Racial discrimination and blood pressure: the CARDIA Study of young black and white adults.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Krieger
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Department of Health and Social Behaviour, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass 02115, USA.
Sidney
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D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D044383:Black People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D011287:Prejudice; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D044465:White People