Racism Is Harmful to Health
"Antiracism" Initiatives Needed, But Slow to Be Recognized, Say Experts
By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Health News

Jan. 9, 2003 - You know about the dangers of smoking, obesity, fatty foods, unprotected sex, and environmental pollutants. Now chalk up another health hazard to that ever-growing list: Racism.

It plays a key role in the development of illness -- and countering it should be considered a public health issue, says a psychiatrist in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal. "Considering racism as a cause of ill health is an important step in developing the research agenda and response from health services," writes Kwame McKenzie, MD, a psychiatrist at Royal Free and University College Medical School in London.

Despite general agreement that racism is wrong, he says there is little evidence of concerted initiatives to decrease its prevalence.

The health effects of racism are well documented. One British study of 4,800 people finds that those who felt victimized by discrimination and forms of racism were twice as likely to develop psychotic episodes in the next three years. Meanwhile, a group of Harvard researchers documented that a mere 1% increase in incidences of racial disrespect translates to an increase in 350 deaths per 100,000 African Americans.

How? Being on the receiving end of overt or subtle racism creates intense and constant stress, say some experts, which boosts the risk of depression, anxiety and anger -- factors that can lead to or aggravate heart disease. Some research also suggests racism can also manifest itself in respiratory and other physical problems.

"We know that black folks are at higher risk of hypertension, but in childhood, there are no differences between black and white blood pressure rates," says Camara P. Jones, MD, MPH, PhD, research director of Social Determinants of Health for the CDC and a leading specialist on the health impact of racism. "By the time you get into the 25-44 year-old group, you start to see changes. We have evidence that in white folks, blood pressure is dropping at night, but not in black people."

Her theory on one reason: "There's a kind of stress, like you're gunning your cardiovascular engine constantly if you're black that results from dealing with people who are underestimating you, limiting your options," she tells WebMD. "It results from little things like going to a store and if there are two people at the counter -- one black and one white -- the white person will be first approached. If you have stress from other sources, like a bad marriage, it's not something you think about constantly. But the stresses associated with racism are chronic and unrelenting."

In surveys she conducted, she finds that whites rarely think about their race in the course of a day. "But 22% of blacks surveyed said they constantly think about their race, and 50% said they think of race at least once a day -- they are constantly reminded of their blackness," she says. "That has a profound effect on health."

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20030109/racism-is-harmful-to-health