Segregation, discrimination and mortality in U.S. blacks
Polednak, A.P.
Ethnicity and Disease 6(1-2): 99-108
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 1049-510X PMID: 8882839 Document Number: 304026
Theoretically, segregation and discrimination could affect mortality among blacks (African Americans) not only through their impact on social class (including the concentration of blacks in high-poverty areas) but also by influencing health care and psychosocial factors: This paper reviews evidence that variation in mortality rates for black infants and young adults living in large metropolitan areas is associated with the level of black-white segregation. A few metropolitan areas in California with relatively low levels of segregation are shown to have low black death rates and small black-white differences in mortality rates for infants and young adult males (15-44 years old). In-depth studies are needed in these areas. Longitudinal studies of potential "risk factors" for disease and death among blacks should include: personal histories of experiences with discrimination, psychological reactions to discrimination, segregation indexes, quality of life in residential areas, and social class indicators.