title: Culture and the Immune System: Cultural Consonance in Social Support and C-reactive Protein in Urban Brazil.
abstract: In this article, we examine the distribution of a marker of immune system stimulation-C-reactive protein-in urban Brazil. Social relationships are associated with immunostimulation, and we argue that cultural dimensions of social support, assessed by cultural consonance, are important in this process. Cultural consonance is the degree to which individuals, in their own beliefs and behaviors, approximate shared cultural models. A measure of cultural consonance in social support, based on a cultural consensus analysis regarding sources and patterns of social support in Brazil, was developed. In a survey of 258 persons, the association of cultural consonance in social support and C-reactive protein was examined, controlling for age, sex, body mass index, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, depressive symptoms, and a social network index. Lower cultural consonance in social support was associated with higher C-reactive protein. Implications of these results for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, The University of Alabama.
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Dressler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Paulista University.
authors.forename: Mauro C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Balieiro
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of São Paulo-Ribeirão Preto.
authors.forename: Rosane P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo-Ribeirão Preto.
authors.forename: José Ernesto
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060432:Anthropology, Medical; D001938:Brazil / Q000208:ethnology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Brazil; C-reactive protein; cultural consonance; social support