Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 18, Issue 6, 2016, Pages 1284-1291

Associations Between Discrimination and Cardiovascular Health Among Asian Indians in the United States (Article)

Nadimpalli S.B.* , Dulin-Keita A. , Salas C. , Kanaya A.M. , Kandula N.R.
  • a Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
  • b Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60647, United States, Department of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, United States
  • c Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60647, United States, Department of Psychology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
  • d Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60647, United States, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115, United States
  • e Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60647, United States, Department of General Internal Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Abstract

Asian Indians (AI) have a high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The study investigated associations between discrimination and (1) cardiovascular risk and (2) self-rated health among AI. Higher discrimination scores were hypothesized to relate to a higher cardiovascular risk score (CRS) and poorer self-rated health. Asian Indians (n = 757) recruited between 2010 and 2013 answered discrimination and self-reported health questions. The CRS (0-8 points) included body-mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose levels of AI. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate relationships between discrimination and the CRS and discrimination and self-rated health, adjusting for psychosocial and clinical factors. There were no significant relationships between discrimination and the CRS (p ≥ .05). Discrimination was related to poorer self-reported health, B = −.41 (SE = .17), p = .02. Findings suggest perhaps there are important levels at which discrimination may harm health. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Cardiovascular health Stress discrimination South Asian Indian self-rated health

Index Keywords

Blood Glucose India blood pressure Cardiovascular Diseases human epidemiology Self Report middle aged statistics and numerical data health status Aged ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies United States cross-sectional study Humans racism cardiovascular disease Asian Americans male Asian American female Aged, 80 and over Socioeconomic Factors very elderly risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics cholesterol blood glucose blood level adult Linear Models statistical model body mass Body Mass Index
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84962191094&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-016-0413-3&partnerID=40&md5=c449c1c467555eec559a88da62be9364
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-016-0413-3
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English