On edge: the impact of race‐related vigilance on obesity status in African–Americans

Summary Objective Nearly half of African–Americans are classified as obese. Perceived racism has been associated with obesity, yet the internal experiences of racism have received little attention. African–Americans who face racism may ‘ready themselves’ to cope through survival strategies, includin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity science & practice 2016-06, Vol.2 (2), p.136-143
Main Authors: Powell, L. R., Jesdale, W. M., Lemon, S. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African–Americans
Body mass index
Gender differences
health disparity
Obesity
Original
race consciousness
Racial discrimination
Racism
Risk factors
Studies
Vigilance
Womens health
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Summary:Summary Objective Nearly half of African–Americans are classified as obese. Perceived racism has been associated with obesity, yet the internal experiences of racism have received little attention. African–Americans who face racism may ‘ready themselves’ to cope through survival strategies, including race‐related vigilance. This study explores the association between race‐related vigilance and obesity in African–Americans. Design and methods The Reactions to Race module of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (years 2002–2010) was used. Our sample size consisted of 12,214 African–Americans. Race‐related vigilance was assessed as ‘How often do you think about your race?’ and classified as never, daily. Obesity was dichotomized as body mass index ≥ 30 kg m−2 vs. daily; 14% daily; 31%
ISSN:2055-2238
2055-2238
DOI:10.1002/osp4.42