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Recent studies have shown that, typically the general life expectancy for the Black
male in America is about 69.7 years compared to the life expectancy of the Caucasian
male in America, which is around 75.7 years. Although, there have been numerous
debates on whether this is true or not, a study from the University of Maryland
School of Public Health has suggested that, being a victim of racism or having
internalized racist convictions against one’s own race may accelerate aging.
The study was lead by Dr. David A Chae, a social epidemiologist who studies
health disparities experienced by minority groups. The goal of this study was to examine whether early
aging in some African American men were due to experiencing greater amounts of
discrimination and also having negative attitudes against their own race. In
this study, aging was measured using the Leukocyte telomeres length (LTL). A
telomere is a sequence of nucleotides at the end of each chromosome that
protects genetic material from breaking down (Chae et al 2014). According to
the study, telomeres naturally lose about 50 to a 100 base pairs a year,
however stress and depression can make the telomeres lose the base pairs faster
than they should. This rapid loss of the base pairs causes the telomere length to
shortening, which is a hypothetical indication of aging.
This
was an experimental, cross sectional study using a sample of 95 African
American men aged 30 to 50 who were followed for a period of 3 years. According
to the study, participants were recruited between February and May of 2010 from
the San Francisco Bay area (Chae et al 2014). Although, there were series of
questionnaires, interviews and physical exams the researchers did not give a
clear indication on the timeline of the events. It was however reported that
the final data analysis were completed in July of 2013.
The
researchers hypothesized that participants who report high levels of racial discrimination
and who demonstrate an implicit anti-black bias would have the shortest Leukocyte
Telomere length (Chae et al 2014). In other words, participants who report
having more experiences of racial discrimination and also associated with
having more negative attitudes towards their own race would be more susceptible
to telomere shortening. Their hypothesis reiterates their objective of
obtaining evidence that proves a relationship between racial discrimination and
the Leukocyte telomere length (LTL).
Although,
previous studies have shown that rapid shortening of the telomere length may
lead to early aging and cancer, there have not been extensive research to prove
that racial discrimination and bias can accelerate early aging. In this study, Chae
et al were trying to prove that African American men age 30 to 50 were more vulnerable
to the shortening of the telomere length due to years of suffering racial
discrimination and bias. The findings presented in the study did in fact
support their overall prediction. According to the study, participants who
reported stronger anti-black attitudes had 140 fewer base pairs than participants
who reported more pro-black attitudes (Chae et al 2014). It is however; quite shocking
and thought provoking at the same time to see no relationship between
participants who had pro-black attitudes but also faced racial discriminations.
Data
was collected using laboratory measurements and questionnaires. Researchers
controlled for several variables including location, age, and health of the participants.
The following were the inclusion criteria that were used by the researchers to
recruit the participants for the study. Their criteria were as follows 1)
self-identification as an African-American man; (2) aged between 30 and 50
years; (3) U.S. nativity and parental U.S. nativity; (4) absence of serious or
unstable disease (5) ability to read, write, and understand English (Chae et al,
2014). The independent variable was the racial bias and discrimination whilst the
dependent variable was the Leukocyte telomere length (LTL). The researchers
used a subject factorial design since each participants experience was the only
factor that was considered in the assessment using IAT (a continuous measure
that ranges from -1 to 1 which access a pro-black bias or an anti-black
bias).
Participants were recruited from diverse
socioeconomic backgrounds including churches, barbershops, community events,
self-referral from posted advertisements and word of mouth. This type of sampling
can be classified as a form of convenience sampling;
Chae et al generalized this study to African
American males between the ages of 30 to 50 who will or have experienced racial
bias or discrimination in any form in their lifetime. Personally, I do believe
the age range could have been extended to young adults as well, since young
African American males ages 18 and above experience racism in the same form as
older males in their 30s
The results of this study insinuate that various levels of racism including social
experiences of racial discrimination and bias may function together to accelerate
aging in African American men. I commend the authors of the study for reducing
the complexity of the study so the general public can read and comprehend. The
study does not show any signs of unethical concerns associated. Most of the
methods used were self reported questionnaires so the participant had the
choice to respond to questions with their own judgments. Chae et al concluded
by saying notwithstanding the different restrictions
of the study “we contribute to a growing body of research showing that social
toxins disproportionately impacting African-American men are harmful to health"(Chae
et al 2014). This study has enthusiastically provided raw data on the
psychological and physiological impacts of racism in America on a broad scope.
This study is definitely a great start to where future research
should be heading. The overall conclusion that can be made from this study is that,
racial discrimination and bias can actually make people age faster than they
should.
IBSS
Literature
Citation: APA
Chae, D. H., Nuru-Jeter, A. M., Adler, N. E.,
Brody, G. H., Lin, J., Blackburn, E. H., & Epel, E. S. (2014). Discrimination, Racial
Bias, and Telomere Length in African-American Men. Am J Prev Med, 46(2),
103-111.
Link to Full article
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