ABCD Study Asks Children About Experiences With Racism

There is ample evidence that racism has negative effects on the health of youth, but few studies have examined the numbers of children in the United States who experience racism and discrimination directly. Data from theAdolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study—a national NIH-funded study tracking the biological and behavioral development of nearly 12,000 U.S. children beginning at age 9 and 10 through adolescence into young adulthood—may point to those at greatest risk and suggest ways to mitigate the effects of racism.“Identifying the prevalence of racism and discrimination among a crucial developmental age group is imperative to curtail poor outcomes, adjust public health measures, and improve medical and mental health assessments and treatments,” wrote Jason M. Nagata, M.D., M.Sc., of the University of Cali fornia, San Francisco, and colleagues in aresearch letter published Monday inJAMA Pediatrics.During a one-year follow-up assessment of ABCD Study participants, children aged 10 and 11 years completed the Perceived Discrimination Scale. This assessment asked the children about their experiences of being treated unfairly or feeling unaccepted due to race, ethnicity, or color. The analysis included 10,354 children (49% girls; 51% boys), more than 45% of whom were identified by their parents or other caregivers as members of racial/ethnic minorities (19.2% Latino/Hispanic, 16.0% Black, 5.5% Asian/Pacific Islander children, 3.0% Native American, and 1.3% O...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ABCD study Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study child development JAMA Pediatrics NIH racism social determinants of health Source Type: research