American Journal of Public Health
Volume 101, Issue 9, 2011, Pages 1704-1713

Racial discrimination, psychological distress, and self-rated health among US-born and foreign-born black Americans (Article)

Krieger N.* , Kosheleva A. , Waterman P.D. , Chen J.T. , Koenen K.
  • a Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Kresge 717, Boston, MA 02115, United States
  • b Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Kresge 717, Boston, MA 02115, United States
  • c Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Kresge 717, Boston, MA 02115, United States
  • d Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Kresge 717, Boston, MA 02115, United States
  • e Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, United States, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, United States, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated associations among racial discrimination, psychological distress, and self-rated health among US-born and immigrant Black Americans. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of employed working-class Black Americans (193 US-born, 275 foreign-born). Results: Both US-born and foreign-born Black participants had high levels of exposure to poverty (51% and 57%, respectively) and racial discrimination (76% and 60%) and reported high levels of severe psychological distress (14% and 16% had a Kessler 6 [K6] score of 13 or greater); 17% and 7% reported fair or poor health. After controlling for relevant covariates, their risk parameters for racial discrimination (high vs no exposure) were 4.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.3, 5.6) and 3.3 (95% CI=2.1, 4.5), respectively, for continuous K6 score; corresponding odds ratios for severe psychological distress were 6.9 (95% CI=1.4, 35.7) and 6.8 (95% CI=2.5, 18.3). No associations existed between racial discrimination and self-reported health, suggesting that an underlying propensity to report adversity does not account for our psychological distress findings. Conclusions: Our results attest to the salience of racial discrimination, nativity, and socioeconomic position in understanding the experiences and psychological health of Black Americans.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

social psychology psychological aspect health disparity Health Status Disparities mental health human Self Report middle aged statistics Cohort Studies Stress, Psychological mental stress health status ethnology African American Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study Humans male Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Article adult migration Prejudice trade union cohort analysis African Americans Labor Unions
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80051976310&doi=10.2105%2fAJPH.2011.300168&partnerID=40&md5=68f5ca00e6c0262e8789c0bad366e396
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300168
ISSN: 00900036
Cited by: 85
Original Language: English