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Cited by 220Health disparities and outcomesRacial and Ethnic Identity ResearchPublic Health and Social Inequalities

Poverty, racism, and the public health crisis in America

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Beech, Bettina M., Ford, Chandra, Thorpe, Roland J., Bruce, Marino A., Norris, Keith C.·2021·Frontiers in Public Health
DOI 10.3389/fpubh.2021.699049PMC PMC8450438
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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss poverty as a multidimensional factor influencing health. We will also explicate how racism contributes to and perpetuates the economic and financial inequality that diminishes prospects for population health improvement among marginalized racial and ethnic groups. Poverty is one of the most significant challenges for our society in this millennium. Over 40% of the world lives in poverty. The U.S. has one of the highest rates of poverty in the developed world, despite its collective wealth, and the burden falls disproportionately on communities of color. A common narrative for the relatively high prevalence of poverty among marginalized minority communities is predicated on racist notions of racial inferiority and frequent denial of the structural forms of racism and classism that have contributed to public health crises in the United States and across the globe. Importantly, poverty is much more than just a low-income household. It reflects economic well-being, the ability to negotiate society relative to education of an individual, socioeconomic or health status, as well as social exclusion based on institutional policies, practices, and behaviors. Until structural racism and economic injustice can be resolved, the use of evidence-based prevention and early intervention initiatives to mitigate untoward effects of socioeconomic deprivation in communities of color such as the use of social media/culturally concordant health education, social support, such as social networks, primary intervention strategies, and more will be critical to address the persistent racial/ethnic disparities in chronic diseases.

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  • Families of color experience higher poverty rates than their White counterparts, shaped by a history of systemic and structural racism.

    “For example, shaped by a history of systemic and structural racism, families of color experience higher poverty rates than their White counterparts (Beech et al., 2021).”

    From Child abuse-related homicides precipitated by caregiver use of harsh physical punishment (2023) · cites this paper as Beech et al., 2021

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [24]Institute of Medicine Committee on U Eliminating R Ethnic Disparities in Health C. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US) (2003). 25032386
  2. [25]Smedley BD Stith AY Nelson AR. Institute of Medicine, Committee on Understanding and Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (2003). 25032386
  3. [42]Cox OC. Caste, Class, & Race: A Study in Social Dynamics. New York, NY: Monthly Review P (1948).
  4. [82]Weinstein J Geller A Negussie Y Baciu A. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (2017). 28418632

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Authors
Beech, B. M., Ford, C., Thorpe, R. J., Bruce, M. A., & Norris, K. C.
Affiliations
  • University of Houston (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
Corresponding author
Norris, Keith C.
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Public Health
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2021-09-06
Volume
9
Pages
699049-699049
ISSN
2296-2565 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpubh.2021.699049
PMC
PMC8450438
OpenAlex
W3197065105
Cited by
220
References
91
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 65 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 3
FWCI
17.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Social Sciences › Health › Public Health and Social Inequalities
Keywords
poverty, racism, structural racism, racial and ethnic disparities, health disparities, socioeconomic disparities, communities of color, chronic disease, social exclusion, classism, health education, social support, public health crisis
MeSH terms
Population Health, Humans, Minority Groups, Poverty, Public Health, United States, Racism

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