John Henryism and blood pressure differences among black men

Abstract

A community probability sample of southern working-class, black men (N = 132) between 17 and 60 years of age was administered a scale to measure the degree to which they felt they could control their environment through hard work and determination. Since the legend of John Henry--the famous, black steeldriver of American folklore--can be understood as a cultural statement about how black Americans must often attempt to control behavioral stressors through hard work and determination, items for the scale were developed to reflect the theme of John Henryism. It was hypothesized that men scoring below the median on education but above the median on John Henryism would have higher blood pressures than any other group. The data were in line with the prediction, in that men who scored low on education and high on John Henryism had significantly higher diastolic blood pressures than men who scored above the median on both measures. Study findings are discussed in terms of the meaning that education and John Henryism may have for raising or lowering autonomic arousal when individuals encounter behavioral stressors in everyday life.

John Henryism, Gender and Self-reported Health Among Roma/Gypsies in Serbia

“…Our results also depend on whether men and women report their exposure to daily stressors, their responses to these stressors, and their health conditions in the same way (Crimmins et al 2010). And, finally, the SES context, especially for males, may need more careful attention during data collection than it was given in the current study if the relationship between JH and SRH among men is to be better understood (see James et al 1983James et al , 1987James et al , 1992. It should be noted that over 60% of males in the current study could hardly make ends meet; and many could do so only through their wives' receipt of welfare.…”

“…In Serbia, the majority of Roma survive by combining social benefits with informal work, called ''private'' business by many Roma. The concept of John Henryism is probably most relevant for people still in the labour force (James et al 1983;Subramanyam et al 2013); however, among Roma, very frequently all family members, including both the very young and the relatively old, are included in these businesses (e.g., the gathering of old newspapers, iron and black-market dealings).…”

“…Hence, JH scores can range from a low of 12 to a high of 60. High JH scores connote energy, persistence, optimism, and a commitment to overcome adversity through hard work (James et al 1983). Table 1 lists the 12 items contained in the JHAC, along with the Serbian translation of each item.…”

“…Further, given the well-known high rates of hypertension-related morbidity and mortality in the African American population (Subramanyam et al 2013), some years ago James (1994) hypothesized that an unrelenting pursuit of success in the face of great odds, and importantly, in the absence of adequate resources, could exact a price on one's physical health even if the pursuit is ultimately successful. With a primary focus on cardiovascular disease, a growing number of studies has tested this hypothesis, with some studies finding strong support (e.g., James et al 1983James et al , 1987James et al , 1992Mujahid et al 2016), some finding mixed support (e.g., Duijkers et al 1988;Dressler et al 1998;Subramanyam et al 2013) and others finding no support (e.g., McKetney and Ragland 1996).…”

The Black–White Paradox in Health: Flourishing in the Face of Social Inequality and Discrimination

“…During the same period that Lazarus was pioneering his work on stress and coping, James ( James, Hartnett, & Kalsbeek, 1983) was doing pioneering work on a form of active (problem-focused) coping among Black Americans. Named after the legend of John Henry-a story of accomplishments by hard work, strength, perseverance, and endurance-this form of active coping is known as John Henryism ( JH).…”