E95 - Psychological and Behavioral Changes Among At-Risk Black and White Sexual Minority and Sexual Nonminority Women During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Time: 05:00 PM - 05:50 PMTopics: Health of Marginalized Populations , Women's Health
Poster Number: E95
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic devastated individuals nationwide, with some groups enduring greater detrimental consequences than others. Studies evaluating well-being among subpopulations of women, racial/ethnic minorities, and emerging adults revealed increased stress, insomnia, anxiety, disordered eating, and substance use during the pandemic. Mental and physical health disparities for racial and sexual minority groups pre-COVID-19 were also exacerbated during the pandemic. The current study expands existing research by taking an intersectional approach to investigate Black and White sexual minority and sexual nonminority women’s health-related experiences during the pandemic. From February 2021 to July 2022 a community sample of 227 young adult women who binge eat (82 White SNM [sexual nonminority], 35 Black SNM, 75 White SM [sexual minority], 32 Black SM) completed an online survey assessing psychological (i.e., mood, stress, and anxiety) and health behavior (i.e., disturbance in sleeping, eating, and drinking) changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. One-way ANOVAs were performed to evaluate the effects of race x sexual orientation group (i.e., White SNM, Black SNM, White SM, Black SM) on psychological and behavioral outcomes. Results demonstrated significant subgroup differences on all psychological and behavioral variables assessed. Planned contrasts showed White SM women scored significantly worse than Black and White SNM women on mood (p<.001; p<.001), anxiety (p=.009; p<.001), and stress (p=.008; p<.001). Behaviorally, White SM women endorsed the poorest sleep quality (p=.030; p<.001) and ate less nutritious food (p=.002), and Black SM women’s drinking increased the most in frequency and quantity (p=.049; p=.011) as compared to other groups. Overall, results suggest having at least one marginalizing identity was associated with greater deleterious psychological and behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, identifying as a “double minority” was associated with the highest risk of increased drinking. These findings highlight differential patterns of mental and behavioral health outcomes among people with diverse and intersecting identities. Future interventions focused on teaching adaptive coping mechanisms during times of great stress (e.g., the pandemic) should consider the ways in which interventions may need to be adapted for people with intersecting minority identities.
Keywords: Women's health, Quality of lifeAuthors and Affliiates
Presenter: Kayla Pitchford, MS, The Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical PsychologyCo-Author: Abby Braitman, PhD, Old Dominion University
Co-Author: Alyssa Giannone, MS, The Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology
Co-Author: Kristin E. Heron, PhD, FSBM, Old Dominion University
E95 - Psychological and Behavioral Changes Among At-Risk Black and White Sexual Minority and Sexual Nonminority Women During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Category
Scientific > Rapid Communication Poster