Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Increased allostatic load is linked with racial discrimination exposure, providing a mechanism for the biological embedding of racism as a psychosocial stressor. We undertook an examination of how racial discrimination interacts with socioecological, environmental, and health con...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09978-7 |
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| author | Leah Cave Matthew N. Cooper Stephen R. Zubrick Carrington C. J. Shepherd |
| author_facet | Leah Cave Matthew N. Cooper Stephen R. Zubrick Carrington C. J. Shepherd |
| author_sort | Leah Cave |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Increased allostatic load is linked with racial discrimination exposure, providing a mechanism for the biological embedding of racism as a psychosocial stressor. We undertook an examination of how racial discrimination interacts with socioecological, environmental, and health conditions to affect multisystem dysregulation in a First Nations population. Methods We conducted latent class analysis (LCA) using indicators of life stress, socioeconomic background, and physical and mental health from a nationally representative sample of Australian Aboriginal adults (N = 2056). We used LCA with distal outcomes to estimate the effect of the latent class variable on our derived allostatic load index and conducted a stratified analysis to test whether allostatic load varied based on exposure to racial discrimination across latent classes. Results Our psychosocial, environmental, and health measures informed a four-class structure; ‘Low risk’, ‘Challenged but healthy’, ‘Mental health risk’ and ‘Multiple challenges’. Mean allostatic load was highest in ‘Multiple challenges’ compared to all other classes, both in those exposed (4.5; 95% CI: 3.9, 5.0) and not exposed (3.9; 95% CI: 3.7, 4.2) to racial discrimination. Allostatic load was significantly higher for those with exposure to racial discrimination in the ‘Multiple challenges’ class (t = 1.74, p = .04) and significantly lower in the ‘Mental health risk’ class (t = − 1.67, p = .05). Conclusions Racial discrimination may not always modify physiological vulnerability to disease. Social and economic contexts must be considered when addressing the impact of racism, with a focus on individuals and sub-populations experiencing co-occurring life challenges. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T01:49:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c8e3b9713f92432d87ba08f11e2133f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T01:49:22Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8e3b9713f92432d87ba08f11e2133f72022-12-21T19:57:40ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582020-12-0120111410.1186/s12889-020-09978-7Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional studyLeah Cave0Matthew N. Cooper1Stephen R. Zubrick2Carrington C. J. Shepherd3Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, The University of Western AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, The University of Western AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, The University of Western AustraliaAbstract Background Increased allostatic load is linked with racial discrimination exposure, providing a mechanism for the biological embedding of racism as a psychosocial stressor. We undertook an examination of how racial discrimination interacts with socioecological, environmental, and health conditions to affect multisystem dysregulation in a First Nations population. Methods We conducted latent class analysis (LCA) using indicators of life stress, socioeconomic background, and physical and mental health from a nationally representative sample of Australian Aboriginal adults (N = 2056). We used LCA with distal outcomes to estimate the effect of the latent class variable on our derived allostatic load index and conducted a stratified analysis to test whether allostatic load varied based on exposure to racial discrimination across latent classes. Results Our psychosocial, environmental, and health measures informed a four-class structure; ‘Low risk’, ‘Challenged but healthy’, ‘Mental health risk’ and ‘Multiple challenges’. Mean allostatic load was highest in ‘Multiple challenges’ compared to all other classes, both in those exposed (4.5; 95% CI: 3.9, 5.0) and not exposed (3.9; 95% CI: 3.7, 4.2) to racial discrimination. Allostatic load was significantly higher for those with exposure to racial discrimination in the ‘Multiple challenges’ class (t = 1.74, p = .04) and significantly lower in the ‘Mental health risk’ class (t = − 1.67, p = .05). Conclusions Racial discrimination may not always modify physiological vulnerability to disease. Social and economic contexts must be considered when addressing the impact of racism, with a focus on individuals and sub-populations experiencing co-occurring life challenges.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09978-7Racial discriminationAllostatic loadLatent class analysis |
| spellingShingle | Leah Cave Matthew N. Cooper Stephen R. Zubrick Carrington C. J. Shepherd Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional study BMC Public Health Racial discrimination Allostatic load Latent class analysis |
| title | Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | racial discrimination and allostatic load among first nations australians a nationally representative cross sectional study |
| topic | Racial discrimination Allostatic load Latent class analysis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09978-7 |
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