US Black Women's Health Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Socioeconomic and Temporal Patterns.

This article examines how socioeconomic status (SES)—measured by education, income, and employment—shaped intraracial health disparities among Black women before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2018–2023; n = 89,634). Findings indicate that educational disparities in self-rated health temporarily narrowed during the pandemic but partially reexpanded afterward, while income-based disparities in physical health persisted throughout all periods. Mental health worsened universally across SES groups, with low-income Black women experiencing the greatest burden, and unemployed women showed temporary health improvements during the pandemic. The study highlights SES as a significant but dynamic factor influencing health inequities within Black women, emphasizing the importance of sustaining pandemic-era social protections and prioritizing mental health equity to address systemic disparities.