Adolfo Cuevas
Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Professional overview
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Adolfo G. Cuevas, PhD is an Assistant Professor in GPH’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, as well as a scholar in its Center for Anti-Racism, Social Justice and Public Health. He employs epidemiological, psychological and biological approaches to investigate the effects of discrimination and other psychosocial determinants of health and health inequities. As a community psychologist, he uses population-level datasets and advanced statistical methods to understand how psychosocial determinants “get under the skin” and increase the risk of aging-related diseases.
For his research work on race, racism and health, Dr. Cuevas was selected one of the National Minority Quality Forum's 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health in 2018. He is also a recipient of the Diversity Scholar Award by the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Harvard University. Prior to joining NYU, he was the Gerald R. Gill Assistant Professor of Race, Culture and Society at Tufts University.
Dr. Cuevas’ work has been published in scientific journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Journal of Public Health, and he has been featured in HuffPost and NPR's Code Switch. While at Tufts he directed a multidisciplinary team of researchers investigating the obesogenic effects of discrimination across the life course.
Dr. Cuevas received both his MS and his PhD in applied psychology at Portland State University, with a concentration in community psychology and research methods. He earned a BA in psychology at City College of New York, and received additional training as a cancer prevention postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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Education
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PhD, Applied Psychology, Portland State UniversityMS, Applied Psychology, Portland State UniversityBA, Psychology, City College of New York, 2010Certificate, Applied Biostatistics, Harvard Catalyst
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Honors and awards
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National Institute of Health Loan Repayment-Renewal (2021)Diversity Scholar Award, Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Harvard University (2019)National Institute of Health Loan Repayment (2019)40 Under 40 Leaders in Health, National Minority Quality Forum (2018)Neubauer Faculty Fellowship, Tufts University (2017)Portland African American Leadership Fellowship (2013)National Cancer Institute R25E Summer Research Experience, The University of Texas MD, Anderson’s Cancer Prevention Research Training Program (2012)Bernard R. Ackerman Foundation Award for Outstanding Scholarship (2010)Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge Graduate of the Year (2010)City University of New York Pipeline Fellowship (2009)City University of New York Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) Scholarship (2009)Psi Chi Honor Society (2009)Dean’s List Scholar (20082009)Chi Alpha Epsilon (XAE) Honor Society (2008)City College of New York’s William Wright Scholarship (2008)City College of New York Community Service Award (2008)SEEK Scholarship (2008)
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Areas of research and study
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ObesityPsychosocial StressRacial/Ethnic Disparities
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Publications
Publications
The cost of doubt: assessing the association between attributional ambiguity and mental health
Association of Racial Discrimination With Adiposity in Children and Adolescents
Cuevas, A. G., Krobath, D. M., Rhodes-Bratton, B., Xu, S., Omolade, J. J., Perry, A. R., & Slopen, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2023Journal title
JAMA network openVolume
6Issue
7Page(s)
e2322839AbstractImportance: Childhood obesity is a major public health issue and is disproportionately prevalent among children from minority racial and ethnic groups. Personally mediated racism (commonly referred to as racial discrimination) is a known stressor that has been linked to higher body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) in adults, but little is known about the association of racial discrimination and childhood and adolescent adiposity. Objective: To assess the prospective association between self-reported experiences of racial discrimination and adiposity (BMI and waist circumference) in a large sample of children and adolescents in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used complete data from the ABCD study (2017 to 2019), involving a total of 6463 participants. The ABCD study recruited a diverse sample of youths from across the US, with rural, urban, and mountain regions. Data were analyzed from January 12 to May 17, 2023. Exposure: The child-reported Perceived Discrimination Scale was used to quantify racial discrimination, reflecting participants' perceptions of being treated unfairly by others or unaccepted by society based on their race or ethnicity. Main Outcomes and Measures: Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured by trained research assistants. BMI z scores were computed by applying the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's age and sex-specific reference standards for children and adolescents. Waist circumference (inches) was quantified as the mean of 3 consecutive measures. Measurements were taken from time 1 (ie, 2017 to 2019) and time 2 (ie, 2018 to 2020). Results: Of the 6463 respondents with complete data, 3090 (47.8%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 9.95 (0.62) years. Greater racial discrimination exposure at time 1 was associated with higher BMI z score in both unadjusted (β, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.02-0.08) and adjusted regression models (β, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01-0.08). Discrimination at time 1 was associated with higher waist circumference in unadjusted (β, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.15-0.54) and adjusted (β, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.04-0.44) models. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of children and adolescents, racial discrimination was positively associated with adiposity, quantified by BMI z score and waist circumference. Interventions to reduce exposure to racial discrimination in early life may help reduce the risk of excess weight gain across throughout life.Discrimination Exposure and Polygenic Risk for Obesity in Adulthood: Testing Gene-Environment Correlations and Interactions
Genetic Liability, Exposure Severity, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Predict Cognitive Impairment in World Trade Center Responders
Mann, F. D., Clouston, S. A., Cuevas, A., Waszczuk, M. A., Kuan, P. F., Carr, M. A., Docherty, A. R., Shabalin, A. A., Gandy, S. E., & Luft, B. J. (n.d.).Publication year
2023Journal title
Journal of Alzheimer's DiseaseVolume
92Issue
2Page(s)
701-712AbstractBackground: There is a high incidence of cognitive impairment among World Trade Center (WTC) responders, comorbid with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, it remains unknown whether genetic liability for Alzheimer's disease, PTSD, educational attainment, or for a combination of these phenotypes, is associated with cognitive impairment in this high-risk population. Similarly, whether the effects of genetic liability are comparable to PTSD and indicators of exposure severity remains unknown. Objective: In a study of 3,997 WTC responders, polygenic scores for Alzheimer's disease, PTSD, and educational attainment were used to test whether genome-wide risk for one or more of these phenotypes is associated with cognitive impairment, controlling for population stratification, while simultaneously estimating the effects of demographic factors and indicators of 9/11 exposure severity, including symptoms of PTSD. Results: Polygenic scores for Alzheimer's disease and educational attainment were significantly associated with an increase and decrease, respectively, in the hazard rate of mild cognitive impairment. The polygenic score for Alzheimer's disease was marginally associated with an increase in the hazard rate of severe cognitive impairment, but only age, exposure severity, and symptoms of PTSD were statistically significant predictors. Conclusion: These results add to the emerging evidence that many WTC responders are suffering from mild cognitive impairments that resemble symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, as genetic liability for Alzheimer's disease predicted incidence of mild cognitive impairment. However, compared to polygenic scores, effect sizes were larger for PTSD and the type of work that responders completed during rescue and recovery efforts.Intersectional vulnerability in the relationship between discrimination and inflammatory gene expression
Length of Residency in the United States and Obesity Across Race/Ethnicity
Parental education and epigenetic aging in middle-aged and older adults in the United States: A life course perspective
Perceived intrinsic, social, and environmental barriers for weight management in older Hispanic/Latino adults with obesity
The Influence of Contested Racial Identity and Perceived Everyday Discrimination Exposure on Body Mass Index in US Adults
The Relationship Between Subjective Social Status, Mental Health Disparities, and the Mediating Role of Discrimination Among Latinx Populations
Use of Bland-Altman Analysis to Examine the Racial and Ethnic Representativeness of Study Populations in Community-Based Pediatric Health Research
Assessing the role of socioeconomic status and discrimination exposure for racial disparities in inflammation
Cuevas, A. G., Goler, E., Guetta, C. J., & Krueger, R. F. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Brain, Behavior, and ImmunityVolume
102Page(s)
333-337AbstractSocioeconomic status (SES) and discrimination have been implicated as social determinants of health and health disparities. Yet, very little research has been done to assess their contributing role in Black-White disparities in inflammation. Using data from the Midlife in the United States (2004–2006), we conducted Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis to quantify the extent to which three indicators of SES (i.e., education, household income, and employment status) and three forms of discrimination exposures (i.e., everyday, lifetime, and workplace discrimination) explained Black-White differences in inflammation. Education, particularly having a college degree or more, explained 16.88% of the differences between Blacks and Whites. There was no evidence that household income and employment status explained Black-White inflammation differences. Lifetime discrimination significantly explained 18.18% of Black-White difference in inflammation burden. There was no evidence that everyday and workplace discrimination explained Black-White difference in inflammation burden. Together, the predictors explained 44.16% of inflammation differences between Black and White participants. Education and lifetime exposure to discrimination may play a role in inflammation disparities. Further research is needed to examine other dimensions of SES (e.g., wealth) and discrimination (e.g., racial segregation) that are associated with health to better understand the contributions of these key social determinants of Black-White inflammation disparities.Contested racial identity and the health of women and their infants
Abuelezam, N. N., Cuevas, A. G., Galea, S., & Hawkins, S. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Preventive MedicineVolume
155AbstractContested racial identity— self-identified race not matching socially-assigned race—may be an indication of experiences with racism. We aimed to understand the relationship between contested racial identity and women's health behaviors, health outcomes, and infant health outcomes. We used 2012–2015 Massachusetts Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data on 5735 women linked with infants' birth certificates. We conducted regression analyses to examine associations between contested racial identity with pregnancy and infant health outcomes and further sub-analyses among women who had experienced a contested racial identity. A total of 901 (15.7%) women reported a contested racial identity. When compared to those who did not, women who had a contested racial identity had lower odds of initiating prenatal care in the first trimester (AOR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.95) and higher odds of smoking (AOR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.32, 2.19). Among women who had experienced a contested racial identity, those who were socially-assigned as White had decreased odds of having a low birth weight baby (AOR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.99) when compared to those socially-assigned as non-White. Contested racial identity is common; it affects the behaviors that women engage in and the outcomes they experience postpartum. Further, we found that there is a potential benefit to a White social ascription. This work adds to growing evidence of the impact of racism on maternal and infant health in the United States.Examining the relationship between household wealth and colorectal cancer screening behaviors among U.S. men aged 45–75
How Should Health Equity Researchers Consider Intersections of Race and Ethnicity in Afro-Latino Communities?
Medical mistrust, discrimination, and COVID-19 vaccine behaviors among a national sample U.S. adults
Racial Disparities in Cognitive Function Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: The Roles of Cumulative Stress Exposures Across the Life Course
Chen, R., Weuve, J., Misra, S., Cuevas, A., Kubzansky, L. D., & Williams, D. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical SciencesVolume
77Issue
2Page(s)
357-364AbstractBackground: Racial disparities in cognitive function are well documented, but factors driving these disparities remain underexplored. This study aims to quantify the extent to which cumulative stress exposures across the life course explain Black-White disparities in executive function and episodic memory in middle-aged and older adults. Method: Data were drawn from the 2004-2006 wave of the Midlife Development in the United States Study (MIDUS 2) and the MIDUS Refresher study (N = 5,947; 5,262 White and 685 Black). Cumulative stress exposures were assessed by 10 stressor domains (ie, childhood stress, stressful life events in adulthood, financial stress, work psychological stress, work physical stress, work-family conflicts, neighborhood disorder, relationship stress, perceived inequality, and perceived discrimination). Cognitive function was assessed using the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone. Marginal structural models were used to quantify the proportion of the effect of race/ethnicity status on cognitive function mediated through cumulative stress exposures. Results: After adjusting for age, sex, and sample, on average, Black participants had lower levels of executive function (difference:-0.83 SD units, 95% CI:-0.91,-0.75) and episodic memory (difference:-0.53 SD units, 95% CI:-0.60,-0.45) scores than White participants. Cumulative stress exposures accounted for 8.4% of the disparity in executive function and 13.2% of the disparity in episodic memory. Conclusions: Cumulative stress exposures across the life course explained modest proportions of Black-White disparities in cognitive function in this large cross-sectional study.Socially Assigned Race and the Health of Racialized Women and Their Infants
Stressful Life Events and Obesity in the United States: The Role of Nativity and Length of Residence
Technical report: an online international weight control registry to inform precision approaches to healthy weight management
Roberts, S. B., Das, S. K., Sayer, R. D., Caldwell, A. E., Wyatt, H. R., Mehta, T. S., Gorczyca, A. M., Oslund, J. L., Peters, J. C., Friedman, J. E., Chiu, C. Y., Greenway, F. L., Donnelly, J. E., Dao, M. C., Cuevas, A. G., Affuso, O., Wilkinson, L. L., Thomas, D., Al-Ozairi, E., … Hill, J. O. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
International Journal of ObesityVolume
46Issue
9Page(s)
1728-1733AbstractBackground: Personalizing approaches to prevention and treatment of obesity will be a crucial aspect of precision health initiatives. However, in considering individual susceptibility to obesity, much remains to be learned about how to support healthy weight management in different population subgroups, environments and geographical locations. Subjects/methods: The International Weight Control Registry (IWCR) has been launched to facilitate a deeper and broader understanding of the spectrum of factors contributing to success and challenges in weight loss and weight loss maintenance in individuals and across population groups. The IWCR registry aims to recruit, enroll and follow a diverse cohort of adults with varying rates of success in weight management. Data collection methods include questionnaires of demographic variables, weight history, and behavioral, cultural, economic, psychological, and environmental domains. A subset of participants will provide objective measures of physical activity, weight, and body composition along with detailed reports of dietary intake. Lastly, participants will be able to provide qualitative information in an unstructured format on additional topics they feel are relevant, and environmental data will be obtained from public sources based on participant zip code. Conclusions: The IWCR will be a resource for researchers to inform improvements in interventions for weight loss and weight loss maintenance in different countries, and to examine environmental and policy-level factors that affect weight management in different population groups. This large scale, multi-level approach aims to inform efforts to reduce the prevalence of obesity worldwide and its associated comorbidities and economic impacts. Trial registration: NCT04907396 (clinicaltrials.gov) sponsor SB Roberts; Tufts University IRB #13075.The Association Between Post-Traumatic Stress and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Puerto Ricans in Boston: How Does Loneliness Matter?
Wang, K., Zhang, A., Cuevas, A. G., De Fries, C. M., Hinton, L., & Falcón, L. M. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Journal of Aging and HealthVolume
34Issue
6Page(s)
786-793AbstractObjectives: To examine the association between post-traumatic stress and depression and whether such an association differs by level of loneliness among older Puerto Ricans. Methods: Data were collected from 304 Puerto Ricans aged 60 and above living in the Greater Boston area who responded to questionnaires. We used ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between post-traumatic stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms. Results: Post-traumatic stress was significantly associated with higher levels of depression. The association between post-traumatic stress and depression was stronger for those experiencing a higher degree of loneliness. Discussion: In working with older Puerto Ricans experiencing post-traumatic stress, it is important for mental health professionals to incorporate the assessment of loneliness and to prevent and reduce comorbid depression by addressing loneliness through improving social skills, enhancing social support, and reducing maladaptive social cognition.The Association Between Veteran Status and Obesity Differs Across Race/Ethnicity
Cuevas, A. G., Cofie, L. E., & Nolte, S. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
American Journal of Health PromotionVolume
36Issue
2Page(s)
314-317AbstractPurpose: This study aims to evaluate the interaction between veteran status and race/ethnicity on obesity status. Design: Cross-sectional survey Setting: The 2013–2017 National Health Interview Survey Sample: A total of 151,765 adults (8.62% veterans and 91.38 nonveterans) with 69.30% identifying as White, 13.05% identifying as Hispanic, 12.57% identifying as Black, and 5.08% identifying as Asian Measures: Obesity status (measured using self-reported body mass index), race/ethnicity, survey year, age, marital status, educational attainment, federal poverty level, health insurance, type of insurance, self-reported health status, and whether participant had a usual care source. Analysis: Weighted logistic regression analysis Results: In a fully adjusted model, there was no evidence that veterans overall had higher odds of obesity compared to nonveterans (adjusted odd ratio (aOR): 1.05, 95% CI:.99, 1.11). White veterans had lower odds of obesity compared to White nonveterans (OR:.93, 95% CI:.87,.98). Hispanic veterans had higher odds of obesity compared to Hispanic nonveterans (aOR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.90). There was no evidence of an association between veteran status and obesity status for Black and Asian adults. Conclusions: Effectual prevention strategies are needed to decrease obesity risks among active and retired Hispanic veterans.The weight of childhood adversity: evidence that childhood adversity moderates the impact of genetic risk on waist circumference in adulthood
Cumulative stress: A general “s” factor in the structure of stress
Developmental timing of initial racial discrimination exposure is associated with cardiovascular health conditions in adulthood