"You feel you have to be made of steel": The strong Black woman, health, and well-being in Nova Scotia.
The "strong Black woman" construct has been well-documented in the United States as both an aspirational icon and a constricting burden for African-heritage women. It has not been examined among African-Canadians. Drawing on qualitative interviews and standardized measures with 50 African-heritage women in Eastern Canada, our analysis reveals their perceptions of the construct as both strongly endorsed as a source of cultural pride, yet also acknowledged to take a terrible toll on health and well-being. The construct arises from and directly benefits racism. It is imperative that health professionals understand the ways it shapes health and help-seeking behaviors.
a School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa , Ottawa , Ontario , Canada.
Josephine B
JB
Etowa
b School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
Brenda L
BL
Beagan
c Department of Family Studies , Mount Saint Vincent University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
Felicia
F
Eghan
d School of Social Work, Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
Wanda Thomas
WT
Bernard
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009674:Nova Scotia; D063505:Racism / Q000208:ethnology; D012649:Self Concept; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*