06.01.07
Words CAN hurt, study suggests
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you — right?
Well, think again. According to a new study reported in the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health, routine racial discrimination puts minorities under significant stress that can lead to chronic illness.
The study’s authors, led by assistant professor Gilbert C. Gee of the Univ. of Mich. School of Public Health, analyzed survey responses from more than 2,000 Asian Americans across the U.S. who had been asked to recall the frequency of discriminatory treatment they faced and to recount their medical histories.
Gee and his colleagues found a link between the discrimination in these subjects’ lives, which ranged from poor service to harassment, and the serious health problems they suffered, which included heart disease, cardiovascular disease and respiratory difficulties.
Also, the researchers determined that the discrimination-health relationship crossed all lines of age, education, income level, job status, language ability and attitude toward life.
Says Gee: “Post-civil rights, most people think of discrimination as the commitment of a hate crime. But I think it’s important to realize that discrimination occurs on a daily basis. And what the research is showing is that everyday slights can turn into long-term health effects.”
Gee adds, “”Discrimination is associated with a lot of different health outcomes, from mental health problems like depression to substance use, tobacco use, and heart disease. So what’s important is that we keep acknowledging that discrimination does occur and find ways to combat it as well as to continue policies that promote civil rights.”
Stephen Thomas, director of the Center for Minority Health at the Univ. of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, praises the research team’s efforts.
“The bottom line here is that well into the 21st century, race still matters,” Thomas says. “Even though … genetically we’re the same, the fact is that the way in which we look, the color of our skin, and the accent that we carry affects the way in which we are treated in the social environment of American society. And this impacts us in ways that can have detrimental effects on our health.”
“So having evidence of this absolutely helps really bring the message home that we need to finish the work, so to speak, of the civil rights movement,” Thomas continues. “Because, for people to be suffering from premature illness and death related to exposure to discrimination is not acceptable.”