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Heterogeneity within the Black Community and Health Disparities

Instead of comparing health outcomes across racial groups, I focus on identifying and addressing health disparities within racial groups. Rather than treating Black people as a monolithic group, I investigate how differences in ethnicity, social status, and economic resources give rise to the unequal distribution of health among this diverse population.  Through this line of research, I aim to:

  1. Elucidate the extent of intragroup health disparities among Black people across various indicators of health;

  2. Identify which social and economic factors are associated with advantageous health outcomes among Black people and;

  3. Pinpoint policy-relevant solutions to address the health concerns of the most vulnerable individuals to improve Black health outcomes broadly.

Related Research

Shades of Health: Skin Color, Ethnicity, and Mental Health among Black Americans

Social Science & Medicine, 2022

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Abstract: Skin color is an important predictor of health outcomes among Black Americans. Black Americans with darker complexions experience worse physical and psychological functioning than those with lighter complexions. However, most research on the health effects of colorism focuses solely on African Americans, omitting the experiences of other Black subpopulations. Using data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), we investigate the relationship between skin color and mental health among African Americans (N = 3393) and Caribbean Blacks (N = 1378). Findings from multivariate logistic regressions reveal that Black Americans with the lightest complexions—regardless of ethnicity—report worse psychological functioning. However, the shape of the association between skin tone and mental health varies significantly based on ethnicity and the specific psychiatric outcome under study. For Caribbean Blacks, the association between skin color and any mental disorders and mood disorders is linear, while the relationship for anxiety disorders is curvilinear. For African Americans, the relationship between skin color and mental health shows an elevated risk among only those with the lightest skin tones. These results illustrate the heterogeneity within the Black community and highlight the importance of recognizing ethnicity in health disparities research.

Ain't I a Woman?: Structural Influences on Black Women's Health*

In progress

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Description: Due to the combined effects of racism and sexism, Black women in the U.S. have a unique health experience. Compared to white women, Black women have higher rates of mortality and disability, poorer physical health, and shorter life expectancies. Similarly, Black women have poorer physical health and more functional disabilities when compared to Black men. Previous research has established a link between state-level inequalities and gender- and race-based health disparities. However, the current literature on state-level inequalities and health disparities is limited because these studies: a) examine health differences based on either race or gender, rather than both race and gender; b) investigate health outcomes cross-sectionally, rather than longitudinally and; c) focus on health outcomes during young adulthood, among women of reproductive age, or at advanced ages. This project, Ain't I a Woman?: Structural Influences on Black Women’s Health, examines how state-level inequalities based on both race and gender influence Black women’s health outcomes at midlife. Midlife is a crucial period in the life course with important implications for health and wellbeing during later years. By focusing on Black women’s midlife health outcomes, this project seeks to identify how (and if) state-level racial and gender inequalities shape Black women’s health during midlife and into advanced ages.

*dissertation project

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