Racial discrimination and blood pressure: the CARDIA Study of young black and white adults.

TLDR

The study examined how self‑reported racial discrimination and responses to unfair treatment are associated with blood pressure. Survey data from 3,686 participants (Black and White men and women aged 25–37) were collected in year 7 of the CARDIA prospective, multisite community‑based study. Among working‑class Black adults, systolic blood pressure was about 7 mm Hg higher when they accepted unfair treatment and had no discrimination experiences, whereas among professional Black adults it was 9–10 mm Hg lower when they challenged unfair treatment and had no discrimination, accounting for discrimination and responses markedly reduced Black‑White blood‑pressure differences.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined associations between blood pressure and self reported experiences of racial discrimination and responses to unfair treatment. METHODS: Survey data were collected in year 7 (1992/93) of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a prospective multisite community-based investigation. Participants included 831 Black men, 1143 Black women, 1006 White men, and 1106 White women 25 to 37 years old. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure among working-class Black adults reporting that they typically accepted unfair treatment and had experienced racial discrimination in none of seven situations was about 7 mm Hg higher than among those reporting that they challenged unfair treatment and experienced racial discrimination in one or two of the situations. Among professional Black adults, systolic blood pressure was 9 to 10 mm Hg lower among those reporting that they typically challenged unfair treatment and had not experienced racial discrimination. Black-White differences in blood pressure were substantially reduced by taking into account reported experiences of racial discrimination and responses to unfair treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Research on racial/ ethnic distributions of blood pressure should take into account how discrimination may harm health.