Maria M Llabre
Biographic Data
| ID | 177493 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Maria M Llabre |
| GIVEN NAMES | Maria M |
| FAMILY NAME | Llabre |
| SIGNATURE | LLABRE M M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Miami |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7450-2498 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 39 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1980 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Differentiating Exposure From Consequence: A Longitudinal Examination of Trauma and Posttraumatic Distress in a Public HIV Care Clinic
Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are disproportionately exposed to traumatic events, which are associated with posttraumatic psychological distress and impaired HIV-related health outcomes (e.g., antiretroviral non-adherence, HIV viremia, lower CD4 count). Prior literature has not adequately differentiated the effects of trauma and posttraumatic distress on HIV-related health outcomes. This study examined longitudinal data of trauma exposure and po…
Language Dominance and Cultural Identity Predict Variation in Self-Reported Personality in English and Spanish Among Hispanic/Latino Bilingual Adults
Language is a fundamental aspect of human culture that influences cognitive and perceptual processes. Prior evidence demonstrates personality self-report can vary across multilingual persons' language contexts. We assessed how cultural identification, language dominance, or both dynamically influence bilingual respondents' self-conception, via self-reported personality, across English and Spanish contexts. During separate English and Spanish cond…
Social determinants of health and biological age among diverse U.S. Adults, NHANES 2011–2018
Social determinants of health are fundamental drivers of health inequities. Education and income are inversely associated with accelerated aging, but less is known about differences in their association with aging by race/ethnicity. We examined the sex-specific association between each social determinant of health with biological age and by race/ethnicity. Data were sourced from four two-year National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycle…
Streamlining Stigma Measurement: Validation and Abridgment of the HIV Stigma Scale for Pregnant Women Living with HIV in South Africa
The HIV Stigma Scale (HSS) is a 40-item psychometrically sound measure capturing four domains of perceived stigma. A 25-item version has been validated in South India. However, the HSS has not been validated among pregnant women with HIV (WWH) in South Africa, a population facing significant stigma. Moreover, they could benefit from the abridged measure to be more efficiently connected to related interventions. Analyzing data from a sample of pre…
Psychosocial and health stressors during the Covid-19 pandemic and their association with sleep quality
Objective We investigated how psychosocial and health stressors and related cognitive-affective factors were differentially associated with sleep quality during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemicMethods and Measures Adults living in Florida (n = 2,152) completed a Qualtrics survey in April-May 2020 (Wave 1). Participants (n = 831) were reassessed one month later (Wave 2; May-June 2020). At Wave 1, participants reported their level of physi…
Economic and Psychosocial Impact of Covid-19 in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos
Objectives: To examine the prevalence and correlates of economic hardship and psychosocial distress experienced during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in a large cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults. Methods: =11,283). We estimated the prevalence of these experiences during the initial phase of the pandemic (May 2020 to May 2021) and examined the prepandemic factors associated with pandemic-related economic hards…
Social motivation predicts gaze following between 6 and 14 months
Infants vary in their ability to follow others’ gazes, but it is unclear how these individual differences emerge. We tested whether social motivation levels in early infancy predict later gaze following skills. We longitudinally tracked infants’ ( N = 82) gazes and pupil dilation while they observed videos of a woman looking into the camera simulating eye contact (i.e., mutual gaze) and then gazing toward one of two objects, at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 14…
Chronic Stress, Genetic Risk, and Obesity in US Hispanic/Latinos: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether the association of chronic stress with obesity is independent of genetic risk and test whether it varies by the underlying genetic risk. METHODS: The analysis included data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, a community-based study of Hispanic/Latinos living in four US communities (Bronx, NY; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; San Diego, CA). The sample consisted of 5336 women and 32…
Body image and disordered eating behaviors in Hispanic/Latino Youth: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latino Youth
Social and built neighborhood environments and blood pressure 6 years later: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and the SOL Casas ancillary study
Insight Into the Hispanic Paradox: The Language Hypothesis
Hispanics have a lower burden of heart disease than would be predicted from their risk factors. Explanations for this phenomenon, the Hispanic paradox, focus on specific characteristics of the culture that affect stress appraisal and accumulation, including social connections. Features of culture evolve in the context of language, which influences the way emotions are appraised and expressed. The Spanish language, a unifying component defining Hi…
Roles of age and sources of cancer caregiving stress in self-reported health and neuroendocrine biomarkers
To investigate the extent to which age and specific sources of caregiving stress are associated with cancer caregivers' health. Methods: New colorectal cancer caregivers ( n = 88; age M = 49) reported caregiving stress (i.e., disrupted schedule, lacking family support, financial strain) and mental and physical health, and collected saliva samples assayed for neuroendocrine biomarkers (cortisol and α-amylase). Results: Disrupted daily schedule due…
Are Anxious and Depressive Symptoms Associated with Gastrointestinal Symptoms in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
Demographic and sociocultural risk factors for adulthood weight gain in Hispanic/Latinos: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
Using self-reported and weight history data in a diverse sample of US Hispanic/Latinos, we revealed that both demographic and sociocultural factors were associated with the patterning of adulthood weight gain in this sample. Given the steep rate of weight gain in this population and the fact that many Hispanic/Latinos living in the US immigrated as adults, efforts to promote weight maintenance across the life course, including after immigration, …
Loneliness, Cardiovascular Disease, and Diabetes Prevalence in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study
Stress Is Associated With Neurocognitive Function in Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results From HCHS/SOL Socio-Cultural Ancillary Study
Our results suggest that mental and physical health may help explain some cross-sectional associations between stress and cognition and highlight the need to examine culture-specific psychosocial stressors to better understand the context of psychosocial risk factors for neurocognitive performance
Perceived discrimination and physical health-related quality of life: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study
Validation of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being-expanded (Facit-Sp-Ex) across English and Spanish-speaking Hispanics/Latinos: Results from the Hispanic Communit…
The validity of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) has been examined in primarily non-Hispanics/Latinos with chronic illness. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the non-illness, expanded FACIT-Sp (FACIT-Sp-Ex) in 5,163 U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults. Measures were interviewer-administered in English or Spanish. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated four factors: Meaning, Peace, Faith…
Childhood Trauma and Adult Risk Factors and Disease in Hispanics/Latinos in the US: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study
OBJECTIVE: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are implicated in diseases of adulthood. We report the prevalence of ACEs in Hispanics/Latinos in the US and their association with major risk factors and diseases in adulthood. METHODS: Data from the Sociocultural Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) were used. The Sociocultural Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos is …
Structural Remodeling of Sympathetic Innervation in Atherosclerotic Blood Vessels: Role of Atherosclerotic Disease Progression and Chronic Social Stress
OBJECTIVE: The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) can undergo dramatic structural plasticity in response to behavioral factors and/or the presence of disease, leading to SNS hyperinnervation of peripheral tissues. The SNS has been proposed as an important mediator between stressful behavior and the progression of atherosclerosis in the vasculature. The present study examined whether structural remodeling of the SNS occurs in the vasculature in a ge…
Centering Predictor Variables in Three-Level Contextual Models
Hierarchical data are becoming increasingly complex, often involving more than two levels. Centering decisions in multilevel models are closely tied to substantive hypotheses and require researchers to be clear and cautious about their choices. This study investigated the implications of group mean centering (i.e., centering within context; CWC) and grand mean centering (CGM) of predictor variables in three-level contextual models. The goals were…
Effect of Equine-Assisted Activities on Social and Sensory Functioning of Children with Autism
This is a replication, randomized control trial, that investigated the therapeutic effects of a 12-week equine-assisted ( EA ) intervention on the social and sensory functioning of children with autism. Reliability and stability of parent and teacher reports of children’s social and sensory functioning across three assessment times were assessed, in support of the validity of observed outcomes. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that children in th…
Effects of a Multicomponent Life-Style Intervention on Weight, Glycemic Control, Depressive Symptoms, and Renal Function in Low-Income, Minority Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Results of the Community…
OBJECTIVE: Few interventions have combined life-style and psychosocial approaches in the context of Type 2 diabetes management. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a multicomponent behavioral intervention on weight, glycemic control, renal function, and depressive symptoms in a sample of overweight/obese adults with Type 2 diabetes and marked depressive symptoms. METHODS: A sample of 111 adults with Type 2 diabetes were rando…
Prevalence of Diabetes Among Hispanics/Latinos From Diverse Backgrounds: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
OBJECTIVE: We examine differences in prevalence of diabetes and rates of awareness and control among adults from diverse Hispanic/Latino backgrounds in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The HCHS/SOL, a prospective, multicenter, population-based study, enrolled from four U.S. metropolitan areas from 2008 to 2011 16,415 18-74-year-old people of Hispanic/Latino descent. Diabetes was defined…
Children’s sedentary activity after hurricane exposure
The current study examined the potential impact of a natural disaster, Hurricane Ike, on children’s levels of sedentary activity. Sedentary activity is a health risk behavior associated with poor chronic health outcomes. Hurricane exposure (perceived and actual life threat) and recovery stressors (hurricane-related and major life events) were expected to be associated with posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and sedentary activity. Children (n 20…
Perceived discrimination and physical health-related quality of life: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study
Assessing the Reliability and Validity of the John Henry Active Coping Scale in an Urban Sample of African Americans and white Americans
The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the JHAC12's ability to assess the construct of active coping among African Americans and white Americans
Social and built neighborhood environments and blood pressure 6 years later: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and the SOL Casas ancillary study
Stress Is Associated With Neurocognitive Function in Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results From HCHS/SOL Socio-Cultural Ancillary Study
Our results suggest that mental and physical health may help explain some cross-sectional associations between stress and cognition and highlight the need to examine culture-specific psychosocial stressors to better understand the context of psychosocial risk factors for neurocognitive performance
Body image and disordered eating behaviors in Hispanic/Latino Youth: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latino Youth
Equal Cell Size and Nonorthogonality in Ancova
A concern about the accuracy of the SPSS analysis of covariance program (ANCOVA) has been noted in the literature. This concern stems from different results obtained when using the classical experimental, regression, and hierarchial solutions in a "balanced" factorial design. This paper demonstrates that orthogonal effects are not to be expected following the "removal of the covariate." Three different methods of least squares were applied to an …
The Reliability and Specificity of Delta Versus Residualized Change as Measures of Cardiovascular Reactivity to Behavioral Challenges
The statistical parameters that influence the reliability of delta and residualized change were examined in the context of the assessment of cardiovascular reactivity. A comparison of the relative reliabilities of these two quantification methods was performed using systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate data from two samples of 134 and 109 subjects observed during baseline and either two or four behavioral challenges. …
The influence of social situations on ambulatory blood pressure
Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) levels were assessed and types of activities were recorded every 20 min for a 12-hr period in 131 normotensive or mild-moderate hypertensive subjects. Systolic (S)BP and diastolic (D)BP levels varied significantly as a function of the social situation (alone, with family, with friends, or with strangers). BP levels were lowest when subjects were with family and were highest when subjects were with strangers
Cultural beliefs about rape and victims' response in three ethnic groups
Cultural definitions of rape were assessed among 101 African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white female rape victims and 89 nonvictims matched for ethnicity, age, marital status, and socioeconomic status. Hispanics scored highest and whites lowest both in perceived community victim-blaming and in victims' psychological distress. Social and treatment implications are discussed
Influence of Ethnicity and Gender on Cardiovascular Responses to Active Coping and Inhibitory-Passive Coping Challenges
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate how black and white men and women responded physiologically to specific laboratory challenges. METHODS: Hemodynamic responses to an active coping (evaluated speaking) and two inhibitory-passive coping (mirror tracing, cold pressor) tasks were examined in 138 black and white men and women. RESULTS: Significant ethnicity by gender interactions occurred for the evaluated speaking task. Black men resp…
Psychological Distress is Associated With Decreased Memory Helper T-cell and B-cell Counts in Pre-Aids HIV Seropositive Men and Women but Only in Those With Low Viral Load
OBJECTIVE: Although some studies have demonstrated the association of psychological distress and diminished immune system function in HIV spectrum disease, other studies have yielded apparently conflicting findings; the lack of consideration of the role of HIV viral burden may be central to this controversy. This study examined whether HIV viral burden moderated the relationship between psychological distress and enumerative and functional immune…
Assessing the Reliability and Validity of the John Henry Active Coping Scale in an Urban Sample of African Americans and white Americans
The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the JHAC12's ability to assess the construct of active coping among African Americans and white Americans
Applying Latent Growth Curve Modeling to the Investigation of Individual Differences in Cardiovascular Recovery From Stress
LGC modeling yields an understanding of the processes and predictors of change that is not attainable through traditional statistical methods. Although our application concerns cardiovascular recovery from stress, LGC modeling has many other potential applications in psychosomatic research
Effect of Behavioral Interventions on Insulin Sensitivity and Atherosclerosis in the Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic Rabbit
Objective: A previous study suggested that insulin metabolic variables play a role in the progression of atherosclerosis in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. The present study sought to determine: 1) if young, individually caged WHHLs are insulin-resistant relative to New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits and 2) whether dietary or exercise interventions can improve insulin sensitivity and slow the development of atherosclerosis in these…
Stress Management Intervention Reduces Serum Cortisol and Increases Relaxation During Treatment for Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention, which was composed of relaxation, cognitive restructuring, and coping skills training on late afternoon serum cortisol and relaxation indicators in women who were undergoing treatment for nonmetastatic breast cancer. METHODS: Participants (N = 128) were randomly assigned to receive a 10-week CBSM group intervention or a 1-day psychoeducation seminar…
Comparing unidimensional and multidimensional models of benefit finding in breast and prostate cancer
War-Related Exposure and Psychological Distress As Predictors of Health and Sleep: A Longitudinal Study of Kuwaiti Children
Objectives: To determine whether exposure to war-related trauma during childhood predicted posttraumatic stress, self-reported health, sleep, and obesity in adulthood, and whether psychological distress mediated the relationships. Methods: We assessed 151 Kuwaiti boys and girls aged 9 to 12 years in 1993 to determine their level of exposure to war-related trauma during the Iraqi occupation and Gulf war, health complaints, and psychological distre…
What’s in a Name? Psychosomatic Medicine and Biobehavioral Medicine
Freedland, Kenneth E. PhD; de Geus, Eco J.C. PhD; Golden, Robert N. MD; Kop, Willem J. PhD; Miller, Gregory E. PhD; Vaccarino, Viola MD, PhD; Brumback, Babette PhD; Llabre, Maria M. PhD; White, Victoria J. MA; Sheps, David S. MD, MSPH Author Information
Revisiting Measurement Models in Psychosomatic Medicine Research: A Latent Variable Approach
In this article, we describe how a latent variable modeling approach to the specification of measurement error unifies and benefits traditional methods of examining reliability in psychology and medicine. The models presented include classical reliability and generalizability theory to account for measurement error, latent class analysis to assess sensitivity and specificity, and item response theory to improve questionnaire development. We also …
Children’s sedentary activity after hurricane exposure
The current study examined the potential impact of a natural disaster, Hurricane Ike, on children’s levels of sedentary activity. Sedentary activity is a health risk behavior associated with poor chronic health outcomes. Hurricane exposure (perceived and actual life threat) and recovery stressors (hurricane-related and major life events) were expected to be associated with posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and sedentary activity. Children (n 20…
Prevalence of Diabetes Among Hispanics/Latinos From Diverse Backgrounds: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
OBJECTIVE: We examine differences in prevalence of diabetes and rates of awareness and control among adults from diverse Hispanic/Latino backgrounds in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The HCHS/SOL, a prospective, multicenter, population-based study, enrolled from four U.S. metropolitan areas from 2008 to 2011 16,415 18-74-year-old people of Hispanic/Latino descent. Diabetes was defined…
Effects of a Multicomponent Life-Style Intervention on Weight, Glycemic Control, Depressive Symptoms, and Renal Function in Low-Income, Minority Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Results of the Community…
OBJECTIVE: Few interventions have combined life-style and psychosocial approaches in the context of Type 2 diabetes management. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a multicomponent behavioral intervention on weight, glycemic control, renal function, and depressive symptoms in a sample of overweight/obese adults with Type 2 diabetes and marked depressive symptoms. METHODS: A sample of 111 adults with Type 2 diabetes were rando…
Validation of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being-expanded (Facit-Sp-Ex) across English and Spanish-speaking Hispanics/Latinos: Results from the Hispanic Communit…
The validity of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) has been examined in primarily non-Hispanics/Latinos with chronic illness. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the non-illness, expanded FACIT-Sp (FACIT-Sp-Ex) in 5,163 U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults. Measures were interviewer-administered in English or Spanish. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated four factors: Meaning, Peace, Faith…
Childhood Trauma and Adult Risk Factors and Disease in Hispanics/Latinos in the US: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study
OBJECTIVE: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are implicated in diseases of adulthood. We report the prevalence of ACEs in Hispanics/Latinos in the US and their association with major risk factors and diseases in adulthood. METHODS: Data from the Sociocultural Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) were used. The Sociocultural Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos is …
Structural Remodeling of Sympathetic Innervation in Atherosclerotic Blood Vessels: Role of Atherosclerotic Disease Progression and Chronic Social Stress
OBJECTIVE: The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) can undergo dramatic structural plasticity in response to behavioral factors and/or the presence of disease, leading to SNS hyperinnervation of peripheral tissues. The SNS has been proposed as an important mediator between stressful behavior and the progression of atherosclerosis in the vasculature. The present study examined whether structural remodeling of the SNS occurs in the vasculature in a ge…
Centering Predictor Variables in Three-Level Contextual Models
Hierarchical data are becoming increasingly complex, often involving more than two levels. Centering decisions in multilevel models are closely tied to substantive hypotheses and require researchers to be clear and cautious about their choices. This study investigated the implications of group mean centering (i.e., centering within context; CWC) and grand mean centering (CGM) of predictor variables in three-level contextual models. The goals were…
Effect of Equine-Assisted Activities on Social and Sensory Functioning of Children with Autism
This is a replication, randomized control trial, that investigated the therapeutic effects of a 12-week equine-assisted ( EA ) intervention on the social and sensory functioning of children with autism. Reliability and stability of parent and teacher reports of children’s social and sensory functioning across three assessment times were assessed, in support of the validity of observed outcomes. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that children in th…
Loneliness, Cardiovascular Disease, and Diabetes Prevalence in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study
Stress Is Associated With Neurocognitive Function in Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results From HCHS/SOL Socio-Cultural Ancillary Study
Our results suggest that mental and physical health may help explain some cross-sectional associations between stress and cognition and highlight the need to examine culture-specific psychosocial stressors to better understand the context of psychosocial risk factors for neurocognitive performance
Perceived discrimination and physical health-related quality of life: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study
Medicine (26 works) · Psychology (22 works) · Clinical Psychology (17 works) · Internal Medicine (14 works) · Demography (12 works) · Gerontology (12 works) · Psychiatry (11 works) · Internal Medicine (10 works) · Public health (9 works) · Developmental psychology (8 works)