Perceived Unfair Treatment by Police, Race and Telomere Length: Black and White Men in Nashville, Tennessee

• In Event: 2455 - Race, Ethnicity, and Mental Health: Critical Issues

Abstract

Despite decades of sociological and journalistic accounts of police brutality and discrimination, researchers know almost nothing about the stress-related health consequences of unfair treatment by police (UTBP). We argue that UTBP is a structurally rooted and understudied stressor that has a racially-contingent influence on cellular aging. In this study we test three hypotheses: (1), black men will be more likely to report UTBP than white men; (2), black, but not white, men who report UTBP will have shorter telomeres than those not reporting UTBP; and (3), this association will extend to black men who vicariously experience UTBP. Data analysis from a community sample of black (n = 262) and white (n = 252) men residing in Nashville-Davidson County reveal support for all three hypotheses. The implications for our findings are discussed as they pertain to debates on policing practices and future health disparities research.

Authors

• Michael McFarland, Florida State University

• John Taylor, Florida State University

• Cheryl Smith McFarland, Florida State University