award Number Grant UL1TR001070 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling and Human Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville, Woodford and Harriett Porter Building, 1905 South 1st Street, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA

    Amanda M. Mitchell

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Lisa M. Christian

  3. The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Lisa M. Christian

  4. Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Lisa M. Christian

  5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Lisa M. Christian

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  1. Amanda M. Mitchell
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Correspondence to Amanda M. Mitchell.

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Amanda M. Mitchell and Lisa M. Christian report no potential conflicts of interest.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Mitchell, A.M., Christian, L.M. Repetitive negative thinking, meaning in life, and serum cytokine levels in pregnant women: varying associations by socioeconomic status. J Behav Med 42, 960–972 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-019-00023-6

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