Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Date of Award

Winter 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

College of Science and Health

First Advisor

Kathryn Grant

Abstract

Educational attainment is widely conceptualized as a protective factor for health; however, growing evidence suggests that these benefits do not accrue equally across social groups. Women of color, particularly Black and Hispanic/Latina women, experience persistent health disparities despite increasing levels of educational attainment, raising critical questions about the physiological and psychosocial costs of upward mobility. The weathering hypothesis posits that chronic exposure to structural inequities accelerates physiological deterioration over time, while related frameworks such as skin-deep resilience and marginalization-related diminished returns highlight the hidden health costs of sustained high-effort coping. Gendered cultural schemas including the Superwoman-Schema among Black women and Marianismo among Hispanic/Latina women may further intensify these processes by promoting emotional suppression, self-sacrifice, and disproportionate responsibility for supporting others. The present study applied an intersectional framework to examine how various demographic factors contribute to accumulative stress among high-achieving individuals from historically marginalized groups. The study explores how imbalances in giving vs. receiving social support may be a unique form of high-effort coping contributing to somatic symptoms among collegiate women of color. Participants included N = 259 undergraduate students enrolled at a predominantly White institution (PWI). Measures included self-reported somatic symptoms over the past four weeks, altruistic/helping tendencies, perceived social support across home and school contexts, and socioeconomic status (SES). Somatic symptoms were operationalized as a proxy variable of weathering. Results partially supported study hypotheses. At baseline, women reported significantly higher somatic symptom scores than men, t(247) = 3.06, p = .002, d =0.48. A significant Race x SES interaction indicated that the association between SES and somatic symptoms differed across racial/ethnic groups, F(23, 529) = 1.98, p = .042, partial η² =.079. Higher SES was associated with fewer somatic symptoms among Black students (B = –0.77, p = .001), whereas higher SES was associated with increased somatic symptoms among Asian students (B = 0.69, p = .021). Associations between SES and somatic symptoms were not significant for Hispanic/Latine, or White students. Descriptively, women of color reported greater imbalances between altruistic helping and perceived social support compared to White women. These findings highlight how structural inequality, cultural expectations, and interpersonal support dynamics may converge to shape stress-related health vulnerability among racially diverse women in higher education contexts.

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