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Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Brown, RA; Kuzara, J; Copeland, WE; Costello, EJ; Angold, A; Worthman, CM
Published in: Ann Hum Biol
2009

BACKGROUND: Anthropologists are beginning to translate insights from ethnography into tools for population studies that assess the role of culture in human behavior, biology, and health. AIM: We describe several lessons learned in the creation and administration of an ethnographically-based instrument to assess the life course perspectives of Appalachian youth, the Life Trajectory Interview for Youth (LTI-Y). Then, we explore the utility of the LTI-Y in predicting depressive symptoms, controlling for prior depressive symptoms and severe negative life events throughout the life course. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In a sample of 319 youths (190 White, 129 Cherokee), we tested the association between depressive symptoms and two domains of the LTI-Y - life course barriers and milestones. Longitudinal data on prior depressive symptoms and negative life events were included in the model. RESULTS: The ethnographically-based scales of life course barriers and milestones were associated with unique variance in depressive symptoms, together accounting for 11% of the variance in this outcome. CONCLUSION: When creating ethnographically-based instruments, it is important to strike a balance between detailed, participant-driven procedures and the analytic needs of hypothesis testing. Ethnographically-based instruments have utility for predicting health outcomes in longitudinal studies.

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Published In

Ann Hum Biol

DOI

EISSN

1464-5033

Publication Date

2009

Volume

36

Issue

3

Start / End Page

248 / 260

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • White People
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Psychology, Child
  • Psychology, Adolescent
  • Male
  • Life Change Events
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Indians, North American
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies
 

Citation

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Brown, R. A., Kuzara, J., Copeland, W. E., Costello, E. J., Angold, A., & Worthman, C. M. (2009). Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia. Ann Hum Biol, 36(3), 248–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014460902832942
Brown, Ryan A., Jennifer Kuzara, William E. Copeland, E Jane Costello, Adrian Angold, and Carol M. Worthman. “Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia.Ann Hum Biol 36, no. 3 (2009): 248–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014460902832942.
Brown RA, Kuzara J, Copeland WE, Costello EJ, Angold A, Worthman CM. Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia. Ann Hum Biol. 2009;36(3):248–60.
Brown, Ryan A., et al. “Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia.Ann Hum Biol, vol. 36, no. 3, 2009, pp. 248–60. Pubmed, doi:10.1080/03014460902832942.
Brown RA, Kuzara J, Copeland WE, Costello EJ, Angold A, Worthman CM. Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia. Ann Hum Biol. 2009;36(3):248–260.

Published In

Ann Hum Biol

DOI

EISSN

1464-5033

Publication Date

2009

Volume

36

Issue

3

Start / End Page

248 / 260

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • White People
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Psychology, Child
  • Psychology, Adolescent
  • Male
  • Life Change Events
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Indians, North American
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies