 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Vickie M. Mays, PhD, MSPH1, Susan D. Cochran, PhD, MS2, and Aarathi M. Venkatesan, BA1. (1) Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, 1283 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, (310) 206-5159, mays@ucla.edu, (2) Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, 650 Charles Young Drive, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772
Objective: The current research on race/ethnicity and health indicates differences in both the mental and physical health of racial/ethnic minorities compared to White populations. One possible contributor to this discrepancy is discrimination. Prior research has noted similarities in the health outcomes of stress exposure and perceived discrimination however, there remains little understanding of the discrimination-stress mechanism. In our study, we examined perceived discrimination across several domains: perpetrator and target of the discrimination as a function of race/ethnicity, gender, reasons for the maltreatment and depressive distress and anger.
Data: Three hundred and five African-Americans ( 232 women and 73 men) who ranged in age from 18 to 25 years,and who reported completing a median of 13 years of schooling completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of discrimination, psychological distress, frequency of common problems in the past year, and demographic background.
Results: Results revealed racial/ethnic discrimination to be the most frequent and upsetting, significantly greater depressive distress and anger, particularly for African American women when the perceived discrimination was by other African Americans for social and economic differences.
Conclusions: The results suggest the importance of discrimination as a potential contributory factor in the health disparities of African Americans as well as the need for closer inspection of the appraisal process in perceived discrimination.
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.