Stress is a cardiovascular disease risk factor, and resilience may serve as a buffer for stress. Little is known about stress and resilience among rural women.
Objective:The purposes of this study were to identify profiles of rural women based upon indicators of psychosocial and environmental stress and to examine the relationships between the identified profiles and resilience.
Design and sample:A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to explore stress, social support, and resilience among a representative sample of women (n = 354).Measures: Data were collected to measure perceived stress, social support, chronic stress, and resilience.
Results:A latent profile analysis identified three profiles (59.9% Low Stress, 25.4% Moderate Stress, and 14.7% High Stress). Women in the High Stress profile were less likely to afford necessities and have attended college and more likely to be employed. Women in the Low Stress profile had the highest scores for all five resilience subscales.
Conclusion:The current study demonstrates the social and environmental impact of stress and how this stress can manifest differently for different women. Underserved women may benefit from strategies that reduce stress and improve social support and resilience. Future research is needed for advancing health equity in rural populations.
K E Y W O R D Sresilience, rural health, stress
BACKGROUNDCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a persistent international public health issue responsible for approximately 18 million deaths worldwide (Virani et al., 2021; WHO, 2019). Risk factors that increase the development of CVD include unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity, overweight or obesity, smoking, high plasma cholesterol levels, and diabetes (Virani et al., 2021). However, stress is an underrecognized determinant of CVD-related comorbidities including coronary artery disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes (Janczura et al., 2015;O'Neill & O'Driscoll, 2015). Stress affects the amygdala of the brain, stimulates hormonal response, triggers arterial inflammation, and increases the likelihood of future cardiovascular adverse events