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Lalika M, McCoy CR, Jones C, Bancos I, Cooper LA, Hayes SN, Johnson MP, Kullo IJ, Kumbamu A, Noseworthy PA, Patten CA, Singh R, Wi CI, Brewer LC. Rationale, design, and participant characteristics of the FAITH! Heart Health+ study: An exploration of the influence of the social determinants of health, stress, and structural racism on African American cardiovascular health. Contemp Clin Trials 2024; 143:107600. [PMID: 38851481 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND African Americans (AAs) face cardiovascular health (CVH) disparities linked to systemic racism. The 2020 police killing of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated adverse psychosocial factors affecting CVH outcomes among AAs. This manuscript describes the study protocol and participant characteristics in an ancillary study exploring the relationship between biopsychosocial factors and CVH among AAs. METHODS Using a community-based participatory approach, a mixed-methods ancillary study of 58 AA participants from an overarching randomized control trial (RCT) was conducted. Baseline RCT health assessments (November 2020) provided sociodemographic, medical, and clinical data. Subsequent health assessments (February-December 2022) measured sleep quality, psychosocial factors (e.g., high-effort coping), biomarkers (e.g., cortisol), and cardiovascular diagnostics (e.g., cardio-ankle vascular index). CVH was assessed using the American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 (LS7) (range 0 to 14, poor to ideal) and Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores (range 0 to 100, low to high). Correlations between these scores will be examined. Focus group discussions via videoconferencing (March to April 2022) assessed psychosocial and structural barriers, along with the impact of COVID-19 and George Floyd's killing on daily life. RESULTS Participants were predominantly female (67%), with a mean age of 54.6 [11.9] years, high cardiometabolic risk (93% had overweight/obesity and 70% hypertension), and moderate LE8 scores (mean 57.4, SD 11.5). CONCLUSION This study will enhance understanding of the associations between biopsychosocial factors and CVH among AAs in Minnesota. Findings may inform risk estimation, patient care, and healthcare policies to address CVD disparities in marginalized populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Lalika
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Carrie R McCoy
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Clarence Jones
- Hue-Man Partnership, 2400 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404, USA
| | - Irina Bancos
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Lisa A Cooper
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2024 E. Monument Street, Suite#2-500, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Sharonne N Hayes
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Matthew P Johnson
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Iftikhar J Kullo
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Ashok Kumbamu
- Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Peter A Noseworthy
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Christi A Patten
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Ravinder Singh
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry & Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Chung-Il Wi
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - LaPrincess C Brewer
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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Erving CL, Zajdel RA, Blevins KM, Fields ND, Martin ZT, McKinnon II, Parker R, Murden RJ, Udaipuria S, Swanson S, Booker B, Burey T, Vaccarino V, Moore RH, Johnson DA, Lewis TT. The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women. Sleep Health 2024; 10:302-307. [PMID: 38403559 PMCID: PMC11162945 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Similar to women overall, Black women are socialized to be communal and "self-sacrificing," but unlike women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black women are also socialized to be "strong" and "invulnerable." This phenomenon is labeled Superwoman schema. This study examined associations between Superwoman schema endorsement and subjective sleep quality. METHODS Participants included 405 Black women (ages 30-46). Superwoman schema was measured using a 35-item scale capturing five dimensions: obligation to present strength, suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, motivation to succeed, and obligation to help others. Superwoman schema overall and the five dimensions/subscales were analyzed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to investigate overall subjective sleep quality (range: 0-19), poor sleep quality (PSQI >5), and specific sleep domains (eg, sleep duration, sleep disturbances). We fit linear and binary logistic regression models, adjusting for health-related and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS Superwoman schema dimension obligation to help others was associated with lower overall subjective sleep quality (β: .81, 95%CI=0.29, 1.32) and poor sleep quality (OR: 1.55, 95%CI=1.10, 2.19), as well as bad subjective sleep quality (OR: 1.76, 95%CI=1.18, 2.66), sleep disturbances (β: .73, 95%CI =0.07, 1.41), and daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI=1.25, 3.26). Suppress emotions (OR: 1.41, 95%CI=1.01, 1.99) was associated with poor subjective sleep quality. Superwoman schema overall was associated with daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI=1.06, 3.82). CONCLUSION Superwoman schema endorsement, especially obligation to help others and suppress emotions, may be important psychosocial risk factors for Black women's sleep health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy L Erving
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Sociology & Population Research Center, Austin, Texas, USA.
| | - Rachel A Zajdel
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kennedy M Blevins
- University of California, Irvine, School of Social Ecology, Department of Psychological Science, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Nicole D Fields
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zachary T Martin
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Izraelle I McKinnon
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rachel Parker
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Department, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Raphiel J Murden
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Department, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shivika Udaipuria
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Seegar Swanson
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Department, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bianca Booker
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Taylor Burey
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Reneé H Moore
- Drexel University, Dornsife School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dayna A Johnson
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tené T Lewis
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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LeBrón AMW, Rodriguez VE, Sinco BR, Caldwell CH, Kieffer EC. Racialization processes and depressive symptoms among pregnant Mexican-origin immigrant women. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38713848 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
This study examines how racialization processes (conceptualized as multilevel and dynamic processes) shape prenatal mental health by testing the association of discrimination and the John Henryism hypothesis on depressive symptoms for pregnant Mexican-origin immigrant women. We analyzed baseline data (n = 218) from a healthy lifestyle intervention for pregnant Latinas in Detroit, Michigan. Using separate multiple linear regression models, we examined the independent and joint associations of discrimination and John Henryism with depressive symptoms and effect modification by socioeconomic position. Discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = 2.84; p < .001) when adjusting for covariates. This association did not vary by socioeconomic position. Women primarily attributed discrimination to language use, racial background, and nativity. We did not find support for the John Henryism hypothesis, meaning that the hypothesized association between John Henryism and depressive symptoms did not vary by socioeconomic position. Examinations of joint associations of discrimination and John Henryism on depressive symptoms indicate a positive association between discrimination and depressive symptoms (β = 2.81; p < .001) and no association of John Henryism and depressive symptoms (β = -0.83; p > .05). Results suggest complex pathways by which racialization processes affect health and highlight the importance of considering experiences of race, class, and gender within racialization processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana M W LeBrón
- Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Department of Chicano/Latino Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Victoria E Rodriguez
- Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Brandy R Sinco
- School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Cleopatra H Caldwell
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Edith C Kieffer
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Criss S, Kim M, De La Cruz MM, Thai N, Nguyen QC, Hswen Y, Gee GC, Nguyen TT. Vigilance and Protection: How Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern Women Cope with Racism. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024; 11:773-782. [PMID: 36917397 PMCID: PMC10013280 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01560-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research is needed to fully investigate the differential mechanisms racial and ethnic groups use to deal with ongoing intersectional racism in women's lives. The aim of this paper was to understand how Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern women experience racism-from personal perceptions and interactions to coping mechanisms and methods of protection. METHODS A purposive sample of 52 participants participated in 11 online racially/ethnically homogeneous focus groups conducted throughout the USA. A team consensus approach was utilized with codebook development and thematic analysis. RESULTS The findings relate to personal perceptions and interactions related to race and ethnicity, methods of protection against racism, vigilant behavior based on safety concerns, and unity across people of color. A few unique concerns by group included experiences of racism including physical violence among Asian American Pacific Islander groups, police brutality among Black groups, immigration discrimination in Latina groups, and religious discrimination in Middle Eastern groups. Changes in behavior for safety and protection include altering methods of transportation, teaching their children safety measures, and defending their immigration status. They shared strategies to help racial and ethnic minorities against racism including mental health resources and greater political representation. All racial and ethnic groups discussed the need for unity, solidarity, and allyship across various communities of color but for it to be authentic and long-lasting. CONCLUSION Greater understanding of the types of racism specific groups experience can inform policies and cultural change to reduce those factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaniece Criss
- Department of Health Sciences, Furman University, Greenville, SC, 29613, USA.
| | - Melanie Kim
- Department of Anthropology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Monica M De La Cruz
- School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Nhung Thai
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Quynh C Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Yulin Hswen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Gilbert C Gee
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Thu T Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
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Suslovic B, Lett E. Resilience is an Adverse Event: A Critical Discussion of Resilience Theory in Health Services Research and Public Health. COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH & POLICY 2024; 44:339-343. [PMID: 36856261 PMCID: PMC10919062 DOI: 10.1177/2752535x231159721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Resilience, the individual trait of being able to persist and cope with, often recurrent, negative experiences, has experienced an explosion in recent years as a topic of study. In this commentary, we critique this surge and problematize the co-occurring development of the "resilience as treatment" paradigm. We show that resilience is an expectation foisted primarily on historically and contemporarily oppressed and excluded populations often in response to systemic and structural forms of discrimination. We argue that this represents a fundamental mismatch of intervention and problem; offering an individual-level solution to a structural toxin. In doing so, we re-contextualize resilience as an adverse event, more analogous to scar tissue than a reliable treatment paradigm. Our essay concludes with offering alternatives to resilience that originate with the holistic trauma and liberation health frameworks. These paradigms are united in that, in contrast to resilience, they emphasize healing from structural violence, rather than adapting to it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Suslovic
- The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elle Lett
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Applied Transgender Studies, Chicago, IL, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Liu S, Curenton SM, Sims J, Fisher PA. The promotive and protective effects of parents' perceived changes during the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional well-being among U.S. households with young children: an investigation of family resilience processes. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1270514. [PMID: 38259548 PMCID: PMC10800496 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1270514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic may constitute a traumatic event for families with young children due to its acute onset, the unpredictable and ubiquitous nature, and the highly distressing disruptions it caused in family lives. Despite the prevalent challenges such as material hardships, child care disruptions, and social isolation, some families evinced remarkable resilience in the face of this potentially traumatic event. This study examined domains of changes perceived by parents of young children that were consistent with the post-traumatic growth (PTG) model as factors that facilitate family resilience processes. Methods This study drew data from the RAPID project, a large ongoing national study that used frequent online surveys to examine the pandemic impact on U.S. households with young children. A subsample of 669 families was leveraged for the current investigation, including 8.07% Black, 9.57% Latino(a), 74.44% non-Latino(a) White families, and 7.92% households of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. In this subsample, 26.36% were below 200% federal poverty level. Results Approximately half of the parents reported moderate-to-large degrees of changes during the pandemic, and the most prevalent domain of change was appreciation of life, followed by personal strengths, new possibilities, improved relationships, and spiritual growth. Black and Latino(a) parents reported more changes in all five domains than White parents and more spiritual growth than parents of the other racial/ethnic groups. Moreover, parent-reported improved relationships were found to indirectly reduce young children's overall fussiness/defiance and fear/anxiety symptoms through reducing parents' emotional distress. Perceived changes in the new possibilities, personal strengths, and appreciation of life domains were found to serve as protective factors that buffered the indirect impacts of material hardship mean levels on child behavioral symptoms via mitigating parents' emotional distress. Discussion These findings shed light on resilience processes of a family system in a large-scale, disruptive, and stressful socio-historical event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The five PTG domains could inform therapeutic and intervention practices in the face of future similar events. Importantly, these findings and the evinced family resilience should not negate the urgent needs of policy and program efforts to address material hardships, financial instabilities, and race/ethnicity-based structural inequalities for families of young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihong Liu
- Stanford Center on Early Childhood, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Stephanie M. Curenton
- Center on Ecology of Early Development, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jacqueline Sims
- Center on Ecology of Early Development, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Philip A. Fisher
- Stanford Center on Early Childhood, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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Gaston SA, Forde AT, Green M, Sandler DP, Jackson CL. Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Hypertension by Educational Attainment Among a Cohort of US Women. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2344707. [PMID: 37991758 PMCID: PMC10665977 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.44707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Although understudied, there are likely within-group differences among minoritized racial and ethnic groups in associations between racial and ethnic discrimination (RED) and hypertension risk, as minoritized individuals with higher educational attainment may more frequently encounter stress-inducing environments (eg, professional workplace settings, higher-income stores and neighborhoods) characterized by, for instance, exclusion and antagonism. Objectives To investigate educational attainment as a potential effect modifier of associations between RED and hypertension risk among US women; the study hypothesis was that the magnitude of associations would be stronger among participants with higher vs lower educational attainment. Design, Setting, and Participants This is a nested case-control study using Sister Study data collected at enrollment (2003-2009) and over follow-up visits until September 2019. Among eligible US Black or African American (hereafter Black), Latina, and non-Hispanic White women without prior hypertension diagnoses, incidence density sampling was performed to select self-reported hypertension cases that developed over a mean (SD) follow-up 11 (3) years. Data were analyzed August 2022 to February 2023. Exposures Participants reported lifetime everyday (eg, unfair treatment at a business) and major (eg, mistreatment by police) RED via a self-administered questionnaire. Main Outcome and Measures Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for associations between RED and hypertension by educational attainment category at baseline (college or higher, some college, and high school or less) within racial and ethnic groups. Results Among 5179 cases (338 [6.5%] Black; 200 [3.9%] Latina; and 4641 [89.6%] non-Hispanic White) and 10:1 race and ethnicity- and age-matched control participants with a mean (SD) age of 55 (9) years at enrollment, half (49.9%) of women reported attaining college or higher education, and Black women with college or greater education had the highest burden of RED (eg, 83% of case participants with college or higher education reported everyday RED compared with 64% of case participants with high school or less education). Everyday RED was associated with higher hypertension risk among Black women with college or higher education (OR, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.06-2.29]) but not among Black women with some college (OR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.47-1.11]), with evidence of both multiplicative and additive interaction. Results for Black women with high school or less education suggested increased risk, but confidence intervals were wide, and the result was not statistically significant but may be clinically significant (OR, 1.89 [95% CI, 0.83-4.31]). Educational attainment was not a modifier among other racial and ethnic groups or for associations with major RED. Conclusions and Relevance In this nested case-control study of RED and hypertension risk, chronic or everyday RED-associated hypertension disproportionately affected Black women with the highest levels of educational attainment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Symielle A. Gaston
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Allana T. Forde
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michael Green
- Population Health Sciences Department, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Chandra L. Jackson
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Martin ZT, Al-Daas IO, Cardenas N, Kolade JO, Merlau ER, Vu JK, Brown KK, Brothers RM. Peripheral and Cerebral Vasodilation in Black and White Women: Examining the Impact of Psychosocial Stress Exposure Versus Internalization and Coping. Hypertension 2023; 80:2122-2134. [PMID: 37534492 PMCID: PMC10530116 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.123.21230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black women have among the highest rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease prevalence and mortality in part due to blunted vascular function. Psychosocial stress likely also contributes but its relationship to vascular function remains incompletely understood. Recent studies suggest that stress internalization and coping strategies are more important than stress exposures alone. We hypothesized that Black women would have blunted peripheral and cerebral vasodilation and that, among Black women, this would be inversely related with psychosocial stress internalization/coping but not stress exposures. METHODS Healthy Black (n=21; 20±2 years) and White (n=16; 25±7 years) women underwent testing for forearm reactive hyperemia, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and cerebrovascular reactivity. Psychosocial stress exposures (adverse childhood experiences; past week discrimination) and internalization/coping techniques (John Henryism Active Coping Scale; Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire) were assessed. RESULTS Reactive hyperemia and cerebrovascular reactivity were not different between groups (P>0.05), whereas FMD was lower in Black women (P=0.007). Neither adverse childhood experiences nor past week discrimination were associated with FMD in either group (P>0.05 for all). John Henryism Active Coping Scale scores were negatively associated with FMD in Black women (P=0.014) but positively associated with FMD in White women (P=0.042). Superwoman Schema-Succeed was negatively associated (P=0.044) and Superwoman Schema-Vulnerable tended to be negatively associated (P=0.057) with FMD in Black women. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that blunted FMD in Black women may be due more to stress internalization and maladaptive coping than stress exposures alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T Martin
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - Iman O Al-Daas
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - Natalia Cardenas
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - John O Kolade
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - Emily R Merlau
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - Joshua K Vu
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - Kyrah K Brown
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - R Matthew Brothers
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
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MICHAELS ELIK, LAM‐HINE TRACY, NGUYEN THUT, GEE GILBERTC, ALLEN AMANIM. The Water Surrounding the Iceberg: Cultural Racism and Health Inequities. Milbank Q 2023; 101:768-814. [PMID: 37435779 PMCID: PMC10509530 DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Policy Points Cultural racism-or the widespread values that privilege and protect Whiteness and White social and economic power-permeates all levels of society, uplifts other dimensions of racism, and contributes to health inequities. Overt forms of racism, such as racial hate crimes, represent only the "tip of the iceberg," whereas structural and institutional racism represent its base. This paper advances cultural racism as the "water surrounding the iceberg," allowing it to float while obscuring its base. Considering the fundamental role of cultural racism is needed to advance health equity. CONTEXT Cultural racism is a pervasive social toxin that surrounds all other dimensions of racism to produce and maintain racial health inequities. Yet, cultural racism has received relatively little attention in the public health literature. The purpose of this paper is to 1) provide public health researchers and policymakers with a clearer understanding of what cultural racism is, 2) provide an understanding of how it operates in conjunction with the other dimensions of racism to produce health inequities, and 3) offer directions for future research and interventions on cultural racism. METHODS We conducted a nonsystematic, multidisciplinary review of theory and empirical evidence that conceptualizes, measures, and documents the consequences of cultural racism for social and health inequities. FINDINGS Cultural racism can be defined as a culture of White supremacy, which values, protects, and normalizes Whiteness and White social and economic power. This ideological system operates at the level of our shared social consciousness and is expressed in the language, symbols, and media representations of dominant society. Cultural racism surrounds and bolsters structural, institutional, personally mediated, and internalized racism, undermining health through material, cognitive/affective, biologic, and behavioral mechanisms across the life course. CONCLUSIONS More time, research, and funding is needed to advance measurement, elucidate mechanisms, and develop evidence-based policy interventions to reduce cultural racism and promote health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- ELI K. MICHAELS
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public HealthUniversity of California
| | - TRACY LAM‐HINE
- Division of Epidemiology & Population HealthStanford University School of Medicine
| | | | - GILBERT C. GEE
- Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public HealthUniversity of California
| | - AMANI M. ALLEN
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public HealthUniversity of California
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public HealthUniversity of California
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Denyse T, Martin KJ, Kim JHJ, Pageot YK, Owoyemi P, DeLuz KD, Stanton AL. "No Complaining, No Crying": A Qualitative Study of the Strong Black Woman Schema in the Breast Cancer Context. Ann Behav Med 2023; 57:733-742. [PMID: 37318273 PMCID: PMC10441856 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaad029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black women have the highest mortality from breast cancer compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Black women with breast cancer also evidence compromised quality of life in some domains. Culturally relevant aspects of their experience are understudied. PURPOSE The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the relevance of the Strong Black Woman schema in the cancer context. METHODS Three Gatherings (i.e., culturally curated focus groups) were conducted with Black women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and recruited from cancer-related listservs and events. A five-person team conducted reflexive thematic analysis of Gathering transcripts. RESULTS The 37 participants ranged in age (30 to 94 years) and in diagnosis duration (2 months to 29 years). Reflexive thematic analysis yielded six themes that characterized the women's experience: historical legacy of the Strong Black Woman, navigating intersecting Strong Black Woman identities, everyday challenges encountered on the battlefield by Strong Black Women, Strong Black Woman in action during the breast cancer journey, the complexities of seeking and accepting support, and the liberated Strong Black Woman. The schema's negative consequences included the oncologic team and others expecting the participants to be strong and not to need support. Expectations to suppress emotions and continue caring for others to the neglect of the self also were evident. Positive consequences included engaging in self-advocacy in the oncologic context and redefining strength to include expressing emotions and accepting help. CONCLUSIONS The Strong Black Woman schema is highly relevant in the breast cancer context and could be addressed in culturally centered interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kimberly J Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jacqueline H J Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yrvane K Pageot
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Praise Owoyemi
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Annette L Stanton
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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McDaniel G, Akinwunmi S, Brenya V, Kidane H, Nydegger L. Superwoman schema: uncovering repercussions of coping strategies used among Black women at high risk for HIV. ETHNICITY & HEALTH 2023; 28:874-894. [PMID: 36824000 PMCID: PMC10440248 DOI: 10.1080/13557858.2023.2179570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The Superwomen Schema (SWS) describes a social framework that encompasses the role that many Black women adopt in response to chronic stress, financial pressures, and an intersection of oppression. Woods-Giscombé (Superwoman Schema: African American Women's Views on Stress, Strength, and Health. Qualitative Health Research 20 (5): 668-683, 2010) characterizes SWS using five tenets: obligation to manifest strength, obligation to suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability or dependency, determination to succeed despite a lack of resources, and an obligation to help others. The goal of this study is to determine the connection between SWS among Black women and substance use as a means of maintaining mental health, garnering resilience, and coping with external pressures. We aimed to highlight systemic and infrastructural racism and prejudice and how they relate, not only to the adoption of SWS, but also how they may contribute to substance use. This study is a secondary analysis of a larger study on HIV prevention Black and Latine women at high risk for HIV. Only Black participants (n = 10) were included in this secondary analysis. The interviews were conducted 3 times across 3 months. Interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis in NVivo. Themes of undiagnosed mental health symptoms, medical mistrust, institutional distrust, and aversion to help-seeking were recurrent in our data. Our research confirmed and assessed dual repercussions of SWS among Black women both as a defense that granted resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and as a construct that encouraged substance use as a coping mechanism for compromised mental health. This study contextualized this subset of coping and substance use to address and dismantle systemic contributors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle McDaniel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Shalom Akinwunmi
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Velta Brenya
- Department of Sociology & Health and Society, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Heran Kidane
- Department of Kinesiology & Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Liesl Nydegger
- Department of Kinesiology & Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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Calderón-Spencer E. Awakening: Losing then finding myself in STEMM. Cell 2023; 186:2496-2500. [PMID: 37295393 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
For over 25 years, Dr. Elsie Calderón-Spencer has witnessed the effects of DEI initiatives in STEMM. She shares her story, centered on her experiences as an Afro-Latina woman navigating STEMM higher education and how they reflect the challenges Black and Indigenous people of color face.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsie Calderón-Spencer
- Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120(th) Street, New York, NY 10027, USA; Vanderbilt University, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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13
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Levy BR, Pietrzak RH, Slade MD. Societal impact on older persons' chronic pain: Roles of age stereotypes, age attribution, and age discrimination. Soc Sci Med 2023; 323:115772. [PMID: 36965204 PMCID: PMC10763575 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE In view of the severity and prevalence of chronic pain, combined with the limited success of long-term treatments, there is the need for a more expansive understanding of its etiology. We therefore investigated over time three societal-based potential determinants of chronic pain that were previously unexamined in this connection: negative age stereotypes, age attribution, and age discrimination. METHODS The cohort consisted of 1373 Americans aged 55 and older, who participated in four waves of the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, spanning seven years. RESULTS Consistent with the hypotheses, negative age stereotypes as well as age discrimination predicted chronic pain, and age attribution acted as a mediator between the negative age stereotypes and chronic pain. In a subset of participants who were free of chronic pain at baseline, those who had assimilated negative age stereotypes were 32% more likely to develop chronic pain in the next seven years than those who had assimilated positive age stereotypes. CONCLUSION Our finding that the three societal-based and modifiable predictors contributed to chronic pain refutes the widely held belief that chronic pain experienced in later life is entirely and inevitably a consequence of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Becca R Levy
- Social and Behavioral Science Department, Yale School of Public Health, USA; Psychology Department, Yale University, USA.
| | - Robert H Pietrzak
- Social and Behavioral Science Department, Yale School of Public Health, USA; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, USA
| | - Martin D Slade
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, USA
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Martin ZT, Al-Daas IO, Cardenas N, Kolade JO, Merlau ER, Vu JK, Brown KK, Brothers RM. Peripheral and Cerebral Vascular Reactivity in Black and White Women: Examining the Impact of Psychosocial Stress Exposure Versus Internalization and Coping. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.03.16.23287388. [PMID: 36993407 PMCID: PMC10055599 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.16.23287388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Black women have the highest rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease prevalence and mortality in part due to blunted vascular function. Psychosocial stress likely also contributes but its relationship to vascular function remains incompletely understood. Recent studies suggest that internalization and coping strategies are more important than stress exposure alone. We hypothesized that Black women have blunted peripheral and cerebral vascular function and that, among Black women, this would be inversely related with psychosocial stress internalization/coping but not stress exposures. Healthy Black ( n = 21; 20 ± 2 yr) and White ( n = 16; 25 ± 7 yr) women underwent testing for forearm reactive hyperemia (RH), brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Psychosocial stress exposure (adverse childhood experiences, ACEs; past week discrimination, PWD) and internalization/coping techniques (John Henryism Active Coping Scale, JHAC12; Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire, G-SWS-Q) were assessed. RH and CVR ( p > 0.05) were not different between groups whereas FMD was lower in Black women ( p = 0.007). Neither ACEs nor PWD were associated with FMD in either group ( p > 0.05 for all). JHAC12 scores were negatively associated with FMD in Black women ( p = 0.014) but positively associated with FMD in White women ( p = 0.042). SWS-Succeed was negatively associated ( p = 0.044) and SWS-Vulnerable tended to be negatively associated ( p = 0.057) with FMD in Black women. These findings indicate that blunted FMD in Black women may be due more to internalization and maladaptive coping than stress exposure alone.
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Keum BT, Wong MJ. Congruence and discrepancy in Asian American women's perception and stress appraisal of gendered racial microaggressions: Relationships with depressive symptoms and internalized racism. Front Public Health 2022; 10:954897. [PMID: 36388393 PMCID: PMC9641222 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.954897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior research demonstrates significant links between discrimination and mental health by assessing either encounters with or stress appraisal of discrimination. However, research has yet to examine the dynamic interplay between frequency and stress appraisal (e.g., high frequency-low stress appraisal) and their linkage to depressive symptoms. Using a sample of 309 Asian American women (M age = 22.81, SD = 0.26), we used a polynomial regression and response surface analysis to model the congruence and discrepancy between frequency and stress appraisal of gendered racial microaggressions experienced by Asian American women and how they are related to depressive symptoms and internalized racism. The dynamics between frequency and stress in relation to depressive symptoms were further probed at low, mean, and high levels of internalized racism. Greater congruence between frequency and stress was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (medium to large effect) and internalized racism (small effect). A discrepancy between higher frequency and lower stress was significantly associated with greater internalized racism. Further, when looking across levels of internalized racism, greater congruence between frequency and stress was significantly associated with greater depressive symptoms at low and mean levels of internalized racism but not at high levels. Gendered racial microaggressions are associated with adverse mental health outcomes among Asian American women, contributing to greater depressive symptoms and internalized racism. Further consideration should be given toward how internalized racism shapes differences in the perceptions and stress appraisal of gendered racial microaggressions, and subsequent mental health outcomes among Asian American women.
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James D. An initial framework for the study of internalized racism and health: Internalized racism as a racism‐induced identity threat response. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Drexler James
- Department of Psychology University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA
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