Living while Black: A state-level analysis of the influence of select social stressors on the quality of life among Black Americans

This article examines the effects of select social stressors on the quality of life among Black Americans. Specifically, the authors created a state-level Living While Black index, which includes the Black poverty level by state, the number of Black prisoners by state, the lack of access to health care per Black population, the Black infant mortality rate, the Black homicide rate, and dollars per Black population of Black businesses. Using multivariate statistical techniques, the authors carried out a first-order test of the influence of the living while Black measures on a quality of life index comprising the following measures: number of days per month 5 or more drinks, percentage of Blacks indicating they have mental health problems, suicide rates by state for Blacks, and years of life lost per state for Blacks. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the findings and directions for future research.