The Effect of Perceived Discrimination and Weekly Stress on Physical Health Outcomes in African American and Hispanic/Latina Women: Health Is Power Study
type: CreativeWork
description: Background: Reducing health disparities has become a national objective, and psychological factors, such as racial discrimination and weekly stressors, are thought to contribute to them. The purposes of this study are (1) to determine the association between weekly stressors and racial discrimination to physical health outcomes, including blood pressure, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI=kg/m2) among community dwelling African American and Hispanic/Latina women and (2) to determine whether coping moderates the association between discrimination and health. Method: Data were collected from the Health Is Power project, a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Health (PI: Lee, 1R01CA109403) to increase physical activity and improve dietary habits in African American and Hispanic/Latina women. Women (N=410) completed measures of racial discrimination, weekly stress, and a physical health assessment. Racial discrimination was measured using the Experience of Discrimination questionnaire; weekly stressors, including the number of events and impact of events, were measured using the Weekly Stress Inventory. Physical health assessments were conducted by a trained assessor and included measures of BMI, body fat percentage, and blood pressure. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe participant characteristics and test assumptions of normality. Bivariate analyses were performed to determine the associations between independent variables (Experience of Discrimination, Weekly Stress Inventory-Impact) and dependent variables (BMI, body fat percentage, and blood pressure). Multiple regression analyses were used to determine physical health outcomes from the Weekly Stress Inventory and Experiences of Discrimination questionnaire, controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Results: Our results indicate that the impact of weekly stressors is associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in African American and Hispanic/Latin…
abstract: Background: Reducing health disparities has become a national objective, and psychological factors, such as racial discrimination and weekly stressors, are thought to contribute to them. The purposes of this study are (1) to determine the association between weekly stressors and racial discrimination to physical health outcomes, including blood pressure, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI=kg/m2) among community dwelling African American and Hispanic/Latina women and (2) to determine whether coping moderates the association between discrimination and health. Method: Data were collected from the Health Is Power project, a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Health (PI: Lee, 1R01CA109403) to increase physical activity and improve dietary habits in African American and Hispanic/Latina women. Women (N=410) completed measures of racial discrimination, weekly stress, and a physical health assessment. Racial discrimination was measured using the Experience of Discrimination questionnaire; weekly stressors, including the number of events and impact of events, were measured using the Weekly Stress Inventory. Physical health assessments were conducted by a trained assessor and included measures of BMI, body fat percentage, and blood pressure. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe participant characteristics and test assumptions of normality. Bivariate analyses were performed to determine the associations between independent variables (Experience of Discrimination, Weekly Stress Inventory-Impact) and dependent variables (BMI, body fat percentage, and blood pressure). Multiple regression analyses were used to determine physical health outcomes from the Weekly Stress Inventory and Experiences of Discrimination questionnaire, controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Results: Our results indicate that the impact of weekly stressors is associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in African American and Hispanic/Latin…
author: Sunseri, Christopher Paul 1984-
language: eng
keywords: Perceived discrimination, Health disparities, Weekly stress inventory, Physical health outcomes, Blood pressure, Body fat percentage, Body mass index
date published: 2013-05
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:32:54Z
provider: University of Houston
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Houston

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/10657/2676