Methodology: This mixed-method concurrent nested research study, interviewed 22 professional Black women about their perceptions of strength, stress, and self-care. The current study addressed five research questions: (1) How do professional Black women in Newark define strength?; (2) What are the major sources of stress within this study population?; (3) What self-care and coping practices do professional Black women in Newark utilize?; (4) Is perceived stress score associated with feelings of obligation to help others?; and (5) Is there an association between coping and self-care assessment scores?
Results: Participants defined strength as overcoming adversity and moderately identified (M=56.27, SD = 16.17) with the five domains of the Giscombè Superwoman Schema. Participants implemented a variety of problem-focused coping strategies despite exhibiting high levels of perceived stress (M=31.5). Almost three-fourths of the sample (n=16) reported not using/knowing of available self-care resources in Newark. There was no statistically significant association between the PSS and the "obligation to help others" domain (r = .006; p = .789). No association could be identified between coping and self-care assessment scores.
Conclusion: Study results highlight the necessity of developing self-care and stress management programs that prevent or delay chronic disease among this subset of Black women. Study results also led to the development of the "S" Factor Model, which illustrates how professional Black women in this study attempted to cope with the multiple stressors that shape health outcomes. Future research is needed to explore the application of this model among professional Black women throughout the United States.
Subject (authority = LCSH)
Topic
Women, Black
Subject (authority = LCSH)
Topic
African American women
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Urban Systems
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - Newark Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10002600001
Identifier
ETD_11085
Identifier (type = doi)
doi:10.7282/t3-tsb5-cq16
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (xii, 209 pages)
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.