By: Arzoo Zaheer
Date: Dec-26-08
When Darwin introduced the concept of evolution of men from monkeys, he also introduced the notion of racism. He believed that the white humans are the most evolved form and the black is the least, with other skin colors as in betweens. When people accepted Darwinism, they also, sometimes unknowingly, accepted the notion of Racism. So, racism is not a belief instilled by a few ignorant individuals, but in fact, its a notion created and propogated by intelligent humans.
Today, I will be reviewing article titled “Racism and Health: Antiracism is an Important Health Issue”. This article mentions that racial discrimination is a topic not usually discussed in the field of medicine and clinical research, despite the fact that it directly affects the health of its victims. The article provides references to several scientific studies conducted to find associations between medical illnesses and discrimination. A recent study conducted in United Kingdom by Karlsen and Nazroo of department of Epidemology and Public Health of University College London, shows increased prevalence of hypertension, psychosis, depression and respiratory illnesses among victims of discrimination. Also, the study showed that individuals who worked with discriminatory companies were at a higher risk of mental illness. Yet another scientific study including over 4800 residents of Maastricht showed that individuals who suffered from discrimination were twice as likely to develop symptoms of psychosis in the following three years.
These results do not bode well with any clinical researchers who wish to conduct clinical research studies ethically. This is because acts of racism eventually lead to bias in the study by providing unequal results with regards to efficacy of a particular medicine. For instance, a poor response to antihypertensive medication in African-Caribbeans might be attributed to biological differences, but is it really just a reflection of racism in the society?
After reading this article, I realized that there is a clear need to conduct research to understand the associations between racism and health. Without, having a thorough understanding of this link, clinical research will not be as fruitful as intended. Furthermore, there is a clear need to address racism, not only on a societal level by implementing anti-racist rules and regulations, but also by addressing this evil act, within us, even before it reaches outside.
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