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Research has demonstrated the relationship between chronic stress and depressive symptoms and supported the influence of personal characteristics on chronic stress and depressive symptoms. However, few studies have examined these relationships in specific minority populations. This study used Vitaliano’s model of chronic stress to guide a secondary analysis of these relationships in a convenience sample of 206 midlife (39-65 years) African-American women from a southern rural community. Data were obtained from a larger study of perimenopausal southern rural African-American women. The results showed that although the women reported relatively low levels of chronic stress and depressive symptoms, associations with certain personal vulnerabilities and personal and social resources emerged. Key findings were that women who rated their health as better than others reported greater stress (F=4.097; p=.018), and greater knowledge of menopausal symptoms and greater social support were correlated with greater chronic stress (r=.18, p |
