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Poster #177 - Racism-related Stress and Poor Eating Behaviors among African American Undergraduates: Moderation of Demanding Kin Relations

Thu, March 21, 4:00 to 5:15pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

Introduction. Research suggests that stress is associated with poor eating habits including emotional eating, binge eating and consumption of high energy-dense foods, especially among those who are overweight or obese (Fowler-Brown et al., 2009; Klatzkin et al., 2018; Richardson et al. 2015; Sims et al., 2008; Sulkowski et al., 2011). Most studies on the influence of stress on eating behaviors have not examined the unique stress related to the experience of racism. Still, researchers have identified racism-related stress as a key factor in health disparity (Harrell, 2000). In this study, we examined the association of racism-related stress with binge eating and BMI in a sample of African American emerging adults, an at-risk population for stress and obesity. Given that previous work has suggested that demanding kin relations may increase vulnerability to stress and diminish a sense of self-worth in African American youth (Gebre & Taylor, 2017), we examined whether the links between racism-related stress and binge eating and racism-related stress and BMI was moderated by demanding kin relations.

Method. Participants were 92 African American college students (Mage=22.33, SD = 4.86; MBMI =27.23, SD = 5.77). Majority of participants were female (80.4%), lived away from home (65.9%), and reported speaking to an adult relative at least once a week (57.7%). The participants responded to a series of questionnaires online, including the Index of Race-Related Stress (IRRS; Utsey & Ponterotto, 1996) and Minnesota Eating Behavior Survey (MEBS; von Ranson et al., 2005). Only the individual racism-related subscale from the IRRS and binge eating subscale from the MEBS were used in this study. Demanding kin relations were measured with items taken from Taylor and colleagues (1993). BMI was calculated using self-reported weight and height.

Results. Pearson correlation analyses revealed that binge eating was positively associated with racism-related stress (r = .33, p < .01), demanding kin relations (r = .34, p < .01) and BMI (r = .21, p =.049). Consistent with previous work, binge eating was more likely among females (r = .22, p <.05). However, racism-related stress was not significantly related to BMI (r = .07, p = .51). Demanding kin relations was examined as a moderator of the link between racism-related stress and binge eating using the PROCESS macro for SPSS (Hayes, 2018). Results revealed a significant moderation effect (b = .03, p < .05), such that the negative effects of racism-related stress on binge eating were more pronounced for those with more demanding kin relations (b =.04, p < .01).

Conclusion. Students with poor extended family relationships may be more vulnerable to the effects of racism-related stress. Reducing racism-related stress in African American students may reduce unhealthy eating habits, which could contribute to lower risk of becoming overweight or obese.

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