Nativity, Cultural Group Identity, Stress & Health Among Black Female Students

Despite extensive research and intervention efforts, Black women have the worst birth outcomes, the highest rates of mortality for numerous of diseases, and among the shortest life expectancies. Although they share the same racial status, foreign-born Black women experience better health outcomes than their U.S.-born counterparts. However, this health advantage declines with increased time spent in the U.S. as they adapt to its socio-cultural environment. In understanding the relationship between nativity (i.e. foreign or U.S.-born) and health, public health researchers tend to adopt narrow classifications of nativity in assessing population-level health outcomes among immigrants. Studying cultural group identity offers a more precise yet comprehensive assessment of the psychological factors that explain why the foreign-born are generally healthier than the U.S.-born, and may yield clues to understanding racial health disparities in the U.S. I hypothesize that foreign-born Black women who highly identify with their native cultural group, will be protected from the deleterious effect of stress on health. I will recruit a sample of 200 self-identified Black female foreign- and U.S.-born undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Maryland-College Park. Following an informed consent, participants will complete three questionnaires. I will measure cultural group identity, a psychological measure that is more precise than the traditional race/ethnic categories. Detailed assessments of immigration history, perceived stress, self-rated health and family health history will be administered. This research will advance knowledge and theory about the social determinants of health and contribute strategies for more refined measurements of race and nativity.