Tse-Chuan Yang1, I-Chien Chen2, Seung-Won Choi2, Aysenur Kurtulus3. 1. Department of Sociology, Center for Social and Demographic Analysis, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Arts and Sciences 351, Albany, NY 12222, USA. Electronic address: tyang3@albany.edu. 2. Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, 509 East Circle Drive, 317 Berkey Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. 3. Department of Sociology, Center for Social and Demographic Analysis, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Arts and Sciences 351, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
Abstract
RATIONALE: The literature on the effect of perceived discrimination on health has three gaps. First, the long-term relationship between perceived discrimination and health is underexplored. Second, the mechanisms through which perceived discrimination affects health remain unclear. Third, most studies focus on racial/ethnic discrimination, and other aspects of discrimination are overlooked. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to fill these gaps by testing a research framework that links the discriminatory experience during adolescence to an individual's health during mid-adulthood via self-esteem and risk behaviors at early adulthood. METHOD: Structural equation modeling is applied to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 Cohort (N = 6478). RESULTS: The discriminatory experience during adolescence imposes an adverse impact on health during mid-adulthood even after accounting for other potential covariates, a detrimental effect lasting for over 30 years. In addition, while perceived discrimination reduces self-esteem at early adulthood, it affects only mental health during mid-adulthood, rather than general health. Finally, the discriminatory experience promotes risk behaviors at early adulthood and the risk behaviors subsequently compromise health during mid-adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Using a life course perspective, we find that the effect of perceived discrimination is more profound than the literature suggested and that risk behaviors may account for approximately 17% of the total effect of perceived discrimination on health. Our findings highlight the importance of early interventions in coping with perceived discrimination during adolescence.
RATIONALE: The literature on the effect of perceived discrimination on health has three gaps. First, the long-term relationship between perceived discrimination and health is underexplored. Second, the mechanisms through which perceived discrimination affects health remain unclear. Third, most studies focus on racial/ethnic discrimination, and other aspects of discrimination are overlooked. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to fill these gaps by testing a research framework that links the discriminatory experience during adolescence to an individual's health during mid-adulthood via self-esteem and risk behaviors at early adulthood. METHOD: Structural equation modeling is applied to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 Cohort (N = 6478). RESULTS: The discriminatory experience during adolescence imposes an adverse impact on health during mid-adulthood even after accounting for other potential covariates, a detrimental effect lasting for over 30 years. In addition, while perceived discrimination reduces self-esteem at early adulthood, it affects only mental health during mid-adulthood, rather than general health. Finally, the discriminatory experience promotes risk behaviors at early adulthood and the risk behaviors subsequently compromise health during mid-adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Using a life course perspective, we find that the effect of perceived discrimination is more profound than the literature suggested and that risk behaviors may account for approximately 17% of the total effect of perceived discrimination on health. Our findings highlight the importance of early interventions in coping with perceived discrimination during adolescence.
Authors: Alaysia M Brown; Antoinette M Landor; Katharine H Zeiders; Evelyn D Sarsar Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2022-08-29 Impact factor: 12.779