Racism and Health Disparities
How is racism related to health?
Watch sociologist David Williams’s TedTalk “How Racism is Making Us Sick” (1) - (17min)
How can perceptions of race and racism inspire new action toward equity?
Check out Dr. Camara Jones’s TedTalk “Allegories on Race and Racism” (2) - (20min)
How does race affect health outcomes?
Listen to WNYC’s “Black Mother’s Face Higher Complication Rates” (3) - (7min)
How does race affect medical practice?
Watch civil rights sociologist and law professor Dorothy Roberts’ Tedtalk “The Problem with Race-based Medicine” (4)(14min)
Why should physicians think about racism?
Watch NYC Health Commissioner Mary Bassett’s TedTalk (5) - (13min)
How do social disparities, economics and racism determine our access to healthcare?
Check out Dr. Camara Jones' tutorial on the "Cliff of Good Health" (6) - (5min)
How can we become Antiracists?
Geographies of Interest
Washington Heights and Inwood, NYC
The population of Washington Heights and Inwood is 71% Hispanic, 17% White, 7% Black, 3% Asian, and 1% Other (9). Almost 50% of residents are foreign-born, and 39% have limited English proficiency (9). With a high proportion of immigrants, 22% of residents have no insurance compared to 15% of residents in Manhattan, and 16% went without needed medical care due to insurance compared to 10% in Manhattan overall (9). Despite these barriers to access health care, residents of Washington Heights have a life expectancy of 83.2 years, more than 8 years higher than the life expectancy in Central Harlem (9).
Harlem, NYC
Harlem Hospital’s patient population is 44.5% African American, 40.8% Hispanic, 9.5% White, 3% Asian, and 1.7% other (10). Racial disparities in health are reflected in the high rates of certain health outcomes amongst this population. Central Harlem also has the 3rd highest infant mortality rate at 8.1 per 1,000 live births compared to 3.4 per 1,000 in Manhattan overall (9). Central Harlem also has the 7th highest premature mortality rate in NYC at 293.1 per 100,000 compared with 152.7 per 100,000 in Manhattan overall (9).
If I am interested in this topic, where can I learn more?
Check out Science Friday’s podcast “The Health Costs of Racism” (11) - (17min)
Professors in psychology and social work discuss the negative health outcomes associated with experiencing racism throughout a lifetime.
Dr. Rhea Boyd is a pediatrician and police violence researcher, who explains the effects of racism and police violence on health.
Check out Invisibilia’s podcast episode “The Culture Inside” (13) - (56min)
This podcast explores the psychology of implicit bias, the development of the implicit bias test, and how individuals try to re-program their internal concepts of race.
Dr. Aaron E. Carroll explains the ways that the healthcare system must improve in order to overcome systemic racism and health inequity.
Check out Vox’s “Next time someone says racism isn’t real, show them this 3-minute video.” (15) - (3min)
Sources
1. Williams, D. R. How racism makes us sick. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/david_r_williams_how_racism_makes_us_sick
2. Jones, Camara. Allegories on race and racism. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNhcY6fTyBM
3. Black Mothers Face Higher Complication Rates When Delivering Babies in NYC. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from http://www.wnyc.org/story/black-women-high-complication-rates-delivery/
4. Roberts, Dorothy. “The problem with race-Based medicine.” TED: Ideas worth spreading, www.ted.com/talks/dorothy_roberts_the_problem_with_race_based_medicine/transcript?share=117a79f8ca.
5. Bassett, M. Why your doctor should care about social justice. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/mary_bassett_why_your_doctor_should_care_about_social_justice
6. Jones,Camara. The Cliff of Good Health. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=137&v=to7Yrl50iHI&feature=emb_logo
7. Brown, Brene. How to Be an Antiracist. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-ibram-x-kendi-on-how-to-be-an-antiracist/
8. The Emory Wheel. Racism Denies Equal Health Care Access. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.emorywheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Healthcare-1024x731.jpg
9. New York City Community Health Profiles. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/data/data-publications/profiles.page#mn
10. HARLEM HOSPITAL CENTER - nychealthandhospitals.org. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/harlem/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2016/08/chna-harlem-2013.pdf
11. The Health Costs of Racism. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from http://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-health-costs-of-racism/
12. Tradeoffs. It Takes a Toll. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://tradeoffs.org/2020/06/02/police-violence/
13. Invisibilia. Retrieved November 05, 2017, from http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510307/invisibilia
14. Carroll AE. Health Disparities Among Black Persons in the US and Addressing Racism in the Health Care System. JAMA Networks. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://jamanetwork.com/channels/health-forum/fullarticle/2767595
15. Lopez G. Next time someone says racism isn't real, show them this 3-minute video. Retrieved on June 23, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/2015/4/30/8520305/systemic-racism-video