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Examining gendered racial microaggressions, health outcomes, and health behaviors for Black women: Using an intersectional framework

Clement, Déjà
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Abstract

Black women in the U.S. continue to be underrepresented and understudied within psychological and public health research, despite experiencing significant health disparities. Intersectional microaggressions, microaggressions that occur across multiple marginalized identities simultaneously (e.g., gendered racial microaggressions and LGBT-POC microaggressions) have been associated with increased psychological distress and negative healthcare experiences among Black women. As rates of suicide continue to increase among Black girls and women, increased research is needed to understand the interrelationships of intersectional experiences of microaggressions (e.g., gendered-racial microaggressions (GRMS) and LGBT-POC microaggressions), help-seeking behaviors, and health outcomes among Black women which may improve suicide outcomes. This data analysis investigates the cross-sectional relationships between intersectional microaggressions, help-seeking behaviors, attitudes towards seeking medical care, perceived physical health, and suicide ideation (SI) in a cohort of 294 Black women from across the U.S who were recruited via social media to complete an online study questionnaire. Most participants were heterosexual (n = 179, 61.3%) and approximately half of the sample was younger than 45 years of age (n = 155, 52.7%). Two moderated mediations conducted to explore the relationships between the study variables and supplementary analyses were conducted to further understand additional intersectional identities within the sample. Results indicated that there was no significant mediating relationship of help-seeking on the relationship between GRMS and SI nor GRMS and physical health and no significant moderating effect of attitudes towards seeking medical care. Supplementary analyses that sexual minority Black women were almost 2x more likely to report current thoughts of suicide and were less likely to engage in help-seeking behaviors for suicide ideation when compared to heterosexual Black women. Further, results indicated that LGBT-POC microaggressions were significantly associated with suicide ideation among sexual minority Black women. Addressing intersectional experiences of discrimination, particularly among younger Black sexual minority women may serve as an intervention target for reducing SI and symptoms of depression. Additionally, further research is needed to understand multi-level social and structural barriers and facilitators to help-seeking and healthcare utilization as this may improve health outcomes and health behaviors among Black women.

Date
2024-07