Exploring loneliness, dementia and more
In recent months, she made news with two agreeableness, openness, neuroticism and
published studies and one new grant. extraversion. “Attitudes have broad-reaching
One study, published in the Journal of
Sutin
consequences – for how the individual feels and
Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, confirmed responds to their body, for shaping children’s
that loneliness increases your risk of dementia attitudes toward own bodies and the bodies
by 40 percent. “We are not the first people to of those around them, and for policy,” Sutin
show that loneliness is associated with increased said. “If people hold negative attitudes toward
risk of dementia,” said Sutin, principal obesity, that could shape the way that policies
investigator on the study. “But this is by far are made and implemented and perpetuate
the largest sample yet, with a long follow-up. stigma toward obesity.”
And the population was more diverse.” The A study that Sutin recently began aims to
good news, Sutin said, is that loneliness is a discover why people with Latino backgrounds
modifiable risk factor: “Just because you feel have a 50 percent greater risk of developing
lonely now, you don’t always have to feel this Alzheimer’s disease than non-Latino whites.
way.” Among her co-authors were College of Principal investigator on a $3.8 million grant
Medicine colleagues Martina Luchetti and from the National Institute on Aging, she’s
Antonio Terracciano. studying midlife cognitive aging in Latinos,
Another study – published in Personality
looking for predictors and mechanisms of
and Individual Differences, co-written with decline. She’s partnering with researchers at
publications around the world pay attention – Terracciano – found ways in which personality the University of California at Davis, who’ve
because she explores the irresistible topic of how type can shape attitudes toward others’ body collected years’ worth of data on Latino families
our personality affects our health and behavior. weight. They studied conscientiousness, that they can analyze for clues.
When Angelina Sutin embarks on a study,
Born after Michael
When Hurricane Michael ravaged the Florida
The storm may have also increased exposure
Panhandle as a Category 5 storm in October to algae blooms releasing neurotoxins and
2018, the damage was painfully obvious. respiratory and digestive irritants.
and the use of generators on pregnant women
and infants.
“Additionally, including harmful algal blooms
Thousands of toppled and mangled trees, Les Beitsch, chair of Behavioral Sciences severely damaged homes and traumatized and Social Medicine, is partnering with FSU We have assembled a really capable team, joining
residents bore witness. Assistant Professor of Geography Christopher Tulane and colleagues across our university
But what about its long-term impact on Uejio and researchers from Tulane University – once again underscoring that research and
pregnant women and their unborn children? to learn more about Michael’s impacts on the science, just like medicine, are team sports.”
Among the damage Michael caused was the loss children born in its wake. They’ve received a of health-care facilities, physicians and other $400,000 National Institutes of Health grant health-care workers who either left the region or to study post-Michael birth outcomes in the were hindered by damaged infrastructure. That Panhandle.
health care in many areas.
Pregnant women remaining in heavily
“We were ecstatic to learn we had successfully
competed for this grant on our first attempt.
NIH recognized that this sort of natural
damaged areas faced other risks as well, experiment presents rare opportunities to study
including exposure to respiratory toxicants, such the health impact of disasters on some of our
as carbon monoxide from the generators used to most vulnerable residents,” Beitsch said.
provide electricity during long power outages.
Carbon monoxide poisoning during pregnancy
“We already know stressors affect birth
limited or eliminated opportunities for maternal
illustration/Ray
allows yet another dimension for comparisons.
outcomes. But in this case the health-care
has been associated with fetal demise, severe infrastructure is also stressed. Several planned
neurological complications, intrauterine growth areas will present a research first impression,
retardation, preterm delivery and birth defects. including the examination of carbon monoxide
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