TY - JOUR
T1 - The Relationship Between Racial Prejudice and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk at the State and County Level
AU - Zestcott, Colin A.
AU - Ruiz, John M.
AU - Tietje, Kalley R.
AU - Stone, Jeff
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Society of Behavioral Medicine. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/9/1
Y1 - 2022/9/1
N2 - Background: Robust evidence shows that perceived discrimination among stigmatized groups is associated with negative health outcomes. However, little work has examined whether holding prejudiced attitudes toward others is associated with health risks for prejudiced individuals. Purpose: The study is a test of the hypothesis that holding prejudicial attitudes has negative health implications for both the holders and targets of prejudicial attitudes. Methods: The project connected data (2003-2015) at the state and county levels on average explicit and implicit prejudice held by White, Black, and Native American respondents from Project Implicit with data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality for White, Black, and Native American individuals from the CDC Wonder database. Separate analyses regressed implicit and explicit prejudice on CVD mortality risk for White, Black, and Native American individuals, respectively. Results: At the state level, among White individuals, explicit prejudice toward Blacks (β =. 431, p =.037) and implicit prejudice toward Native Americans (β =. 283, p =. 045) were positively associated with greater CVD mortality for Whites. At the county level, White individuals' implicit prejudice toward Blacks (β =.081, p =. 015) and Black individuals' implicit prejudice toward Whites (β = -.066, p =. 018) were associated with greater CVD mortality for Whites. Also, at the county-level, among Black individuals, higher implicit (β = -.133, p <. 001) and explicit (β = -.176, p <. 001) prejudice toward Whites predicted CVD mortality for Blacks. Moreover, explicit prejudice held by White individuals was positively associated with Blacks' county-level CVD deaths (β =. 074, p =. 036). Conclusions: This evidence suggests that across racial groups, holding racial prejudice is associated with CVD mortality risk for both the prejudiced and the stigmatized groups. Future research should verify the reliability of this potential public health effect with additional work explicating moderators and mediators to inform surveillance and interventions.
AB - Background: Robust evidence shows that perceived discrimination among stigmatized groups is associated with negative health outcomes. However, little work has examined whether holding prejudiced attitudes toward others is associated with health risks for prejudiced individuals. Purpose: The study is a test of the hypothesis that holding prejudicial attitudes has negative health implications for both the holders and targets of prejudicial attitudes. Methods: The project connected data (2003-2015) at the state and county levels on average explicit and implicit prejudice held by White, Black, and Native American respondents from Project Implicit with data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality for White, Black, and Native American individuals from the CDC Wonder database. Separate analyses regressed implicit and explicit prejudice on CVD mortality risk for White, Black, and Native American individuals, respectively. Results: At the state level, among White individuals, explicit prejudice toward Blacks (β =. 431, p =.037) and implicit prejudice toward Native Americans (β =. 283, p =. 045) were positively associated with greater CVD mortality for Whites. At the county level, White individuals' implicit prejudice toward Blacks (β =.081, p =. 015) and Black individuals' implicit prejudice toward Whites (β = -.066, p =. 018) were associated with greater CVD mortality for Whites. Also, at the county-level, among Black individuals, higher implicit (β = -.133, p <. 001) and explicit (β = -.176, p <. 001) prejudice toward Whites predicted CVD mortality for Blacks. Moreover, explicit prejudice held by White individuals was positively associated with Blacks' county-level CVD deaths (β =. 074, p =. 036). Conclusions: This evidence suggests that across racial groups, holding racial prejudice is associated with CVD mortality risk for both the prejudiced and the stigmatized groups. Future research should verify the reliability of this potential public health effect with additional work explicating moderators and mediators to inform surveillance and interventions.
KW - Cardiovascular disease
KW - Discrimination
KW - Explicit prejudice Health disparities
KW - Implicit prejudice
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133309035&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85133309035&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/abm/kaab103
DO - 10.1093/abm/kaab103
M3 - Article
C2 - 34922337
AN - SCOPUS:85133309035
SN - 0883-6612
VL - 56
SP - 959
EP - 968
JO - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
JF - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
IS - 9
ER -