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. 2009 May;99(5):878-84.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.144329. Epub 2009 Mar 19.

Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination among fifth-grade students and its association with mental health

Tumaini R Coker  1 , Marc N Elliott, David E Kanouse, Jo Anne Grunbaum, David C Schwebel, M Janice Gilliland, Susan R Tortolero, Melissa F Peskin, Mark A Schuster
Affiliations

Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination among fifth-grade students and its association with mental health

Tumaini R Coker et al. Am J Public Health. 2009 May.

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to describe the prevalence, characteristics, and mental health problems of children who experience perceived racial/ethnic discrimination.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a study of 5147 fifth-grade students and their parents from public schools in 3 US metropolitan areas. We used multivariate logistic regression (overall and stratified by race/ethnicity) to examine the associations of sociodemographic factors and mental health problems with perceived racial/ethnic discrimination.

Results: Fifteen percent of children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, with 80% reporting that discrimination occurred at school. A greater percentage of Black (20%), Hispanic (15%), and other (16%) children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination compared with White (7%) children. Children who reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination were more likely to have symptoms of each of the 4 mental health conditions included in the analysis: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. An association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms was found for Black, Hispanic, and other children but not for White children.

Conclusions: Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination is not an uncommon experience among fifth-grade students and may be associated with a variety of mental health disorders.

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