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Citation

Roberts, Calpurnyia B.; Vines, Anissa I.; Kaufman, Jay S.; & James, Sherman A. (2008). Cross-Sectional Association between Perceived Discrimination and Hypertension in African-American Men and Women: The Pitt County Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167(5), 624-632.

Abstract

Few studies have examined the impact of the frequency of discrimination on hypertension risk. The authors assessed the cross-sectional associations between frequency of perceived racial and nonracial discrimination and hypertension among 1,110 middle-aged African-American men (n = 393) and women (n = 717) participating in the 2001 follow-up of the Pitt County Study (Pitt County, North Carolina). Odds ratios were estimated using gender-specific unconditional weighted logistic regression with adjustment for relevant confounders and the frequency of discrimination. More than half of the men (57%) and women (55%) were hypertensive. The prevalences of perceived racial discrimination, nonracial discrimination, and no discrimination were 57%, 29%, and 13%, respectively, in men and 42%, 43%, and 15%, respectively, in women. Women recounting frequent nonracial discrimination versus those reporting no exposure to discrimination had the highest odds of hypertension (adjusted odds ratio = 2.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.09, 5.02). A nonsignificant inverse odds ratio was evident in men who perceived frequent exposure to racial or nonracial discrimination in comparison with no exposure. A similar association was observed for women reporting perceived racial discrimination. These results indicate that the type and frequency of discrimination perceived by African-American men and women may differentially affect their risk of hypertension.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwm334

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2008

Journal Title

American Journal of Epidemiology

Author(s)

Roberts, Calpurnyia B.
Vines, Anissa I.
Kaufman, Jay S.
James, Sherman A.