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Crosscurrents

How does racial discrimination affect black women's health?

Courtesy of Health Policy Research Scholars

Living with regular racial discrimination is a reality for many people. It can affect them psychologically, and even lead to depression. Now, a new study out of UC Berkeley found that those effects can also be physical. Professor Amani Allen of the School of Public Health studied black women in the Bay Area and found that the more they experienced repeated incidents of racism, the higher their risk of chronic illness like diabetes or high blood pressure. It’s because of something called ‘allostatic load’.

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Crosscurrents HealthRace & Ethnicity
Hana Baba is host of Crosscurrents, KALW's weeknight newsmagazine that broadcasts on KALW Public Radio in the San Francisco Bay Area.