The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women

Christy L. Erving; Rachel A. Zajdel; Kennedy M. Blevins; Nicole D. Fields; Zachary T. Martin; Izraelle I. McKinnon; Rachel Parker; Raphiel J. Murden; Shivika Udaipuria; Seegar Swanson; Bianca Booker; Taylor Burey; Viola Vaccarino; Reneé H. Moore; Dayna A. Johnson; Tené T. Lewis

doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008

The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women

Christy L. Erving^*, Rachel A. Zajdel, Kennedy M. Blevins, Nicole D. Fields, Zachary T. Martin, Izraelle I. McKinnon, Rachel Parker, Raphiel J. Murden, Shivika Udaipuria, Seegar Swanson, Bianca Booker, Taylor Burey, Viola Vaccarino, Reneé H. Moore, Dayna A. Johnson, Tené T. Lewis

^*Corresponding author for this work

Preventive Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives: Similar to women overall, Black women are socialized to be communal and “self-sacrificing,” but unlike women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black women are also socialized to be “strong” and “invulnerable.” This phenomenon is labeled Superwoman schema. This study examined associations between Superwoman schema endorsement and subjective sleep quality. Methods: Participants included 405 Black women (ages 30-46). Superwoman schema was measured using a 35-item scale capturing five dimensions: obligation to present strength, suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, motivation to succeed, and obligation to help others. Superwoman schema overall and the five dimensions/subscales were analyzed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to investigate overall subjective sleep quality (range: 0-19), poor sleep quality (PSQI >5), and specific sleep domains (eg, sleep duration, sleep disturbances). We fit linear and binary logistic regression models, adjusting for health-related and sociodemographic factors. Results: Superwoman schema dimension obligation to help others was associated with lower overall subjective sleep quality (β: .81, 95%CI = 0.29, 1.32) and poor sleep quality (OR: 1.55, 95%CI = 1.10, 2.19), as well as bad subjective sleep quality (OR: 1.76, 95%CI = 1.18, 2.66), sleep disturbances (β: .73, 95%CI = 0.07, 1.41), and daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.25, 3.26). Suppress emotions (OR: 1.41, 95%CI = 1.01, 1.99) was associated with poor subjective sleep quality. Superwoman schema overall was associated with daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.06, 3.82). Conclusion: Superwoman schema endorsement, especially obligation to help others and suppress emotions, may be important psychosocial risk factors for Black women's sleep health.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	302-307
Number of pages	6
Journal	Sleep Health
Volume	10
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008
State	Published - Jun 2024

Funding

The authors declare funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (awarded to Lewis: R01HL130471; R01HL158141; K24HL163696; awarded to Vaccarino to support Fields and Martin: T32HL130025; awarded to support Erving: R25HL105444-09) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (awarded to UT-Austin to support Erving; P2CHD042849).

Keywords

Black women
Psychosocial factors
Subjective sleep quality
Superwoman schema

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Behavioral Neuroscience

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10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008

Cite this

Erving, C. L., Zajdel, R. A., Blevins, K. M., Fields, N. D., Martin, Z. T., McKinnon, I. I., Parker, R., Murden, R. J., Udaipuria, S., Swanson, S., Booker, B., Burey, T., Vaccarino, V., Moore, R. H., Johnson, D. A., & Lewis, T. T. (2024). The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women. Sleep Health, 10(3), 302-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008

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title = "The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women",

abstract = "Objectives: Similar to women overall, Black women are socialized to be communal and “self-sacrificing,” but unlike women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black women are also socialized to be “strong” and “invulnerable.” This phenomenon is labeled Superwoman schema. This study examined associations between Superwoman schema endorsement and subjective sleep quality. Methods: Participants included 405 Black women (ages 30-46). Superwoman schema was measured using a 35-item scale capturing five dimensions: obligation to present strength, suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, motivation to succeed, and obligation to help others. Superwoman schema overall and the five dimensions/subscales were analyzed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to investigate overall subjective sleep quality (range: 0-19), poor sleep quality (PSQI >5), and specific sleep domains (eg, sleep duration, sleep disturbances). We fit linear and binary logistic regression models, adjusting for health-related and sociodemographic factors. Results: Superwoman schema dimension obligation to help others was associated with lower overall subjective sleep quality (β: .81, 95%CI = 0.29, 1.32) and poor sleep quality (OR: 1.55, 95%CI = 1.10, 2.19), as well as bad subjective sleep quality (OR: 1.76, 95%CI = 1.18, 2.66), sleep disturbances (β: .73, 95%CI = 0.07, 1.41), and daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.25, 3.26). Suppress emotions (OR: 1.41, 95%CI = 1.01, 1.99) was associated with poor subjective sleep quality. Superwoman schema overall was associated with daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.06, 3.82). Conclusion: Superwoman schema endorsement, especially obligation to help others and suppress emotions, may be important psychosocial risk factors for Black women's sleep health.",

keywords = "Black women, Psychosocial factors, Subjective sleep quality, Superwoman schema",

author = "Erving, {Christy L.} and Zajdel, {Rachel A.} and Blevins, {Kennedy M.} and Fields, {Nicole D.} and Martin, {Zachary T.} and McKinnon, {Izraelle I.} and Rachel Parker and Murden, {Raphiel J.} and Shivika Udaipuria and Seegar Swanson and Bianca Booker and Taylor Burey and Viola Vaccarino and Moore, {Rene{\'e} H.} and Johnson, {Dayna A.} and Lewis, {Ten{\'e} T.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 National Sleep Foundation",

year = "2024",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "10",

pages = "302--307",

journal = "Sleep Health",

issn = "2352-7218",

publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",

number = "3",

}

Erving, CL, Zajdel, RA, Blevins, KM, Fields, ND, Martin, ZT, McKinnon, II, Parker, R, Murden, RJ, Udaipuria, S, Swanson, S, Booker, B, Burey, T, Vaccarino, V, Moore, RH, Johnson, DA & Lewis, TT 2024, 'The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women', Sleep Health, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 302-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008

TY - JOUR

T1 - The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women

AU - Erving, Christy L.

AU - Zajdel, Rachel A.

AU - Blevins, Kennedy M.

AU - Fields, Nicole D.

AU - Martin, Zachary T.

AU - McKinnon, Izraelle I.

AU - Parker, Rachel

AU - Murden, Raphiel J.

AU - Udaipuria, Shivika

AU - Swanson, Seegar

AU - Booker, Bianca

AU - Burey, Taylor

AU - Vaccarino, Viola

AU - Moore, Reneé H.

AU - Johnson, Dayna A.

AU - Lewis, Tené T.

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - Objectives: Similar to women overall, Black women are socialized to be communal and “self-sacrificing,” but unlike women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black women are also socialized to be “strong” and “invulnerable.” This phenomenon is labeled Superwoman schema. This study examined associations between Superwoman schema endorsement and subjective sleep quality. Methods: Participants included 405 Black women (ages 30-46). Superwoman schema was measured using a 35-item scale capturing five dimensions: obligation to present strength, suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, motivation to succeed, and obligation to help others. Superwoman schema overall and the five dimensions/subscales were analyzed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to investigate overall subjective sleep quality (range: 0-19), poor sleep quality (PSQI >5), and specific sleep domains (eg, sleep duration, sleep disturbances). We fit linear and binary logistic regression models, adjusting for health-related and sociodemographic factors. Results: Superwoman schema dimension obligation to help others was associated with lower overall subjective sleep quality (β: .81, 95%CI = 0.29, 1.32) and poor sleep quality (OR: 1.55, 95%CI = 1.10, 2.19), as well as bad subjective sleep quality (OR: 1.76, 95%CI = 1.18, 2.66), sleep disturbances (β: .73, 95%CI = 0.07, 1.41), and daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.25, 3.26). Suppress emotions (OR: 1.41, 95%CI = 1.01, 1.99) was associated with poor subjective sleep quality. Superwoman schema overall was associated with daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.06, 3.82). Conclusion: Superwoman schema endorsement, especially obligation to help others and suppress emotions, may be important psychosocial risk factors for Black women's sleep health.

AB - Objectives: Similar to women overall, Black women are socialized to be communal and “self-sacrificing,” but unlike women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black women are also socialized to be “strong” and “invulnerable.” This phenomenon is labeled Superwoman schema. This study examined associations between Superwoman schema endorsement and subjective sleep quality. Methods: Participants included 405 Black women (ages 30-46). Superwoman schema was measured using a 35-item scale capturing five dimensions: obligation to present strength, suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, motivation to succeed, and obligation to help others. Superwoman schema overall and the five dimensions/subscales were analyzed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to investigate overall subjective sleep quality (range: 0-19), poor sleep quality (PSQI >5), and specific sleep domains (eg, sleep duration, sleep disturbances). We fit linear and binary logistic regression models, adjusting for health-related and sociodemographic factors. Results: Superwoman schema dimension obligation to help others was associated with lower overall subjective sleep quality (β: .81, 95%CI = 0.29, 1.32) and poor sleep quality (OR: 1.55, 95%CI = 1.10, 2.19), as well as bad subjective sleep quality (OR: 1.76, 95%CI = 1.18, 2.66), sleep disturbances (β: .73, 95%CI = 0.07, 1.41), and daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.25, 3.26). Suppress emotions (OR: 1.41, 95%CI = 1.01, 1.99) was associated with poor subjective sleep quality. Superwoman schema overall was associated with daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI = 1.06, 3.82). Conclusion: Superwoman schema endorsement, especially obligation to help others and suppress emotions, may be important psychosocial risk factors for Black women's sleep health.

KW - Black women

KW - Psychosocial factors

KW - Subjective sleep quality

KW - Superwoman schema

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The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women

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