How Socioeconomic Status Influences Self-care for Black/African American Women: A Differential Item Analysis

It is well documented that Black/African American (Black) women's health is impacted by socioeconomic status (SES). Self-care can improve health but this is also contingent upon SES; though it is unclear which activities are impacted. This cross-sectional study performed differential item functioning with 47 self-care activities rated by 223 Black women. Participants were compared across activities by SES group-a composite score encompassing personal income, highest degree obtained, employment status, and number of dependents. Findings suggest SES impacts half of self-care activities with most being practiced significantly more by Black women with the highest SES as opposed to the lowest. The activities that were most influenced by SES included striving for balance, scheduling regular activities with their children, and finding ways to laugh. Such differences speak to the impact of SES on the overall health of Black women. Research on Black women's health would benefit from targeting the impact of SES on self-care in order to better increase the health of Black women.