Racial Residential Segregation: A Fundamental Cause of Racial Disparities in Health

TLDR

Racial residential segregation, an institutional mechanism of racism that persists at high levels, is a fundamental cause of racial health disparities by limiting access to education, employment, and healthy environments. The authors review evidence that segregation drives racial socioeconomic disparities by shaping access to education and employment opportunities. They examine the pathways through which segregation limits educational and employment opportunities, thereby affecting socioeconomic status. They conclude that addressing segregation and its pervasive consequences is essential to eliminate racial health disparities.

Abstract

Racial residential segregation is a fundamental cause of racial disparities in health. The physical separation of the races by enforced residence in certain areas is an institutional mechanism of racism that was designed to protect whites from social interaction with blacks. Despite the absence of supportive legal statutes, the degree of residential segregation remains extremely high for most African Americans in the United States. The authors review evidence that suggests that segregation is a primary cause of racial differences in socioeconomic status (SES) by determining access to education and employment opportunities. SES in turn remains a fundamental cause of racial differences in health. Segregation also creates conditions inimical to health in the social and physical environment. The authors conclude that effective efforts to eliminate racial disparities in health must seriously confront segregation and its pervasive consequences.