Perceived Discrimination and Physical Health: An Update of Pascoe & Richman’s (2009) Meta-Analysis Elizabeth A. Pascoe 1 Micah Lattanner 2 Laura Richman 2 University of North Carolina Asheville 1 Duke University 2 ABSTRACT Search terms: discrimination, prejudice, racism, sexism, unfair treatment, homophobia, anti-gay, stigma, health, cardio*, blood pressure 39 articles retrieved (late 2007-early 2015) met inclusion criteria:  Contained self-reported individual perception of or experimentally induced unfair treatment  Related discrimination measurement to a physical health-related variable  Provided correlation coefficient or sufficient statistical data for a correlation coefficient to be calculated RESULTS CONCLUSION METHOD This study represents an update to Pascoe & Richman’s (2009) meta-analysis on the relationship between discrimination and health. Thirty-nine articles examining the link between perceived discrimination and physical health were analyzed under a random- error model. Results were consistent with the previous meta-analysis, suggesting that increased discrimination was related to more negative physical health. Further analyses, which separated physical health into three components (symptomology, general health, and physical conditions) also resulted in significant effects. Symptomology produced the largest meta-analytic coefficient; physical conditions produced the weakest. These results suggest that perception of discrimination has a consistent negative relationship with physical health. Although stronger relationships were produced for symptomology and general health, the coefficient for physical conditions was still significant suggesting that perceived discrimination is linked to various components of physical health. Analysis of articles published since the original 2009 meta-analysis (r = -.13) support the original finding (r = -.13) regarding the relationship between perceived discrimination and physical health: increased discrimination is associated with poorer physical health. Furthermore, this analysis suggests that discrimination is associated with multiple aspects of physical health. Although causal direction was not assessed here, this could implicate discrimination as affecting health on multiple levels. Table 1: Meta-Analytic Average Correlations for Perceived Discrimination and Health Outcomes Perceived discrimination was found to have a consistent negative relationship with physical health and each of its subcomponents. Increased levels of discrimination were related to poorer physical health. Subcomponents of physical health  Symptomology: cardiovascular symptoms, immune system function, stress reaction, medication side effects  General Health: self-rated general health, physical functionality/disability, non-diagnosed chronic conditions, poor physical health days, general fatigue, sleep disturbance, cortisol  Physical Conditions: diagnosed illness/chronic conditions, current treatment for chronic conditions, obesity measures OutcomekMean rLowerUpperZ ValueHeterogeneity Within (Q w ) p Overall <.001 Symptomology <.001 General Physical Health <.001 Physical Conditions <.01 Figure 1: Study Effects and Forest Plot for Symptomology Figure 2: Study Effects and Forest Plot for General Health Figure 3: Study Effects and Forest Plot for Physical Conditions Contact Author: