The moderating role of centrality of racial identity in the relationships between discrimination and depression and blood pressure

Abstract

African Americans (AA) are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which may be exacerbated by discriminatory experiences. Centrality of racial identity, or the importance of one’s racial group membership for a person’s sense of self, has been shown to buffer individuals from the negative effects of discrimination on psychological health. This study extends the existing literature by investigating whether centrality moderates the relationship between discrimination and biological health via blood pressure. The sample was drawn from The Heart of Detroit Study (THDS), an ongoing longitudinal study on the psychosocial determinants of CVD risk among urban AA adults. Measures included the Everyday Discrimination Scale, the Centrality Scale, and the short form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also collected. Preliminary data were available for 113 participants (M = 67.5 yrs., SD = 5.75). Centrality was positively associated with discrimination; however, was not a significant moderator of the relationship between discrimination and depression, or the relationship between discrimination and blood pressure. Centrality of racial identity did not moderate the relationship between discrimination and health in our sample of middle-aged and older adults. These findings should be interpreted with caution given their preliminary nature. Other surrogate markers of CVD risk, such as heart rate variability, should be considered in the future.