Yeager, Emily G.
(2024)
The Association Between Everyday Discrimination and Sense of Purpose in Life in Midlife Women.
Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.
Abstract
Midlife is a transitionary period and presents a variety of challenges including changes in roles in life, increased risk of developing chronic illnesses, and increased anxieties about the future. Women are presented with the additional challenges of menopause and discrimination due to age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Everyday, interpersonal discrimination may impact their sense of purpose in life through internalization of the messages about their value. Having a sense of purpose in life has been associated with various positive health outcomes and behaviors so it is vital to understand factors, such as discrimination, that may have an impact on it. Data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) was used in this analysis due to the study’s vast data on a multiracial/multiethnic cohort of midlife women. The goals of this analysis were to 1) determine the distribution of life engagement scores, which is a measure of purpose in life, for SWAN women, 2) examine the association between baseline everyday discrimination and life engagement at annual follow-up Visit 12, and 3) examine the generalizability of the findings to the entire baseline cohort. Descriptive statistics were computed to examine the distribution of life engagement scores. A cumulative everyday discrimination score was created to be a single measurement that accounts for the various experiences of everyday discrimination. Linear regression was utilized to examine the association between everyday discrimination and life engagement scores. Inverse probability weighting was used to examine the generalizability of the findings. SWAN women overall had a high sense of life engagement, with an average score of 26 out of 30. The linear regression analysis showed that higher baseline everyday discrimination scores were significantly associated with lower life engagement scores (β=-0.11, p <.001). After applying the weights to the descriptive statistics and the regressions, the results remained largely the same. These findings are significant to public health given that reducing discrimination and its effects could improve a person’s sense of purpose in life and in turn could provide positive health benefits for women in midlife.
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Details
| Item Type: |
Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
(Master Essay)
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
| Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Yeager, Emily G. | egy3@pitt.edu | egy3 | |
|
| Contributors: |
| Contribution | Contributors Name | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID |
|---|
| Committee Member | Brooks, Maria M. | mbrooks@pitt.edu | mbrooks | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Member | Chang, Yue-Fang | changy@upmc.edu | UNSPECIFIED | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Member | Colvin, Alicia B. | colvina@edc.pitt.edu | colvina | UNSPECIFIED |
|
| Date: |
14 May 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
53 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Epidemiology |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master Essay |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Date Deposited: |
14 May 2024 19:17 |
| Last Modified: |
14 May 2024 19:17 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46216 |
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