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Chemical/straightening and other hair product usage during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood among African-American women: potential implications for health

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 30, pages 86–96 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Few studies have characterized life course hair product usage beyond ever/never. We investigated hair product use from childhood to adulthood, usage patterns in adulthood, and socioeconomic status (SES) correlates among African-American (AA) women. Using self-reported data from 1555 AA women enrolled in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (2010–2018), we estimated the usage frequency of chemical relaxer/straightener (≥twice/year, once/year, and rarely/never) and leave-in/leave-on conditioner (≥once/week, 1–3 times/month, and rarely/never) during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of adulthood usage of multiple hair products. SES was compared across latent classes. With a mean age of 33 ± 3.4 years, most women reported ever using chemical relaxers/straighteners (89%), and use ≥twice/year increased from childhood (9%) to adolescence (73%) but decreased in adulthood (29%). Leave-in/leave-on conditioner use followed the same pattern. Each of three identified latent classes reported frequent styling product use and infrequent relaxer/straightener use. Class One was unlikely to use any other products, Class Two moderately used shampoo and conditioner, and Class Three frequently used multiple product types (e.g., moisturizers and conditioners). Participants in the latter two classes reported higher SES. Ever/never characterization may miss important and distinctive patterns of hair product use, which may vary by SES.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids participants and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences library staff, Stacy Mantooth and Erin Knight, for assistance with the literature search.

Funding

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z1AES103325-01 [CLJ] and 1ZIAES049013-23 [DB]).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Symielle A. Gaston, Quaker Harmon, Donna Baird & Chandra L. Jackson

  2. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Tamarra James-Todd

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Tamarra James-Todd

  4. National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Kyla W. Taylor

  5. Intramural Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Chandra L. Jackson

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Contributions

Study concept and design: SAG, QH, DB, and CLJ. Acquisition of data: DB. Statistical analysis: SAG. Interpretation of data: SAG, TJ-T, QH, KWT, DB, and CLJ. Drafting of the paper: SAG. Critical revision of the paper for important intellectual content: SAG, TJ-T, QH, KWT, DB, and CLJ. Administrative, technical, and material support: QH, DB, and CLJ. Obtaining funding and study supervision: DB and CLJ. Final approval: SAG, TJ-T, QH, KWT, DB, and CLJ.

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Correspondence to Chandra L. Jackson.

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Gaston, S.A., James-Todd, T., Harmon, Q. et al. Chemical/straightening and other hair product usage during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood among African-American women: potential implications for health. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 30, 86–96 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-019-0186-6

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