Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement

Background African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular diseases, potentially due to altered central hemodynamics. Racism and sexism often lead to African American women taking on numerous caretaking roles and overall increases their use of the Strong Black Woman (ie, Supe...

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Main Authors: Zachary T. Martin, Nicole D. Fields, Christy L. Erving, Shivika Udaipuria, Reneé H. Moore, Kennedy M. Blevins, Raphiel J. Murden, Bianca Booker, LaKeia Culler, Seegar Swanson, Jaylah Goodson, Emma Barinas‐Mitchell, Arshed A. Quyyumi, Viola Vaccarino, Tené T. Lewis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-09-01
Series:Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
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Online Access:https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.033587
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author Zachary T. Martin
Nicole D. Fields
Christy L. Erving
Shivika Udaipuria
Reneé H. Moore
Kennedy M. Blevins
Raphiel J. Murden
Bianca Booker
LaKeia Culler
Seegar Swanson
Jaylah Goodson
Emma Barinas‐Mitchell
Arshed A. Quyyumi
Viola Vaccarino
Tené T. Lewis
author_facet Zachary T. Martin
Nicole D. Fields
Christy L. Erving
Shivika Udaipuria
Reneé H. Moore
Kennedy M. Blevins
Raphiel J. Murden
Bianca Booker
LaKeia Culler
Seegar Swanson
Jaylah Goodson
Emma Barinas‐Mitchell
Arshed A. Quyyumi
Viola Vaccarino
Tené T. Lewis
author_sort Zachary T. Martin
collection DOAJ
description Background African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular diseases, potentially due to altered central hemodynamics. Racism and sexism often lead to African American women taking on numerous caretaking roles and overall increases their use of the Strong Black Woman (ie, Superwoman) mindset, which may have negative health consequences. We hypothesized that endorsing the Superwoman role and its Obligation to Help Others dimension would be associated with a deleterious central hemodynamics profile in African American women. Methods and Results Using cross‐sectional data, we examined central systolic blood pressure (mm Hg; n=408), augmentation index (percentage, adjusted for height and heart rate; n=408), and pulse wave velocity (m/s; n=368) in African American women aged 30 to 46 years. The Giscombe Superwoman Schema (SWS) questionnaire assessed endorsement of Overall SWS (range, 0–105) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (range, 0–3). Multiple linear regression modeled associations between Overall SWS (10‐unit increments) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (1‐unit increments) and central hemodynamics while adjusting for pertinent sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. In fully adjusted models, central systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with Overall SWS (β=0.83 [95% CI, 0.19–1.47]) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (β=2.03 [95% CI, 0.39–3.67]). Augmentation index was associated with Overall SWS (β=0.66 [95% CI, 0.02–1.30]) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (β=2.21 [95% CI, 0.58–3.84]). Significant associations were not observed between pulse wave velocity and SWS. Conclusions Greater endorsement of the Superwoman role and prioritizing caregiving over self‐care were associated with higher central systolic blood pressure and augmentation index, which may contribute to adverse cardiovascular health among African American women.
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spelling doaj-art-d4640eb3fd0e42d5a3ca1a69305214ad2025-08-20T02:28:01ZengWileyJournal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease2047-99802024-09-01131810.1161/JAHA.123.033587Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema EndorsementZachary T. Martin0Nicole D. Fields1Christy L. Erving2Shivika Udaipuria3Reneé H. Moore4Kennedy M. Blevins5Raphiel J. Murden6Bianca Booker7LaKeia Culler8Seegar Swanson9Jaylah Goodson10Emma Barinas‐Mitchell11Arshed A. Quyyumi12Viola Vaccarino13Tené T. Lewis14Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts The University of Texas at Austin Austin TX USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health Drexel University Philadelphia PA USADepartment of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology University of California, Irvine Irvine CA USADepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA USADepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University Atlanta GA USABackground African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular diseases, potentially due to altered central hemodynamics. Racism and sexism often lead to African American women taking on numerous caretaking roles and overall increases their use of the Strong Black Woman (ie, Superwoman) mindset, which may have negative health consequences. We hypothesized that endorsing the Superwoman role and its Obligation to Help Others dimension would be associated with a deleterious central hemodynamics profile in African American women. Methods and Results Using cross‐sectional data, we examined central systolic blood pressure (mm Hg; n=408), augmentation index (percentage, adjusted for height and heart rate; n=408), and pulse wave velocity (m/s; n=368) in African American women aged 30 to 46 years. The Giscombe Superwoman Schema (SWS) questionnaire assessed endorsement of Overall SWS (range, 0–105) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (range, 0–3). Multiple linear regression modeled associations between Overall SWS (10‐unit increments) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (1‐unit increments) and central hemodynamics while adjusting for pertinent sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. In fully adjusted models, central systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with Overall SWS (β=0.83 [95% CI, 0.19–1.47]) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (β=2.03 [95% CI, 0.39–3.67]). Augmentation index was associated with Overall SWS (β=0.66 [95% CI, 0.02–1.30]) and SWS–Obligation to Help Others (β=2.21 [95% CI, 0.58–3.84]). Significant associations were not observed between pulse wave velocity and SWS. Conclusions Greater endorsement of the Superwoman role and prioritizing caregiving over self‐care were associated with higher central systolic blood pressure and augmentation index, which may contribute to adverse cardiovascular health among African American women.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.033587Black or African Americancardiovascular diseasesfemalehypertensionracismsurveys and questionnaires
spellingShingle Zachary T. Martin
Nicole D. Fields
Christy L. Erving
Shivika Udaipuria
Reneé H. Moore
Kennedy M. Blevins
Raphiel J. Murden
Bianca Booker
LaKeia Culler
Seegar Swanson
Jaylah Goodson
Emma Barinas‐Mitchell
Arshed A. Quyyumi
Viola Vaccarino
Tené T. Lewis
Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement
Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
Black or African American
cardiovascular diseases
female
hypertension
racism
surveys and questionnaires
title Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement
title_full Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement
title_fullStr Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement
title_full_unstemmed Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement
title_short Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement
title_sort central hemodynamics in african american women examining the role of superwoman schema endorsement
topic Black or African American
cardiovascular diseases
female
hypertension
racism
surveys and questionnaires
url https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.033587
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