Black women in the United States experience worse health outcomes than White women, including higher rates of chronic illness and poorer self-rated health. Research suggests that long-term social and economic stress contributes to these disparities. However, most studies measure stress at a single point in time rather than tracking how it builds over a lifetime. Existing tools also fail to capture the full range of stressors women face, especially those unique to Black women. To address this gap, researchers developed a new tool to measure how stress accumulates over time and how it differs by race.
Racial Differences in Cumulative Disadvantage Among Women and Its Relation to Health: Development and Preliminary Validation of the Cumulative Stress Inventory of Women's Experiences.
What did they study?
Researchers created the Cumulative Stress Inventory of Women’s Experiences (CSI-WE) to measure lifelong stress among women. Participants for this study were recruited by the Komen Tissue Bank (KTB) and included former tissue donors. They conducted in-depth interviews with 15 Black and 15 White women, asking about stressors they faced from childhood to adulthood. Using these interviews, they designed the CSI-WE and tested it to see if it reliably captured how early-life stress leads to long-term health risks—a concept known as cumulative disadvantage (CD).
What did they find?
- Black women experienced a higher burden of stress than White women throughout their lives. They reported more childhood and adulthood stressors, with greater exposure to severe and long-term stress related to economic struggle and discrimination.
- Cumulative stress was linked to worse health outcomes. Women with more stressors reported poorer physical health in adulthood.
- The CSI-WE was an effective tool for measuring cumulative stress. The CSI-WE proved effective for measuring cumulative stress because it closely matched the detailed personal experiences women described during in-depth interviews.
Why is this study important?
This study helps explain how early-life stress leads to long-term racial health disparities. By identifying the specific stressors that impact Black and White women differently, researchers can develop better ways to measure and address health inequalities. The CSI-WE could be used in larger studies to help improve early interventions, assess health risks more accurately, and guide policies that reduce stress-related health problems.Full citation
Latham-Mintus K,Weathers TD,Bigatti SM,Irby-Shasanmi A,Herbert BS,Tanaka H,Robison L,Storniolo AM Racial Differences in Cumulative Disadvantage Among Women and Its Relation to Health: Development and Preliminary Validation of the Cumulative Stress Inventory of Women's Experiences.. Health equity 2022; 6 (1). PMID:35801147.
