Is Discrimination an Equal Opportunity Risk?

Abstract

Using the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we explore the relationship between racial awareness, perceived discrimination, and self-rated health among black (n = 5,902) and white (n = 28,451) adults. We find that adjusting for group differences in racial awareness and discrimination, in addition to socioeconomic status, explains the black-white gap in self-rated health. However, logistic regression models also find evidence for differential vulnerability among black and whites adults, based on socioeconomic status. While both groups are equally harmed by emotional and/or physical reactions to race-based treatment, the negative consequences of discriminatory experiences for black adults are exacerbated by their poorer socioeconomic standing. In contrast, the association between racial awareness and self-rated health is more sensitive to socioeconomic standing among whites. Poorer health is more likely to occur among whites when they reflect at least daily on their own racial status-but only when it happens in tandem with mid-range educational achievement, or among homemakers.

The role of socioeconomic factors in Black-White health inequities across the life course: Point-in-time measures, long-term exposures, and differential health returns

“…Further, Blacks with a Bachelor's degree or higher have similar BMI trajectories to Whites who did not finish high school. These findings suggest that a combination of other factors, such as exposure to neighborhood economic disadvantage (Do et al 2008; Williams and Collins 2001), experiences with racial discrimination (Bratter and Gorman 2011; Williams, Neighbors, and Jackson 2003), and stress associated with educational attainment and mobility (Pearson 2008), may prevent higher SES Blacks from achieving their fullest health potential relative to Whites and contribute the socioeconomic patterning of the Black health disadvantage. While the mechanisms producing differential returns to SES are not explored in present study, these findings document that failure to consider whether Blacks and Whites differentially benefit from increases in SES may result in misestimating the health effects of economic prosperity and upward mobility.…”

Latino residential segregation and self-rated health among Latinos: Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2012–2014

“…Current tobacco smoking and non-occupation related physical activity within the previous 30 days were categorized as ‘yes’/’no’ following previous literature (Bratter, Gorman 2011, Anderson, Fullerton 2014). …”

The persistent caste divide in India’s infant mortality: A study of Dalits (ex-untouchables), Adivasis (indigenous peoples), Other Backward Classes, and forward castes

“…At every level of socioeconomic status, blacks, for example, have poorer health outcomes and higher mortality than whites, suggesting that socioeconomic status does not fully explain racial differences in mortality. Some researchers find racism, discrimination, and stressful life events to be largely responsible for this phenomenon (Bratter and Gorman 2011;Williams 1999). According to another exception called the "epidemiological paradox" or "Hispanic paradox" (Ruiz et al 2013), people of Hispanic descent in the United States exhibit higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality than their non-Hispanic white counterparts, despite disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions and poor access to health services.…”