Changes in Experiences With Discrimination Across Pregnancy and Postpartum: Age Differences and Consequences for Mental Health

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 105; no. 4; pp. 686 - 693
• Main Authors: Rosenthal, Lisa, Earnshaw, Valerie A., Lewis, Tené T., Reid, Allecia E., Lewis, Jessica B., Stasko, Emily C., Tobin, Jonathan N., Ickovics, Jeannette R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Public Health Association 01.04.2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; African Americans; Age; Age Factors; Anxiety; Asian Americans; Birth weight; Black or African American - psychology; Ethnicity; Female; Food security; Hispanic or Latino - psychology; Humans; Intervention; Longitudinal studies; Maternal and Infant Health; Mental Health; Mental Health - ethnology; Minority & ethnic groups; New York City - epidemiology; Postpartum period; Postpartum Period - psychology; Poverty; Pregnancy; Pregnancy - psychology; Prenatal Care; Public health; Race; Racial discrimination; Racism; Racism - psychology; Research and Practice; Social Science; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic status; Stereotypes; Studies; Urban Health; Women's Health; Womens health; Young Adult; New York City; United States > US
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301906
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048

Objectives. We aimed to contribute to growing research and theory suggesting the importance of examining patterns of change over time and critical life periods to fully understand the effects of discrimination on health, with a focus on the period of pregnancy and postpartum and mental health outcomes. Methods. We used hierarchical linear modeling to examine changes across pregnancy and postpartum in everyday discrimination and the resulting consequences for mental health among predominantly Black and Latina, socioeconomically disadvantaged young women who were receiving prenatal care in New York City. Results. Patterns of change in experiences with discrimination varied according to age. Among the youngest participants, discrimination increased from the second to third trimesters and then decreased to lower than the baseline level by 1 year postpartum; among the oldest participants, discrimination decreased from the second trimester to 6 months postpartum and then returned to the baseline level by 1 year postpartum. Within-subjects changes in discrimination over time predicted changes in depressive and anxiety symptoms at subsequent points. Discrimination more strongly predicted anxiety symptoms among participants reporting food insecurity. Conclusions. Our results support a life course approach to understanding the impact of experiences with discrimination on health and when to intervene.