Self-employment, educational attainment, and hypertension among Black women and men

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Abstract
  • Background: Self-employment is generally associated with better health outcomes and educational attainment can shape self-employment. Yet, Black Americans are less likely to be self-employed and analyses of self-employment and health among Black Americans are few. The aim of this study was to determine how educational attainment moderates the associations between self-employment and hypertension among Black adults.

    Methods: Using data from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, participants who self-identified as non-Hispanic Black (n = 2,855) were categorized as (1) employees with no self-employment income, (2) employees with self-employment income, or (3) having full-time self-employment. Modified Poisson regressions and multiplicative interaction terms were used to determine whether educational attainment moderated the associations between self-employment and measured hypertension (i.e., 140/90 mm Hg or anti-hypertensive medication).

    Results: Most participants were employees with no self-employment income (81.9%), but 11.8% were employees reporting some self-employment income and 6.3% were self-employed full-time. About two in five (40.9%) had hypertension. Having full-time self-employment was associated with lower risk of hypertension compared to those who were employees (risk ratio = 0.82, 95% confidence interval = 0.67–0.98), and educational attainment moderated the associations among Black men such that part-time self-employment was associated with high rates of hypertension among Black men who had not completed high school.

    Conclusions: These results suggest that full-time self-employment is associated with lower risk of hypertension among Black adults, but that being an employee with some self-employment income may elevate rates of hypertension among Black men depending on educational attainment. Future studies should assess pathways between self-employment and hypertension by educational attainment among Black women and men.
TitleSelf-employment, educational attainment, and hypertension among Black women and men
CreatorTavares, Carlos D.
Thorpe Jr., R. J.
Owens-Young, J. L.
Bell, C. N.
PublisherFrontiers in Epidemiology
Academic DepartmentAnthropology & Sociology
DivisionSocial Sciences
OrganizationLafayette College
Date IssuedSeptember 26, 2022
Date Available2023-03-29
TypeArticle
LanguageEnglish
Keywordself-employment
hypertension
gender
educational attainment
Black Americans
Bibliographic CitationBell, C. N. (2022 Sept 26) "Self-employment, educational attainment, and hypertension among Black women and men." Frontiers in Epidemiology 2: 991628
Standard IdentifierDOI 10.3389/fepid.2022.991628
Handle 10385/cr56n246j
Permalinkhttp://hdl.handle.net/10385/cr56n246j
Rights Statement Creative Commons - Attribution Creative Commons - Attribution
Rights HoldersOwens-Young, J. L.
Thorpe Jr., R. J.
Tavares, Carlos D.
Bell, C. N.
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