title: The relationships among racial identity, self-esteem, sociodemographics, and health-promoting lifestyles.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between racial identity, self-esteem, sociodemographic factors, and health-promoting lifestyles in a sample of African Americans. African American mortality rates are disproportionately high. These rates are associated with health behaviors that are driven by many factors including lifestyle practices. Other factors may be self-esteem and racial identity. Research shows gender differences in health behaviors, but no studies have explored a racial identity and gender interaction. Exploring these relationships may lead to the improved health status of African Americans. A convenience sample of 224 was recruited consisting of 48% males (n = 108). The mean age was 37.2 years (SD = 12.6). Regression analyses demonstrated that the internalization racial identity stage (beta = .12; p < .001) and self-esteem (beta = .50; p < .001) contributed to the variance in health-promoting lifestyles. Self-esteem did not mediate the relationship between immersion and health-promoting lifestyle scores (beta = -.16; p = .03). The full model Beta values show that racial identity remains significant with sociodemographics and interactions controlled, but moderators do not. Racial identity, while not a strong predictor, has some impact on health-promoting lifestyles regardless of sociodemographics.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, TN 37204, USA. rolanda.johnson@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Rolanda L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012933:Social Identification; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires