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From Race to Racism in the Study of Cardiovascular Diseases: Concepts and Measures

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Handbook of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine

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Abstract

Even though the prevalence of a number of cardiovascular diseases differs across self-identified racial groups, dividing human populations into subspecies or races is not defensible from a biological perspective. Evidence points to a relatively recent origin of the human species and to a substantial level of genetic exchanges between migrating human populations. The persistent health disparities between populations of varying ethnic origins that currently inhabit the same geographical area may reflect differences in rates of exposure to disease-generating circumstances, rather than underlying biological differences. Thus, studies of the impact of racism on health may assist in identifying the source of between-group differences in health status that were formally attributed to race. Empirical studies of racism are becoming increasingly sophisticated. This chapter includes a discussion of several paradigms that take a multilevel approach to the study of racism and health outcomes. The promise of these studies is the uncovering of the pathways that connect environmental events to cardiovascular diseases in groups negatively impacted by racism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Camara Jules P. Harrell & Renee Davis

  2. Department of Psychology, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA

    Tanisha I. Burford

Authors
  1. Camara Jules P. Harrell
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  2. Tanisha I. Burford
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  3. Renee Davis
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Correspondence to Camara Jules P. Harrell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Shari R. Waldstein

  2. Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Willem J. Kop

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Edward C. Suarez

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

    William R. Lovallo

  5. Division of Gerontology Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Leslie I. Katzel

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Harrell, C.J.P., Burford, T.I., Davis, R. (2022). From Race to Racism in the Study of Cardiovascular Diseases: Concepts and Measures. In: Waldstein, S.R., Kop, W.J., Suarez, E.C., Lovallo, W.R., Katzel, L.I. (eds) Handbook of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85960-6_9

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