Stress, Coping Strategies, and Cardiovascular Disease in African American Women - With Ethical Considerations for Health Care Practitioners

Abstract

African American women have the highest rates of hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality rates related to CVD of all ethnic and racial groups in America. Understanding the factors contributing to these health disparities will be crucial to closing the gap in health outcomes. This thesis proposes that stressors and stress coping strategies are contributing as independent risk factors for CVD, thus leading to health disparities. Studies have shown that stress has a direct relationship to neuroendocrine processes in the body leading to elevated blood pressures and increased inflammation. Examining common stress factors among African American women and developing strategies to help relieve the burden of these stress factors will be an important ethical step toward eliminating the CVD health disparity between African American women and other ethnic groups. In addition, developing systemic support for coping with stress through health systems and health centers will be imperative for improving CVD health outcomes and agency among African American women.