Perceived Stress and Health Outcomes Among Latinx and Non-Latinx White Adult People With HIV in East Harlem, New York: A Cross-Sectional Study

Alexander W Slaughter; Jordan Stiver; Micah Savin; Denise S Oleas; Hyunjung Lee; Angela Summers; Danqi Zhu; Heining Cham; Jessica Robinson-Papp; Monica Rivera Mindt

doi:10.1097/JNC.0000000000000504

Perceived Stress and Health Outcomes Among Latinx and Non-Latinx White Adult People With HIV in East Harlem, New York: A Cross-Sectional Study

J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2025 Jan-Feb;36(1):69-80. doi: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000504. Epub 2024 Sep 25.

Authors

Alexander W Slaughter¹, Jordan Stiver, Micah Savin, Denise S Oleas, Hyunjung Lee, Angela Summers, Danqi Zhu, Heining Cham, Jessica Robinson-Papp, Monica Rivera Mindt

Affiliation

¹ Alexander W. Slaughter, BS, is a Clinical Research Coordinator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA. Jordan Stiver, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA. Micah Savin, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. Denise S. Oleas, MA, is a Doctoral Student, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA. Hyunjung Lee, MA, is a Doctoral Student, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA. Angela Summers, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow, DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Danqi Zhu, MA, is a Doctoral Student, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA. Heining Cham, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA. Jessica Robinson-Papp, MD, MS, is Vice Chair of Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA. Monica Rivera Mindt, PhD, ABPP-CN, is a Professor, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.

Abstract

Stress and HIV disproportionately affect Latinx adults in the United States, contributing to numerous health inequities. Among people living with HIV (PLWH), increased stress is associated with decreased medication adherence, effectiveness, and higher rates of immunosuppression and comorbidities. Our study ( N = 126) examined the relationship between perceived stress and HIV-related health among Latinx ( n = 83) and non-Latinx White ( n = 43) PLWH. Latinx PLWH reported better HIV-related health outcomes than non-Latinx White PLWH, despite higher viral load (all p 's < .05). An interaction effect showed that higher perceived distress was associated with worse health outcomes and lower CD4+ T cell count only in Latinx PLWH ( p 's < .05). Our findings highlight the consequences of stress on HIV-related health. Notably, higher stress may be especially detrimental among Latinx PLWH, underscoring the need for more culturally tailored interventions in HIV-related care. Future research should include additional sociocultural factors and longitudinal assessment in a larger sample.

MeSH terms

Adult
CD4 Lymphocyte Count
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
HIV Infections* / drug therapy
HIV Infections* / ethnology
HIV Infections* / psychology
Hispanic or Latino* / psychology
Hispanic or Latino* / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Male
Medication Adherence / ethnology
Medication Adherence / psychology
Medication Adherence / statistics & numerical data
Middle Aged
New York / epidemiology
Perception
Stress, Psychological* / ethnology
Stress, Psychological* / psychology
Viral Load*
White People* / psychology
White People* / statistics & numerical data