Little research has considered the unique factors Black women face that may affect their binge eating disorder (BED) symptomatology. The purpose of the present study is to investigate group differences in income and racial makeup of neighborhood on BED symptoms among Black women. In addition, the current study explored whether gendered racism predicts BED symptoms among Black women over income and racial makeup of neighborhood. We hypothesized the following: 1) Black women with higher levels of income will have more BED symptoms compared to Black women with lower levels of income, 2) Black women living in majority White neighborhoods will have more BED symptoms than Black women living in majority Black or mixed neighborhoods, and 3) gendered racism will be a significant predictor of BED symptoms over income and the racial makeup of neighborhood. An online survey via Qualtrics was administered to 247 Black women aged 18 to 35. There were no significant group differences in BED symptoms based on income or racial makeup of neighborhood. The findings also showed that gendered racism was the most significant predictor of BED symptoms.The findings can be used to develop intervention programs to prevent binge eating symptoms among women of color.

 
Few research has examined identity as a scientist among Black college women attending HBCUs. Thus, there is a need to further investigate how HBCUs’ strengths in establishing an institutional sense of belonging relates to Black female students’ science identity in majority White, male-dominated STEM fields. The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between sense of belonging, science identity, and GPA among Black college women majoring in STEM at HBCUs. Based on the social cognitive career theory (one’s perception of their career ability and interest), it is hypothesized that 1) sense of belonging and science identity will be positively related to GPA, and 2) identity as a scientist will moderate the relationship between sense of belonging and GPA, such that sense of belonging will have a stronger positive relationship to GPA for those with a high science identity compared to those with a low science identity. An online Qualtrics survey was administered to 17 HBCUs. The anticipated results of this study suggests that higher sense of belonging and high science identity is related to a higher GPA. The findings of the current study may be used to enhance retention rates of Black college women in STEM programs.

Youth violence has become a serious public health issue over the past several decades. Research continues to identify violent-related behavior risk factors linked to many physical and emotional outcomes among youth in diverse communities across local, national and international communities. Some of these risk factors include: low self-esteem, depression, low parental monitoring, helplessness, and low connectedness to school, family, and peers, poor academic engagement, and social anxiety. Although research has examined a range of risk factors, there is a gap in the literature that specifically investigates self-esteem and school connectedness with violent-related behaviors among African American youth. The current study seeks to examine this gap in the literature using secondary pretest data from a larger study that examined the impact of a violence prevention program designed to reduce violent related behaviors in middle school youth in an inner city southeastern school in the United States. The sample consisted of 211 youth, predominately African-American adolescents in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Students completed surveys to measure self-reported self-esteem, school connectedness and violent-related behaviors. It was hypothesized that significant negative correlations would be found between self-esteem, school connectedness scores, and self-reported violent-related behaviors. After preliminary analyses, a multiple regression and correlational analysis were used to examine which of these factors or both will be a significant predictor of violent-related behaviors in this sample of youth. Implications and further directions are discussed. 

Previous research links poor mental health status with increased levels of alcohol use. Social and environmental factors have also been cited as contributors to increased alcohol use. As alcohol use is preventable, the current study sought to understand the moderating role of neighborhood disorder on the relationship between psychoticism and alcohol use, in an effort to improve health outcomes for African Americans. It was hypothesized that higher levels of psychoticism would predict higher levels of alcohol use and that relationship would be stronger in the context of more neighborhood disorder. Participants of this study included African American women, ages 18-59, with a reported suicide attempt within the last year. Measures included the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (used to measure levels of psychoticism), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (used to measure alcohol use), and the Community Disorder Scale (used to measure perceived neighborhood disorder). Only the Paranoid Ideation and Psychoticism subscales were used to measure levels of psychoticism, as these subscales specifically measure symptoms of psychosis. Preliminary results indicate a significant positive relationship between psychoticism and paranoid ideation. Additional preliminary results indicate significant positive relationships between alcohol use and paranoid ideation as well as alcohol use and psychoticism. Further results regarding the moderating role of neighborhood disorder will be discussed during the presentation.