Cited by 756Health disparities and outcomesRacial and Ethnic Identity ResearchGender, Health, and Social Inequality

The DOI matches its Crossref record, with a small difference in title or year; 35 of the 35 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HEALTH: How Much Does Stress Really Matter?

Open access

Sternthal, Michelle J., Slopen, Natalie, Williams, David R.·2011·Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race

DOI 10.1017/s1742058x11000087PMC PMC5993442

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Despite the widespread assumption that racial differences in stress exist and that stress is a key mediator linking racial status to poor health, relatively few studies have explicitly examined this premise. We examine the distribution of stress across racial groups and the role of stress vulnerability and exposure in explaining racial differences in health in a community sample of Black, Hispanic, and White adults, employing a modeling strategy that accounts for the correlation between types of stressors and the accumulation of stressors in the prediction of health outcomes. We find significant racial differences in overall and cumulative exposure to eight stress domains. Blacks exhibit a higher prevalence and greater clustering of high stress scores than Whites. American-born Hispanics show prevalence rates and patterns of accumulation of stressors comparable to Blacks, while foreign-born Hispanics have stress profiles similar to Whites. Multiple stressors correlate with poor physical and mental health, with financial and relationship stressors exhibiting the largest and most consistent effects. Though we find no support for the stress-vulnerability hypothesis, the stress-exposure hypothesis does account for some racial health disparities. We discuss implications for future research and policy.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1017/s1742058x11000087

Cites

35 of 35 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Neighborhoods and Violent Crime: A Multilevel Study of Collective Efficacy
Sampson, R. J., Raudenbush, S. W., & Earls, F. (1997) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.277.5328.918 · Cited by 11,999
Healthy work: stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life
(1990) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.28-0381 · Cited by 8,163
The structure of coping
Pearlin, L. I., & Schooler, C. (1978) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136319 · Cited by 7,791 · cited 1×
“Financial stressors contain two measures ~Pearlin and Schooler, 1978!”
Background
The structure of coping.
Pearlin, L. I., & Schooler, C. (1978) · PubMed · Cited by 6,764
Protective and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators
McEwen, B. S. (1998) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejm199801153380307 · Cited by 6,733 · cited 1×
“The adverse physical and mental effects of stress are well documented, with the accumulation of multiple stressors associated with worse outcomes ~McEwen 1998; Thoits 2010!.”
Background
Racial Differences in Physical and Mental Health: Socio-economic Status, Stress and Discrimination
Williams, D. R., Yu, Y., Jackson, J. S., & Anderson, N. B. (1997) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/135910539700200305 · Cited by 4,786
Self-citation
Discrimination and racial disparities in health: evidence and needed research
Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2009) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10865-008-9185-0 · Cited by 3,371
Self-citation
The sociological study of stress
Pearlin, L. I. (1989) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136956 · Cited by 3,263 · cited 3×
“In our analyses, low SES appeared to capture not only one’s material resources, but also part of the stressful life situations and social environments that accompany them ~Pearlin 1989!.”
Background
Childhood Adversities and Adult Psychiatric Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication I: Associations With First Onset of DSM-IV Disorders
Green, J. G., McLaughlin, K. A., Berglund, P. A., Gruber, M. J., Sampson, N. A., Zaslavsky, A. M., & Kessler, R. C. (2010) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.186 · Cited by 2,323
Stress and Health: Major Findings and Policy Implications
Thoits, P. A. (2010) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146510383499 · Cited by 1,967

Show all 34 references

Sorted by citations

Items 701–756 of 756

Introduction
Ford, C. L., & Griffith, D. M. (2025) · American Public Health Association eBooks · doi:10.2105/sankofa.3582.001
Sankofa Digital Collection
(2025) · American Public Health Association eBooks · doi:10.2105/sankofa.3582
Seeing Brilliance Everywhere: Understanding the Life and Antiracism Work of Camara Phyllis Jones
Jones, C. P., & Griffith, D. M. (2025) · American Public Health Association eBooks · doi:10.2105/sankofa.3582.009
Latina Teen Mothers’ Perceived Discrimination and Children’s Externalizing Problems: Mediating Family Processes
Lee, J. O., Yoon, Y., Cederbaum, J. A., Marino, J., Desai, M., & Clark, L. F. (2025) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-025-03206-9
Do Chronic Stressors Impact the Association Between Substance Use and Well-Being: Findings from the Midlife in the United States Study
Bhattacharyya, K. K., Prasad, R. P., Acharya, S., Bhattacharyya, S., & Fauth, E. B. (2025) · Sage Open Aging · doi:10.1177/30495334251390797
Minority Stressors and HIV Communication Among Taiwanese Sexual Minority Men: The Moderating Role of Sexual Position Identity
Mayo, D., & Huang, P.-Y. (2025) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2025.2578668
Job desperation in the “liquid society”: prioritising work recognition and reassurance over financial satisfaction
El-Farr, H., & Kertechian, K. S. (2025) · Labour & Industry a journal of the social and economic relations of work · doi:10.1080/10301763.2025.2594369
Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Aging and Dementia in South Asians in Greater Atlanta: Findings from an Online Convenience Sample Survey
Kamdar, Y., Chen, Y., Khanam, M., Parker, M. W., Shah, M. K., & Kulshreshtha, A. (2025) · Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health · doi:10.1007/s10903-025-01836-1
The Effects of Racial Socialization and Parent-Child Relationship Quality on Emerging Adult Reports of Racial Discrimination to Parents
Cole, N. N. (2014) · VCU Scholars Compass (Virginia Commonwealth University) · doi:10.25772/fsq9-a405
Additional file 2 of What did the pandemic teach us about effective health communication? Unpacking the COVID-19 infodemic
Cooks, E., Vilaro, M. J., Dyal, B. W., Wang, S., Mertens, G. E., Raisa, A., Kim, B., Campbell‐Salome, G., Wilkie, D. J., Odedina, F., et al. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26554196
Additional file 1 of Neighborhood disadvantage and individual-level life stressors in relation to breast cancer incidence in US Black women
Barber, L. E., Zirpoli, G., Cozier, Y. C., Rosenberg, L. A., Petrick, J. L., Bertrand, K. A., & Palmer, J. R. (2021) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.17065768
Additional file 1 of What did the pandemic teach us about effective health communication? Unpacking the COVID-19 infodemic
Cooks, E., Vilaro, M. J., Dyal, B. W., Wang, S., Mertens, G. E., Raisa, A., Kim, B., Campbell‐Salome, G., Wilkie, D. J., Odedina, F., et al. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26554193
Additional file 1 of Change in quality of life over eight years in a nationally representative sample of US adults with heart disease and type 2 diabetes:minority race and toxic stress as keysocial determinants
Nkwata, A. K., Song, X., Zhang, M., & Ezeamama, A. E. (2020) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.12308603
The Kids FACE FEARS Pragmatic Randomized Trial of Therapist-Led vs Guided Internet Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Anxiety: Rationale and Methods
Comer, J. S., Pincus, D. B., Adrian, M. C., McCreary, G., Miller, L., Munarriz, T., Myers, K., Pierre-Louis, K. X., Platt, R. E., Ripley, M., et al. (2025) · JAACAP Open · doi:10.1016/j.jaacop.2025.12.003
Neighborhood Differences in Omnipresent Policing and Sleep Health in New York City: Protocol for a Multimethod Quantitative Study
Downing, M. J., Budescu, M., & Holbrook, N. M. (2025) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/82605
Cultural bereavement, perceived discrimination, community integration and post-migration stress among Afghan refugees in Pakistan
Fatima, A., & Musharraf, S. (2025) · International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care · doi:10.1108/ijmhsc-03-2025-0028
Assessing Depression Among Taiwanese Sexual Minority Men: A Latent Profile Analysis of Minority Stress and Social Safety
Mayo, D., & Huang, P. (2025) · LGBT Health · doi:10.1177/23258292251408066
Unfair Treatment and Depressive Symptoms Among U.S. Asians: Ethnicity, Nativity, and Gender Differences From Adolescence to Adulthood
Yoshihama, M., Yan, Y., & Hong, J. S. (2026) · Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research · doi:10.1086/740322
Discrimination and vigilance as psychosocial pathways from food insecurity to cognitive difficulty among U.S. adults: a moderated mediation analysis
Lee, H., & Sagong, H. (2026) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-026-26226-6
Everyday discrimination as a predictor of forgone care among early midlife adults in the United States
Wilson, N., Shapiro, D., & Frech, A. (2026) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2026.108514
Discrimination, depressive symptoms, and prescription opioid misuse among adults with chronic pain who engage in hazardous drinking
Carlin, V. E., Lape, E. C., Deyo, A. G., Ripley, G. H., Polhill, S. E., Zale, E. L., Nam, J. K., Zvolensky, M. J., Maisto, S. A., & Ditre, J. W. (2026) · The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse · doi:10.1080/00952990.2025.2576709
Discrimination and microaggressions are concurrently and prospectively associated with defeat in sexual minority college students reporting suicidal ideation
O'Brien, E. J., BergWood, M., Bolner, J., Tucker, R. P., & Hill, R. M. (2026) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2026.121406
The Effect of a Race-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Sleep Quality, Melatonin Onset, and Inflammation in African American Women: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Lee, S., Janusek, L. W., Reutrakul, S., Biggers, A., Mathews, H. L., Park, C. G., Taylor, J. Y., & Saban, K. L. (2026) · Biological Research For Nursing · doi:10.1177/10998004261433563
Racism, discrimination, and distress: A cross-sectional examination of smoking behaviors among adults who smoke during the COVID-19 pandemic
Fairman, R. T., Reidy, D. E., Popova, L., & Spears, C. A. (2026) · Tobacco Prevention & Cessation · doi:10.18332/tpc/215707
Displacement, Discrimination, and the Search for Care: Determinants of Nursing Home Demand Among Older Syrian Refugees
Sevim, K. (2026) · Journal of Gerontological Social Work · doi:10.1080/01634372.2026.2645726
Beyond the Usual Suspects: Job Desperation as a Driver of Turnover Intention and Job Search Behaviour
Kertechian, K. S., & El-Farr, H. (2025) · Relations industrielles · doi:10.7202/1123855ar
Rethinking Risk: Intersectional Inequalities in Long COVID in the United States
Nezamdoust, B. (2026) · Sociology of Health & Illness · doi:10.1111/1467-9566.70174
Repeated Administration of Social and Structural Determinants of Health (SSDOH) Questions in an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center: The Aging Brain Study (ABC) Life Experience Survey
Stites, S. D., Lee, D. S., Kuz, C., Humphreys, V., Streitz, M. L., Xie, S. X., Flatt, J. D., Glover, C. M., & Mechanic-Hamilton, D. J. (2026) · Sage Open Aging · doi:10.1177/30495334261430788
Race and Risk: Disentangling the Racialized Distribution of Neighborhood Resources and Differential Health Risks in Southern U.S. Cities
Satcher, L. A., & Qu, Y. (2026) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-026-02950-y
Perceived Discrimination and Mental Health Among First-Generation East Asian Immigrants: A Systematic Review
Ho, J. K. Y., Brewster, A., Kienzler, H., & Brown, J. S. L. (2026) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-026-02957-5
The Manifestation of Structural Oppression Through Racial Trauma: Implications for Substance Use Among Black Adults
Brown, D. G., Johal, P. K., Bauer, A. G., & Saraiya, T. C. (2026) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2026.2662462
The Role of Perceived Hyper-Surveillance in Adolescent Suicide Risk
Castro‐Ramirez, F., McGuire, T. C., Al‐Suwaidi, M., Ricard, J. R., Ricard, J. A., Herrmann, F. M., Chambers, K. Q., Shang, M., Jones, G. M., & Nock, M. K. (2026) · Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology · doi:10.1080/15374416.2026.2660292
The indirect effect of anxiety sensitivity on smoking motives through false safety behaviors among Black adults who smoke
Nizio, P., Jones, A. A., Smit, T., Buckner, J. D., Redmond, B. Y., Businelle, M. S., Obasi, E. M., Zvolensky, M. J., & Garey, L. (2026) · Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · doi:10.1080/16506073.2026.2664879
Cigarette and E-Cigarette Use in Greater Philadelphia: Proportion of Use Compared to National Data and Local Predictors of Smoking Status
Sifat, M., Banks, J., Phan, L., Wen, K., Barta, J. A., Melillo, R. J., & Juon, H. (2026) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103498
Effect of Integrated Internet-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Behavioral Activation Among Ethnic Minority Young Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder in Hong Kong: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Belay, G. M., Lam, K. K. W., Liu, Q., Mao, T., Mak, Y. W., & Ho, K. Y. (2026) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/83896
COVID-19-Related Discrimination and Mental Distress: Mediating Role of Loneliness, Resilience, and Financial Worries
Luo, Y., Li, M., Haller, W., Wang, Y., Carbajales‐Dale, P., Jones, S., & Pan, X. (2026) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci15060370
Maternal lifetime stress and placental mitochondrial DNA mutational load: Effect modification by maternal characteristics
Carroll, K. N., Lesseur, C., Brunst, K., Colicino, E., Chiu, Y., Hartman, T. J., Coull, B., & Wright, R. J. (2026) · Placenta · doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2026.06.013
How Church-Based Social Support Influences Health Among Older African American Adults: A Narrative Review and a Way Forward
Kim, E., Nguyen, A. W., Lincoln, K. D., & Zilioli, S. (2026) · Sociological Focus · doi:10.1080/00380237.2026.2693214
Prospective associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and biological aging in adolescence
Zhang, X., Gassen, J., & Slavich, G. M. (2026) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291726104619 · Cited by 1
Symptom management and transitioning to engagement with post-treatment care for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYA STEPS): Study protocol
Dorfman, C. S., Arthur, S. S., Shelby, R. A., Stalls, J. M., Arrato, N. A., Somers, T. J., Wu, Y., Thomas, S. M., Willis, M. W., Youssef, D., et al. (2026) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2026.108391
Financial strain and sleep problems in the United Kingdom: longitudinal patterns by race-ethnicity
Chai, L., Chow, C., & Tsuchiya, K. (2026) · International Journal for Equity in Health · doi:10.1186/s12939-026-02931-x
Everyday Discrimination and Mental Health: Comparisons Between Latino/a Immigrants and White U.S. Residents
Painter, M. A., Tabler, J., & Kuper, J. L. (2026) · Hispanic Health Care International · doi:10.1177/15404153261461744
Linking Experiences of Interpersonal Racism and Pandemic Worries to Postpartum Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Asian Birthing Individuals
Tieu, T., Myers, D., Murtha, K. A., Kornfield, S. L., Barzilay, R., Sun, S., Ojukwu, C. I., Himes, M. M., Parish‐Morris, J., Gur, R. E., et al. (2026) · Maternal and Child Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10995-026-04287-8
Parental Racism-Related Stress and Child Depression: Disparities Across Income and Race/Ethnicity in a National Sample of Racial/Ethnic Minority Families
Jelsma, E. B., Kebbeh, N., & Murillo, R. (2026) · Family & Community Health · doi:10.1097/fch.0000000000000463
A cross-national study examining social determinant factors on short sleep between the U.S. and Canada
Tsuchiya, K., Giblon, R. E., Taylor, H. O., Mitani, A., Minh, A., & Yeung, B. (2026) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-026-28793-0
Racial and gender disparities in reasons for seeking mental healthcare in Canada
Farahi, S. M. M. M., Ouattara, M. M., Kibret, T. C., & Cénat, J. M. (2026) · Discover Mental Health · doi:10.1007/s44192-026-00571-9
Psychosocial Stressors and Heart Failure Risk Among Black Women in the US
Davis, D. N., Aghi, A., Gajjar, P., Miller, P., Holder, E. X., Nayor, M. G., & Palmer, J. R. (2026) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.29320
Exercise addiction, social interaction, and the moderating effects of disordered eating among adults aged 18–35
Yu, C.-C., & Castelli, D. M. (2026) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107631
Chronic stress, social support, and domain‐specific cognitive decline in HABS‐HD
Lee, J. K., Johnson, L. A., Hall, J. R., Bateman, J. R., & Mielke, M. M. (2026) · Alzheimer s & Dementia · doi:10.1002/alz.71760
A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating a Community-Based, Family Network Heart Health Intervention - the SERVE OC Trial: Design, Rationale and Baseline FindingsPreprint
Boden-Albala, B. M., Wing, J. J., Landry, M. J., Castro, M., Gutierrez, D., Cardenas, C., Rousseau, J., Rahmani, A. M., Chavez, A., Ding, X., et al. (2026) · medRxiv · doi:10.64898/2026.08.31.26361871
Discrimination and risk of spontaneous abortion in a preconception cohort study
Lovett, S. M., Hoffman, M. N., Geller, R. J., Wesselink, A. K., Abrams, J. A., Coleman, C. M., Sabbath, E. L., Ukah, U. V., Boynton‐Jarrett, R., Ncube, C. N., et al. (2026) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119820
Exploring the role of context in universal social, emotional, and behavioral screening and students' willingness to receive support
Miller, F. G., & C.J.Long, A. (2026) · Journal of School Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2026.101591
Examining intersections of biographies & biologies: Diversity & outcomes of people with multiple sclerosis in Canada (iBio2Div-MS) protocol
Marrie, R. A., Kowalec, K., Fakolade, A. O., Fisk, J., Donkers, S. J., Maxwell, C. J., Smyth, P. S., Wolfson, C. M., & Finlayson, M. L. (2026) · Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.msard.2026.107983
Cardiometabolic Risk, Minority Stress, and Resilience in the Study of Stress, Gender, and Minority Status (SGM SOL): An Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos
Perreira, K. M., Wright, E. L. C., Gallo, L. C., Harkness, A., Isasi, C. R., Pirzada, A., Thomas, S. N., Penedo, F. J., Daviglus, M. L., Thyagarajan, B., et al. (2026) · Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1080/08964289.2026.2619691
Effect of a Multilevel Intervention on Racial Disparities in Medication Adherence: An Analysis of the Rich Life Project.
Meche, A., Cooper, L. A., Mehta, H., Alexander, G. C., & Jackson, J. W. (2026) · Journal of general internal medicine · doi:10.1007/s11606-026-10951-0
Factors associated with communicative and financial barriers to healthcare utilization among people with selected citizenships in Germany: results from a nationwide cross-sectional study
Goerigk, L., Kajikhina, K., Hövener, C., & Koschollek, C. (2026) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-026-15932-x

Authors: Sternthal, M. J., Slopen, N., & Williams, D. R.
Affiliations: Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author: Sternthal, Michelle J.
ORCID: Slopen, Natalie
Williams, David R.
Venue: Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published: 2011
Volume: 8
Issue: 1
Pages: 95-113
ISSN: 1742-058X (ISSN-L)
1742-0598
DOI: 10.1017/s1742058x11000087
PMC: PMC5993442
OpenAlex: W2024277158
Cited by: 755
References: 34
Citations by year: 2026: 50 · 2025: 104 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 83 · 2022: 89 · 2021: 73 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 49 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 13
FWCI: 22.06
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 104 d)
Locations: Du Bois Review Social Science Research on Race (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (T32ES007069)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD050467, P50HD038986)
Topics: Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Gender, Health, and Social Inequality
Keywords: racial disparities in health, stress accumulation, cumulative stressors, financial stress, relationship stress, Black people, Hispanic adults, foreign-born Hispanics, physical health, mental health, community sample

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HEALTH: How Much Does Stress Really Matter?

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Self-check

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks