Stress and coping in African American men's health: Implications for interventions

Some methods for coping with stress can have negative health effects, and African American men have not typically responded to messages that promote healthy strategies for coping with life stressors. This presentation explores how African American men and key women in their lives describe 1) the influence of stress on health behaviors, 2) the effects of stress on physical and mental health, and 3) the benefits of healthy strategies for coping with stress. We used thematic content analysis to examine data from 18 exploratory focus groups with 154 African American men, ages 30 and older, and eight groups with 77 African American women. Men discussed mental health benefits of coping with stress including relaxation and clarity of mind. Men and women reported changes in men's diet as a result of stress with some men eating more and others eating less. The relationship between stress and eating has not typically been explored in the context of African American men's health. Similarly, stress was reported to increase some men's engagement in physical activity and decreased physical activity in others. Both men and women believed that stress could have serious negative consequences on mental and physical health including depression and high blood pressure. In order to increase the utilization of healthy coping strategies, it is critical to first understand how men cope with stress in healthy and unhealthy ways. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings for individually-tailored and community-based interventions to improve African American men's health.