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The role of perceived discrimination in predicting changes in health behaviours among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The role of perceived discrimination in predicting changes in health behaviours among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study

Allana T Forde, Mario Sims, Xu Wang, Sharrelle Barber and Ana V Diez Roux
Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979), v 75(12), pp 1222-1231
11 Jun 2021
PMID: 34117112
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-215998View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY-NC V4.0 Open

Abstract

BackgroundThis study examined whether perceived discrimination was associated with health behaviours over time and whether associations of discrimination with behaviours varied by attribution of discrimination.MethodsMultinomial logistic regression was used to estimate ORs and CIs for the associations of discrimination (everyday, lifetime, stress from lifetime discrimination) with health behaviours (cigarette smoking, alcohol use) over time among 3050 African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study from visit 1 (2000–2004) to visit 3 (2009–2013). Smoking status was classified as persistent current, persistent former, persistent never, current to former and former/never to current smokers. Alcohol use status was classified as persistent heavy, persistent moderate/none, heavy to moderate/none and moderate/none to heavy alcohol users.ResultsHigher everyday discrimination was associated with persistent current smoking (OR per SD higher discrimination 1.26, 95% CI 1.11,1.43) and with persistent former smoking (high vs low OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.02,1.70) relative to persistent never smoking. Similar findings were observed for lifetime discrimination and persistent current smoking (high vs low OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.15,2.95) and with persistent former smoking (high vs low OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.06,1.98). Participants reporting lifetime discrimination as very stressful compared with not stressful were more likely to be persistent former smokers (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.04,1.99). Associations did not vary by discrimination attribution.ConclusionDiscrimination did not predict changes in smoking status or alcohol use. Discrimination was associated with persistent current smoking status, which may provide a plausible mechanism through which discrimination impacts the health of African Americans.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#10 Reduced Inequalities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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