Citation

Daniels KP, D Thomas M, Chae DH, Allen AM. J. Health Soc. Behav. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/00221465231175942

PMID

37332176

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between allostatic load and a novel form of altruistic racism-related fear, or concern for how racism might harm another, which we term vicarious racism-related vigilance. Using a subsample of Black mothers from the African American Women's Heart & Health Study (N = 140), which includes detailed health and survey data on a community sample of Black women in the San Francisco Bay Area, this study investigates the relationship between Black mothers' experiences with racism-related vigilance as it relates to their children and allostatic load-a multisystem metric of underlying health across multiple biological systems.

FINDINGS indicate that vicarious racism-related vigilance was positively associated with allostatic load (i.e., worse health).

FINDINGS highlight the salience of vicarious racism-related vigilance for the health of Black mothers, underscoring how intersections between race, gender, and parenthood result in susceptibility to unique forms of health-harming stress.

Language: en

Keywords

health; allostatic load; racial discrimination; vicarious racism-related vigilance