A brand new evaluation of knowledge from KFF’s Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Well being exhibits Black girls are extra doubtless than different teams to report being handled unfairly by a well being care supplier in recent times due to their race and ethnicity and that these experiences have well being penalties.
For instance, amongst Black girls who used well being care up to now three years, 34% report at the least one in every of three penalties due to a unfavorable expertise with a well being care supplier for any purpose: worse well being (13%), being much less more likely to search care (19%), or switching suppliers (27%).
The findings shift with Black girls’s well being standing: Black girls who describe their bodily and/or psychological well being as truthful or poor are extra doubtless than those that report higher well being to say {that a} unfavorable expertise resulted in worse well being, being much less more likely to search care, or switching suppliers up to now three years. Actually, about half (49%) of Black girls with truthful or poor psychological well being standing say they skilled at the least one in every of these penalties.
Though total, most Black girls report optimistic experiences receiving well being care, they’re extra doubtless than different teams to report being handled unfairly by a well being care supplier due to their race and ethnicity (21%) and to say they put together for potential insults or should be very cautious about their look to be handled pretty throughout well being care visits (61%). The survey suggests such preparations—behaviors documented in different analysis areas as “heightened vigilance”—could also be a response to previous experiences.
Reflecting the significance of racial and ethnic range within the well being care workforce, a shared racial and ethnic background between supplier and affected person is related to extra optimistic interactions for Black girls. The survey finds that Black girls who’ve extra well being care visits with suppliers who share their racial and ethnic background report extra frequent optimistic and respectful interactions.
KFF’s Survey on Racism, Discrimination and Well being is a probability-based survey carried out on-line and by phone, June 6-August 7, 2023, with a complete of 1,306 girls who determine as Black. Respondents had been contacted through mail or phone; and had the selection to finish the survey in English, Spanish, Chinese language, Korean, or Vietnamese. The survey methodology was developed by KFF researchers in collaboration with SSRS and SSRS managed sampling, information assortment, weighting, and tabulation. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4 share factors for outcomes based mostly on the pattern of Black girls.
Further sources from the Survey on Racism, Discrimination and Well being: