Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia.
BACKGROUND
Anthropologists are beginning to translate insights from ethnography into tools for population studies that assess the role of culture in human behavior, biology, and health.


OBJECTIVE
We describe several lessons learned in the creation and administration of an ethnographically-based instrument to assess the life course perspectives of Appalachian youth, the Life Trajectory Interview for Youth (LTI-Y). Then, we explore the utility of the LTI-Y in predicting depressive symptoms, controlling for prior depressive symptoms and severe negative life events throughout the life course.


METHODS
In a sample of 319 youths (190 White, 129 Cherokee), we tested the association between depressive symptoms and two domains of the LTI-Y - life course barriers and milestones. Longitudinal data on prior depressive symptoms and negative life events were included in the model.


RESULTS
The ethnographically-based scales of life course barriers and milestones were associated with unique variance in depressive symptoms, together accounting for 11% of the variance in this outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
When creating ethnographically-based instruments, it is important to strike a balance between detailed, participant-driven procedures and the analytic needs of hypothesis testing. Ethnographically-based instruments have utility for predicting health outcomes in longitudinal studies.
Brown
Ryan A
RA
Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60208, USA. rbrow11@gmail.com
Kuzara
Jennifer
J
Copeland
William E
WE
Costello
E Jane
EJ
Angold
Adrian
A
Worthman
Carol M
CM
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural / Q000379:methods*; D001061:Appalachian Region / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003469:Culture; D003625:Data Collection; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D004813:Epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*