By Robert Preidt
HealthDay reporter
THURSDAY, January 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Many Americans hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic do not believe that racism is linked to poorer health, a nationwide survey shows.
The ongoing survey of more than 4,000 low- and middle-income Americans focuses on color communities.
“It really struck us that, despite the virus spreading across the country, there is no consensus on the effects of systemic racism in all types of communities,” said lead author Katherine Grace Carman, a senior economist at RAND Corporation. RAND conducted the survey with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“Respondents see the impact of low incomes and living in a rural community on a person’s health, but race is not viewed with the same gravity,” she said in a Robert Wood Johnson press release. Only over 42% of respondents say systemic racism is one of the main reasons for poor health among people of color. About a third disagree and about a quarter are neutral.
According to the survey, black respondents are much more likely (69.4%) than whites (33.2%) to believe that systemic racism affects the health of people of color.
Overall, the survey participants noticed a slight increase in the willingness of the respondents to risk their own health in order to return to the “normal” prepandemic. However, respondents who are black or Spanish are more (68.5%) more cautious about taking health risks in order to move about freely than white respondents (53.4%).
More than 70% of respondents see the pandemic as a moment for positive change, such as expanding access to health care and reducing income inequality. For black or Hispanic respondents (72.5%) the rates are slightly higher than for whites (69.3%).
Almost two-thirds of respondents say the government should ensure health care as a fundamental right, but white respondents are less likely (60.4%) than all other races / ethnic groups (74.1%) to support it.
More than two-thirds (68%) of black respondents say they have less trust in government, compared with 53.6% of Hispanics and 52.4% of whites.
continuation
The survey follows the same 4,000 people over time, and these results were the second of four expected reports. The next one should appear in spring 2021.
Carman said political leaders need to understand that much more needs to be done to educate people about the causes of inequalities and then ensure better health for all.
Brian Quinn, vice president of research-evaluation-learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shared a similar view.
“We share respondents’ demand for better access to health care and are also committed to measures that can be helpful from an economic point of view, such as safe and affordable housing, access to healthy food and access to jobs that pay a living wage. ” “he said in the release.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about COVID-19.
SOURCE: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, press release, Jan 13, 2021
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