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Cited by 40Health disparities and outcomesRacial and Ethnic Identity ResearchResilience and Mental Health

High-Effort Coping and Cardiovascular Disease among Women: A Systematic Review of the John Henryism Hypothesis

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Felix, Ashley S., Shisler, Robert, Nolan, Timiya S., Warren, Barbara J., Rhoades, Jennifer, Barnett, Kierra S., Williams, Karen Patricia·2019·Journal of Urban Health
DOI 10.1007/s11524-018-00333-1PMC PMC6430283
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Abstract

African-American women living in the United States experience higher cardiovascular disease risk (CVD) mortality compared to White women. Unique mechanisms, including prolonged high-effort coping in the face of discriminatory stressors might contribute to these racial disparities. The John Henryism hypothesis is a conceptual framework used to explain poor health outcomes observed among individuals with low resources who repeatedly utilize active coping to overcome barriers. The aims of our study were to summarize the literature related to John Henryism and CVD-related factors with a particular focus on women and to identify gaps for areas of future inquiry. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and CINAHL to identify literature that used the John Henryism Active Coping scale. Reviewers independently reviewed eligible full-text study articles and conducted data extraction. We qualitatively summarized the literature related to John Henryism and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related health behaviors (e.g., smoking or physical activity) and risk factors (e.g., hypertension) with a focus on study populations inclusive of women. Our review included 21 studies that used the John Henryism Active Coping scale, of which 10 explicitly reported on the interaction between John Henryism and socioeconomic status (SES) and CVD-related factors. With respect to the original hypothesis, three studies reported results in line with the hypothesis, four were null, and three reported findings in opposition to the hypothesis. The remaining studies included in the review examined the main effects of John Henryism, with similarly mixed results. The literature related to the interaction between John Henryism and SES on CVD-related factors among women is mixed. Additional studies of John Henryism that incorporate biological measures, varied indicators of resources, and larger study populations may illuminate the relationship between coping and deleterious health outcomes among women.

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Authors
Felix, A. S., Shisler, R., Nolan, T. S., Warren, B. J., Rhoades, J., Barnett, K. S., & Williams, K. P.
Affiliations
The Ohio State University (US)
Corresponding author
Felix, Ashley S.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Urban Health
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-11-30
Volume
96
Issue
S1
Pages
12-22
ISSN
  • 0028-7091 (ISSN-L)
  • 1099-3460
  • 1468-2869
DOI
10.1007/s11524-018-00333-1
PMC
PMC6430283
OpenAlex
W2903321494
Cited by
40
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3
FWCI
0.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Urban Health (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Cancer Institute (1 K01 CA218457 01A1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
Keywords
John Henryism, cardiovascular disease, African American women, racial disparities in health, socioeconomic status, health behavior, hypertension, smoking, physical activity
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black or African American, Cardiovascular Diseases, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Social Class, United States, White People, Young Adult

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