Discrimination In Everyday Life Research Articles

Mental health and substance use among elite para-athletes: An cross-sectional survey

Objective The scientific studies on the mental health and substance use among elite para-athletes are rare (Lardi et al., in preparation; Lüdi et al., 2023). However, the shows similarities as well as differences to the regular elite athletes’ populations (Rice et al., 2016; Swartz et al., 2019). The aim of this study was to investigate the mental health and substance use of para-athletes (PAs) from their perspective, in order to gain an overview of the situation in elite para-sport and to potentially create a basis for prevention campaigns and, if necessary, interventions. Methodology An online survey (SoSciSurvey) was used to create a questionnaire, which was translated into eight languages to reach PAs internationally. In addition to socio-demographic and sports-specific (Para-Sport, PS) variables, psychological and physical factors, as well as substance use, were assessed using standardized instruments. Results (CAVE: at the time at submission preliminary since the survey ends by the end of November/The final results will be presented at the congress): The PAs (N = 82) showed different prevalences regarding mental disorders compared to data from the general population and regular elite athletes, with disorder-specific deviations. There were significant gender differences in psychological distress (K-10, p < .001), depression severity (PHQ-9, p < .001), and anxiety severity (GAD-7, p < .001). The majority of PAs reported good or very good mental (69.51%) and physical (64.63%) health, and these results significantly correlated (p < .001) with a strong effect size. PAs were more likely to disclose and seek support in professional than in private settings. 51.22% of the PAs felt disadvantaged in everyday life, and in PS, it was 29.27%. The BA and K-10 did not correlate significantly (p > .05), but there was a significant correlation (p < .001) between discrimination in PS and the K-10. The results of discrimination in everyday life and in PS both significantly correlated with the WHODAS-12 (p < .01, and p < .001), with a weak and moderate effect size, respectively. Regarding substance use, 41.46% of PAs reported alcohol, 7.32% nicotine, and 8.54% cannabis use. The AUDIT-C did not significantly correlate with the K-10 or the WHODAS-12 (p > .05), and there was no significant gender difference (AUDIT-C, p > .05). Conclusions Based on the results, prevention should occur in the disorder-specific area and refer to the professional services, social support, focusing more on discrimination, and include substance use (alcohol and cannabis). It is important to consider that PAs are a vulnerable population and research gaps still exist.

Gay Men's Gender Experiences in Police Academy

<p>本研究探討警校男同志在學期間所經驗到校園中性別相關的文化，以及這些經驗對他們產生的影響和相對應之因應與調適。研究以女性主義觀點的敘事研究方法，招募四位正在就學或畢業三年內之警校男同志進行半結構式訪談，採「類別-內容」分析法處理資料。研究結果包含四大部分：（1）警校文化可歸類成三部分:官僚體系、傳統封閉、訓練因素；（2）警校男同志除了受其所身處警校文化影響外，也經驗到警校中的性別文化:反女權、異性戀霸權、陽剛文化；（3）在這些多元因素與壓迫相互交織下，警校男同志在校多數時間經歷來自不同對象（老師、隊部師長、同儕）的恐同與歧視；（4）前述經驗使警校男同志感受到身為校內性少數的孤單感及內化恐同所帶來的不舒適感，同時也發展出不同的因應與調適（直接回應、間接調適、尋求支持）。結論:置身於一個父權、官僚體系、結構性的文化脈絡與體制下，警校男同志確實經驗到歧視與恐同，雖然有發展出一些因應策略以利在此環境中生存下來，但還是感受到很深的孤單感。根據研究結果，本文在教育與輔導實務上，建議警校教師、隊部師長及諮商輔導中心進行性平友善校園活動之推展、相關法規與制度之修訂，並期待校方領導階層能有效帶領警校體制與系統進行相關倡議活動；此外，也建議未來研究可更聚焦多元及性少數學生在警校之處境，以促進多元性別相關議題在這些單位受到重視。</p> <p> </p><p>This study aimed to investigate gay men’s gender experiences, their ways of coping, and what strategies they arm themselves with to fight sexual prejudices at the Taiwan Police Academy. This qualitative study used narrative inquiry, based on feminist perspectives, for data analysis. Four gay men who were currently attending the Taiwan Police Academy or had graduated within three years participated in semi-structured interviews. The analysis of their stories revealed the following: (1) The cultural environment of the Taiwan Police Academy is (a) a bureaucracy that is not conducive to promoting the visibility of gender equality issues, (b) traditional closures that cannot keep up with the evolution of the times, and (c) de-gendered collective life management and training. (2) Gender-related cultures are (a) threatened men’s right and anti-feminism, (b) heterosexual hegemony of lecture arrangement, and (c) masculinity of femininity-rejection. (3) Participants reported experiencing homophobia and discrimination from faculty and peers, as well as the intersectionality of multiple oppression. Homophobia and discrimination can be divided into three categories based on the following three topics: (a) Non-heterosexual sexual orientation, (b) atypical gender expression, and (c) gender difference. The first topic of discrimination can be divided into three subcategories: implicit discrimination, personally experienced discrimination, and common ubiquitous discrimination in everyday life. Discrimination against atypical gender expression was targeted toward men who spoke more feminine. The third type of discrimination against gender differences occurs in gender stereotypes and the misogyny or objectification of women. (4) With respect to impact, there are two phenomena from the finding: (a) Feeling alone was the shared experience of the participants in the homophobic and oppressive environment. They all consistently mentioned that they had few gay friends in police academies. (b) The participants experienced different degrees of internalized homophobia; some said that an unfriendly environment made them less self-accepting because of their gay status, whereas others said they would never want to be gay again in life. Additionally, regarding coping strategies, the participants developed different strategies to deal with the discrimination, isolation, and microaggressions they encountered in schools. These strategies included three types: (1) direct responses (self-deprecating, counterattack, and education in an opportune time); (2) indirect self-regulation (pretending to be heterosexual, intentionally ignoring unfriendly comments, assuming that it can divert attention if viewed from a different respective, and choosing an identity with advantageous attributes); and (3) seeking support from friendly peers, professors, and faculty of student corps (especially Captain, Associate Captain, and Lieutenant); furthermore, some participants availed themselves for counseling and guidance resources. Surrounded by a patriarchal, bureaucratic, and heteronormative system with restrictive structures, gay men at the Taiwan Police Academy had indeed experienced real discrimination and homophobia. Although they had developed different coping strategies to survive in the environment, they still needed to protect their educational status and safety by hiding their sexual minority identity. Implications and recommendations for faculty and counselors to reduce oppression or discrimination against LGBTQIA and students studying at the Taiwan Police Academy were provided based on the findings of this study. In future studies, researchers can explore other sexual minorities in police academies, such as lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders. Suggestions for Police Academy teaching and team management can be summarized as follows: (1) School leaders take the lead in promoting gender equity education; (2) Implementing gender-related regulations and laws in traditional closures; (3) Create a gender-equal and friendly life management and training space; (4) Create a learning environment free from gender bias and discrimination. Additionally, practical advice to the Counseling Center in the police academy includes how to reduce the stigma associated with counseling and how to explicitly take a gender-friendly stance. This is the first study to investigate the educational experience of sexual minority students, especially gender experiences, at the Taiwan Police Academy. More research on sexual orientation and gender identity experiences at the Taiwan Police Academy is needed to promote an understanding of gender equity in masculine-dominant educational systems.</p> <p> </p>

Aligning Identity, Faith, and Entrepreneurship: Experiences of Muslim Women Entrepreneurs in India

Muslim women are increasingly venturing into niche culture-based business markets and establishing faith-oriented enterprises, selling modest wear, halal beauty products, and alcohol-free perfumes, along with engaging in non-traditional entrepreneurial activities such as opening a café, home bakery, and so on. Their motivations for venturing into entrepreneurship are a combination of economic needs, desire for upward social mobility, social acceptance of entrepreneurship as a desirable economic activity for Muslim women, and commitment to contribute to the development of their community. In the context of economic discrimination in everyday life in India, this essay builds upon the narratives of five Muslim women to explore the influence of social institutions, such as religion, on women’s entrepreneurial initiatives. By recognizing the form and uniqueness of entrepreneurial conduct at the intersection of faith and gender identity, the essay sheds light on the practice of entrepreneurship among Muslim women. This exploration challenges and alters the popular and majoritarian narratives on the practice and process of entrepreneurship.

Health of people with selected citizenships in Germany: results from the interview survey GEDA Fokus

Abstract Background Health chances and risks of people with a history of migration vary according to a wide range of social, migration-related as well as structural factors. Aim of this contribution is to describe the health of people with selected citizenships living in Germany on the basis of various health indicators from the field of non-communicable diseases and to identify relevant determinants of the respective outcomes. Methods Analyses are based on data from the multilingual and multimodal interview survey GEDA Fokus, which was conducted from 11/21 until 05/22 among 18- to 79-year-old people with Croatian, Italian, Polish, Syrian or Turkish citizenship living in Germany. Poisson regressions were used to calculate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals to examine the association between the individual indicators (chronic diseases or long-term health problems, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus and depression) and various social as well as migration-related characteristics. Results In particular, older age, low income, a longer duration of stay, a low sense of belonging to society in Germany and self-reported experiences of discrimination in everyday life are associated with higher prevalence of all the health outcomes. Conclusions Given the importance of subjective sense of belonging to the society in Germany and self-reported experiences of discrimination for the health outcomes studied, the results point to health inequalities among people of selected citizenships that are partly caused by mechanisms of social exclusion. Key messages • Low income, self-reported experiences of discrimination in everyday life and a lower sense of belonging to society in Germany are associated with increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases. • Social and structural exclusion mechanisms must be sustainably dismantled in order to ensure health equity.

Gesundheit von Menschen mit ausgewählten Staatsangehörigkeiten in Deutschland: Prävalenzen nichtübertragbarer Erkrankungen und damit assoziierte soziale sowie migrationsbezogene Faktoren

ZusammenfassungHintergrundGesundheitliche Chancen und Risiken werden durch eine Vielzahl von Faktoren beeinflusst. Der Beitrag zielt darauf ab, die Gesundheit von Menschen mit ausgewählten Staatsangehörigkeiten anhand nichtübertragbarer Erkrankungen (chronische Krankheit oder lang andauerndes gesundheitliches Problem allgemein, koronare Herzkrankheit, Diabetes mellitus, Depression) zu beschreiben und assoziierte Faktoren zu identifizieren.MethodenDie Analysen basieren auf Daten der multimodalen, mehrsprachigen Befragungsstudie „Gesundheit in Deutschland aktuell: Fokus“ (GEDA Fokus), die unter 18- bis 79-Jährigen mit italienischer, kroatischer, polnischer, syrischer oder türkischer Staatsangehörigkeit deutschlandweit durchgeführt wurde (11/2021–05/2022). Um Zusammenhänge zwischen den nichtübertragbaren Erkrankungen und sozialen sowie migrationsbezogenen Merkmalen zu untersuchen, wurden Prevalence Ratios und 95 %-Konfidenzintervalle mittels Poisson-Regressionen berechnet.ErgebnisseInsbesondere ein geringes Zugehörigkeitsgefühl zur Gesellschaft in Deutschland sowie selbstberichtete Diskriminierungserfahrungen im Alltag sind mit höheren Prävalenzen einer chronischen Erkrankung oder eines lang andauernden gesundheitlichen Problems und – gemäß selbstberichteten ärztlichen Diagnosen – mit einer Depression sowie zum Teil mit einer koronaren Herzerkrankung und einem Diabetes assoziiert.DiskussionDie Ergebnisse verweisen auf gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten unter Menschen mit ausgewählten Staatsangehörigkeiten, die – vor dem Hintergrund der Bedeutung des subjektiven Zugehörigkeitsgefühls zur Gesellschaft in Deutschland und der selbstberichteten Diskriminierungserfahrungen für die betrachteten nichtübertragbaren Erkrankungen – möglicherweise auf eingeschränkte Teilhabechancen und gesellschaftliche Ausschlussmechanismen hindeuten.

Racial Discrimination and Conduct Problems Among Black American Youth: The Moderating Effect of Ethnic Racial Socialization

PurposeExperiencing racial discrimination in everyday life can have lasting detrimental effects on Black American youth. Conduct problems are one of the consequences of discriminatory experiences. The present study examined whether the effects of discrimination on conduct problems vary by the levels of ethnic-racial socialization youth experience. MethodsA sample of 472 Black American youth provided five waves of survey data from ages 11-15 (June 2013 – December 2017). We tested the moderating effect of different types of ethnic-racial socialization (preparation for bias, cultural socialization, promotion of mistrust) on the association between discrimination and conduct problems using logistic regression analyses. ResultsWe found that cultural socialization significantly moderates the effects of racial discrimination on conduct problems. Promotion of mistrust was directly associated with increased risk for conduct problems. DiscussionFindings suggest that high levels of cultural socialization are beneficial to mitigate the effect of discrimination on conduct problems. Promotion of mistrust needs to be avoided but future research is warranted to investigate if promotion of mistrust can be helpful to youth in certain contexts.

Na EKO na EBA - o vai e vem da imigração: cotidiano, identidade e demandas de imigrantes africanos estudantes universitários

Abstract Introduction By embracing cultural diversity, human rights, and social justice – in its practice and knowledge production –, occupational therapy has been interested in discussing the theme of Africa, problematizing different contemporary social dynamics. Objective To understand the trajectory, the construction of identity, and the demands of young African immigrant university students. Method Qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews for data collection and thematic content analysis. Results The first category, “Culture, identity, and daily life: crossing the Black Atlantic”, encompasses the perception of young people about otherness and cultural differences/identifications between Brazil and Africa in their daily lives. The second, “'A country of hunters?': prejudice, discrimination and colonial imaginary” dealt with reports of discrimination in everyday life and the imaginary about Africa in Brazil; The last category, “'The house belongs to the other': institutional support/helplessness and coping strategies”, discusses the conditions of reception and permanence of the African immigrant student at the university. Conclusion The trajectory of African students goes through institutional care, and social and relational needs, which overlap in daily life, culture, and academic performance, emphasizing the experience of racial discrimination inside and outside the university that guides otherness in the construction of subjectivity of young people. The appreciation of African themes demonstrates a tendency of the profession to seek new epistems and decolonial theoretical-methodological constructions that produce other looks for human action in the tension of culture and power relations established by the modern world system.

The effects of colourism on migrant adaptation in Asia: the racial exclusion of African migrants in South Korea’s “multicultural” society

ABSTRACT While high rates of intra-Asian migration have rendered foreign migrants physically “invisible” in the past, migrants of increasingly racially diverse backgrounds have started to enter South Korea in the past decade. Through in-depth interviews with sub-Saharan African migrants, this article examines the effects of colourism on three levels of migrant adaptation: (1) host government legal policies, (2) host societal reception, and (3) resources within the migrant community. Findings reveal that African migrants, compared to their lighter skinned Asian counterparts, are more vulnerable to precarious living conditions regardless of their legal, educational, or occupational backgrounds. In addition, Africans also lack resources in South Korean civil society as well as within the African migrant community, and thus face formidable barriers in collective resistance. Harsh discrimination in everyday life causes many to adopt maladaptive behaviours – resisting linguistic acquisition and adopting a sojourner orientation – triggering a negative feedback loop that exacerbates their oppression.

Intersectional Discrimination and Change in Blood Pressure Control Among Older Adults: The Health and Retirement Study.

Associations between multiple forms of discrimination and blood pressure control in older populations remain unestablished. Participants were 14 582 noninstitutionalized individuals (59% women) in the Health and Retirement Study aged at least 51 years (76% non-Hispanic White, 15% non-Hispanic Black, 9% Hispanic/Latino). Primary exposures included the mean frequency of discrimination in everyday life, intersectional discrimination (defined as marginalization ascribed to more than one reason), and the sum of discrimination over the life span. We assessed whether discrimination was associated with a change in measured hypertension status (N = 14 582) and concurrent medication use among reported hypertensives (N = 9 086) over 4 years (2008-2014). There was no association between the frequency of everyday discrimination and change in measured hypertension. Lifetime discrimination was associated with higher odds of hypertension 4 years later among men (odds ratio [OR]: 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.36) but not women (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.86-1.13). Only among men, everyday discrimination due to at least 2 reasons was associated with a 1.44-fold (95% CI: 1.03-2.01) odds of hypertension than reporting no everyday discrimination, reporting intersectional discrimination was not associated with developing hypertension among women (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.70-1.20). All 3 discriminatory measures were inversely related to time-averaged antihypertensive medication use, without apparent gender differences (eg, OR for everyday discrimination-antihypertensive use associations: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.77-0.94). Gender differences in marginalization may more acutely elevate hypertensive risk among older men than similarly aged women. Experiences of discrimination appear to decrease the likelihood of antihypertensive medication use among older adults overall.

Developing and validating measures of self-reported everyday and healthcare discrimination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults

BackgroundIt is well established that racism is a fundamental contributor to poor health and inequities. There is consistent evidence of high exposure to discrimination among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous Australian) peoples, but impacts have not been fully quantified, in part due to limited measurement tools. We aim to validate instruments developed to measure interpersonal discrimination.MethodsInstruments were discussed at five focus groups and with experts, and field tested in developing Mayi Kuwayu: The National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing. Data from 7501 baseline survey participants were analysed. Acceptability was assessed according to extent of missingness, construct validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. Associations between each instrument and outcomes conceptually understood to be closely (community-level racism) or less closely (family wellbeing) related were quantified to test convergent and discriminant validity.ResultsAn 8-item instrument captures experiences of discrimination in everyday life and a 4-item instrument experiences in healthcare, each followed by a global attribution item. Item missingness was 2.2–3.7%. Half (55.4%) of participants reported experiencing any everyday discrimination, with 65.7% attributing the discrimination to Indigeneity; healthcare discrimination figures were 34.1% and 51.1%. Items were consistent with two distinct instruments, differentiating respondents with varying experiences of discrimination. Scales demonstrated very good reliability and convergent and divergent validity.ConclusionThese brief instruments demonstrate face validity and robust psychometric properties in measuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults’ experiences of interpersonal discrimination in everyday life and in healthcare. They can be used to quantify population-level experiences of discrimination, and associated wellbeing consequences, and monitor change.

Experiences of weight stigma in everyday life: An ecological momentary assessment study.

Weight stigma and discrimination have been linked to negative health outcomes. Most research on this topic is retrospective, which may not accurately capture day-to-day experiences. The current used ecological momentary assessment to examine weight stigma and discrimination in everyday life. Participants answered ecological momentary assessments about the nature, frequency, and contextual details of weight stigma and discrimination. Over the course of the study, only eight episodes of weight stigma and discrimination were reported. Given that prior ecological momentary assessment studies reported substantially more frequent weight stigma and discrimination, possible explanations for the findings and implications for future research are discussed.

Gender Discrimination Among Academic Physicians.

Background: There is a growing body of literature showing that gender discrimination impacts physicians' work and life experiences. Impact on income, promotion, and parenthood has been documented. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the experiences of academic physicians who identify as women or gender nonconforming would be different from their counterparts who are men. This survey study explores the influences of gender on academic physicians' experiences with discrimination in life and at work.Materials and Methods: In the spring of 2017, academic physicians (n = 752) at a medical school in the West were invited to participate in a survey that measured experiences with discrimination using the Everyday Discrimination Scale and additional items. We used a mixed-methods approach to analyze the data, employing chi square and t-tests to analyze quantitative data and modified content analysis to code open-ended responses.Results: The response rate was 24% (180/752). There was no significant difference between women and men in reported frequency of discrimination in everyday life (p = 0.474). However, women were significantly more likely than men to select gender as a reason for being treated differently in everyday life (p = 0.000) and report discrimination in the workplace (p < 0.000). Open-ended responses describing experiences of discrimination differed based on gender: women were twice as likely than men to report receiving negative treatment owing to gender. Finally, men discussed having gender privilege, whereas women discussed experiencing gender discrimination.Conclusions: This study contributes to the growing body of literature about how gender influences the experience of practicing medicine.

Examining discrimination in everyday life: a stated choice experiment on racism in the sharing economy

ABSTRACT Prejudice and discrimination in everyday life are persistent problems for most societies but difficult to uncover and explain by empirical social research. Complementing existing approaches to study discrimination, we demonstrate the usefulness of survey-based stated choice experiments to explore everyday discrimination and its heterogeneity within a multifactorial framework. In our study German respondents (n = 766) were asked to choose between various carpooling offers varying not only in regard to price, car type, and rating but also to the perceived ethnic background of the driver. Random parameter logit models show preference heterogeneity in the sample and that differences in choice behaviour related to perceived ethnic background of the driver can be explained by xenophobic attitudes and lack of regular contact with perceived ‘foreigners’. We find no indication that familiarity with the situation reduces discriminatory preferences. Our survey-based approach adds to existing research by experimentally singling out main and interactions effects of discriminatory attributes and by being able to determine the correlation between personal characteristics of the decision makers and their discriminatory preferences.

MOBILITY TRAJECTORIES, HEALTHCARE SATISFACTION, AND PERCEIVED DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Although functional mobility limitations are associated with increased healthcare needs in later life, little research explores how older adults with varying functional mobility trajectories experience healthcare quality. To this end, we explore the effects of functional mobility trajectories on differences in healthcare treatment satisfaction, perceived disability discrimination in healthcare settings, and perceived everyday disability discrimination. We analyzed 9 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n=29,284, 1998-2014, ages 50-84). First, we estimate age-specific group-based trajectories of functional mobility across age using finite mixture models. Second, we use multinomial logistic regression to identify sociodemographic factors that place individuals at elevated risk of membership in each group. Third, we explore how membership in one disability trajectory group over another affects healthcare satisfaction, perceptions of everyday discrimination in the context of healthcare treatment settings, and perceived discrimination in everyday life. Regression models include clustered standard errors to account for heteroscedasticity across repeated observations of individuals over time. We identify six group-based trajectories of functional mobility limitation among aging Americans. Black, female, and less-educated Americans are at higher risk of membership in disadvantaged trajectories, characterized by more rapidly increasing counts of functional mobility limitations, than their counterparts. Disadvantaged functional limitation trajectories are associated with lower levels of healthcare satisfaction, higher levels of perceived physical disability discrimination in healthcare treatment settings, and higher levels of perceived physical discrimination in other contexts of everyday life. The present study advances our knowledge of how older adults experience healthcare settings and discrimination across functional mobility status trajectories.

Stigma and discrimination in individuals with severe and persistent mental illness in an assertive community treatment team: Perceptions of families and healthcare professionals.

To explore family member and staff perceptions of clients' experiences of stigma and discrimination, in those living with severe and persistent mental illness in an Assertive Community Treatment Team. This qualitative study used the Discrimination and Stigma Scale to conduct structured face-to-face and telephone interviews of family members and healthcare professionals, working with the Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) (an Assertive Community Treatment Team) of a northern inner suburban catchment of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Forty-one people participated in the study (23 AOT clinical staff members and 18 family members). Family and clinical staff commonly reported stigma and discrimination amongst their relatives and clients, respectively. Four overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) appearance and behaviour, (2) avoidance and being shunned, (3) key areas of life affected by discrimination and (4) impacts of discrimination and skills to cope with discrimination. Reports of stigma and discrimination were common, yet varied between groups with clinical staff commonly witnessing experiences and impacts of discrimination in everyday life, with families' reports being substantially less. Due to the strong advocacy and support provided by the AOT model, clinical staff often buffered experiences of stigma and discrimination. Further research is needed to explore effective interventions to reduce experiences of discrimination in this population group.

Association of weight discrimination during pregnancy and postpartum with maternal postpartum health.

Weight stigma adversely affects the health of the general population, but almost no studies have examined possible negative consequences of weight stigma in the context of pregnancy. The present study tested whether experiencing weight stigma in pregnancy is inversely related to mental and physical health in mothers during the first postpartum year. This study examined associations between weight-related experiences of discrimination in everyday life, measured at 1 month after the birth of a child, and physical and mental health outcomes measured concurrently and at 6 months and 1 year postpartum in a sample of 214 women in the Community Child Health Network study. Outcomes of interest were postpartum depressive symptoms, pregnancy weight gain, postpartum weight retention, and two biomarkers of maternal stress (blood pressure and salivary cortisol). After adjusting for covariates including race/ethnicity and prepregnancy body mass index, weight-related everyday discrimination was associated with greater postpartum depressive symptoms at 1 month postpartum. Weight-related everyday discrimination was also associated with greater pregnancy weight gain and greater weight gain in excess of the recommendations set by the Institute of Medicine. Additionally, weight-related discrimination prospectively predicted greater postpartum depressive symptoms and weight retention at 1 year postpartum. Weight-related everyday discrimination was not associated with blood pressure or cortisol. These findings offer novel evidence that experiencing weight stigma during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period is prospectively associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes for women after birth, implicating weight stigma as a potential maternal health threat. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

「日常的差別」に関する一考察 : 水俣病資料館のある「語り部」の講話から

「日常的差別」に関する一考察 : 水俣病資料館のある「語り部」の講話から

Association between perceived weight discrimination and physical activity: a population-based study among English middle-aged and older adults

ObjectiveTo examine the association between perceived weight discrimination and physical activity in a large population-based sample.DesignData were from 2423 men and 3057 women aged ≥50 years participating in Wave 5...

Hepatitis B discrimination in everyday life by rural migrant workers in Beijing

ABSTRACTBackground: In China, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a particularly challenging public health issue, with an estimated 90 million chronic hepatitis B carriers accounting for almost 7% of the population. Health-related discrimination can serve as a barrier to prevention and care for infectious diseases, such as HBV, degrade the HBV sufferers' quality of life and limit HBV patients' employment opportunities. While rural migrants account for up to 40% of the total urban population in the developed cities in China, there has been no study of the discrimination behavior of rural migrant workers toward HBV carriers.Objective: This study evaluates the discrimination behavior of rural migrant workers toward HBV carriers and patients and proposes public policy recommendations to address discrimination and stigma.Methods: The sample comprised 903 rural adults, aged over 18 years old, who migrated to Beijing. Using a face-to-face interview, we surveyed rural migrants' demographic characteristics, knowledge of HBV and discrimination against HBV carriers. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the study population, HBV stigma and knowledge of HBV. Three discrimination levels (no-mild, medium and severe discrimination) were modeled using multiple logistic regression.Results: Rural migrants to Beijing had a mean age of 36 years, were overwhelmingly married (91.58%), mostly with a junior high school or lower education (78.05%) and mainly engaged as temporary workers (42.52%) or self-employed (33.78%). Only 30.56% reported that they had been vaccinated against HBV. On the 0–10 discrimination scale, rural migrants rated 6.24, with only 4.54% displaying no sign of HBV-related discrimination. The high discrimination score occurred alongside a low mean knowledge of HBV (7.61 on the 1–22 ranking of HBV knowledge). Multiple logistic regression results suggest an inverse relationship between discrimination levels and HBV knowledge, especially knowledge about treatment and transmission routes. The “fear of being infected with HBV” and being HBV vaccinated was positively associated with HBV-related discrimination. Unemployed rural migrants were more likely to exhibit severe HBV-related discrimination than other occupational groups. Personal attributes, such as gender, age, marital status and education level were not associated with the level of discrimination.Conclusions: Knowledge of HBV, its transmission and treatment, and the fear of HBV infection were key features in understanding HBV discrimination by rural migrant workers. To reduce discrimination, HBV public health education campaigns need to focus on both knowledge about HBV and the fear of HBV infection. Such campaigns should target rural migrant subgroups, such as unemployed rural migrant workers.

Book Review: Life as a Dalit: Views from the Bottom on Caste in India by Subhadra Mitra Channa and Joan P. Mencher (eds.)

Subhadra Mitra Channa and Joan P. Mencher (eds.) Life as a Dalit: Views from the Bottom on Caste in India, Sage Publications India, New Delhi, 2013; xl + 438 pp. 9788132111238, 58 [pounds sterling] (hbk) In this book, which constitutes an effective critique of some of the existing views on caste, Channa and Mencher look at caste from the bottom, recognising 'some categories as victims and others as perpetrators of discrimination' (p. xiii). They take a phenomenological stand that 'reality is better understood when constructed out of experience rather than uninvolved observation' (p. xiii). With this in mind, the contributors and editors empathise with the oppressed and the marginal and their essays are directed toward a project of 'recreating selves' (p. xiv). The authors describe and analyse the failure of science, technology and economic globalisation to improve the lives of the oppressed. In this carefully edited handbook, the editors focus on providing a comprehensive overview of the development of a critical social science and a theory that incorporates the voices and visions of those at the bottom. To do so, they have included 21 chapters, excluding the Introduction and Conclusion, divided into four sections. Barring Section Two, 'Doing fieldwork among the Dalits', which includes two chapters, all the sections, including 'Theorizing marginality' (Section One); 'Religion and gender' (Section Three); and 'Fighting the system: Dalit responses to oppression' (Four) are of nearly equal length. Channa provides an introduction entitled 'Looking up at caste: Discrimination in everyday life in India'. In it, headings include 'Social reality of the Indian nation', 'The educational system', 'Dalit scholarship', 'Caste violence: Physical and symbolic', 'The state and Dalits', 'The action on the ground: Protest and dissent', 'Dalit feminism', and 'Universalization of marginalization.' It provides a historical background of Dalit studies, and gives an overview of the subsequent chapters. Channa's essay makes observations and draws inferences from a human rights perspective, and attempts to incorporate the voices and visions of those at the bottom. She claims that Dalits are not regarded as a significant part of Indian society--'neither syllabus nor teaching material' gives them any space in the academic sphere (p. xv). At the political level, she says, 'Dalit leadership is yet to be accepted by the non-Dalit masses' (p. xv). Though she raises the question of social justice, much of her argument is supported by the perspectives of writers and social thinkers such as Vivekanand, Rege and Kothari. She argues that Dalit studies do not form an intrinsic part of any sociology course in Indian universities, and that only one person in the first fifty years following India's Independence made it to the top of the educational hierarchy, namely Sukhdev Thorat. Channa writes that there is substantive literature exploring the realities of Dalit life, and that these realities are varied, ranging from textual norms such as purity and pollution to issues including suffering and marginalisation. She states that a critical approach to Hinduism began during colonial rule, under the leadership of Phule and Periyar in the 19th century, and that the followers of the Ramakrishna Mission, including Vivekananda, 'do not overtly believe in caste' (p. xxi). She questions the data produced by agencies such as the National Sample Survey Organization for ignoring the ground-level realities of caste inequalities in post-Independence India. In 'Reinterpreting theory from a bottom-up perspective', she writes that sociologists in India were preoccupied with 'the structural relevance of caste ignoring its lived realities, anthropological studies with greater orientation'. She believes that Mencher's paper sets a new trend of looking at the bottom-up perspective of caste with a reflexive methodology. Channa claims that the purity and pollution of Dalits is quite different from that of the upper castes. …