Charlita Worthy, M.D., MPH

Clinical Fellow

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases

African immigrant women living in the United States experience health challenges related to stress from underemployment, racism, and coping with new cultural realities, among others. Although the African-born Black population is a fast-growing immigrant population in the United States, data on the health status and psychosocial issues of African immigrant women are scant. Furthermore, health data on African American women do not apply to all women of African descent living in the United States, because differences in culture, history, and lived experiences (including immigration) may produce different experiences of stress and related health outcomes.

To address these gaps, Dr. Worthy’s study will compare psychosocial stressors (perceived stress and everyday discrimination), allostatic load score, and cardiometabolic health (body mass index, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and cardiovascular risk) among 30 age-matched African immigrant women and 30 African American women. Data on sleep quality, diet, health behaviors, and socioeconomic status will be examined as potential mitigators of stress and discrimination. Participants will be conveniently sampled and recruited using flyers and previous participant referrals, as well as from community events and from the National Institutes of Health website. Dr. Worthy anticipates that, due to stress from economic and psychosocial adjustment issues, African immigrant women may have a higher allostatic load and worse cardiometabolic health than African American women.

Determining the link between psychosocial stressors, allostatic load, and cardiometabolic health among African immigrant women is essential to developing effective health interventions and addressing health disparities affecting this population, as these relationships may vary by immigrant status.