Racism as a cause of sickness

[triguy46]

http://cf.unc.edu/minority/

Attended this teleconference this PM. Excellent presentations, the focus was the science showing how racism is the cause of significant health problems in this country.

Of interest was data presenting how residential segregation itself is a dominant factor in this. The following is just one of the slides presented:

-snip-
How Segregation Can Affect Health
1. Segregation determines SES by affecting quality
of education and employment opportunities.
2. Segregation can create pathogenic neighborhood
and housing conditions.
3. Conditions linked to segregation can constrain the
practice of health behaviors and encourage
unhealthy ones.
4. Segregation can adversely affect access to medical
care and to high-quality care.

[shoopnyc]

1. Cool; I'd like to know more! eom

[triguy46]

2. go to the link, you can see the presenters' powerpoints

But in a nutshell, its racism that has led to segregated communities, where there is no access to a decent grocery, unsafe to walk the sidewalks, poor access to care, envrionmentally unfit. Here are some more snippets:





Snip
Discrimination and Health Outcomes
• Discrimination has been related to depressive
symptoms; global measures of distress; anxiety
symptoms; and poor general health
• Everyday discrimination is much more stressful
than time-limited discrimination, and, as a result,
daily hassles have a greater impact on health
outcomes
• Among Natives, one study found that perceived
discrimination was related to AOD use and
depression (Whitbeck & Morris, 2001)
• Evidence suggests that oppressed statuses
associated with multiple forms of discrimination
may lead to more cumulative physical and mental
health symptoms (Diaz & Ayala, 2001)