Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Human Sciences and Education
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Black women in the United States experience disproportionately high mortality and morbidity rates. Despite attaining high levels of education, Black women continue to face poor health outcomes, even when there are opportunities through the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to take time off to deal with their own health issues or to care for family members. Many Black women are not availing themselves of the family leave provisions laid out in the FMLA (Burns et al., 2021). This underutilization is particularly noteworthy considering the well-documented health disparities of Black women in the United States. Black women play a vital role in the nation’s economy, constituting the highest percentage of female workers at 63.2% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). The literature revealed that historically Black Americans have faced racism in and distrust of the healthcare field, as well as cultural ideals, such as the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema, that may impact access to care.
This study sought to explore the factors influencing healthcare access by highly educated Black women. Using Critical Race Theory and the SBW schema as a theoretical foundation for this study, two research questions were asked: How does highly educated Black women’s knowledge about the racist history of US medicine affect their attitudes toward seeking healthcare for themselves? and Do highly educated Black women align their identities with the Strong Black Woman schema? Twelve Black women with a master’s degree or higher were interviewed regarding their experiences with the healthcare system and whether their self-descriptors or perceived descriptors of others about them align with the SBW schema. The findings show that the participants do not construct their identity through the SBW schema. In addition, the findings show the presence that knowledge of the racist history of U.S. medicine does not affect Black women’s healthcare attitudes negatively.
Date
10-21-2025
Recommended Citation
Stewart, Daphne, "The Role of Education in Black Women's Healthcare Access: A Qualitative Exploration" (2025). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6918.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6918
Committee Chair
Tobin, Kerri
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons