By Jessica Abene BSN, RN February 1, 2026 | As breast cancer survival rates improve,…
Racism-Related Stress and Cardiometabolic Risk in African American Women: The Stress and Heart Health Study
“This study highlights how racism-related stress—especially experiences connected to police violence—can contribute in measurable cardiometabolic risk for young Black women.”
Dr. Latesha K. Harris’s project, The Stress and Heart Health Study, set out to answer a critical question: how does racism-related stress—including experiences connected to police violence—show up in the cardiometabolic health of young African American and Black women?
During her predoctoral training, Dr. Harris enrolled 75 young African American/Black women aged 18-40 years in Central North Carolina in this cross-sectional study examining racism-related stress and cardiometabolic risk (CMR). For her dissertation, she took a deeper look at direct and vicarious (indirect) exposure to police violence—and how those exposures relate to key cardiometabolic indicators like blood pressure, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI). She also explored potential biological pathways by collecting data on pro- and anti-inflammatory markers (including hsCRP, cortisol, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13).
A striking pattern emerged: among participants (median age 22 years), nearly half reported direct and/or indirect police violence exposure in the past year, including experiences described as psychological or neglectful. Findings also suggested that these exposures may be associated with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes, such as high blood pressure/hypertension, obesity, and abdominal obesity—although Dr. Harris notes that additional research with larger samples is needed to strengthen and extend these conclusions.
Beyond the findings, the project supported several key milestones. Dr. Harris strengthened her expertise in cardiometabolic disease epidemiology and the psychosocial and racism-related drivers of racial/ethnic inequities in cardiometabolic health. She also incorporated community-engaged research strategies, completed the full study as planned, and successfully defended her dissertation.
Why this work matters
“Dr. Harris’s work helps make visible the pathway from social stressors to health disparities—and points toward the kinds of interventions women and communities deserve.”
This research adds to the growing evidence that racism-related stressors—including police violence exposure—are not only social and psychological harms, but can also have measurable health consequences. Dr. Harris’s findings underscore the need for continued research and for interventions that address the health impacts of police violence and related stressors.
What’s next
Dr. Harris is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the National Clinician Scholars Program at the Duke University School of Nursing. She is also a Nursing Incubator for Social Determinants of Health Solutions (N-SISS) at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Building on this work, her next project aims to clarify how social stressors translate into health disparities. To support that direction, she has proposed a qualitative study exploring interpersonal and community violence exposure and coping strategies among young women. Her long-term goal is to build an externally funded research program focused on the social and structural determinants of cardiometabolic health among women from marginalized communities.