American Women Research Articles

Neighborhood Threat of Eviction over Time and Risk of Preterm Birth in Black American Women.

Black communities are disproportionately impacted by dual crises: residential evictions and adverse birth outcomes. A growing literature has documented the spill-over effects of neighborhood evictions on adverse birth outcomes, but none have examined associations between these exposures over time and risk of preterm birth (PTB) among Black women. We linked survey data from the Life-course Influences on Fetal Environments Study (n = 807) and publicly available block group-level eviction filing rate data. Addresses from the preconception (from 2007 to 2009) and during pregnancy neighborhoods (from 2009 to 2011) were linked to data from the Eviction Lab. Eviction filing rate trajectories included (1) steady low (referent), (2) steady high, (3) decreasing, and (4) increasing categories. PTB was defined as birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation and was abstracted from participant medical records. Modified Poisson regression with robust error variance estimated relative risk and 95% confidence intervals. Models were adjusted for predictors of residential selection (income, education, marital/cohabiting status, andage), as well asduration of residence in current neighborhood, current neighborhood sociodemographic disadvantage, and residential movefrom the before pregnancy to during pregnancy neighborhood. Preterm birth was experienced in 16.2% of the sample (n = 131), and the mean age of participants was 27years. In adjusted models, PTB risk was strongly associated with increasing eviction filing rates (compared to steady low) (relative risk: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.68). Our results provide new evidence about the spillover effects of increased neighborhood threat of eviction over time, on risk of PTB among Black women. Future interventions, including policy solutions aimed at addressing the eviction and PTB crises, are warranted.

Mitochondrial coupling efficiency and myofiber type related to blood pressure 22h after high-intensity exercise in premenopausal women.

Previously we have shown that systolic blood pressure (SBP) increases in African American (AA) women but decreases in European American (EA) women ≈22h after a high-intensity exercise bout, suggesting delayed recovery in the AA women. We, therefore, sought to determine whether myofiber type, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and mitochondrial coupling efficiency may contribute to elevated blood pressure in AA women following a bout of high-intensity exercise. Premenopausal EA (9) and AA (7) women were aerobically trained for 8-16weeks and was evaluated. After 2days without exercise, participants were evaluated for myofiber type, mitochondrial respiration using high-resolution respirometry, and SVR 22h following 1h of high-intensity interval cycle ergometry. AAs had higher SBP and DBP and type IIx myofiber % but lower type IIa myofiber %. SBP was significantly related to SVR (0.71), RCR (0.44), type IIa myofiber type (- 0.48), and type IIx myofiber type (0.53). DBP was significantly related to SVR (0.58) and the respiratory acceptor control ratio (state 3/state 4, termed RCR, 0.69). SBP remained significantly higher in AAs even after adjusting for type IIx myofiber type, RCR, SVR, or adjusted for FFM, and additionally, DBP remained significantly higher after adjusting for type IIx myofiber type, RCR, or adjusted for FFM. These results support the premise that mitochondrial RCR, type IIx myofiber type, and SVR may contribute to increased blood pressure ≈22h following a bout of high-intensity exercise. Still, racial differences were not explained by any of these variables.

Tsuru Aoki and Anna May Wong: Clothing, Life and Death, and The Ambivalence toward the Haunting Past

This research employs Anna Anlin Cheng’s concept of Ornamentalism to examine the costumes in three Hollywood films featuring Asian actresses: Tsuru Aoki’s The Wrath of the Gods and The Dragon Painter, as well as Anna May Wong’s Daughter of the Dragon. While Tsuru Aoki is often overshadowed by her association with Sessue Hayakawa, her contributions as an esteemed actress in early cinema deserve more focused examination. Similarly, Anna May Wong’s Daughter of the Dragon has not received the scholarly attention it warrants. This research aims to bridge these gaps by analyzing the culturally specific costumes that shape the star images of Aoki and Wong, both on and off the screen. Additionally, the study explores how costumes interact with culturally specific visual elements, narrative structures, and the female body to construct and deconstruct Asian racial identities within these films. By considering the transnational reception of these films and the sensory and material culture surrounding their production, this research reveals the ongoing dialogues and interdependencies among American and Asian women during the early 20th century as they navigated and shaped their racial and gender identities.

Social and Psychological Mediators of Sexual and Physical Male-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence Against Young African American Women: The Role of Alcohol Use and Drinking Context.

Problem alcohol use is prevalent among women who experience male-perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV). However, the pathways by which this occurs remain poorly understood and understudied among African American women. This study sought to examine context-specific social and psychological mediators of this association. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we tested a conceptual framework predicting problem alcohol use within 3 months of experiencing physical and/or sexual IPV. The sample included 508 young African American women (median age 21, interquartile range 19-22 years). A modified SEM met prespecified global and local fit index criteria. The model identified four indirect paths from IPV to problem alcohol use. Three of the paths were through the endorsement of drinking contexts: negative coping, social drinking, and intimate drinking. Negative coping and social drinking emerged as the most salient pathways (β = .431, 95% CI [0.107, 0.754]; β = .472 [0.103, 0.841], respectively). A fourth path operated via depressive symptomatology and negative coping. The model predictors explained 35% of the variance in problem alcohol use; findings were consistent with full mediation of IPV and problem drinking. These findings increase the understanding of problem alcohol use among African American women who experience IPV and identify modifiable context-specific risk factors for problem alcohol use. Interventions to reduce problem drinking could incorporate trauma-informed counseling, as part of integrated IPV and substance use care, to reduce depressive symptomatology and enhance drinking refusal skills in response to situational drinking.

An argument for the aesthetic value of Latin American women’s art

An argument for the aesthetic value of Latin American women’s art

Reference Range Determination for the sFlt-1/PlGF Ratio in a Diverse Cohort of Pregnant Women in the United States.

The serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) to placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio is an established tool for predicting preeclampsia in many countries but is not widely adopted in the United States. This study aimed to determine reference ranges for the Elecsys® sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and the sFlt-1 and PlGF immunoassays (Roche Diagnostics International Ltd) in a diverse US population of healthy pregnant women. This was a prospective, noninterventional sample and data collection study performed between November 2022 and November 2023 at 9 collection sites and one measurement site in the United States. Evaluable women were ≥18 years old, apparently healthy, between 23 + 0 to 40 + 6 gestational weeks with a singleton pregnancy and had one serum sample collected. Reference ranges for 23 + 0 to 40 + 6 gestational weeks and 5 gestational windows within this range were determined using a nonparametric method. Of 818 recruited women, 561 were evaluable for the analysis and were representative of the US population in terms of self-reported race, ethnicity, and maternal age. Reference ranges for the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, as determined by the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles (90% CIs), were 0.9 (0.7, 1.0) to 13.5 (11.6, 14.9) for a US intended use population at 23 + 0 to 34 + 6 gestational weeks (n = 380) and 0.9 (0.7, 1.1) to 40.8 (29.0, 47.2) for the entire evaluable population at 23 + 0 to 40 + 6 gestational weeks. Reference ranges were determined for sFlt-1/PlGF and the sFlt-1 and PlGF immunoassays in a diverse, healthy US population of pregnant women at 23 + 0 to 40 + 6 gestational weeks.

Public Health Determinants of Breast Cancer Screening Uptake Among African Immigrant Women in Georgia

Despite generally higher levels of education and household income, African immigrant women in the United States face unique barriers to timely screening and diagnosis of breast cancer, which hinders early detection and treatment. Research suggests that many variances are present between the cancer screening practices of American women and women who immigrated to the US. The objective of this study was to determine the rates of breast cancer screening amongst the African immigrant population in Georgia and to determine the factors that affect screening uptake. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out using semi-structured questionnaires administered to 145 African immigrant women through a joint initiative involving Morehouse School of Medicine and Redeemer's Medical Centre. Data were analyzed using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate statistical methods. Although 82% of participants said they practiced BSE, the study discovered that there were substantial differences in the frequency and accuracy of these activities among the various demographic groups. Although screening behaviours were favourably correlated with money and education, obstacles like ignorance, fear, mistrust of the healthcare system, cultural views, and a limited knowledge of the healthcare system in the United States continued to exist. Notably, there were misunderstandings regarding breast cancer, such as the idea that the illness has contagious or spiritual roots. Due to social, linguistic, and healthcare system- related problems, African immigrant women in Georgia face significant obstacles to breast cancer screening, even with relatively high levels of education and money. Our results suggest that there is an urgent need for more research to develop more culturally competent interventions to improve breast cancer screening and ultimately help reduce the prevalence of breast cancer among female African immigrants living in the US.

Sexual Identities: The State of the Field and Future Directions

This essay overviews some of the major themes that have emerged from the sociological study of sexual identities (e.g., heterosexual/straight and LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer)) over the past several decades. Only a minority of countries have representative data available about sexual identification, although it is now available for the first time in certain countries, including Brazil and Japan. Although the prevalence of LGBQ identification varies, it is far higher in the Unites States than anywhere else, and the gender gap is larger as well. The primary reason why the Unites States is an outlier is because young American women have such high rates of LGBQ, and especially bisexual, identification. A uniquely strong link between left-wing ideology and LGBQ identity in the Unites States may help explain this trend. Other work has examined identity-behavior discordance among heterosexuals, the demography of emerging sexual identities such as asexual, and secondary sexual identities such as “daddy” and “bear” among gay men. While there is extensive work about LGBQ life in the Unites States and to a lesser extent in other parts of the Western world, LGBQ life in other global regions is underrepresented in the literature.

Centering malleable factors in Black women's mental health: How psychological armoring and social support role dynamics connect to trauma symptoms from gendered racism.

Prior research centering Black women's mental health has established a link between gendered racism and psychological distress, with perceived low social support and disengagement coping exacerbating adverse mental health outcomes, but these constructs and relationships among them require elaboration to inform culturally relevant care. The present study aimed to extend the literature by examining the mediating role of psychological armoring (a culturally tailored frame for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy's psychological inflexibility model) as a coping response in the connection between gendered racism and trauma symptoms from discrimination among a community sample of 187 Black American women. We introduced the concept of disparity in social support roles (DSSR; e.g., giving more support than receiving) to assess the impact of this factor on perceived low social support and evaluated the moderating role of satisfaction with balance of social support roles (SBSSR) in the gendered racism to disengagement coping link. Results revealed that psychological armoring partially mediated the relationship between gendered racism and trauma symptoms from discrimination. While there was no moderating support for DSSR, giving more support than receiving predicted low social support satisfaction, and decreased SBSSR was related to higher psychological armoring, psychological distress, and trauma symptoms from discrimination. Our results expand upon empirical research that connects gendered racism to adverse psychological outcomes and lends support to psychological armoring and DSSR as malleable mechanisms that can be targeted for wellness-promoting interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Discrimination, Coping, and DNAm Accelerated Aging Among African American Mothers of the InterGEN Study

Background: Racial discrimination experiences are associated with the activation of stress biology pathways and signs of accelerated biological aging, including alterations in DNA methylation (DNAm). Coping strategies may mitigate stress from racial discrimination and protect against long-term adverse health outcomes. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure cohort, an all-African-American sample, to test the hypothesis that social support can protect against accelerated biological aging associated with experiences of racial discrimination. We measured biological aging from saliva DNAm using six epigenetic clocks. Clock values were residualized on participant age and the estimated proportion of epithelial cells contributing to the DNA sample and standardized to M = 0, SD = 1 within the analysis sample. The primary analysis was focused on the second-generation PhenoAge and GrimAge clocks and the third-generation DunedinPACE “speedometer,” which previous studies have linked with racial discrimination. Results: In our sample (n = 234; mean age = 31.9 years; SD = 5.80), we found evidence consistent with our hypothesis in the case of the PhenoAge clock, but not the other clocks. Among mothers who did not seek social support, experiences of racial discrimination were associated with an older PhenoAge (b = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.02–0.50, p = 0.03). However, social-support seeking mitigated this risk; at the highest levels of social support, no adverse consequences of discrimination were observed (interaction b = −0.01, 95% CI = −0.02–−0.00, p = 0.03). Conclusions: The replication of results is needed. Future research should also investigate additional adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies utilized by African American women and mothers to identify protective measures that influence health outcomes.

Association of body roundness index with uterine fibroids in women of childbearing age: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 1999–2006

Background and aimPrevious studies have shown an association between obesity and uterine fibroids (UF). Body roundness index (BRI) is an anthropometric measure associated with obesity. However, the association with UF has not been thoroughly elucidated, and further investigation is required to explore the possible link. Our study investigated the possible link between BRI and UF in women aged 20 to 44 years, with a view to providing effective scientific evidence for health management and disease prevention in this population.MethodsThis cross-sectional study analysis included data from 4043 women of childbearing age from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database 1999–2006.We applied multiple regression analysis to study the association between BRI and UF, subgroup analysis was used to ensure broad applicability and representativeness of conclusions, and finally linear correlation between BRI and UF was explored by smooth curve fitting.ResultsThis study involved 4,043 female participants aged 20–44 years, of whom 331 (8.19%) had fibroids. After controlling for all potential confounders, each additional unit of BRI increased the prevalence of UF by 7% (OR = 1.07,95% CI: 1.01,1.12), Sensitivity analysis by dividing BRI into four groups found a 54% increase in the prevalence of UF within the fourth quartile (Q4) of BRI compared with the first quartile (Q1) of BRI (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.20).The link between BRI and UF maintained in subgroup analyses. Furthermore, the study showed a linear positive correlation between BRI and the probability of UF prevalence.ConclusionsHigher levels of BRI may be linked to a higher prevalence of UF, according to studies conducted on American women of childbearing age. The study’s conclusions highlight how important BRI is for managing and preventing UF.

The Murder of Black Women in the United States: A Public Health Crisis.

The Murder of Black Women in the United States: A Public Health Crisis.

Housing characteristics, dietary patterns, and sociodemographic characteristics as predictors of persistent organic pollutant exposure among African American pregnant women in Atlanta.

Housing characteristics, dietary patterns, and sociodemographic characteristics as predictors of persistent organic pollutant exposure among African American pregnant women in Atlanta.

Perceived Discrimination and Pandemic Attitudes on Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Asian American Women: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Study.

Perceived Discrimination and Pandemic Attitudes on Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Asian American Women: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Study.

Drug misuse, self-esteem, and intimate partner violence among low-income African American women.

Little attention has been paid to the association between drug misuse and intimate partner violence (IPV) in low-income African American women or factors that protect African American women with drug misuse from IPV exposure. To fill these gaps, this study examined if the drug misuse-IPV exposure link was moderated by self-esteem in the target population. Participants (n = 204; Mage = 36.8 years, SDage = 11.1), low-income African American women with a recent suicide attempt and IPV exposure, were recruited from a large, public health care system and completed measures assessing drug use, self-esteem, and IPV. Drug misuse correlated only with physical IPV (r = .16, p < .05). Self- and other-based self-esteem correlated with physical (r = -.25, p < .01 and r = -.34, p < .01, respectively) and nonphysical (r = -.33, p < .01 and r = -.41, p < .01, respectively) IPV. Moderation analyses revealed an interaction of drug use and other-based self-esteem on nonphysical IPV (B = -.26, SE = .06, p < .001); women with higher other-based self-esteem were more likely to be exposed to the negative effects of drug misuse on their reports of nonphysical IPV severity. There was no interaction of drug use and other-based self-esteem on physical IPV exposure or of self-based self-esteem on either type of IPV. Interventions that enhance African American women's perceptions of how they believe others view them may protect them against nonphysical IPV, but they also may require interventions to address drug misuse if present. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

“You are a foreigner and will always be a foreigner”: Intersectional non-belonging among Latin American women migrant workers in Israel

“You are a foreigner and will always be a foreigner”: Intersectional non-belonging among Latin American women migrant workers in Israel

Black American women's roots travel

Black American women's roots travel

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in the US:

This article examines police jurisdictional challenges pertaining to the epidemic of missing and murdered Native American women in the United States. Research suggests that Indigenous women in the US go missing at disproportionate rates in terms of total state populations. This elevated representation is further concerning when connected to public mistrust of police that is exemplified in cooperation issues rooted in law enforcement jurisdictional issues. Recently, the United States government has attempted to ameliorate responses to missing and murdered Indigenous women cases through legislation that includes Savanna’s Act, but the need for addressing inequities remains. To illustrate the jurisdictional difficulties for authorities involved in the disappearances of Native women, three death investigations were examined employing a case study approach. Findings revealed that interagency jurisdictional complications created animosity between police and the families involved in two of the cases. The article concludes with a discussion of police jurisdiction in Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women cases, and the broader implications for future investigations.

The Moderating Role of Childhood Trauma on Alcohol Craving Across the Menstrual Cycle in Black American Women With Trauma Exposure

The Moderating Role of Childhood Trauma on Alcohol Craving Across the Menstrual Cycle in Black American Women With Trauma Exposure

Development of a Culturally Tailored Sleep Intervention for Midlife African American Women: A Scoping Review

Development of a Culturally Tailored Sleep Intervention for Midlife African American Women: A Scoping Review