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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Carl V. Hill, MPH, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mail Stop E-59, Ann Arbor, MI 48197, 713-320-3331, hillcv@umich.edu, Rashid Njai, BA, Health Behavior and Health Education/School of Public Health, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 1420 Washington Heights Blvd, SPH II, 5th Floor, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, Harold Neighbors, PhD, Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 109 S. Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, David Williams, PhD, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St. Rm 2230, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, and James S Jackson, PhD, Research Center for Group Dynamics and Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, 525 East University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
Examining the relationships between various forms of racial discrimination and physical and mental health among Black Americans has been variable and complex. The experience of discrimination can be defined by (1) the perception and experience of individual discrimination and (2) a collective discrimination against a group of individuals. As a result, many health policymakers have avoided incorporating the effects of discrimination into major decisions. Moreover, because discrimination is difficult to measure, it has been difficult to demonstrate empirically, how it is associated with physical and mental health. This presentation will review evidence from population-based studies that explore the association between perceptions of racial/ethnic discrimination and various physical and mental health indicators for Black Americans. Data for these analyses result from a 2002 meta-analysis using MEDLINE, PSYCHOINFO, and SOCIOFILE. A total of 58 articles were reviewed to produce these results. This review indicates that many studies find that discrimination is significantly associated with multiple indicators of poorer physical and mental health. However, the extant research does not address adequately whether and how exposure to discrimination leads to increased risk of morbidity and/or mortality.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.