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Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status in Research on Child Health
- Source :
- Pediatrics
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 2015.
-
Abstract
- An extensive literature documents the existence of pervasive and persistent child health, development, and health care disparities by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). Disparities experienced during childhood can result in a wide variety of health and health care outcomes, including adult morbidity and mortality, indicating that it is crucial to examine the influence of disparities across the life course. Studies often collect data on the race, ethnicity, and SES of research participants to be used as covariates or explanatory factors. In the past, these variables have often been assumed to exert their effects through individual or genetically determined biologic mechanisms. However, it is now widely accepted that these variables have important social dimensions that influence health. SES, a multidimensional construct, interacts with and confounds analyses of race and ethnicity. Because SES, race, and ethnicity are often difficult to measure accurately, leading to the potential for misattribution of causality, thoughtful consideration should be given to appropriate measurement, analysis, and interpretation of such factors. Scientists who study child and adolescent health and development should understand the multiple measures used to assess race, ethnicity, and SES, including their validity and shortcomings and potential confounding of race and ethnicity with SES. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that research on eliminating health and health care disparities related to race, ethnicity, and SES be a priority. Data on race, ethnicity, and SES should be collected in research on child health to improve their definitions and increase understanding of how these factors and their complex interrelationships affect child health. Furthermore, the AAP believes that researchers should consider both biological and social mechanisms of action of race, ethnicity, and SES as they relate to the aims and hypothesis of the specific area of investigation. It is important to measure these variables, but it is not sufficient to use these variables alone as explanatory for differences in disease, morbidity, and outcomes without attention to the social and biologic influences they have on health throughout the life course. The AAP recommends more research, both in the United States and internationally, on measures of race, ethnicity, and SES and how these complex constructs affect health care and health outcomes throughout the life course.
- Subjects :
- Gerontology
Biomedical Research
business.industry
Racial Groups
Ethnic group
Child Welfare
Poison control
Health Status Disparities
Mesosociology
Race and health
Health equity
Racism
Social Class
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Health care
Ethnicity
Humans
Life course approach
Medicine
Healthcare Disparities
Child
business
Socioeconomic status
Acculturation
From the American Academy of Pediatrics
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10984275 and 00314005
- Volume :
- 135
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Pediatrics
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....18391ef9dda7873fa01b6a063e3d5e51