TY - JOUR
T1 - Black women's perspectives on bladder health
T2 - Social-ecological and life course contexts
AU - The Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium
AU - Williams, Beverly R.
AU - Brady, Sonya S.
AU - Levin, Elise C.
AU - Brown, Oluwateniola
AU - Lipman, Terri H.
AU - Klusaritz, Heather
AU - Nodora, Jesse
AU - Coyne-Beasley, Tamera
AU - Putman, Sara
AU - Gahagan, Sheila
AU - Burgio, Kathryn L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Aims: This paper explores Black women's perspectives on bladder health using a social-ecological conceptual framework and life course perspective. Methods: We conducted a directed content analysis of data from the Study of Habits, Attitudes, Realities, and Experiences (SHARE), a focus group study by the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium. Analysis was conducted on data from five focus groups and a member-checking session where all participants self-identified as Black or African American. Results: Forty-two participants aged 11–14 or 45+ years reported life course experiences with their bladder. The intersection of race and gender was the lens through which participants viewed bladder health. Participants' accounts of their perspectives on bladder health explicitly and implicitly revealed structural racism as an explanatory overarching theme. Participants described (a) historically-rooted and still pervasive practices of discrimination and segregation, engendering inequitable access to quality medical care and public facilities, (b) institutional barriers to toileting autonomy in educational and occupational settings, promoting unhealthy voiding habits, (c) internalized expectations of Black women's stereotyped role as family caregiver, compromising caregiver health, (d) lack of reliable information on bladder health, leading to unhealthy bladder behaviors, and (e) potentially stress-related comorbid chronic conditions and associated medication use, causing or exacerbating bladder problems. Conclusions: Bladder health promotion interventions should address social-ecological and life course factors shaping Black women's bladder health, including social and structural barriers to accessing equitable health information and medical care.
AB - Aims: This paper explores Black women's perspectives on bladder health using a social-ecological conceptual framework and life course perspective. Methods: We conducted a directed content analysis of data from the Study of Habits, Attitudes, Realities, and Experiences (SHARE), a focus group study by the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium. Analysis was conducted on data from five focus groups and a member-checking session where all participants self-identified as Black or African American. Results: Forty-two participants aged 11–14 or 45+ years reported life course experiences with their bladder. The intersection of race and gender was the lens through which participants viewed bladder health. Participants' accounts of their perspectives on bladder health explicitly and implicitly revealed structural racism as an explanatory overarching theme. Participants described (a) historically-rooted and still pervasive practices of discrimination and segregation, engendering inequitable access to quality medical care and public facilities, (b) institutional barriers to toileting autonomy in educational and occupational settings, promoting unhealthy voiding habits, (c) internalized expectations of Black women's stereotyped role as family caregiver, compromising caregiver health, (d) lack of reliable information on bladder health, leading to unhealthy bladder behaviors, and (e) potentially stress-related comorbid chronic conditions and associated medication use, causing or exacerbating bladder problems. Conclusions: Bladder health promotion interventions should address social-ecological and life course factors shaping Black women's bladder health, including social and structural barriers to accessing equitable health information and medical care.
KW - Black women
KW - bladder health
KW - focus group
KW - life course
KW - qualitative research
KW - social-ecological
KW - structural racism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85186942936&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85186942936&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/nau.25437
DO - 10.1002/nau.25437
M3 - Article
C2 - 38451032
AN - SCOPUS:85186942936
SN - 0733-2467
JO - Neurourology and Urodynamics
JF - Neurourology and Urodynamics
ER -