And mental health challenges
Police Brutality Concerns Linked to Cardiovascular Health Risks in Black Women
A study published on January 20, 2026, reveals a correlation between worry over police brutality and harassment and indicators of cardiovascular health risk in Black women in the United States. The research, conducted by North Carolina State University, highlights the particular impact of concerns regarding potential police interactions involving their children.
Researchers at North Carolina State university found the association was most pronounced for Black women concerned about potential interactions between their children and police.
“There’s a considerable body of work that suggests stress associated with police brutality has significant adverse health effects on Black people in the US-but the bulk of that work has focused on Black men,” says Lori Hoggard, assistant professor of psychology at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of the study.”We wanted to see if there were associations between police-related stress and adverse health risks in Black women.”
The study involved 422 Black women between the ages of 30 and 46. Participants answered questions about their experiences with law enforcement, their own concerns about future interactions, and their anxieties regarding their children’s potential encounters with police.
Based on these responses, participants were categorized into three groups. The largest group, “High Child Vigilance-High Personal Exposure,” comprised 235 women who-relative to