The Impact of Racism on Healthcare Experiences and Well-Being: a Qualitative Study Based on Focus Group Discussions with Communities of Color.

Abstract

Connections between race and health are discussed, and racism has been called out as a root cause of health disparities. The impacts of systemic racism are not fully understood and should be considered in order to advance health equity. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of racism on healthcare experiences and well-being for communities of color. Individuals from a Northeast region of Wisconsin, who self-identified as Somali, Hmong, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, and First Nations/Native American/Indigenous, were invited to participate in focus group discussions, and informed consent was obtained from all participants (25 adults, 17 females, and 8 males). Focus groups were planned so participants from the same self-identified communities were together, and five virtual focus group discussions were carried out. A qualitative content analysis approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of the content. There was a range of experiences; however, everyone experienced the negative impacts of racism. Three categories, representing areas impacted by racism, and a final theme, describing the overall impact on healthcare experiences and well-being, were created. Dealing with systemic racism means that "backgrounds and values," "resources," and "prejudices" (categories) require constant attention, maneuvering, and "juggling the impacts of racism diminishes access to healthcare and well-being for communities of color" (theme). Systemic racism negatively impacts access to healthcare and well-being for communities of color perpetuating health disparities. Planning and policy should include a focus on health equity and target systemic racism in order to diminish health disparities.