Health Contextualized: Inequalities in Physiological Function at the Intersection of Race, Skin Color, and Place

• In Event: 3471 - Race, Racism, and Health: Patterns and Processes

Abstract

This study addresses two research questions critical to understanding racial inequalities in health: 1) how do multiple dimensions of racial identification (self-identification and socially-assigned skin tone) differentially shape inequalities in cardiometabolic risk (CMR)? 2) Do the consequences of race and skin color on CMR differ by neighborhood racial context? Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, findings suggest that inter- and intra-group dynamics differentially influence cardiometabolic functioning among whites and African Americans of different skin tones. More specifically, living in predominantly black neighborhoods is associated with decreased CMR among medium-skinned blacks. Furthermore, living in predominantly white neighborhoods is linked to increased CMR among darker-skinned African Americans only. Findings shed light on the impacts of broader racial contexts and help elucidate how macro-level environments shape linkages among race, skin color, and health.

Author

• Taylor Hargrove, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill