African American Female College Students Research Articles

Abstract B35: Working to close the gap: Identifying predictors of HPV vaccine initiation among young African American women

Abstract Background: HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines are recent innovations that have provided a new avenue for cervical cancer prevention. The role of HPV vaccines among groups of women who experience excess cervical cancer incidence and mortality requires further study. The purpose of this study was to assess health beliefs associated with HPV vaccine initiation among young African American (AA) women. Methods: Three hundred sixty-three African American female college students aged 18-26 were recruited from three Historically Black Colleges/Universities in the southeastern United States. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered, anonymous survey to assess knowledge and beliefs related to HPV and the HPV vaccine. Results: One-quarter (24%) of participants initiated the HPV vaccine. Women who initiated the HPV vaccine had significantly higher HPV knowledge (p=0.01), lower perceived barriers to vaccination (p<0.01), and were younger (p<0.01) compared to women who had not initiated vaccination. Factors significantly associated with HPV vaccine initiation included: HPV knowledge (OR=1.22), perceived severity of HPV health outcomes, (OR=0.48), perceived barriers to vaccination, (OR=0.49), cues to action (OR=1.94), and age (OR=0.68). The model explained 19% of the variance in HPV vaccine initiation. Conclusions: Study findings can be used to inform the development of targeted health education and promotion HPV vaccine programs for AA college-aged women to prevent continued disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Addressing health beliefs will be central to efforts to promote widespread vaccine uptake and future reduction in disease. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B35.

Hip Hop, Health, and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): Using Wireless Technology to Increase HPV Vaccination Uptake

National incidence rates of cervical cancer are disproportionately higher in African-American women, and cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection impose an enormous health burden of over $3.7 billion annually. Current efforts to use Hip Hop culture to address health disparities include disease prevention and health promotion. The use of Hip Hop cultural cues for HPV vaccination uptake and education was developed through an interdisciplinary collaboration. Interventions that incorporate youth values and beliefs are needed to reduce an escalating HPV infection trajectory. Prior research has shown that Hip Hop music has a significant influence on the sexual attitudes and behaviors of African-American emerging young women, providing a context within which to prevent risky behaviors. The current study examines the efficacy of a Hip Hop-based HPV vaccination uptake feasibility project that integrates wireless technology among African-American female college students. Findings suggest that cultural relevance of Hip Hop to the lives of young African-American women increases the acceptability of transmitted health messages. Discussion is centered on implications of wireless technology and Hip Hop as a viable approach to increase HPV vaccination, and a formal randomized control trial is planned.

The Impact of Moderate Physical Activity on Body Composition in African American Female College Students

The Impact of Moderate Physical Activity on Body Composition in African American Female College Students

An Ecological Approach to Examining Body Satisfaction in Caucasian and African American Female College Students

Body satisfaction is a multifaceted concept that depends upon inner biological, psychological, social, and cultural components. Although research has demonstrated the influence of culture and family on the etiology of eating disorders, few studies have examined how these variables are associated with body satisfaction in a nonclinical, racially diverse college population. This study explores the mediating role of race in the assessment of family environment, associated with body satisfaction in college females. More specifically, body mass index (BMI), self‐worth, eating behavior, parental attachment, parental control, and media influence are examined in relation to perceived body satisfaction. Females in a southeastern university (231 Caucasians, 80 African Americans) aged 18–24, completed two subscales of Harter’s Self‐Perception Scale for College Students assessing self‐worth and body satisfaction. Participants reported height and weight to calculate BMI and completed an eating behavior (EAT‐26) scale. Attachment to both parents was measured by the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment. Perception of media was assessed by the Media Influence Scale, developed specifically for this study. For both groups, BMI was a predictor of body satisfaction. Self‐worth, parental attitudes, media influence, and eating behaviors demonstrated unique interplay with regard to perceived body satisfaction for each race. Findings indicate that body satisfaction, an essential part of self‐worth, is constructed differently by each race, and associated with familial variables in distinctive ways.

Internalization of the Thin Ideal as a Predictor of Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating in African, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean Female College Students

This study, conducted at a historically Black university, evaluated the impact of awareness and internalization of the Western thin ideal of beauty on body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia in African-American, African, and Caribbean women. The relationship between internalization of the thin ideal and disordered eating was moderated by ethnicity, with the relationship significant only for the African-American group. Internalization functioned as a mediator between awareness of the thin ideal and both drive for thinness and bulimia, but only for the African-American group. These results suggest that the sociocultural model may not be as valuable in predicting eating disturbance in women from non-Western societies.

Calcium intake in African American and Caucasian female college students and its relationship with weight

National surveys indicate that women in the United States do not consume enough dairy products, and as a result, are not meeting the recommendations for dietary calcium (Ca). This might result in negative consequences not just for bone health, but for body weight as well, in view of studies showing a negative relationship between overweight/obesity and Ca. The purpose of this study is to assess dietary Ca intake among college females and identify whether it is related to body weight. Volunteers on college campuses were asked to complete a validated food frequency questionnaire assessing usual Ca intake from food. Volunteers include 50 African American and 54 Caucasian females, 18‐37y and BMI (kg/m2) of 26.8±6.6 and 23.1±4.0, respectively (mean±SD). Race, height, and weight were self‐reported. Ca intake was similar between African Americans and Caucasians (1291±761 vs. 1465±934, respectively; p= 0.30), but Caucasians consumed significantly more Ca per kg body weight than African Americans (23.7±16.1 vs. 18.6±10.1; p=0.05). There was a nearly significant difference in Ca intake between normal weight and overweight/obese volunteers such that those with a BMI=25 kg/m2 consumed more Ca per kg of body weight (23.1±14.1 vs. 17.8±12.4; p=0.06). These results show that surveyed college females are meeting recommendations for Ca and suggest that Ca intake may be related to markers of body weight. Funded by USDA/CSREES/NRI #2004‐05287

Cultivating Consciousness Among Black Women

This study was conducted to assess the relationship between political ideology and self-esteem among African American female college students. From a historically Black university, 164 women were sampled. A series of standard multiple regression were employed to assess the relationship between political ideology, age, and self-esteem. Results of the study indicated that Black Nationalism was a significant predictor of self-esteem and that age was not a significant predictor of Black Nationalism. The findings of this study suggest that a political ideology may be predictive of well-being in African American women. Future research needs to assess the impact of maturation in the development of political ideology across the lifespan. Furthermore, research on Black women’s political ideas may contribute to the literature and broaden our understanding of what factors precede a strong Black identity and, subsequently, affect psychological health.

Emotion-Oriented Coping, Avoidance Coping, and Fear of Pain as Mediators of the Relationship Between Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Pain-Related Distress Among African American and Caucasian College Women

The authors tested whether coping styles and fear of pain mediate the relationship between positive affect and negative affect on one hand and pain-related distress (PD) on the other. Among African American and Caucasian female college students, negative affect, fear of pan, and emotion-oriented coping together accounted for 34% of the variance in PD among African American woman and 40% of the variance in PD among Caucasion women. Emotion-oriented coping and fear of pain fully mediated the relationship between negative affect and PD among Caucasian women and partly mediated the relationship between negative affect and PD among African American women. Results suggest that reducing college women's reliance on emotion-oriented coping and their fears of pain may help reduce PD.

Ethnic Differences in Sleep Quality Accompany Ethnic Differences in Night-time Blood Pressure Dipping

African Americans exhibit a smaller nocturnal decrease in blood pressure (BP) than whites, and there are also reports of poorer sleep quality among African Americans. We examined the contribution of sleep quality to ethnic differences in BP dipping in African American and white male and female college students. We hypothesized that African Americans would exhibit blunted nocturnal BP dipping compared to whites, which would be partly accounted for by poorer sleep quality among African Americans. Forty-three African American and 46 white college students aged 18 to 25 years completed an ambulatory BP protocol that included wrist actigraphy, which was used in conjunction with participant self-reports of sleep times for analyses of sleep quality. Although daytime and night-time BP did not differ according to ethnicity, African Americans had a smaller dip in systolic BP (P < .01), and African American women had a smaller dip in diastolic BP than whites (P < .01). Whites were more likely to be classified as a dipper (71%) than African Americans (41%) (P < .01). African Americans, compared to whites, spent less time in bed, were asleep for a shorter period of time, took longer to fall asleep, exhibited poorer sleep efficiency, and were awakened a higher percentage of the time by the inflation of the BP cuff (F > or = 4.85, P < .05). However, sleep quality did not appear to contribute to ethnic differences in diastolic BP dipping. Sleep quality accompanied ethnic differences in systolic and diastolic BP dipping, but did not account for these differences.

HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Perceptions Among African American Male and Female College Students at a Historical Black University

With the incidence of HIV/AIDS infection continuing to increase among young, African Americanmen andwomen, it is necessary to examine the breadth of their knowledge on HIV prevention strategies. This study assesses the reported knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of students attending a Southern urban commuter campus at a Historically Black University. Major differences among males and females, as well as factors influencing testing, issues of safer sex, and perceptions of being HIV infected are examined. The cross-sectional survey data was collected using a self-administered instrument with 238 African American female and male students. Knowledge of transmission was relatively accurate. The majority of students were aware of testing services available to them, though less than 50% of the students reported using services on campus or in their community. There were several significant genderdifferences in attitudes and knowledge about social supports and condom use. The findings are important for social service providers to consider when developing and/or integrating HIV prevention into a culturally responsive service delivery approach.

Why is discrimination stressful? The mediating role of cognitive appraisal.

This study attempts to shed light on past findings that experiences of racial and gender discrimination are associated with poor psychological and physical health outcomes by investigating the role of cognitive appraisal as a mediator of the relationship between experiences of discrimination and affective stress reactions. African American female college students (N = 115) imagined themselves in an audiotaped scenario in which they overheard 2 European American male classmates make negative evaluations of them. Participants then completed measures of causal attributions, cognitive appraisal, and affective stress reactions. Multiple regression analyses supported the hypotheses that attributions to racism and to discrimination that combines racism and sexism were associated with increased stress reactions. This relationship was mediated by cognitive appraisals of centrality.

Contextual Counseling With Clients of Color: A “Sista” Intervention for African American Female College Students

The authors argue that college counselors need to consider culturally appropriate adaptations of traditional counseling. They describe a counseling intervention for African American female college students and present a case study to illustrate the effectiveness of this counseling strategy.

An Examination of Multiple Substance Use Between African American and Caucasian Female College Students

This study examined the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine among 445 African American and Caucasian female college students. Using the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey, the authors explored: (1) the extent of substance use; and (2) whether or not African American female college students were more or less likely to engage in the use of these substances compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Results indicated that alcohol was the most frequently used substance, with more than 73% of the participants reporting alcohol use. The second most commonly used drug was tobacco followed by marijuana; however, only one-fourth of the participants reported using these substances. Cocaine was the least frequently used substance, with less than 2% of the participants reporting the use of this substance. Results also indicated that Caucasian female college students were more likely to engage in the use of alcohol and tobacco than are African American female college students.

Do You See What I See? Effects of Group Consciousness on African American Women's Attributions to Prejudice

This study examined the effects of three types of group consciousness among African American women ( ethnic, feminist, and womanist) on prejudice attributions and appraised personal significance ( centrality) of a negative intergroup event. African American female college students ( N = 123) imagined themselves in an audiotaped scenario in which they overheard two European American male classmates make negative evaluations of them. The scenario provided no cause for the negative evaluations and no references to race or gender. Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher ethnic and womanist consciousness were related to increased prejudice attributions and greater centrality appraisals ( p &lt; .05), while feminism had no effect. Results suggest that womanist consciousness may be more relevant than traditional feminist consciousness in predicting African American women's perceptions of prejudice.

African American college women's suicide buffers.

African American women have lower suicide rates than other women and men in the United States They may possess suicide buffers including social support, religiosity, negative attitudes regarding suicide acceptability, and African American culture. To examine the relationships buffers may have with suicide ideation, 300 African American female college students completed measures of suicide ideation and buffers. Three variables accounted for a significant and unique portion of the variance in suicide ideation: family support, a view that suicide is unacceptable, and a collaborative religious problem-solving style. The identification of these factors may help in the assessment, prevention, and intervention of suicide for African American women and other women and men.

Come to the river: Using spirituality to cope, resist, and develop identity

AbstractThis chapter describes and discusses spiritual lives of African American female college students, including elements of coping, resisting, and developing identity.

The Ins and Outs of Succeeding in Mathematics: African American Students' Notions and Perceptions

This article presents the results of a research study that investigated the mathematical experiences of two African American female college students. The study examined the students' perceptions of and responses to their mathematical experiences. The study sought to determine how these students viewed their experiences in mathematics classrooms, particularly their interactions with mathematics teachers and sought to identify factors that contributed to their succeeding in mathematics. The students' stories suggest a need to raise questions about traditional teaching practices that may be oppressive for African American mathematics students. Their stories also engender hope due to the support of caring educators whom they called "good teachers" and who contributed to their success with school mathematics.

Researching Across Difference

This article tells of a process in which African American female college students became co-researchers in a project in which they told of their experiences on a predominantly White campus. They later engaged in the reflection of those stories and then met in succeeding sessions to discuss their reactions and share their hopes for changing the situations. The researcher employed participatory research methods, strategies of group narrative, and individual interviews. She then recorded the discussions of all sessions, identifying major themes and analyzing data in categories titled voices of self, voices of distress, and voices of empowerment. She also recorded observable actions illustrating the students were empowered to change situations on campus. The author's self-reflection links her story with the co-researchers' stories and tells of the transformation that takes place in her. Her present reflection on her experience concludes that dealing with difference in higher education is a continuing struggle.

Body dissatisfaction among White and African American male and female college students

Body size perception has been shown to be highly influenced by cultural factors including race. This study assessed body size perceptions of a convenience sample of college students ( N=630). Included in a paper-and-pencil survey were current height and weight (body mass index (BMI)=wt [kg]/ht 2 [m]), perceived BMI, desired MI and perceptions of BMIs desired by others. Also assessed were perceptions of underweight, acceptable weight and overweight/obesity. African American females were found to have a higher current BMI than Whites ( P≤.001), higher desired BMI ( P≤.001) and higher BMI perceived to be desired by others ( P≤.001). African American and White males did not differ on any of these measures. Most (83%) underweight (BMI<19) African American females perceived themselves as underweight while only about one-half of underweight (56%) White females perceived themselves as underweight. Almost half (43%) of White females and about a fourth (27%) of African American females of acceptable BMI range (BMI=19–25) desired to be in the underweight range. Of those who were overweight (BMI=25–30), 20% of the Whites and only 3.0% of the African Americans chose an underweight silhouette as being desired. While African Americans and White males tended to have similar perceptions that there remains sociocultural influences in African American females regarding acceptance of a large body size.

Attitudes Toward Black English and Code Switching

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine African American adults’ perceptions of those African Americans who use Black English (BE), Standard English (SE), or code switch (CS) between the two languages. African American male and female college students were exposed to an audiotaped man speaking in BE, SE, appropriate CS (SE in a formal setting and BE in an informal setting), or inappropriate CS (BE in a formal setting and SE in an informal setting). Participants were then asked to rate the speaker on a number of personality characteristics using the Revised Speech Dialect Attitudinal Scale (SDAS); participants also were asked about wanting to know or work with the speaker. Results indicated that participants rated the SE and appropriate CS model more favorably than either the BE or inappropriate CS model; they wanted to get to know the SE and appropriate CS speaker as opposed to the inappropriate CS speaker and would like to work with the SE and appropriate CS speaker as opposed to the BE or inappropriate CS speaker.