TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations of Perceived Stress and Social Support on Health Behavior Changes in Sexual Minoritized Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic
AU - Lee, Donghee N.
AU - Stevens, Elise M.
AU - Patterson, Joanne G.
AU - Wedel, Amelia V.
AU - Wagener, Theodore L.
AU - Keller-Hamilton, Brittney
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award numbers T32CA229114 (J.G.P.) and K99CA260718 (PI: J.G.P.), the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (PI: EMS; R00DA046563), the NIH Training Grant under award number 2T32CA172009 (D.N.L.), and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center's Center for Tobacco Research (T.L.W.).
Publisher Copyright:
© Donghee N. Lee et al., 2022; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2022.
PY - 2023/4/1
Y1 - 2023/4/1
N2 - Purpose: We examined how perceived stress and social support were associated with changes in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic among sexual minoritized women (SMW). Methods: In an online convenience sample of SMW (N = 501, Mage = 23.6), we used multinomial logistic regression models to estimate associations of perceived stress and social support (emotional, material, virtual, in-person) with self-reported changes (increased or decreased vs. no change) in fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, sleep, tobacco, alcohol, and substance use during the pandemic. We also tested whether social support modified associations between perceived stress and changes in health behaviors. Models controlled for sexual orientation, age, race and ethnicity, and income. Results: Perceived stress and social support were associated with changes in health and risk behaviors. Specifically, increased perceived stress was associated with decrease (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, p = 0.01) and increase (OR = 1.12, p = 0.04) in fruit and vegetable intake, and increase in substance use (OR = 1.19, p = 0.04). Receiving in-person social support was associated with changes in decrease (OR = 10.10, p < 0.001) and increase (OR = 7.35, p < 0.01) in combustible tobacco use and increase in alcohol use (OR = 2.63, p = 0.01). Among SMW who never received material social support during the pandemic, increased perceived stress was associated with increased alcohol use (OR = 1.25, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Perceived stress and social support were associated with SMW's health behavior changes during the pandemic. Future research may explore interventions to mitigate the effects of perceived stress and appropriately increase social support to promote health equity among SMW.
AB - Purpose: We examined how perceived stress and social support were associated with changes in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic among sexual minoritized women (SMW). Methods: In an online convenience sample of SMW (N = 501, Mage = 23.6), we used multinomial logistic regression models to estimate associations of perceived stress and social support (emotional, material, virtual, in-person) with self-reported changes (increased or decreased vs. no change) in fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, sleep, tobacco, alcohol, and substance use during the pandemic. We also tested whether social support modified associations between perceived stress and changes in health behaviors. Models controlled for sexual orientation, age, race and ethnicity, and income. Results: Perceived stress and social support were associated with changes in health and risk behaviors. Specifically, increased perceived stress was associated with decrease (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, p = 0.01) and increase (OR = 1.12, p = 0.04) in fruit and vegetable intake, and increase in substance use (OR = 1.19, p = 0.04). Receiving in-person social support was associated with changes in decrease (OR = 10.10, p < 0.001) and increase (OR = 7.35, p < 0.01) in combustible tobacco use and increase in alcohol use (OR = 2.63, p = 0.01). Among SMW who never received material social support during the pandemic, increased perceived stress was associated with increased alcohol use (OR = 1.25, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Perceived stress and social support were associated with SMW's health behavior changes during the pandemic. Future research may explore interventions to mitigate the effects of perceived stress and appropriately increase social support to promote health equity among SMW.
KW - COVID-19
KW - LGBTQ
KW - health behavior
KW - perceived stress
KW - sexual minority women
KW - social support
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85156246702&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/whr.2022.0095
DO - 10.1089/whr.2022.0095
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85156246702
SN - 2688-4844
VL - 4
SP - 182
EP - 190
JO - Women's Health Reports
JF - Women's Health Reports
IS - 1
ER -