TY - JOUR
T1 - First-Generation College Students, Emotional Support, and Systemic Inflammation Following the College Transition
AU - Jones, Emily J.
AU - Schreier, Hannah M.C.
N1 - Funding Information:
Research reported in this manuscript was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number F31HL149179 (PI: EJJ; Sponsor: HMCS) and 5T32HL007560-37 (PIs: Rebecca Thurston & Peter Gianaros). The content of the manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Purpose: To examine whether emotional support moderates the association between college generation status and concurrent and prospective levels of systemic inflammation during the college transition among a sample of older U.S. adolescents. Methods: At an undergraduate tertiary institution, 41 first-generation college students (first-gens) and 46 continuing-generation college students (continuing-gens) in their first semester of college reported on basic demographic information and perceived emotional support. They also had their blood drawn midway through both the first and second semester to measure C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. An inflammatory composite for each semester was created by averaging the standardized scores for log-transformed C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. Results: Compared to continuing-gens, first-gens had greater systemic inflammation in the first semester regardless of their level of emotional support (B = 0.515, p =.003). However, emotional support moderated the association between college generation status and prospective systemic inflammation in the second semester (B = −0.525, p =.007) such that first-gens had greater systemic inflammation compared to continuing-gens, but only if they reported lower levels of emotional support (B = 0.826, p =.002). This moderation effect held after further adjusting for systemic inflammation in the first semester (B = −0.374, p =.022). Also discussed are results of secondary analyses examining sources of support. Discussion: Compared to continuing-gens, first-gens had greater systemic inflammation in the first semester irrespective of emotional support, suggesting all first-gens may stand to benefit from college resources provided early in the college transition. Furthermore, first-gens who reported lower levels of emotional support may benefit from additional college resources provided beyond the first semester.
AB - Purpose: To examine whether emotional support moderates the association between college generation status and concurrent and prospective levels of systemic inflammation during the college transition among a sample of older U.S. adolescents. Methods: At an undergraduate tertiary institution, 41 first-generation college students (first-gens) and 46 continuing-generation college students (continuing-gens) in their first semester of college reported on basic demographic information and perceived emotional support. They also had their blood drawn midway through both the first and second semester to measure C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. An inflammatory composite for each semester was created by averaging the standardized scores for log-transformed C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. Results: Compared to continuing-gens, first-gens had greater systemic inflammation in the first semester regardless of their level of emotional support (B = 0.515, p =.003). However, emotional support moderated the association between college generation status and prospective systemic inflammation in the second semester (B = −0.525, p =.007) such that first-gens had greater systemic inflammation compared to continuing-gens, but only if they reported lower levels of emotional support (B = 0.826, p =.002). This moderation effect held after further adjusting for systemic inflammation in the first semester (B = −0.374, p =.022). Also discussed are results of secondary analyses examining sources of support. Discussion: Compared to continuing-gens, first-gens had greater systemic inflammation in the first semester irrespective of emotional support, suggesting all first-gens may stand to benefit from college resources provided early in the college transition. Furthermore, first-gens who reported lower levels of emotional support may benefit from additional college resources provided beyond the first semester.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.08.012
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.08.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 36220685
AN - SCOPUS:85139385777
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 72
SP - 36
EP - 43
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 1
ER -