Jones, Nora L.2020-11-042020-11-042018http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/2941African 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.80 pagesengIN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Medical EthicsAfrican American StudiesPublic HealthBlack WomenCopingHealth PsychologyHeart DiseaseStressUrban BioethicsText