Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination among fifth-grade students and its association with mental health.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to describe the prevalence, characteristics, and mental health problems of children who experience perceived racial/ethnic discrimination.


METHODS
We analyzed cross-sectional data from a study of 5147 fifth-grade students and their parents from public schools in 3 US metropolitan areas. We used multivariate logistic regression (overall and stratified by race/ethnicity) to examine the associations of sociodemographic factors and mental health problems with perceived racial/ethnic discrimination.


RESULTS
Fifteen percent of children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, with 80% reporting that discrimination occurred at school. A greater percentage of Black (20%), Hispanic (15%), and other (16%) children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination compared with White (7%) children. Children who reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination were more likely to have symptoms of each of the 4 mental health conditions included in the analysis: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. An association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms was found for Black, Hispanic, and other children but not for White children.


CONCLUSIONS
Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination is not an uncommon experience among fifth-grade students and may be associated with a variety of mental health disorders.
Coker
Tumaini R
TR
Department of Pediatrics, Mattel Children's Hospital, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. tcoker@mednet.ucla.edu
Elliott
Marc N
MN
Kanouse
David E
DE
Grunbaum
Jo Anne
JA
Schwebel
David C
DC
Gilliland
M Janice
MJ
Tortolero
Susan R
SR
Peskin
Melissa F
MF
Schuster
Mark A
MA
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008603:Mental Health; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011287:Prejudice; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States