Discrimination Linked to Health Problems Among Minorities

Study of Asian-Americans suggests higher rate of heart trouble, pain, other problems.

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
Thursday, May 31, 2007; 12:00 AM

Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Routine, even subtle, racial discrimination places significant mental stress on minorities that may provoke the development of chronic illness, new research suggests.

The finding is based on perceptions of discrimination and health histories elicited from Asian-Americans across the United States.

"Post-civil rights, most people think of discrimination as the commitment of a hate crime. But I think it's important to realize that discrimination occurs on a daily basis," said study lead author Gilbert C. Gee, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. "And what the research is showing is that everyday slights can turn into long-term health effects."

Reporting in the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health, Gee and his colleagues called their work the first national exploration of a link between discrimination and health problems among Asian-Americans.

The study authors analyzed survey responses on health status and discrimination perceptions from almost 2,100 Asian-Americans primarily of Chinese, Filipino, or Vietnamese descent. The researchers noted that in many quarters, Asian-Americans -- a fast-growing population of more than 11 million people -- are stereotypically, and misleadingly, thought of as a "successful" minority group that is a "model" of discrimination-free living.

All the study participants were 18 or older, and most had been interviewed in person -- either in English or their native language -- as part of the 2002-03 National Latino and Asian American Study.

They were asked to recall the frequency of "unfair treatment" they had been subjected to, including disrespect, discourteousness, insulting behavior, harassment, poor service, fearful reactions, and/or assumptions of dishonesty or stupidity. They were also asked to recount their medical histories, including heart and respiratory illness, chronic pain, allergies, arthritis, and asthma. Physician records were not reviewed.

Gee and his team found that Filipinos reported the highest level of discrimination, followed by Chinese-Americans and those of Vietnamese descent. And everyday discrimination was found to be associated with a variety of health problems, including chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, and pain-related health trouble.