Researchers explained that living in these areas means more prejudiced interactions, which in turn increases stress. That stress, they said, can lead to “maladaptive coping behaviors” such as poor diet and reduced rates of exercise, which negatively impact the body.
In the last few years, the CDC and American Medical Association labeled racism a public health crisis, further putting data behind daily experience of African Americans for generations.
“Area-level racial prejudice is a social determinant of population health,” senior author study, Dr. Amani M. Allen, who is also a University of California Berkeley professor, said in a statement.