There are significant disparities in health across the United States, with the greatest impact at the intersection of poverty and racism. In particular, Black Americans have reduced life expectancy compared to White Americans. At the heart of this is the impact that racism has on increasing stress and negatively impacting health outcomes. In Milwaukee and other cities across the U.S., racism has been declared a public health crisis. Racism and discrimination occur at many levels, including in policies and institutions, which can limit resources to communities and individuals. It is these structural factors, experiencing poverty and discrimination, that add to individual daily stressors and impact health.
The D.R.I.V.E. study was conducted to determine which structural and individual level factors associated with experiencing discrimination lead to poor mental and physical health. 400 Black residents of Milwaukee participated in the study. All residents were receiving services at the Social Development Commission.
All participants reported living in poverty and reported experiencing racism—particularly experiences where they were threatened or harassed, where they experienced fear, were treated as dishonest, and were called names because of the color of their skin. Participants in the study were also reporting high levels of exposure to community violence.Related to markers of health, the most striking findings were centered around heart health, specifically blood pressure. An alarming 85% of people in the D.R.I.V.E. study had abnormal blood pressure readings. Seventy-five percent of the participants fell into either hypertension stage 1, stage 2, or hypertensive crisis. Elevated uncontrolled blood pressure is a significant marker of health and if untreated, can lead to cardiovascular damage, including heart attack and stroke. These findings demonstrate one way that experiencing poverty and discrimination can impact health.
The D.R.I.V.E. study was supported by a grant from the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Foundation.
If you are concerned that you have high blood pressure, below is a list of places to test blood pressure for free. If you already know that you have high blood pressure, you should see your family doctor soon, to discuss treatment options. Finally, if you do not have a family doctor, below are a list of local clinics to connect to care.
· Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured
· Outreach Community Health Center
