Female black, indigenous, and students of color demonstrate greater resilience than other students during a global pandemic

Abstract

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education institutions was particularly severe for those serving low-income students and/or students of color (BIPOC). Due to systemic inequities and intersectionality, the pandemic likely had a different impact on students depending on their identity. Purpose: This longitudinal study measured the stress of college students at a Hispanic-serving institution during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how their racial/ethnic and gender identities shaped their experience. Research Design: A survey, including a refined and validated Perceived Stress Scale, was used to measure participants’ stress, academic concerns, and pandemic concerns. Study Sample: Undergraduate students enrolled at Lehman College: n=849 in April 2020, n=701 in October 2020, and n = 686 in April 2021. Data Analysis: Descriptive statistics and ANVOA were used to analyze the data, group participants, and compare stress and concerns across groups. Results: Results indicate that female-identifying BIPOC students exhibited greater resilience than other students (by race/ethnicity and gender). Conclusion: These findings support prior research highlighting the resilience of BIPOC undergraduate students.

Health Experiences of Women University Students of Color and Women International Students in the United States During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From a Transnational, Virtual Photovoice Study

“…Others noted connecting with people in work or internship settings and particularly the act of helping others. Though resilience wasn’t discussed explicitly, the findings regarding social connection in this study overlap others’ findings of women college students of color demonstrating the highest level of resilience in the first year of the pandemic (Burt et al, 2022). The current study included data from women of color who were domestic students and who were international students on facilitators of social health while Burt et al did not delineate women of color in the study as domestic or international, so comparisons in that area are challenging to make.…”

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on college students with marginalized identities

“…Few studies have focused specifically on college students, but there is evidence that an intersectional approach is also valuable when studying this population. One recent study examining the intersectionality of racial/ethnic and gender identities among college students at an institution serving Hispanic students found that female black, indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPoC) students showed the most resilience over time during the Covid-19 pandemic with regard to perceived and academic stress, as well as pandemic concern (Burt et al, 2022). The current study will investigate whether intersectionality of marginalized identities based on age/generation, sexual orientation/gender identity, and/or race/ethnicity predicted disparate levels of perceived stress and pandemic-related concern in a large sample of college students from across the United States.…”