Taiye Winful

Social inequalities, stress, and differential health outcomes often arise in diverse societies where certain variables promote separation among groups. While these variables are context-specific, they contribute to broader patterns of embodiment, wherein social and physical environments shape biological processes. The inflammatory response plays a crucial role in understanding how environments “gets under the skin”, yet much of our understanding remains limited to specific contexts. This study addresses this gap by investigating biocultural influences on inflammatory responses in Nigeria, where ethnicity and language shape lived experiences. Specifically, it examines how ethnolinguistic identity and “wahala”, a stress adjacent word in Nigeria, contribute to variability in systemic inflammatory biomarkers, building on prior research showing ethnicity and region as a key predictor of inflammatory variability. Through collecting systemic inflammation biomarkers, sociodemographic data, and semi-structured interviews, this project will provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between ethnicity, stress, and biological outcomes. We predict that individuals from minority ethnic groups will experience higher ethnolinguistic stress, reflected in increased systemic inflammatory biomarkers. Additionally, we anticipate that “wahala” narratives will differ between ethnic groups, reflecting distinct lived experiences. By integrating these elements, this study advances our understanding of embodiment and the biological consequences of social inequalities.