Masculinity ideology and racism as indicators of obesity risk among Black men

Background: Racial inequities in health continue to persist and one major controllable and preventable risk factor is obesity. This study examined whether psychosocial factors such as masculinity ideology and frequency of experiences with racism may be significantly associated with Black men's obesity risk. Method: Participants were 125 Black men aged 20–39 years old (M = 23.0, SD = 3.43). They completed surveys to measure masculinity ideology and experiences with racism. In addition, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio and systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were collected. Results showed low negative correlations between experiences with racism and masculinity ideology. Results: Results showed significant correlations between experiences with racism and masculinity ideology. There were significant interaction effects between masculinity ideology and experiences with racism for body mass index scores, waist-to-hip ratio and blood pressure. Conclusion: Findings indicated that experiences with racism and masculinity ideology interact to impact obesity risk and prevention.