The study carried out by The University of Oxford, Kings College London and the UCL used Understanding Society’s ethnicity and immigration data. The interview for ethnic minorities includes an extra five minutes’ worth of questions based on issues like discrimination.
Using this large UK-based sample of ethnic minority participants, the researchers found associations between racial discrimination and poorer health.
Key findings
- Those who perceived racial discrimination were on average younger and were more likely to hold a university degree, than those who did not perceive racial discrimination.
- There were no differences in sex or income, but reports of racial discrimination did vary by ethnic group. Those in the Indian (23.3%) and in the Other ethnic group (24%) were most likely to report experiences of racial discrimination.
- Those who reported racial discrimination were significantly more likely on average to have a limiting, long-standing illness two years later than those who did not report racial discrimination.
The researchers suggest that strategies to reduce racial discrimination in institutions are important, but action through social media may also have benefits too:
They said, “The Black Lives Matter campaign is an example of a recent social media movement which has drawn attention to the issue of racial discrimination. There is some evidence that campaigns may provide a source of empowerment, particularly in a time where ethnic minority youth participation in traditional civic engagement activities are in decline.”
Ethnicity and immigrationHealth and wellbeing
