Racism in the form of micro aggressions and the risk of preterm birth among black women

Jaime C. Slaughter-Acey, Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, Laura Helmkamp, Cleopatra H. Caldwell, Theresa L. Osypuk, Robert W. Platt, Jennifer K. Straughen, Rhonda K. Dailey-Okezie, Purni Abeysekara, Dawn P. Misra

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

79 Scopus citations

Abstract

<bold>Purpose: </bold>This study sought to examine whether perceived interpersonal racism in the form of racial micro aggressions was associated with preterm birth (PTB) and whether the presence of depressive symptoms and perceived stress modified the association.<bold>Methods: </bold>Data stem from a cohort of 1410 black women residing in Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, enrolled into the Life-course Influences on Fetal Environments (LIFE) study. The Daily Life Experiences of Racism and Bother (DLE-B) scale measured the frequency and perceived stressfulness of racial micro aggressions experienced during the past year. Severe past-week depressive symptomatology was measured by the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) dichotomized at ≥ 23. Restricted cubic splines were used to model nonlinearity between perceived racism and PTB. We used the Perceived Stress Scale to assess general stress perceptions.<bold>Results: </bold>Stratified spline regression analysis demonstrated that among those with severe depressive symptoms, perceived racism was not associated with PTB. However, perceived racism was significantly associated with PTB among women with mild to moderate (CES-D score ≤ 22) depressive symptoms. Perceived racism was not associated with PTB among women with or without high amounts of perceived stress.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Our findings suggest that racism, at least in the form of racial micro aggressions, may not further impact a group already at high risk for PTB (those with severe depressive symptoms), but may increase the risk of PTB for women at lower baseline risk.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7-13.e1
Number of pages1
JournalAnnals of Epidemiology
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016

Keywords

  • MICHIGAN
  • RACISM
  • RISK factors in premature labor
  • CRIMES against black women
  • SOCIAL conditions of black women
  • MICROAGGRESSIONS
  • INTERPERSONAL relations
  • AGGRESSION (Psychology)
  • MENTAL depression
  • PREMATURE infants
  • REGRESSION analysis
  • STRESS (Psychology)
  • PSYCHOLOGY of black people
  • RETROSPECTIVE studies
  • Depression
  • Premature birth
  • Psychological
  • Racism
  • Stress

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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