About
29
Publications
6,840
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
546
Citations
Introduction
Melissa Flores is an interdisciplinary social scientist with a focus on health. She studies social determinants of health in U.S. Hispanic/Latinx populations. She is interested in novel and advanced quantitative methods to capture social environments.
Current institution
Publications
Publications (29)
Background
Mexican-origin farmworkers are at an increased risk of Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatosis liver disease (MASLD). They are also susceptible to living in neighborhoods with higher levels of unfavorable social, physical, and economic conditions. The effects on health due to these neighborhood conditions are suggested to be reflected...
Objetivo: Este estudio examinó la asociación entre el estrés percibido y el apoyo social tangible percibido en las prácticas de alimentación de los padres en una muestra de padres Mexicoamericanos de niños pequeños. Se examinó el apoyo social tangible como un moderador potencial del estrés percibido en la alimentación de los padres. También se exam...
150 Words Main Body: Abstract The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) is the most used instrument to assess dispositional optimism. We examined psychometrics of the LOT-R in a diverse sample of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. Data analysis included 5,140 adults ages 18-74 of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and Sociocultural Ancillary...
150 Words Main Body: Abstract The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) is the most used instrument to assess dispositional optimism. We examined psychometrics of the LOT-R in a diverse sample of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. Data analysis included 5,140 adults ages 18-74 of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and Sociocultural Ancillary...
Background
Despite being the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States, Hispanic/Latinos (H/L) are significantly underrepresented among blood donors. A lack of proximal blood donation opportunities may be one factor contributing to these disparities. However, few studies have investigated this possibility.
Study Design and Methods...
Background
Latina women experience disproportionately higher rates of HPV infection, persistence, and progression to cervical dysplasia and cancer compared to other racial–ethnic groups. This systematic review explores the relationship between the cervicovaginal microbiome and human papillomavirus infection, cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer...
Health effects of structural racism occur on cultural and institutional levels and potentiate racism on an interpersonal level. Consequently, efforts to mitigate the health effects of racism may require intervention on all levels. The effectiveness of these approaches may depend partly on the degree to which they address the underlying patterns of...
Introduction:
Smoking after a cancer diagnosis represents a modifiable health risk. It is recommended that oncology clinicians address tobacco use among their patients using the 5As brief model: Asking about use, Advising users to quit, Assessing willingness to quit, Assisting in quit attempts (counseling and medication), and Arranging follow-up....
Structural racism encompasses the effects of racial bias across all systems of society. A growing body of data indicates that structural racism contributes to racial inequities in health across the lifespan. Investigators have documented associations of different dimensions of structural racism, including cultural and institutional discrimination,...
Objective:
Hispanic/Latino(x) and African American/Black older adults experience disproportionate cardiometabolic disease burdens when compared with their non-Hispanic White (NHW) counterparts. Sources of resilience such as social networks have been found to mitigate risk for this disease and its endpoints like high-sensitivity C-reactive protein...
Perceived social support has been linked to lower rates of morbidity and mortality. However, more information is needed on the biological mechanisms potentially responsible for such links. The main aim of this paper was to conduct a meta-analytic review of the association between perceived social support and awake ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) wh...
Touch associated with sleep (sleep-touch; reported physical contact during or shortly before/after sleep) is underexplored as a distinct contributor to affect regulatory processes associated with adult sleep. Given the affect-regulating effects of interpersonal touch, we theorized that among healthy co-sleeping adults, sleep-touch would add to slee...
Background
Despite a substantially worse risk factor profile, Hispanics in the United States experience lower incidence of many diseases and longer survival than non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), an epidemiological phenomenon known as the Hispanic Health Paradox (HHP). This systematic review evaluated the published longitudinal literature to address whet...
Background
The biological consequences of stress from the social environment pattern health outcomes. This study investigated whether social stress is prospectively associated with fracture incidence among racially and ethnically diverse, postmenopausal women.
Methods
Data from 160 709 postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative was anal...
Background and Purpose. Hispanic ethnic density (HED) is associated with salubrious health outcomes for Hispanics, yet recent research suggests it may also be protective for other groups. The purpose of this study was to test whether HED was protective for other racial-ethnic groups. We tested whether social support or neighborhood social integrati...
Background. Literature assessing the effect of marital status on mortality has underrepresented, or altogether omitted Hispanics and the potential moderating effect of Hispanic ethnicity on these relationships. Given cultural and network dynamics, marital advantages in older Hispanic women may be greater than other groups given their family-focused...
Background
Social relationships with less support are linked to greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias. Despite growing evidence of this link, to our knowledge, no studies have examined neuropathological processes through which low social support may affect risk of cognitive impairment. We used data from the Women’s...
Emerging work suggests that experiences of racial discrimination may impact overall sleep health; however, there is limited work on the link between racial microaggressions and sleep. Using weekly diary data, the current study examined young adults’ weekly reports of racial microaggressions across 4 weeks, and their relation to weekly reports of sl...
Objective:
Epidemiologic data increasingly supports sleep as a determinant of cardiovascular disease risk. Fewer studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying this relationship using objective sleep assessment approaches. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine associations between daily blood pressure and both objectively assessed s...
Objectives: Racial-ethnic differences in physical/mental health are well documented as being associated with disparities; however, emerging conceptual models increasingly suggest that group differences in social functioning and organization contribute to these relationships. There is little work examining whether racial-ethnic groups respond simila...
Sexual orientation disparities in suicide behavior are well-documented. Yet, few studies have examined how developmental assets – key values, self-perceptions, skills, relationships, and opportunities that have been identified as the building blocks of positive youth development – are associated with suicide behaviors, particularly among sexual min...
We present findings from a daily diary study that explored relative preferences for using each of six emotion regulation strategies and associations between those strategies and romantic relationship quality, as indicated by negative emotions experienced due to one’s partner. We also investigate differences in these processes as predicted by countr...
Purpose
We examined the relations between African-American and Latino young adults’ microaggressions and subsequent changes in weekly diurnal cortisol parameters (i.e., cortisol awakening responses, overall cortisol output (AUC), and diurnal slopes).
Methods
Young adults (N = 53, Mage = 20 years, SD = .90; 72% female) participated in a 4-week diar...
Experiences of racism and heterosexism are common among marginalized adolescents and young adults. Family socialization processes that aim to prepare young people for bias have been studied among racial-ethnic minority populations; however, they have not been investigated among sexual minority populations. This study examined the associations among...
Behavioral and psychosocial factors are well-established determinants of cardiovascular disease burden. These factors exert direct effects as well as interact with traditional risk factors to negatively, and positively, influence CVD outcomes. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of key behavioral and psychosocial CVD risk factors with...
Background:
Latino men are disproportionately affected by the consequences of alcohol and substance abuse when compared to non-Latino white men. Latino men also face greater barriers to accessing, engaging, and completing alcohol and substance abuse treatment services. Culturally adapted interventions are promoted to overcome these barriers. Howev...
Community health workers (CHW) have historically served to link structurally vulnerable populations to broad support systems. Emerging evidence suggests that CHWs engage in various forms of advocacy to promote policy and systems change. We assessed the impact of CHW community advocacy on community change, defined as civic engagement, organizational...
Objective:
Obesity and its comorbidities have emerged as a leading public health concern. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sleep patterns, including duration and disturbances.
Methods:
A convenience sample of 515 college students completed an online survey consisting of the Pittsburgh Sleep...
