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Rituals Reproducing Race: African American Women's Feminine Hygiene Practices, Shared Experiences, And Power, Angela K. Guy-Lee

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploration of the role African American women’s feminine hygiene practices, namely vaginal douching, plays in the creation and reproduction of race. Compared to their white and Latina counterparts, African American women are the most likely to engage in this practice. Vaginal douching is associated with myriad reproductive and sexual health problems. These problems include but are not limited to recurrent yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, disrupting healthy vaginal microbiomes, and spontaneous preterm birth; of which African American women experience disproportionately. Although racial differences in vaginal douching are well documented, little is known about the impetus for African …

Preterm Birth And The Perception Of Risk Among African Americans, Gwendolyn Simpson Norman

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: African American women deliver preterm at a rate that is two to three times that of their white counterparts, and after decades of research, this disparity in birth outcomes still remains unexplained. While factors including income, education, neighborhood conditions, infection and stress have all been associated with prematurity, no combination of these factors has explained why the disparity persists. Recently, however, racism-specific stress has emerged as a possible factor contributing to this disparity. This study was designed to learn how preterm birth was explained by African Americans directly impacted by prematurity. Methods: Interviews were conducted with African American women …

The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts: The Social Support Exchange Process, Rifky Tkatch

Wayne State University Dissertations

Social support is a dyadic exchange process that yields many psychological and physiological health benefits. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of the support exchange process from a dyadic perspective on health outcomes and to investigate the extent that gender and relationship characteristics influence the support process and health outcomes. It was hypothesized that female patients would report seeking more support and male patients would report receiving more support. In addition, it was expected that patient seeking support would be associated with both partner provision and patient receipt of support. It was also hypothesized that patients' …

The Experience Of Chronic Pain As Described By African American Indigent Adults Attending An Urban Primary Care Clinic, Jamie Alexandra Crawley

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Inadequate chronic pain control has far-reaching implications including costs for missed time at work; utilization of health care resources and reduced quality of life. People at highest risk for inadequate pain control include indigent adults and minorities. Newman's theory health as expanding consciousness views the chronic pain experience as a life pattern within health. Qualitatively examining chronic pain from participants' perspectives may improve chronic pain care.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of chronic pain as described by African American indigent adults attending an urban, primary care clinic.

Methods: 13- participants (7 men and …