Racism and Health II

Abstract

This article reviews the empirical evidence that suggests that there is a solid foundation for more systematic research attention to the ways in which interventions that seek to reduce the multiple dimensions of racism can improve health and reduce disparities in health. First, research reveals that policies and procedures that seek to reduce institutional racism by improving neighborhood and educational quality and enhancing access to additional income, employment opportunities and other desirable resources can improve health. Second, research is reviewed that shows that there is the potential to improve health through interventions that can reduce cultural racism at the societal and individual level. Finally, research is presented that suggests that the adverse consequences of racism on health can be reduced through policies that maximize the health-enhancing capacities of medical care, address the social factors that initiate and sustain risk behaviors and empower individuals and communities to take control of their lives and health. Directions for future research are outlined.

Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and psychological outcomes among adult international adoptees in Finland: Moderating effects of social support and sense of coherence.

“…These findings are in line with several reviews and studies that have consistently suggested that experienced discrimination has a harmful psychological impact on those against whom it is directed (e.g., Brondolo et al, 2009b;Harrell, 2000;Harris et al, 2006: Krieger, 1999Paradies, 2006;Priest et al, 2012;Williams & Mohammed, 2009;2013a;2013b).…”

“…Numerous review articles have found that racial/ethnic discrimination contributes to variations in health risks within racial and ethnic minorities (Brondolo, Gallo, & Myers, 2009b;Paradies, 2006;Priest et al, 2012;Williams & Mohammed, 2009;2013a;2013b).…”

Nurses’ Perceptions of Their Cultural Competence in Caring for Diverse Patient Populations

“…Health disparities based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation occur within a broad social context and have an adverse effect on public health and health care delivery (Williams & Mohammed, 2013). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) (2010) cites that biases, stereotyping, and communication barriers, in addition to other factors, are contributing to health disparities within the US.…”

Explaining intersectionality through description, counterfactual thinking, and mediation analysis

“…But simply observing that a disparity exists does not tell us how to reduce it or what certain interventions might achieve. To make progress, we move from counterfactual thinking to counterfactual methods that conceptualize a finer model where a disparity in some outcome (e.g., wages) is perpetuated by disparities in, or the differential effects of, manipulable determinants of that outcome (e.g., educational attainment) [11,[23][24][25]. With counterfactual methods, we examine the extent to which an intervention on that determinant might reduce disparities (as in observational data) [26] or actually does so (as in a trial) [27,28].…”