EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF GENDERED RACISM ON CORTISOL ACTIVITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN

The association between racism-related stress and adverse health outcomes is well documented in the literature. However, there is a dearth of research on the role of gendered racism (i.e., simultaneous experience of racism and sexism) on the health of Black women. Black women’s experiences of gendered racism are a unique stressor. Thus, it is plausible that greater frequency and stress associated with experiences of gendered racism contribute to chronic dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which place Black women at greater risk for negative mental health and physical health outcomes. This study (N = 54) aims to utilize an intersectional framework to investigate the influence of subtle gendered racism (i.e., gendered racial microaggressions) on cortisol activity among Black women. Results from simple linear regression analyses indicated that gendered racial microaggressions significantly predicted self-reported mental health but not physical health outcomes. In addition, gendered racial microaggressions significantly predicted waking cortisol activity. However, we did not find an association between gendered racial microaggressions and diurnal slope cortisol activity. This study is among the first to provide empirical support that extends the work on gendered racism and health inequities specific to Black women. Findings provide support for the importance of investigating the role of gendered racism and health outcomes.