The application seeks support to analyze data from a national diary study to examine the health implications of stressful experiences involving family members among African American and European American adults.
The specific aims are to: (a) examine whether stressors involving family relationships are more harmful to daily well-being than other types of stressful experiences;(b) to examine differences between African Americans and European Americans in exposure to multiple aspects of family stressors;(c) to investigate the extent to which ethnic differences in reactivity to family stressors contribute to health disparities between African Americans and European Americans;and (d) to examine how ethnicity interacts with social support to attenuate or exacerbate the effects of family stressors.
These aims would be achieved by analyzing the second wave of the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE II) with an emphasis on the daily experiences of African Americans from Milwaukee. Prior research reveals that even after considering socioeconomic status, African Americans remain at increased risk of morbidity and mortality compared to European Americans. These findings suggest African Americans'health disadvantage reflects more than racial disparities in socioeconomic status. The present study investigates how ethnic differences in exposure and reactivity to the daily hassles of family life contribute to racial health disparities. We consider multiple characteristics of family stressors, including the source of stress (e.g., tensions) as well as both psychological (i.e. affect) and physiological (i.e. salivary cortisol) implications of family stressors. Finally, this study investigates the role of social support as an important moderator of ethnic differences in exposure and reactivity to family stressors.
Relevance Racial disparities in health between African Americans and European Americans are substantial and persist even after considering socioeconomic status. These findings suggest African Americans'health disadvantage reflects more than racial disparities in socioeconomic status. This application investigates how ethnic differences in exposure and reactivity to family stressors contribute to racial health disparities.
| Cichy, Kelly E; Stawski, Robert S; Almeida, David M (2014) A Double-Edged Sword: Race, Daily Family Support Exchanges, and Daily Well-Being. J Fam Issues 35:1824-1845 |
| Cichy, Kelly E; Stawski, Robert S; Almeida, David M (2012) Racial Differences in Exposure and Reactivity to Daily Family Stressors. J Marriage Fam 74:572-586 |
