Impact of Structural Racism on Kidney Health: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Structural racism remains a fundamental reason for persistent health disparities in the United States. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted that structural racism persists and negatively impacts the health of Black Americans. Despite significant evidence demonstrating the impact of structural racism on health, there is a lack of evidence explicitly focusing on kidney health. This scoping review was conducted to analyze the available evidence to identify the best strategies nephrology nurses can utilize to dismantle structural racism and improve kidney health in Black Americans. Results of this scoping review (n = 12) identified significant gaps in the literature regarding strategies to improve kidney health in Black Americans. There is a need for future research to understand the effect of structural racism on kidney health.

Keywords: Black Americans; disparities; kidney health; scoping review; social determinants of health; structural racism.