title: Negative emotions predict elevated interleukin-6 in the United States but not in Japan.
abstract: Previous studies conducted in Western cultures have shown that negative emotions predict higher levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers, specifically interleukin-6 (IL-6). This link between negative emotions and IL-6 may be specific to Western cultures where negative emotions are perceived to be problematic and thus may not extend to Eastern cultures where negative emotions are seen as acceptable and normal. Using samples of 1044 American and 382 Japanese middle-aged and older adults, we investigated whether the relationship between negative emotions and IL-6 varies by cultural context. Negative emotions predicted higher IL-6 among American adults, whereas no association was evident among Japanese adults. Furthermore, the interaction between culture and negative emotions remained even after controlling for demographic variables, psychological factors (positive emotions, neuroticism, extraversion), health behaviors (smoking status, alcohol consumption), and health status (chronic conditions, BMI). These findings highlight the role of cultural context in shaping how negative emotions affect inflammatory physiology and underscore the importance of cultural ideas and practices relevant to negative emotions for understanding of the interplay between psychology, physiology, and health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, 1202 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, United States. Electronic address: ymiyamoto@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Jennifer Morozink
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boylan
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.forename: Katherine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Curhan
authors.forename: Cynthia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Hazel Rose
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitayama
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.forename: Gayle D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Carol D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Ryff
mesh_terms: D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6
keywords: Culture; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Negative emotion
references.citation: Am J Clin Pathol. 1994 Dec;102(6):802-5
references.pmid: 7801895
references.citation: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006 Mar;17(3):863-70
references.pmid: 16467451
references.citation: Annu Rev Psychol. 2002;53:83-107
references.pmid: 11752480
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 2002 Nov;128(6):934-60
references.pmid: 12405138
references.citation: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2004 Dec;88(3):281-5
references.pmid: 15609131
references.citation: Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:469-500
references.pmid: 15760298
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1996 Dec;64(6):1152-68
references.pmid: 8991302
references.citation: Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Mar;25(3):494-502
references.pmid: 21112385
references.citation: Diabetes. 2005 Dec;54 Suppl 2:S114-24
references.pmid: 16306329
references.citation: J Immunol. 2003 Apr 15;170(8):4335-41
references.pmid: 12682270
references.citation: Psychol Rev. 1989 Apr;96(2):234-54
references.pmid: 2710874
references.citation: JAMA. 2001 Jul 18;286(3):327-34
references.pmid: 11466099
references.citation: J Psychosom Res. 2000 Apr-May;48(4-5):323-37
references.pmid: 10880655
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Mar 23;107(12):5681-6
references.pmid: 20176930
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1980 Apr;38(4):668-78
references.pmid: 7381680
references.citation: Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52:141-66
references.pmid: 11148302
references.citation: Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2008 Jun;34(6):741-54
references.pmid: 18359927
references.citation: Emotion. 2012 Feb;12(1):69-80
references.pmid: 21787076
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2012 Jul;21(7):1167-70
references.pmid: 22564866
references.citation: Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Feb;25(2):232-8
references.pmid: 20888901
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 2001 Nov;81(5):869-85
references.pmid: 11708563
references.citation: Brain Behav Immun. 2008 Jul;22(5):753-61
references.pmid: 18226879
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2009 Feb;71(2):171-86
references.pmid: 19188531
references.citation: Brain Behav Immun. 2009 Oct;23(7):936-44
references.pmid: 19416750
references.citation: Psychol Sci. 2013 Apr;24(4):544-9
references.pmid: 23443305
references.citation: Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2010 Aug;14(3):296-312
references.pmid: 20435801
references.citation: Cytokine. 2011 Nov;56(2):145-8
references.pmid: 21764327
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2007 Apr;69(3):217-24
references.pmid: 17401057
references.citation: J Pers. 1992 Jun;60(2):441-76
references.pmid: 1635050
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst. 1998 Dec 16;90(24):1888-93
references.pmid: 9862626
references.citation: Circulation. 2000 Apr 18;101(15):1767-72
references.pmid: 10769275
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 1999 Jan 1;149(1):41-6
references.pmid: 9883792
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jul;88(7):3372-8
references.pmid: 12843190
references.citation: Brain Behav Immun. 2007 Mar;21(3):251-8
references.pmid: 17008048
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991 Jul;61(1):132-40
references.pmid: 1890584
references.citation: Hum Biol. 2005 Aug;77(4):509-14
references.pmid: 16485780
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;66(1):124-31
references.pmid: 14747646
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2003 Jul-Aug;65(4):523-7
references.pmid: 12883100
references.citation: Emotion. 2011 Dec;11(6):1346-1357
references.pmid: 21910543
references.citation: Am J Med. 1999 May;106(5):506-12
references.pmid: 10335721
references.citation: Annu Rev Immunol. 2005;23:1-21
references.pmid: 15771564
references.citation: Brain Behav Immun. 2009 Oct;23(7):887-97
references.pmid: 19389469
references.citation: Emotion. 2009 Aug;9(4):441-56
references.pmid: 19653765
references.citation: J Psychosom Res. 2002 Oct;53(4):897-902
references.pmid: 12377300
references.citation: Perspect Psychol Sci. 2007 Sep;2(3):242-59
references.pmid: 26151968
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Nov;16(11):2464-70
references.pmid: 18006938
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2003 Jul-Aug;65(4):564-70
references.pmid: 12883106
references.citation: Cogn Emot. 2011 Jan;25(1):22-39
references.pmid: 21432654
references.citation: Psychol Rev. 1999 Oct;106(4):766-794
references.pmid: 10560328
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998 Nov;75(5):1333-49
references.pmid: 9866191
references.citation: Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2010 Apr;87(4):479-82
references.pmid: 20130566
references.citation: Hum Immunol. 2004 Dec;65(12):1413-9
references.pmid: 15603866
references.citation: J Behav Med. 1985 Jun;8(2):163-90
references.pmid: 3897551
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 2005 Nov;131(6):925-971
references.pmid: 16351329
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2010 Apr;72(3):290-300
references.pmid: 20100883
references.citation: Int J Epidemiol. 2001 Aug;30(4):833-8
references.pmid: 11511613
references.citation: Psychol Med. 2010 Nov;40(11):1797-810
references.pmid: 20085667
references.citation: Cytokine. 2002 Jul 7;19(1):52-4
references.pmid: 12200114
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 1998 Oct 1;102(7):1369-76
references.pmid: 9769329
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 2005 Nov;131(6):803-55
references.pmid: 16351326