Suicide Acceptability and Religious Well-Being: A Comparative Analysis in African American Suicide Attempters and Non-Attempters

This study was designed to examine the relationship between suicide acceptability and religious well-being, and to investigate the differences that may exist between African American suicide attempters and non-attempters on these two concepts. Two hundred low-income, African Americans were administered self-report questionnaires measuring suicide acceptability and religious well-being. Findings indicated that suicide acceptability was negatively related to religious well-being for both suicide attempters and non-attempters. There was also a significant difference between these two groups on suicide acceptability and religious well-being. Results were consistent with previous research that suggests that African Americans who attempt suicide endorse higher levels of suicide acceptability and lower levels of religious well-being than do their nonattempter counterparts. These findings have important implications for culturally-competent community programming and community mental health programs that serve low-income ethnic minority populations.

Download Full-text

The Health and Well-Being of African-American Older Adults With a History of Incarceration

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1633 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 506-506

Author(s):

Rodlescia Sneed

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

African Americans ◽

Well Being ◽

Formerly Incarcerated ◽

Older Prisoners ◽

Health Related ◽

History Of ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract African-Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Longer prison stays and release programs for older prisoners may result in an increased number of community-dwelling older adults with a history of incarceration. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in research on health-related outcomes for currently incarcerated older adults; however, there has been little inquiry into outcomes for formerly incarcerated African-American older adults following community re-entry. In this study, we used secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe employment, economic, and health-related outcomes in this population. Twelve percent of the 2238 African-Americans in our sample had been previously incarcerated. Those who had been previously incarcerated had higher rates of lung disease, arthritis, back problems, mobility problems, and mental health issues than their counterparts. They also had higher rates of hospitalization and lower use of dental health services. Further, while they did not experience lower employment rates than those with no criminal history, those who had been incarcerated had more physically demanding jobs and reported greater economic strain. Given the disproportionate incarceration rates among African-Americans, the aging of the prison population, and the increase in community re-entry for older prisoners, research that explores factors that impact the health and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals has broad impact. Future work should focus on addressing the needs of this vulnerable population of African-American older adults.

Download Full-text

African American Health and Posttraumatic Slave Syndrome: A Terror Management Theory Account

Journal of Black Studies ◽

10.1177/0021934718803737 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 45-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael J. Halloran

Keyword(s):

African American ◽

African Americans ◽

Terror Management Theory ◽

Terror Management ◽

Well Being ◽

Cultural Trauma ◽

Management Theory ◽

American People ◽

Posttraumatic Slave Syndrome ◽

The Impact

The aim of this article is to explicate a terror management theory (TMT) analysis of the poor social and psychological well-being of African Americans by drawing upon a model of cultural trauma to explain the antecedents and effects of posttraumatic slave syndrome. Cultural trauma is defined as a state that occurs when a people’s cultural worldview has been destabilized to the point where it does not effectively meet its TMT function of providing a buffer against basic anxiety and uncertainty. The article outlines how the impact of slavery was a significant trauma to African American people, which was carried forward through successive generations; providing an explanation of their current anxiety-related conditions, poor health, and maladaptive behaviors. Findings from health and justice research and qualitative data from narratives of African Americans are presented to substantiate the adaptation of a model of cultural trauma for understanding the contemporary situation of African Americans.

Download Full-text

The Relation between Stress of Clinical Practice and Burnout among Nursing Students: The Mediation Effect of Spiritual Well-being

The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education ◽

10.5977/jkasne.2017.23.3.300 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 300-308

Author(s):

Do Young Lee ◽

Jin Kyoung Park ◽

Mi Young Choi

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Spiritual Well Being ◽

Practice Methods

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence the clinical practice of nursing students and to identify the mediating effects of spiritual well-being in the relation between stress of clinical practice and burnout caused by clinical practice. Methods: Data were collected by self-report questionnaires targeting 420 nursing students in three nursing colleges located in Gyeonggi and Chungnam province. Results: Burnout of clinical practice according to general characteristics of the study subjects showed significant difference in religion (t=1.895, p=.049). Stress of clinical practice and burnout of clinical practice showed positive correlation (r=.42, p<.001), existential spiritual well-being showed negative correlation between stress of clinical practice (r=-.17, p<.001) and burnout of clinical practice (r=-.47, p<.001). In addition, religious spiritual well-being in spiritual well-being showed no mediating effects and existential spiritual well-being showed mediating effects between burnout in clinical practice stress. Conclusion: In order to alleviate the stress of clinical practice for burnout of clinical practice prevention of nursing students, solutions to improve the existential spiritual well-being will be required in the future.

Download Full-text

A Pilot Study of a Culturally Grounded Breastfeeding Intervention for Pregnant, Low-Income African American Women

Journal of Human Lactation ◽

10.1177/0890334418775050 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 478-484

Author(s):

Rebecca Reno

Keyword(s):

African American ◽

Pilot Study ◽

African American Women ◽

Health Equity ◽

Low Income ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Short Form ◽

Assessment Process ◽

American Women ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Increasing breastfeeding rates among low-income African American women may work toward the achievement of health equity. The dynamic breastfeeding assessment process (D-BAP) is a community-grounded, equity-focused intervention designed to increase prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy. Research aim: The aims of the pilot study were (a) to determine the effect of the D-BAP on breastfeeding self-efficacy among pregnant, low-income African American women, (b) to examine the findings among women with no previous breastfeeding experience, and (c) to compare the findings between women with prior breastfeeding experience and those without it. Methods: A pre/post, paired-samples design was utilized. Convenience sampling was used to recruit pregnant, low-income African American women ( N = 25). Participants completed the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form prior to and following the D-BAP. Results: The Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that participation in the D-BAP had a statistically significant influence on breastfeeding self-efficacy ( z = −2.01, p = .04). Among a subsample of participants with no previous breastfeeding experience ( n = 12), completion of the D-BAP resulted in a statistically significant increase in breastfeeding self-efficacy ( z = −2.36, p = .02). There was no statistically significant difference between those with prior breastfeeding experience and those without it. Conclusion: Breastfeeding among low-income African American women is a health equity issue for which culturally responsive, effective breastfeeding interventions are needed. This research demonstrates an association between completion of the D-BAP and an increase in prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy.

Download Full-text

Differential DNA Methylation and Cardiometabolic Risk in African American Mother-Adolescent Dyads

Biological Research For Nursing ◽

10.1177/10998004211039017 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 109980042110390

Author(s):

Amanda Elswick Gentry ◽

Jo Robins ◽

Mat Makowski ◽

Wendy Kliewer

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Dna Methylation ◽

African American ◽

African Americans ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Low Income ◽

Cardiometabolic Risk ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Background: Cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects African Americans as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Among African Americans, compared to other racial groups, cardiovascular disease onset occurs at an earlier age due to a higher prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, particularly obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Emerging evidence suggests that heritable epigenetic processes are related to increased cardiovascular disease risk, but this is largely unexplored in adolescents or across generations. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional descriptive pilot study in low-income African American mother-adolescent dyads, we examined associations between DNA methylation and the cardiometabolic indicators of body mass index, waist circumference, and insulin resistance. Results: Four adjacent cytosine and guanine nucleotides (CpG) sites were significantly differentially methylated and associated with C-reactive protein (CRP), 62 with waist circumference, and none to insulin resistance in models for both mothers and adolescents. Conclusion: Further study of the relations among psychological and environmental stressors, indicators of cardiovascular disease, risk, and epigenetic factors will improve understanding of cardiovascular disease risk so that preventive measures can be instituted earlier and more effectively. To our knowledge this work is the first to examine DNA methylation and cardiometabolic risk outcomes in mother-adolescent dyads.

Download Full-text

Africultural Coping Systems Inventory: Psychometrics in a Clinical Sample of African American Women

Journal of Black Psychology ◽

10.1177/0095798420957503 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (6-7) ◽

pp. 457-481

Author(s):

Natalie N. Watson-Singleton ◽

Devon LoParo ◽

Yara Mekawi ◽

Joya N. Hampton-Anderson ◽

Nadine J. Kaslow

Keyword(s):

African American ◽

African Americans ◽

African American Women ◽

Low Income ◽

Clinical Sample ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

General Factor ◽

American Women ◽

Structure Reliability ◽

Clinical Counseling

The Africultural Coping Systems Inventory (ACSI) assesses African Americans’ culturally relevant stress coping strategies. Although its factor structure, reliability, and validity of the scores have been examined across ethnic groups of African descent, psychometric properties have not been investigated in an African American clinical sample. Thus, it is unclear if the ACSI is useful for research with African Americans with distress. To assess the ACSI’s psychometrics, we used data from 193 low-income African American women who in the past year encountered interpersonal trauma and attempted suicide. We tested four models: one-factor, four-factor, four-factor hierarchical, and bifactor. None of the models were optimal, suggesting possible revisions to ACSI items. Yet the bifactor model provided a better fit than other models with items loading onto a general factor and onto specific factors. Internal consistency of the scores was above the recommended criterion (i.e., .70), and the ACSI general factor was related to depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation (but not alcohol abuse), providing some support for its concurrent validity. Future directions, limitations, and clinical-counseling implications are discussed.

Download Full-text

Resilience in Urban African American Adolescents: The Protective Enhancing Effects of Neighborhood, Family, and School Cohesion Following Violence Exposure

The Journal of Early Adolescence ◽

10.1177/0272431616675974 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (9) ◽

pp. 1286-1321 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Cara M. DiClemente ◽

Catherine M. Rice ◽

Dakari Quimby ◽

Maryse H. Richards ◽

Cordelia T. Grimes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

African American ◽

Youth Development ◽

Low Income ◽

African American Adolescents ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

School Cohesion ◽

External Characteristics

Exposure to violence (ETV) poses a serious threat to adolescents’ safety and well-being; however, some adolescents who grow up in such toxic environments are able to thrive due to a combination of internal and external characteristics. The current study examines the role of cohesion across contexts (i.e., family, school, and community) as moderating the relation between ETV and positive internal outcomes characteristic of resilient youth (i.e., ethnic identity, positive affect, and self-esteem) in a sample of low-income, urban, African American adolescents ( N = 269, 60% female) from seventh grade to eighth grade. Results indicated that greater cohesion in each context was directly related to more positive outcomes. Family and neighborhood cohesion additionally served as protective enhancing factors for males exposed to high levels of violence. These findings expand the current research on positive youth development and help locate potential environmental targets for prevention and intervention research.

Download Full-text

Locus of Control, Depression, and Anger among African-Americans

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1993.72.2.482 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 72 (2) ◽

pp. 482-482 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thomas J. Young ◽

Laurence A. French ◽

S. N. Wailes

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

African American ◽

Locus Of Control ◽

African Americans ◽

Self Report ◽

Racial Composition ◽

African American College Students ◽

Report Measure

Subjects, 98 African-American college students, were given a measure of belief in locus of control, a self-report measure of depression, and three scales from the Buss and Durkee Hostility Inventory. Depression and belief in control by powerful others correlated only for subjects with low scores on Assaultive, Verbal, and Indirect Hostility. The findings, using nonwhite subjects, replicate a previous study in which the racial composition was not indicated.

Download Full-text