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Cited by 227Racial and Ethnic Identity ResearchHealth disparities and outcomesPsychometric Methodologies and Testing

Racial discrimination and health: A systematic review of scales with a focus on their psychometric properties

Bastos, Joao Luiz, Celeste, Roger Keller, Faerstein, Eduardo, Barros, Aluisio J.D.·2010·Social Science & Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.020
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Abstract

The literature addressing the use of the race variable to study causes of racial inequities in health is characterized by a dense discussion on the pitfalls in interpreting statistical associations as causal relationships. In contrast, fewer studies have addressed the use of racial discrimination scales to estimate discrimination effects on health, and none of them provided a thorough assessment of the scales' psychometric properties. Our aim was to systematically review self-reported racial discrimination scales to describe their development processes and to provide a synthesis of their psychometric properties. A computer-based search in PubMed, LILACS, PsycInfo, Scielo, Scopus and Web of Science was conducted without any type of restriction, using search queries containing free and controlled vocabulary. After initially identifying 3060 references, 24 scales were included in the review. Despite the fact that discrimination stands as topic of international relevance, 23 (96%) scales were developed within the United States. Most studies (67%, N = 16) were published in the last 12 years, documenting initial attempts at scale development, with a dearth of investigations on scale refinements or cross-cultural adaptations. Psychometric properties were acceptable; sixteen of all scales presented reliability scores above 0.7, 19 out of 20 instruments confirmed at least 75% of all previously stated hypotheses regarding the constructs under consideration, and conceptual dimensional structure was supported by means of any type of factor analysis in 17 of 21 scales. However, independent researchers, apart from the original scale developers, have rarely examined such scales. The use of racial terminology and how it may influence self-reported experiences of discrimination has not yet been thoroughly examined. The need to consider other types of unfair treatment as concurrently important health-damaging exposures, and the idea of a universal instrument which would permit cross-cultural adaptations, should be discussed among researchers in this emerging field of inquiry.

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Authors
Bastos, J. L., Celeste, R. K., Faerstein, E., & Barros, A. J. D.
Affiliations
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
ORCID
Venue
Social Science & Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-04
Volume
70
Issue
7
Pages
1091-1099
ISSN
0277-9536 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.020
OpenAlex
W2016416277
Cited by
227
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 16
FWCI
6.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Social Science & Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
Keywords
racial discrimination, psychometric properties, scale development, self-reported discrimination, reliability statistics, factor structure, cross-cultural adaptation, racial terminology, unfair treatment
MeSH terms
Humans, Prejudice, Psychometrics, Health Status Disparities

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