Investigating the Impact of Minority Status, Discrimination and Coping Resources on Physical Health

• In Event: 390 - Section on Race, Gender and Class Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Race, Gender and Class Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Race, Gender, Class and Health Part I

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of minority status on adverse physical health outcomes in the context of mediating risk (discrimination) and protective factors (social support and control). This research examines the effects of experiencing daily and lifetime discrimination and the availability of support from friends and family as well as a sense of control on chronic conditions. Specifically, data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (N= 4,963) are used to assess the level of discrimination perceived by minorities compared to white straight men, the effect of perceived discrimination on number of chronic conditions reported, and the role of social support and sense of control in mediating these relationships. Multivariate analyses show that minority status is a significant predictor of the number of chronic conditions reported and that perceived discrimination explained some of this relationship. In addition, greater family support and sense of control protected against chronic conditions and buffered the negative effects of discrimination on health. These findings suggest that to combat health disparities among minority groups new efforts should focus more on community driven approaches, such as providing support or reducing discrimination.

Author

• Laura Neuhauser, University of Maryland-Baltimore County