# Psychosocial Factors and Lupus Disease Progression Among African American Women

> **NIH NIH R01** · TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA · 2022 · $674,255

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 There is a lack of research on systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a multisystem, chronic,
autoimmune disease that shows clear patterns along racial and gender lines. African American women not
only have a greater prevalence of SLE, but also experience greater severity and faster progression compared
to their White counterparts, being more frequently affected by organ damage and comorbid conditions that
emerge as a consequence of disease activity and disease-related chronic inflammation and tissue damage.
Racial disparities in SLE complications and mortality are well documented; however, the reasons for these
disparities are poorly understood. To address these gaps in knowledge, this study aims to: (1) examine the role
that psychosocial stressors experienced by African American women have in exacerbating SLE in this
population; (2) identify social factors and psychological resources that are protective or buffer the effects of
stress on SLE-related health declines; and (3) explore the biological implications of psychosocial stressors and
SLE, in relation to elevated systemic inflammation and accelerated aging at the cellular level.
 The experiences of African American women with SLE are particularly challenging, and include
psychosocial stressors related to disease management, as well as disproportionately greater poverty and living
in disadvantaged communities; in addition to routine stressors such as those associated with work, family and
relationship demands, parenting, and caregiving. Experiences of racial discrimination constitute a qualitatively
distinct source of psychosocial stress, adding to existing everyday hassles. In this study, we will examine how
these stressors impact SLE severity and progression through a longitudinal study design. We will collect three
waves of data from 480 African American women, all with validated SLE. Participants will be recruited from the
Georgians Organized Against Lupus (GOAL) cohort, a truly one-of-a-kind, population-based study of SLE in
Atlanta, including a full spectrum of patients from all levels of socioeconomic strata, across a range of disease
severity. We will examine the effects of racial discrimination, financial and neighborhood-related strains, and
other stressors associated with various role strains. Potential protective factors, including those related to racial
identity and social support, will also be assessed. We will collect dried blood spots (DBS), a minimally invasive
alternative to venipuncture, to examine indicators of biological dysregulation which we hypothesize will be
impacted by psychosocial stress as well as SLE activity. This study will be the most in-depth investigation of
the multifactorial nature of psychosocial stressors and their impact on SLE disease progression among African
American women, and thus fills an important gap in the science on this understudied disease. This research is
important in advancing knowledge of how aspects of the soc...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10690156
- **Project number:** 3R01AR065493-07S2
- **Recipient organization:** TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
- **Principal Investigator:** David Chae
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $674,255
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2025-03-24

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10690156

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10690156, Psychosocial Factors and Lupus Disease Progression Among African American Women (3R01AR065493-07S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10690156. Licensed CC0.

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