Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Feature-Based Discrimination In Driving Health Disparities Among Black Americans, Randl B. Dent, Nao Hagiwara, Elena V. Stepanova, Tiffany L. Green

Faculty Publications

Objective: A growing body of research finds that darker skin tone is often associated with poorer physical and mental health in Blacks. However, the psychosocial mechanisms underlying the skin tone-health link remain elusive. The present study seeks to address this knowledge gap by investigating the direct and indirect (through perceived discrimination, socioeconomic status, and self-esteem) effects of skin tone on self-reported physical and mental health.

Design: An urban sample of 130 Blacks aged 35 and above completed a self-administered computerized survey as a part of larger cross-sectional study.

Results: Self-esteem played a particularly important role in mediating the associations between …