Minority Ethnic Groups In Britain Research Articles

“We are no longer using the term BAME:” a qualitative analysis exploring how activists position and mobilize naming of minority ethnic groups in Britain

Abstract In early 2021, the term BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) was commonly used by the government, public bodies, and the mass media to describe minority ethnic groups in Britain. However, this usage faced fierce criticism, particularly due to complex tensions surrounding racial and ethnic identity, solidarity, and history. This article critically evaluates these tensions and the meaning behind BAME through 10 interviews with activists working in the field of British race relations. My principle focus amid this debate revisits the foundations of the term BAME, which, I argue, is rooted in the rise and fall of Political Blackness. Additionally, I examine the broader strategic purposes of BAME as well as emphasize the importance of colorism within our discussions of racialization in Britain. Ultimately, this discussion seeks a richer account of our current climate around ethnic identification that considers both the potential and the limits of the term BAME.

Ethnic-minority groups in England and Wales-factors associated with the size and timing of elevated COVID-19 mortality: a retrospective cohort study linking census and death records.

BackgroundWe estimated population-level associations between ethnicity and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality using a newly linked census-based data set and investigated how ethnicity-specific mortality risk evolved during the pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of respondents to the 2011 Census of England and Wales in private households, linked to death registrations and adjusted for emigration (n = 47 872 412). The outcome of interest was death involving COVID-19 between 2 March 2020 and 15 May 2020. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for ethnic-minority groups compared with the White population, controlling for individual, household and area characteristics. HRs were estimated on the full outcome period and separately for pre- and post-lockdown periods.ResultsIn age-adjusted models, people from all ethnic-minority groups were at elevated risk of COVID-19 mortality; the HRs for Black males and females were 3.13 (95% confidence interval: 2.93 to 3.34) and 2.40 (2.20 to 2.61), respectively. However, in fully adjusted models for females, the HRs were close to unity for all ethnic groups except Black [1.29 (1.18 to 1.42)]. For males, the mortality risk remained elevated for the Black [1.76 (1.63 to 1.90)], Bangladeshi/Pakistani [1.35 (1.21 to 1.49)] and Indian [1.30 (1.19 to 1.43)] groups. The HRs decreased after lockdown for all ethnic groups, particularly Black and Bangladeshi/Pakistani females.ConclusionDifferences in COVID-19 mortality between ethnic groups were largely attenuated by geographical and socio-demographic factors, though some residual differences remained. Lockdown was associated with reductions in excess mortality risk in ethnic-minority populations, which has implications for a second wave of infection.

\u2018The Healthy Migrant Effect\u2019 for Mental Health in England: Propensity-score Matched Analysis Using the EMPIRIC Survey

Evidence has demonstrated that immigrants have a mental health advantage over the indigenous population of developed countries. However, much of the evidence-base demonstrating this mental health advantage is susceptible to confounding and inadequate adjustment across immigrant and non-immigrant groups preventing a rigorous assessment of a ’healthy migrant effect’. To compare the risk of common mental disorders in the immigrant population compared to the non-immigrant population in ethnic minority groups in England. A propensity-score matched analysis was carried out to adequately balance immigrant and non-immigrant groups for known confounders using the EMPIRIC national survey of Black-Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups. The mental health of participants was assessed using the validated Revised Clinical Interview Schedule tool. Immigrant participants were significantly less likely to have a common mental disorder than non-immigrant participants; OR = 0.47, (95% CI 0.40, 0.56). The results from this study demonstrate that a mental health advantage exists in ethnic minority immigrants compared to non-immigrants when balancing the two groups for confounding factors. This may be due to immigrants possessing certain personality traits, such as "psychological hardiness", that the migration process may select for.

Is there assimilation in minority groups' national, ethnic and religious identity?

Ethnic and religious minority identity is a subject of intense public debate and academic scrutiny. While assimilation theories anticipate convergence of identity across the generations, discussions of reactive ethnicity, transnational identification and religious revival suggest that there may be a deepening or shifting of minority identity in the second generation. Yet the empirical evidence in support of these different perspectives is far from conclusive. Drawing on a rich data source for the UK, this paper addresses the question of whether minority ethnic groups in Britain show identity assimilation in the second generation. It concludes that both public and private forms of identification with the majority increase across generations, and minority identities tend to become less salient. This is true across ethnic groups, although there are differences in underlying levels and patterns of identity, reflecting variation in contexts of reception and migration.

Awareness of cancer risk factors among ethnic minority groups in England

To explore awareness of cancer risk factors in ethnic minority men and women living in England. Cross-sectional survey. Men and women were recruited from the six largest ethnic minority groups in the UK proportional to the population distribution: Indian (n = 467); Pakistani (n = 333); Bangladeshi (n = 126); Caribbean (n = 252); African (n = 216); and Chinese (n = 106). Participants responded to an open-ended question about cancer risk factors. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, socio-economic class and language. The most commonly cited cancer risk factors were smoking (55%), diet (20%), genetics (20%), drinking alcohol (19%) and lifestyle (17%). On average, participants who were able to name cancer risk factors (91% of respondents) cited 2.13 factors. There were some differences between broad ethnic groups (Asian, Black and Chinese), but fewer differences within them (e.g. between Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi, or African and Caribbean). Awareness of risk factors (particularly diet and exercise) was lower in this sample than in previous population representative samples in the UK. Interventions aimed at raising awareness of cancer risk factors are likely to be beneficial across the whole ethnic minority population. Any ethnically targeted interventions should consider risk factor awareness levels as well as cancer risk.

Ethnic disparities in knowledge of cancer screening programmes in the UK

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine awareness of the three National Cancer Screening Programmes (breast, cervical, bowel) among white and ethnic minority groups in the UK.SettingData were from two surveys in which the screening questions were added: (i) the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Opinions Survey, carried out in September and October 2008; and (ii) the Ethnibus™ survey of the main ethnic minority groups in England, conducted in October and November 2008.MethodsThe ONS sample consisted of 2216 adults selected using stratified probability sampling to obtain a population-representative sample. The Ethnibus™ sample was obtained by quota sampling and included 1500 adults from the six largest ethnic minority groups in England (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Caribbean, African and Chinese). Participants completed questions on awareness of cancer screening programmes as part of the wider Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) in home-based, face-to-face interviews.ResultsAwareness of breast and cervical cancer screening was high in the white ONS participants (89% breast and 84% cervical), lower in the ONS ethnic minority sample (74% for both breast and cervical) and lowest in the Ethnibus™ sample (69% breast and 66% cervical). Ethnic disparities persisted after controlling for age, gender and occupational group. In both groups, knowledge of breast and cervical screening was lower among men and more socioeconomically deprived groups. Awareness of the new bowel cancer screening programme was less than 30% in both white and ethnic minority groups.ConclusionsEthnic disparities in knowledge of breast and cervical cancer screening should be addressed. Strategies to engage ethnic minority and socioeconomically deprived groups in bowel cancer screening should be instigated to avoid the emergence of disparities.

Recent trends in minority ethnic entrepreneurship in Britain

This article examines trends in entrepreneurship among minority ethnic groups in Britain. It begins with an analysis of how self-employment rates for different ethnic groups have evolved since the early 1990s. We find that rates of self-employment have fallen for Indians and the Chinese and argue that this is due to increased opportunities in paid employment, partly brought about by demographic change. However, entrepreneurs from these groups still work the longest hours. In contrast, self-employment rates have risen for Black Caribbean males in recent years and remain high for Pakistani males. We also document how the proportion of the self-employed with employees has varied over time and discuss trends in the extent to which the self-employment of different ethnic groups is concentrated within particular sectors.

Awareness of cancer symptoms and anticipated help seeking among ethnic minority groups in England

Objective:Little is known about ethnic differences in awareness of cancer-warning signs or help-seeking behaviour in Britain. As part of the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI), this study aimed to explore these factors as possible contributors to delay in cancer diagnosis.Methods:We used quota sampling to recruit 1500 men and women from the six largest minority ethnic groups in England (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Caribbean, African and Chinese). In face-to-face interviews, participants completed the newly developed cancer awareness measure (CAM), which includes questions about warning signs for cancer, speed of consultation for possible cancer symptoms and barriers to help seeking.Results:Awareness of warning signs was low across all ethnic groups, especially using the open-ended (recall) question format, with lowest awareness in the African group. Women identified more emotional barriers and men more practical barriers to help seeking, with considerable ethnic variation. Anticipated delay in help seeking was higher in individuals who identified fewer warning signs and more barriers.Conclusions:The study suggests the need for culturally sensitive, community-based interventions to raise awareness and encourage early presentation.

Ethnicity, sight loss and invisibility

Research and development in the field of sight loss and provision for visual impairment among black and minority ethnic groups in Britain is poorly developed. There are real and inexcusable inequalities in access to services for people from minority ethnic communities, and a distinct lack of knowledge about the issues involved among both sight-loss service-providing bodies who are relatively uninformed about ethnic and cultural diversity, and among black and minority ethnic communities in respect of sight loss and provision to meet the needs of visually impaired people. The article, based on systematic review of published and ‘grey’ literature and action research, describes some key issues which might be taken into account to ensure that the gulf between these two silos of information and experience may be bridged, and insists that so-called ‘colour-blind practice’ is not acceptable.

Investigating variations in infant mortality in England and Wales by mother's country of birth, 1983–2001

The aim of this study was to investigate variations in infant mortality from 1983 to 2001 by birthweight, registration status, father's social class, age of mother at birth and cause of death, among babies of mothers born in countries that represent the largest ethnic minority groups in England and Wales. A total of 70,208 infant death registration records linked to their corresponding birth registration records were used. The study focused on infant deaths of babies of mothers born in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Caribbean, West Africa, East Africa, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. From 1983 to 2001 infant mortality rates decreased overall, and this was also apparent in the rates by mother's country of birth. Overall, babies of mothers born in Pakistan consistently had the highest infant mortality rates. Low-birthweight babies of mothers born in West Africa had the highest infant, neonatal and postneonatal death rates. Differences were also seen by registration status, mother's age and between manual and non-manual occupations for all countries from 1983 to 2001. For babies of mothers born in the UK, Caribbean and West Africa, immaturity-related conditions were the most common cause of infant deaths. The leading cause of infant death among babies of mothers born in Pakistan and Bangladesh was congenital anomalies.

Racism, psychosis and common mental disorder among ethnic minority groups in England

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between risk of psychosis, common mental disorder (CMD) and indicators of racism among ethnic minority groups in England and how this relationship may vary by particular ethnic groups. A multivariate analysis was carried out of quantitative, cross-sectional data from a nationally representative community sample of people aged between 16 and 74 years from the largest ethnic minority groups in England: those of Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Irish origin. Experience of interpersonal racism and perceiving racism in the wider society each have independent effects on the risk of CMD and psychosis, after controlling for the effects of gender, age and socio-economic status. There was some variation in the findings when they were conducted for separate ethnic and gender groups. An understanding of the relationship between racism and mental health may go some way towards explaining the ethnic variations found in both CMD and, particularly, psychosis.

Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among ethnic minority groups in England: results of a national household survey

Socio-cultural factors impact on the extent of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide but the relative importance of these factors among people from different ethnic groups in Britain has not been explored. We examined the prevalence of suicidal ideation, the incidence of attempted suicide, and the extent of service utilization following attempted suicide among representative samples of White, Irish, Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani individuals living in England. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the EMPIRIC study, a cross-sectional survey of 4281 adults aged 16-74 years, living in private households in England. Lifetime suicidal ideation was generally lower in ethnic minority groups but higher among those born in the UK than those who migrated to England as adults. Risk factors for suicidal ideation have much in common across different ethnic groups; current symptoms of mental distress being the most important. White British and Irish respondents were twice as likely to receive medical attention following attempted suicide than those from other ethnic groups. Services need to adapt in order to ensure that people from ethnic minorities receive appropriate psychological and medical care following attempted suicide.

The Significance of Marriage: Contrasts between White British and Ethnic Minority Groups in England

It is widely believed that the institution of marriage enhances communal wellbeing, and governments in the United States and the United Kingdom have expressly adopted policies designed to “promote” marriage. These policies, however, are little informed by evidence about how people who marry are using the institution, or how entering or not entering marriage affects people's ideas about the rights and obligations they owe within intimate partnerships. An Oxford study has sought to explore these issues. The study allowed special attention to be paid to the way individuals with differing ethnic backgrounds responded to the investigation, and the current article reveals the results. They show that marriage is used in a variety of ways, and that these uses may vary between ethnic groups. The evidence suggests that the usefulness which people find in marriage may depend on cultural and individual factors that are independent of the goals that government policies seek to promote.

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Development and validation of a computerized South Asian Names and Group Recognition Algorithm (SANGRA) for use in British health-related studies.

Studies on ethnic variations in health have played an important role in aetiological and health services research. Most routine datasets, however, do not include information on ethnicity. South Asians, one of the largest minority ethnic groups in Britain, have distinctive names that also allow differentiation of the main sub-groups with their important differences in health-related exposures and disease risks. A computerized name recognition algorithm (SANGRA) was developed incorporating directories of South Asian first names and surnames together with their religious and linguistic origin. SANGRA was validated using health-related data with self-ascribed information on ethnicity. SANGRA was successful in recognizing South Asian origin in reference datasets, with sensitivity of 89-96 per cent, specificity of 94-98 per cent, positive predictive value (PPV) of 80-89 per cent and negative predictive value (NPV) of 98-99 per cent. Religious origin was correctly assigned in the majority of cases: sensitivity, specificity and PPV were 94 per cent, 91 per cent and 90 per cent for Hindus; 90 per cent, 99 per cent and 98 per cent for Muslims; and 76 per cent, 99 per cent and 94 per cent for Sikhs. SANGRA correctly identified 76 per cent Gujerati and 70 per cent Punjabi names, although only 62 per cent of Gujerati names were sufficiently distinct to be allocated to the Gujerati-only category and only 53 per cent Punjabi names were allocated to the Punjabi-only category. However, specificity and PPV were high for both languages (respectively 97 per cent and 93 per cent for Gujerati, and 99 per cent and 97 per cent for Punjabi). SANGRA provides a practical and valid method of ascertaining South Asian origin by name and, to a lesser degree of accuracy, of differentiating between the main religious and linguistic subgroups living in Britain. This algorithm will be useful in health-related studies where information on self-ascribed ethnicity is not available or is of a limited nature.

Improving access and quality for ethnic minority women— panel discussion

precede the care. In community clinics, the formula we use is 80% education and nurturing, 20% medical care. If you don’t do the education and nurturing and provide the love and affirmation for the patients, the medical care isn’t going to do what you’re hoping it’s going to do. We asked UCLA to do a study of our prenatal program to isolate the reasons our patients have so few low-birth weight babies. There wasn’t any magic formula. The people who were seeing the patients wanted to see them, cared about them, and gave individual attention to their individual needs. We don’t have fancy offices or fancy equipment, but each individual’s problems are identified and effectively addressed. It sounds like a simple formula, but it’s actually very hard to deliver for people who are poor, who are minority, or who speak another language. That’s the challenge that we face, but it’s really a labor of love. We have a great time doing it. Our approach seems to affirm the importance of the communities we serve, as well as the individual patients. The problems of racial and ethnic discrimination may be solved at least in part through this kind of local community delivery, and contribution from the ground level to policy discussions on quality care and health care access.

Perceptions of Barriers to Healthy Physical Activity among Asian Communities

There is clear evidence of inequalities in the health status of minority ethnic groups in Britain. This includes a number of conditions which may be alleviated or prevented through increased levels of physical exercise. Other research has shown lower levels of activity and raised body mass among Asian groups. There remains some scope for argument about the reasons for these differences. It is, for example, suggested that health education materials are poorly targeted at South Asian communities, or that certain cultures discourage involvement in recreational physical activities. It is known that both motivation and self-image are important to physical activity behaviour, from school age upwards. A lifestyle survey sponsored by the Health Education Authority, and qualitative research, provide an opportunity to examine the degree to which there are distinctive 'ethnic' barriers to exercise or other healthy physical activity amongst communities of South Asian origin living in England. While there are many similarities with the reasons given by members of the white population for 'not exercising', there are some subtle differences between communities, and a number of issues which appear to be specific to the minority populations. Some are particular to a religion, gender or generation. Attention to these, including questions of modesty, gender segregation, and safety, would improve the accessibility of recreational activities to this target group. At the same time, it is clear that individuals from these communities are well informed and well motivated, and do take advantage of local facilities when they can. The question of both institutional and personal racism cannot be excluded from a strategy for promoting healthy physical activity; equally, it is important to pay attention to the characteristics of particular communities to gain their confidence. A 'colour-blind' or homogenous approach may be counterproductive.

Improving educationalpreparation for transcultural health care

There is increasing evidence that the health care needs of people from black and ethnic minoritygroups in England are not being met. A growing number of initiatives are being undertaken to remedy the situation. Many of them are focused on health care delivery at local and national levels. However, unless the preparation of health care professionals in the area of multi-cultural health care is appropriate and effective, a great deal of corrective action will continue to have to be taken. Despite 1997 having been the European Year Against Racism, it is still necessary to consider what educational preparation should be like. The article draws on identified inadequacies in health care provision as well as examples of initiatives taken to improve care provision. The author identifies deficiencies in educational preparation and proposes a range of actions to be taken. The article is focused on nursing, midwifery and health visiting education in England, but is deemed to be relevant to all health care professionals not only in Europe but other continents, as they become increasingly international and multi-ethnic.

`Black and Ethnic Minority' or `Asian, Black and Other Minority Ethnic': A Further Note on Nomenclature

While accepting that there is no `accurate' or permanent all-embracing nomenclature to describe minority ethnic groups in Britain, I argue in this paper that both the term `black' (a relatively long-standing radical formulation) and `black and ethnic minority' (the emerging sociological orthodoxy?) are problematic concep- tually, sociologically and politically. In making an alternative suggestion, I invite comments for improvement. Implicit in my argument is the suggestion that whatever phrase or term is used, sociologists have a responsibility to explain the assumptions on which any particular categorisation rests. Since I believe in the desirability of ethnic self-definition, I particularly welcome comments from members of groups oppressed on racial grounds.

The public library and the acculturation of migrants: a personal view of the British experience

Children who migrate with their parents are subjected to various stresses. Reading can help them by providing a bridge between their old and their new life. This paper, given to the international seminar "Kinder ausländischer Arbeitnehmer und ihre Literatur" in Frankfurt last October, attempts a bird's eye view of the library services to the children of the minority ethnic groups in Britain.