Weathering- How Poverty and Racism Impact You

[easye]

How poverty and racism 'weather' the body, accelerating aging and disease

www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/28/1166404485/weathering-arline-geronimus-poverty-racism-stress-health

In 2020, the overall life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by 1.5 years, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the reduction wasn't shared equally among the general population; Native American people lost an average of 4.5 years of life expectancy; Black and Hispanic people lost, on average, 3 years, while white people lost only 1.2 years.



This figure tracks with other health trends: In general, Black and Hispanic people and those living in poverty in the U.S. have worse health outcomes — more high blood pressure, higher rates of diabetes and increased maternal and infant mortality — than the overall population.



Public health researcher Arline Geronimus from the University of Michigan says the traditional belief that the disparities are due to genetics, diet and exercise don't explain data that's accumulated over the years. Instead, she makes the case that marginalized people suffer nearly constant stress from living with poverty and discrimination, which damages their bodies at the cellular level and leads to increasingly serious health problems over time.

I also heard Dr. Geronimus interviewed on the radio show Fresh Air and it was fascinating.  The study regarding the impact of an ICE raid in Iowa leading to pregnancy problems with Hispanics for the next year for all Hispanics (Legal and otherwise) in Iowa was fascinating.  The study on life expectancy for immigrants that had worse outcomes the longer they lived in the US, after controlling for "bad American" habits was also really eye-opening. 

I wonder how "main stream" this idea of Weathering is?  They mention her recognition in the story, and she feels it is mainstream; but I am now expecting some sort of Conservative led backlash, kind of like the one against CRT.   

[skyth]

Stress, plus worse/more physical jobs. I could see this. Stress definitely has an effect on blood pressure, which can cause other issues.

[Disciple of Fate]

I don't think the concept is that new? The idea of poverty affecting life expectancy was already discussed over a decade ago in a social history class I took (in Europe).

It makes sense, money is a massive generator of stress if you only just have enough to make it to the end of the month. Access to money also has a massive effect on your diet, access to healthcare and ease of living etc.

The racism aspect is also not too unknown? This is not my field, but not always intentional racism in healthcare has been a topic for years too. The notion that healthcare was developed on and by white men, therefore not being as great or receptive to women or people of color when it comes to symptoms/treatment.

[maddocgrotsnik]

I’d imagine it’s a mix of all the things.

Working Poor tend to have labour intensive jobs. If you can only find part time work, you may be doing multiple jobs at once. That’s exhausting, and can reduce personal time and energy for hobbies and interests. Booze can help you unwind. But even moderate drinking, done regularly, fucks you up - even without an alcohol dependency. If your working pattern is fluid and unpredictable, that can be stressful as well.

Junk food is cheap, but wreaks havoc on the body. But when you’re exhausted and on a low wage, you may be somewhat forced into poor eating habits. Yes “just teach them how to cook” is a rallying cry of the short sighted. It would help some, but you still need the time and energy at the end of the day.

Stress can affect quality and quantity of sleep. Poor or little sleep affects the body and mind, reducing concentration. That can affect work performance, which can affect job security.

[Haighus]

I think the article is suggesting that specifically stress associated with poverty or race is an independent risk factor for poor health in addition to the other deleterious effects of poverty or racism, such as poor diet or worse access to healthcare.

Again, not too surprising. Prolonged stress is known to do lots of bad things to the body, such as dampening the immune system. Good to see it being talked about in the US mainstream though.

[pacific]

I suppose the point is that 'racism' is a stressor, which then causes the physiological impact. Having to constantly fight against prejudice, in whichever area of life, must be absolutely exhausting.
I won't profess to understand what a lot of minorities go through, but I lived in asia (south Korea) for a few years when I was younger and so spent a little time on that side of the fence. Whilst not quite as bad as the Japanese, there are still a lot of racial prejudices, especially away from cities, which I think are a product of almost no ethnic diversity. Fortunately for me this was only as bad as groups of kids shouting 'foreigner' across the street, jokes about body hair, and one guy in a bar who didn't like the look of me. I had acquaintances (a black American chap, a girl who had made the mistake of having boobs and blonde hair) who had it far worse. I should say people doing this were absolutely a minority (like the Japanese, Koreans are some of the most polite people on earth), but it gave me a glimpse. Of course I had the luxury of eventually leaving Korea. I can't imagine how people who are 'home', have been born in a country and are yet still on occasion viewed as being an alien, deal with something like that.