Date of Award

January 2022

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Sarah Lowe

Abstract

The relationship between health status and Racial Identity Centrality (RIC) has been determined to be positive and significant among individuals identifying as Black/African American. Racial and sexual minorities face higher rates of stigma-related stress and discrimination that work as a prediction of future health risks such as symptoms of anxiety. The goal of this study was to examine whether sexual or racial identity centrality predicted self-reported symptoms of anxiety in Black Americans. The data used in this study is from the National Couples Health and Time Survey. Ordinary least squares regression predicting self-reported symptoms of anxiety by Racial Identity Centrality and Sexual Identity Centrality were performed among Black respondents. Another regression was performed to adjust the models to include an interaction between Racial Identity Centrality and identity as a sexual minority. Results produced indicated that among Black Americans, RIC is indicative of higher self-reported anxiety symptoms. In addition, there is no interaction between RIC and identity as a sexual minority, which suggested that identity as a sexual minority has little bearing on the relationship between RIC and self-reported anxiety. Performing the same data analysis using Sexual Identity Centrality as the main variable of interest, we find that there was no conclusive data concerning its ability to predict self-reported anxiety.

Keywords: Racial Identity Centrality, Sexual Identity Centrality, Black individuals, sexual minorities, Anxiety

Comments

This is an Open Access Thesis.

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