Discrimination and Cognition in Midlife Black Women: The Roles of Social Support and Spirituality
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Black women are at high risk for discrimination and cognitive impairment in late life. It is not known if discrimination is a risk factor for cognitive decline in Black women and if so, what factors are protective against the adverse cognitive effects of discrimination. Using the biopsychosocial model of gendered racism, we determined if discrimination is associated with poorer cognition in midlife Black women and if social support and/or spirituality would protect against the deleterious effects of discrimination on cognition. METHODS: Participants were midlife Black women (N = 669) from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Discrimination was measured by the Everyday Discrimination scale. Cognitive outcomes included episodic memory, processing speed, and working memory. Total social support, emotional support, instrumental support, and spirituality were assessed as protective factors. RESULTS: Contrary to expectations, structural equation modeling indicated that discrimination was associated with better immediate recall. For women with more emotional support, greater discrimination was associated with better immediate recall than for women with lower emotional support. Spirituality was not a significant moderator in the association between discrimination and cognition. DISCUSSION: Discrimination had unexpected positive associations with learning and attention-based cognitive skills for midlife Black women. Discrimination might enhance vigilance, which could be facilitated by higher levels of emotional support. There is an opportunity for clinical and public health interventions for cognitive health and discrimination focused on Black women to better incorporate emotional support as a coping resource.
Authors: Jasmine S Dixon, Dongwei Wang, Rebecca E Ready
Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: G1078949291, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) V: UCLA Site, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) V: Chicago site, G2069832255, G240534699, G2853426343, G2899798242, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) V: Coordinating Center, G3862244033, G4002206572, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) V: Central Laboratory, GYNECOLOGIC IMPACT OF THE MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION, G4847607846, G5212787517, G5481793173, G6138161980, G6356525961, G6423459859, G6454223305, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN V): Michigan Site, G6881890559, G7076164640, STUDY OF WOMEN'S HEALTH ACROSS THE NATION (SWAN) V: UC DAVIS/KAISER, G711645435, G7265740541, G8334913947, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation(SWAN) V: Pittsburgh, G8865318642, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation - V, G988252460
OpenAlex ID: W4390508272