(HealthDay News) — The words “calm down” are worse than unhelpful — they actually can increase blood pressure among new mothers of color, a study has found.
Gender-based racism through such microaggressions significantly increased a new mom’s blood pressure, compared to women not subjected to these sort of comments, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 9 in the journal Hypertension.
And effects on blood pressure were even more pronounced among women living in areas with high levels of structural racism.
“It is well-known that Black, Hispanic and South Asian women experience microaggressions during health care. It is not as well known whether these microaggressions may have an association with higher blood pressure,” lead researcher Teresa Janevic, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York, said in a news release from the college.
For the study, researchers asked nearly 400 women of color who gave birth at four hospitals in Philadelphia and New York City about the microaggressions they faced during their care.
The women ranted in age from 16 to 46, with about 43% between 20 and 29.
Examples included “I have been disrespected,” “Someone told me to calm down,” and “Someone accused me of being angry when speaking assertively.”
Nearly two in five women (38%) reported at least one instance of microaggression during their pregnancy care, results show.
Those who experienced one or more instance of microaggression had average systolic blood pressure that was 2.12 points higher, and diastolic that was 1.43 points higher. Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure in arteries during a heartbeat, and diastolic the pressure between heartbeats.
Women living in areas with more structural racism had even higher differences in blood pressure due to microaggression — systolic readings 7.55 points higher and diastolic readings 6.03 points higher.
A preventive health expert not involved in the research, Dr. Natalie Cameron, called the effects observed in the study “profound.”
“For many people, this can make the difference between needing blood pressure lowering medications or not,” Cameron, an instructor in preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release.
Future research is needed to better explore how racism influences blood pressure, as well as its effects on the health of mothers and their infants, researchers said.
“This work serves as a reminder of the long-term impact that racism can have on one’s overall health. The magnitude of these types of physiologic changes may become cumulative over time and lead to the inequities we see in many health outcomes,” senior researcher Dr. Lisa Levine, director of the Pregnancy and Heart Disease Program and chief of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, concluded in a news release.
What are some common postpartum microaggressions?
Research suggests that women of color may face microaggressions during the postpartum period, which can negatively impact their health. Some examples of these microaggressions include:
- Being overlooked or ignored by healthcare providers: This can manifest as providers not making eye contact, not listening to their concerns, or dismissing their pain.
- Assumptions about their bodies or health: This can include assumptions about their pain tolerance, their ability to breastfeed, or their risk for certain health conditions based on their race.
- Comments about their appearance or their baby’s appearance: This can include comments about their skin color, hair, or other physical features.
- Differential treatment based on race: This can include being treated with less respect or courtesy than white patients, or being subjected to stereotypes about their race.
These microaggressions can contribute to feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, and can also lead to negative health outcomes.
More information
The University of California-Irvine has more about the effects of microaggressions on health.
SOURCE: American Heart Association, news release, Jan. 9, 2024