Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102279

Shawn M. Kneipp, PhD, ARNP¹, Dinah Phillips Welch, MSN, ARNP¹, Charles E. Wood, PhD², Carolyn B. Yucha, PhD, RN³, and Michelle Galin¹. (1) College of Nursing, University of Florida, PO Box 100187, Gainesville, FL 32610-0187, 352-392-9207, skneipp@nursing.ufl.edu, (2) College of Medicine, Department of Physiology & Functional Genomics, University of Florida, M544 MSB, Gainesville, FL 32611, (3) School of Nursing, University of Nevada - Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Park, Box 453018, Las Vegas, NV 89154-3018

Since welfare reform legislation was enacted in 1996, studies have found single mothers leaving welfare for employment continue to encounter significant socioeconomic hardships and often report being no better off because of their employment. Studies have also demonstrated that single mothers contend with high degrees of stress in the form of major stressful events, greater daily hassles, economic instability, and concerns over their children's safety; and that they have higher rates of depression, functional limitations, and self-reported poor health compared to the general population of women. Changes made in welfare policy may exacerbate existing health disparities between lower- and higher-income women. One mechanism hypothesized to contribute to such disparities occurs in relation to psychosocial stressors and physiologic stress responses involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Little is known, however, about whether the reported increases in psychosocial stress when moving from TANF into employment affects women's physiologic stress responses or other aspects of their health. This paper will report the findings of a study with n=65 single mothers that examined stressors (perceived stress, psychological distress), physiologic responses to stress (salivary cortisol, 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure), and health (depressive symptoms, anxiety, general self-reported health, functional limitations) in women before and after exiting TANF. Such research is critical for evidence-based policy development that is supportive of the public's health, which is a fundamental competency of public health nursing practice.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant of this session will be able to

• Describe changes in welfare policy over the past decade that could affect the health of women.
• Identify underlying physiologic mechanisms believed to link psychosocial stressors and health disparities.
• Assess how study findings can inform evidence-based policy making.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Welfare Reform

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.