John Henryism and the health of African-Americans
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In the context of IP, higher John Henryism may reduce negative psychological outcomes by promoting mastery and control in stressful situations.
“Thus, within the context of IP, higher levels of John Henryism may assuage negative psychological outcomes by promoting a sense of mastery and control in stressful situations via a “single-minded determination to succeed” (James, 1994, p. 169).”
From Impostor Phenomenon and Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Roles of John Henryism and School Racial Composition Among Black College Students (2020) · cites this paper as James, 1994
The Measurement of John Henryism section (page not available in our copy) identifies a “single-minded determination to succeed” as a feature of John Henryism, and a scale item expresses a sense of control over one's life. The John Henryism Hypothesis and Summary of Research Findings sections discuss coping with stress in relation to hypertension, but do not say that higher John Henryism reduces negative psychological outcomes. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPrior work shows that John Henryism raises the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular-disease-related outcomes.
“prior work has demonstrated that John Henryism increases risk for hypertension and cardiovascular-disease-related outcomes”
From Is John Henryism a Health Risk or Resource?: Exploring the Role of Culturally Relevant Coping for Physical and Mental Health among Black Americans. (2021) · cites this paper as James 1994
The Summary of Research Findings (page not specified) reports higher hypertension prevalence among people with both low socioeconomic status and high John Henryism. It also says the cross-sectional studies cannot establish cause and effect; high John Henryism paired with high socioeconomic status may be protective. The paper does not report John Henryism-related cardiovascular-disease outcomes, so the claim overstates both the scope and certainty of the findings. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHigh-effort coping can be physiologically taxing, increasing bodily stress and leading to poorer physical health.
“This may be because high-effort coping can be physiologically strenuous, which contributes to increased stress on the body that eventually results in less than optimal physical health”
From Is John Henryism a Health Risk or Resource?: Exploring the Role of Culturally Relevant Coping for Physical and Mental Health among Black Americans. (2021) · cites this paper as James 1994
In “The John Henryism Hypothesis,” the paper says frequent high-effort coping is expected to cause sympathetic nervous system arousal and, over time, higher blood pressure, particularly among people of low socioeconomic status. The “Summary of Research Findings” also links prolonged high-effort coping combined with high stress to elevated hypertension risk. This supports a physiological health cost, but the claim broadens a conditional finding about blood pressure and hypertension to poorer physical health generally. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe John Henryism Hypothesis posits that engaging in high-effort coping with minimal socioeconomic resources increases the risk of developing hypertension and other chronic physical health conditions.
“The John Henryism Hypothesis posits that engaging in high-effort coping with minimal socioeconomic resources increases the risk of developing hypertension and other chronic physical health conditions (James 1994; James et al. 1983).”
From Is John Henryism a Health Risk or Resource?: Exploring the Role of Culturally Relevant Coping for Physical and Mental Health among Black Americans. (2021) · cites this paper as James 1994
In “The John Henryism Hypothesis” (page unavailable), James predicts that persistent high-effort coping among people of low socioeconomic status contributes to higher hypertension prevalence. The Introduction (page unavailable) says the discussion may have implications for other stress-related health problems, but it does not state that the hypothesis predicts an increased risk of developing other chronic physical conditions. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe study's findings corroborate and extend earlier work on strength, perseverance, and self-reliance among African Americans.
“Findings from this study corroborate and extend previous examinations of concepts of strength, perseverance, and self-reliance among African Americans (Beauboeuf-LaFontant, 2007; James, 1994; James, Hartnett, & Kalsbeek, 1983; Mullings, 2006; Shambley-Ebron & Boyle, 2006).”
From Superwoman Schema: African American Women’s Views on Stress, Strength, and Health (2010) · cites this paper as James, 1994
For Black Americans, high levels of John Henryism may provide the fortitude to overcome daily challenges associated with living in the racialized society of the United States.
“For Black Americans in particular, high levels of John Henryism may provide the fortitude to overcome the daily challenges associated with living in the racialized society of the United States (Hudson et al. 2016; James 1994, 2019; Kiecolt et al. 2009).”
From Is John Henryism a Health Risk or Resource?: Exploring the Role of Culturally Relevant Coping for Physical and Mental Health among Black Americans. (2021) · cites this paper as James 1994
Most research on John Henryism and health has examined physical health and concluded that John Henryism harms physical health.
“Most of the research assessing the link between John Henryism and health has focused on physical health outcomes, concluding that John Henryism is detrimental for physical health”
From Is John Henryism a Health Risk or Resource?: Exploring the Role of Culturally Relevant Coping for Physical and Mental Health among Black Americans. (2021) · cites this paper as James 1994
John Henryism developed as a response to addressing challenges related to structural racism.
“These findings also relate to the premise that John Henryism developed as a response to addressing challenges related to structural racism (James 1994, 2019).”
From Is John Henryism a Health Risk or Resource?: Exploring the Role of Culturally Relevant Coping for Physical and Mental Health among Black Americans. (2021) · cites this paper as James 1994
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Cites
John Henryism and blood pressure differences among Black Men
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Self-citationSOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, JOHN HENRYISM, AND HYPERTENSION IN BLACKS AND WHITES
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- James, S.A., N.L. Keenan, D.S. Strogatz, S.R. Browning, and J.M. Garrett 1992 Socioeconomic Status, John Henryism, and Blood Pressure in Black Adults: The Pitt County Study. American Journal of Epidemiology 135:59-67.
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“Thus, within the context of IP, higher levels of John Henryism may assuage negative psychological outcomes by promoting a sense of mastery and control in stressful situations via a “single-minded determination to succeed” (James, 1994, p. 169).”
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- Authors
- James, S. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- James, Sherman A.
- ORCID
- James, Sherman A.
- Venue
- Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry
- Published
- 1994-06
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 163-182
- ISSN
- 0165-005X (ISSN-L)
- 1573-076X
- OpenAlex
- W2038748095
- Cited by
- 649
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 48 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 12.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Culture Medicine and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL-33211, R01HL033211)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Race, History, and American Society
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- John Henryism, African Americans, health disparities, chronic stress, racial disparities in health
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Black or African American, Cerebrovascular Disorders, Coronary Disease, Female, Folklore, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Psychophysiologic Disorders, Race Relations, Risk Factors, Social Environment, Social Values, Somatoform Disorders
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