Carol Wang

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | MD Anderson · Health Disparities Research

Purpose: Ambivalence over emotional expression (AEE) is defined as the desire to express emotion but failing to do so. Recent studies have revealed that AEE is associated with more pain. Pain is common among cancer survivors. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between AEE and pain, its underlying mechanism, and cultural releva...

Substantial research has found a robust relationship between stressful life events and increased negative health outcomes and a greater predisposition to various forms of substance use; however, less is known about the individual factors that explain this relationship. The present study examines the moderating factors of gambling to cope and indivi...

Literature has documented personality and coping strategies as valuable intrapersonal resources for cancer adjustment among Caucasians. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether these personal characteristics operate in a similar manner among cancer patients of different ages and cultural backgrounds. This study examined the association between pers...

Background This study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the health benefits of expressive writing that is culturally adapted for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors (BCSs) and to characterize how acculturation moderates the effects of expressive writing interventions. Methods We will recruit Chinese immigrant BCSs (N = 240) di...

A growing number of studies suggest that job loss has detrimental effects on cancer survivors. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Furthermore, minorities including Asian American cancer survivors remain understudied, yet they suffer from job loss more often. The present study examined the prevalence of job loss in Chinese A...

Levels of religiousness vary by geographic location, but studies of the relationship between religiousness and alcohol are often limited to one region. For our participants (N=1124; 57.5% female), location was significantly associated with both religiousness and alcohol use. Active religiousness was associated with drinking outcomes. The indirect e...

Over 70% of adults experiencing homelessness are cigarette smokers, a fivefold greater rate than in the general U.S. population. Consequently, tobacco-related conditions are the leading causes of disease and death for this group. Adults experiencing homelessness tend to seek shelter in urban areas. Thus, they not only experience the daily stressors...

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and illness globally and accounts for over 80% of all lung cancer diagnoses in the U.S. Patients with behavioral health (e.g., mental health and/or substance use) needs have elevated levels of smoking relative to the general population and are thus disparately impacted by tobacco-related c...

Objective. We investigated the preliminary efficacy of a tailored human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on-line intervention designed to increase HPV vaccination intention. Participants. Female college students (N = 101; 18-26 years), who have not received the HPV vaccine. Methods. Participants were randomized to either a control group to read sta...

Tobacco use, and thus tobacco-related morbidity, is elevated amongst patients with behavioral health treatment needs. Consequently, it is important that centers providing health care to this group mandate providers’ use of tobacco screenings to inform the need for tobacco use disorder intervention. This study examined the prevalence of mandated tob...

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate improvements in quality of life and psychological well-being among Chinese American breast cancer survivors who participated in a pilot community education and peer-mentor support program. Methods One hundred and twenty-nine Chinese American breast cancer survivors who recently completed treatme...

Purpose: Benefit finding, or finding benefits within adversity, has been shown to be linked to better psychological well-being among those who have undergone trauma such as cancer patients and survivors of natural disasters. According to the National Cancer Institute, up to 25% of cancer survivors experience symptoms of depression. Positive emotion...

This entry explores changes in social influence during adolescence and its effects on substance abuse. This developmental period is influential in the initiation of substance use and its potential progression to abuse. This entry describes social–psychological theories related to social influence. It also reviews typical changes in the impact of so...

Based on the Reserve Capacity Model, this study investigated the associations of objective socioeconomic status and subjective social status with psychological health and the underlying psychosocial mechanisms in a population-based sample of Chinese migrants ( n = 15,999). Results showed that subjective social status was positively associated with...

The present study examined the moderating role of cognitive appraisal (threat/harm and challenge) of the acculturative experience on the relationship between intergenerational family conflict (IFC), conflict between family members and children due to different cultural values, and depressive symptoms among Asian American college students. A total o...

In the past several decades, research comparing dialectical and non-dialectical ("linear") cultures has flourished, as have empirical studies on holistic versus analytic thinking. This literature has identified East-West cultural differences in almost all aspects of the human condition and life, from the manner in which people reason and make decis...