摘要：The authors review the available empirical evidence from population-based studies of the association between perceptions of racial/ethnic discrimination and health. This research indicates that discrimination is associated with multiple indicators of poorer physical and, especially, mental health status. However, the extant research does not adequately address whether and how exposure to discrimination leads to increased risk of disease. Gaps in the literature include limitations linked to measurement of discrimination, research designs, and inattention to the way in which the association between discrimination and health unfolds over the life course. Research on stress points to important directions for the future assessment of discrimination and the testing of the underlying processes and mechanisms by which discrimination can lead to changes in health. THERE IS GROWING SCIENTIFIC interest in examining the extent to which perceptions of racial/ethnic discrimination are a type of stressful life experience that can adversely affect health. 1– 5 The stress induced by personal experiences of racial bias is viewed as one mechanism by which racism in the larger society can affect health. 6– 8 Here we review the evidence for an association between discrimination and health in population-based studies. Gaps in the literature are identified, along with critical next steps for advancing research in this area.
