Applying Intersectionality to Explore the Relations Between Gendered Racism and Health Among Black Women

• Published in: Journal of counseling psychology 2017-10, Vol.64 (5), p.475-486
• Main Authors: Lewis, Jioni A., Williams, Marlene G., Peppers, Erica J., Gadson, Cecile A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; African Americans - psychology; Aged; Biopsychosocial aspects; Black People; Conceptual models; Coping; Coping Behavior; Coping strategies; Disengagement; Female; Females; Health; Health Status; Human; Humans; Intersectionality; Mediation; Mental health; Microaggression; Microaggressions; Middle Aged; Online Surveys; Physical Health; Psychosocial factors; Racial Identification; Racial identity; Racism; Racism - psychology; Roles; Sex Role Attitudes; Sexism; Sexism - psychology; Stress; Surveys and Questionnaires; Women; Women - psychology; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-0167; 1939-2168
• DOI: 10.1037/cou0000231

The purpose of this study was to apply an intersectionality framework to explore the influence of gendered racism (i.e., intersection of racism and sexism) on health outcomes. Specifically, we applied intersectionality to extend a biopsychosocial model of racism to highlight the psychosocial variables that mediate and moderate the influence of gendered racial microaggressions (i.e., subtle gendered racism) on health outcomes. In addition, we tested aspects of this conceptual model by exploring the influence of gendered racial microaggressions on the mental and physical health of Black women. In addition, we explored the mediating role of coping strategies and the moderating role of gendered racial identity centrality. Participants were 231 Black women who completed an online survey. Results from regression analyses indicated that gendered racial microaggressions significantly predicted both self-reported mental and physical health outcomes. In addition, results from mediation analyses indicated that disengagement coping significantly mediated the link between gendered racial microaggressions and negative mental and physical health. In addition, a moderated mediation effect was found, such that individuals who reported a greater frequency of gendered racial microaggressions and reported lower levels of gendered racial identity centrality tended to use greater disengagement coping, which in turn, was negatively associated with mental and physical health outcomes. Findings of this study suggest that gendered racial identity centrality can serve a buffering role against the negative mental and physical health effects of gendered racism for Black women. Public Significance Statement This study found that Black American women who experienced a greater frequency of gendered racism and reported lower levels of gendered racial identity centrality, tended to use greater disengagement coping strategies, which in turn, was associated with poorer mental and physical health. Thus, higher levels of gendered racial identity centrality can serve a buffering role against the negative mental and physical health effects of gendered racism for Black American women.