Moderating effect of coping strategies on the association between perceived discrimination and blood pressure outcomes among young Black mothers in the InterGEN study

Alexandria Nyembwe; Yihong Zhao; Billy A. Caceres; Kelli Hall; Laura Prescott; Stephanie Potts-Thompson; Morgan T. Morrison; Cindy Crusto; Jacquelyn Y. Taylor; Alexandria Nyembwe; Yihong Zhao; Billy A. Caceres; Kelli Hall; Laura Prescott; Stephanie Potts-Thompson; Morgan T. Morrison; Cindy Crusto; Jacquelyn Y. Taylor

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2025014

AIMS Public Health

2025, Volume 12, Issue 1: 217-232. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025014

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Moderating effect of coping strategies on the association between perceived discrimination and blood pressure outcomes among young Black mothers in the InterGEN study

1.
Columbia University School of Nursing, Center for Research on People of Color, New York, NY, USA
2.
Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY, USA
3.
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, USA
4.
Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, USA

Received: 18 July 2024 Revised: 11 October 2024 Accepted: 14 January 2025 Published: 17 February 2025

Research suggests experiences of racial discrimination influence blood pressure outcomes among Black women, but little is known about how coping strategies may influence this relationship. Our study aimed to assess the moderating effects of coping strategies on perceived racial discrimination and blood pressure among young Black mothers. We conducted a secondary analysis on data from the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure study. Eligible participants were African American or Black women aged 21 and older, who did not present with any cognitive disorder that may obscure reporting data, and who had a biological child who was 3–5 years old at the time of study enrollment. In our analysis, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were the primary outcomes, and experiences of discrimination situations and frequency subscales were the primary predictors. We considered the three subscales of the Coping Strategy Indicator (problem-solving, seeking social support, and avoidance) as moderators. Linear regression models were used. Of the 246 female participants (mean age: 31.3 years; SD = 5.8), the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 114 mmHg (SD = 13.8) and 73 mmHg (SD = 10.9), respectively. The frequency of experiences of perceived racial discrimination was significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure, but this relationship was moderated among participants with greater seeking social support scores (p = 0.01). There were no significant moderation effects in models with diastolic blood pressure as the outcome. Future studies should examine this relationship longitudinally and further investigate specific coping strategies Black women use to manage perceived racial discrimination.
- discrimination,
- coping,
- blood pressure,
- Black women,
- Black mothers
Citation: Alexandria Nyembwe, Yihong Zhao, Billy A. Caceres, Kelli Hall, Laura Prescott, Stephanie Potts-Thompson, Morgan T. Morrison, Cindy Crusto, Jacquelyn Y. Taylor. Moderating effect of coping strategies on the association between perceived discrimination and blood pressure outcomes among young Black mothers in the InterGEN study[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2025, 12(1): 217-232. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025014

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Abstract

Research suggests experiences of racial discrimination influence blood pressure outcomes among Black women, but little is known about how coping strategies may influence this relationship. Our study aimed to assess the moderating effects of coping strategies on perceived racial discrimination and blood pressure among young Black mothers. We conducted a secondary analysis on data from the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure study. Eligible participants were African American or Black women aged 21 and older, who did not present with any cognitive disorder that may obscure reporting data, and who had a biological child who was 3–5 years old at the time of study enrollment. In our analysis, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were the primary outcomes, and experiences of discrimination situations and frequency subscales were the primary predictors. We considered the three subscales of the Coping Strategy Indicator (problem-solving, seeking social support, and avoidance) as moderators. Linear regression models were used. Of the 246 female participants (mean age: 31.3 years; SD = 5.8), the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 114 mmHg (SD = 13.8) and 73 mmHg (SD = 10.9), respectively. The frequency of experiences of perceived racial discrimination was significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure, but this relationship was moderated among participants with greater seeking social support scores (p = 0.01). There were no significant moderation effects in models with diastolic blood pressure as the outcome. Future studies should examine this relationship longitudinally and further investigate specific coping strategies Black women use to manage perceived racial discrimination.

Acknowledgments

The research leading to these results was supported by the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure study, grant number 1R01NR013520–01A1, the T32 Arteriosclerosis, grant number 2T32HL007343–46, and the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award from NHLBI (K01HL146965–01). We would like to thank the participants of the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure study and the research team members who assisted in the data collection for this study.

Authors' contribution

Conceptualization: Alexandria Nyembwe, Yihong Zhao, and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor; Data Curation: Alexandria Nyembwe, Yihong Zhao, and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor; Formal Analysis: Yihong Zhao; Funding Acquisition: Jacquelyn Y. Taylor, and Cindy Crusto; Investigation Methodology: Alexandria Nyembwe, Yihong Zhao, and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor; Project Administration Resources: Jacquelyn Y. Taylor and Cindy Crusto; Software: NA; Supervision: Alexandria Nyembwe and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor; Validation: Alexandria Nyembwe, Yihong Zhao, and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor; Visualization: Yihong Zhao; Writing – original draft: Alexandria Nyembwe, Yihong Zhao, Billy A. Caceres, Kelli Hall, Laura Prescott, Stephanie Potts-Thompson, Morgan T. Morrison, and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor; Writing – review & editing: Alexandria Nyembwe, Yihong Zhao, Billy A. Caceres, Kelli Hall, Laura Prescott, Stephanie Potts-Thompson, Morgan T. Morrison, Cindy Crusto, and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor. The final manuscript was approved by all authors.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

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