Racism and Health I: Pathways and Scientific Evidence.

Journal: The American behavioral scientist

Volume: 57

Issue: 8

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health ; Department of African and African American Studies and of Sociology, Harvard University ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Nursing and Health Studies Program, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA.

Abstract summary 

This article reviews the scientific research that indicates that despite marked declines in public support for negative racial attitudes in the United States, racism, in its multiple forms, remains embedded in American society. The focus of the article is on the review of empirical research that suggests that racism adversely affects the health of non-dominant racial populations in multiple ways. First, institutional racism developed policies and procedures that have reduced access to housing, neighborhood and educational quality, employment opportunities and other desirable resources in society. Second, cultural racism, at the societal and individual level, negatively affects economic status and health by creating a policy environment hostile to egalitarian policies, triggering negative stereotypes and discrimination that are pathogenic and fostering health damaging psychological responses such as stereotype threat and internalized racism. Finally, a large and growing body of evidence indicates that experiences of racial discrimination are an important type of psychosocial stressor that can lead to adverse changes in health status and altered behavioural patterns that increase health risks.

Authors & Co-authors:  Williams David R DR Mohammed Selina A SA

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Adler N, Bush NR, Pantell MS. Rigor, vigor, and the study of health disparities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2012;109(Supplement 2):17154–17159.
Authors :  2
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1177/0002764213487340
SSN : 0002-7642
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
United States