Discrimination and Aggregate of Health-Risk Behaviours

Abstract

Aim This study examines the association between discrimination experiences and the aggregation of health-risk behaviours among American adults. Methods Data from the Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2022 included 127,860 participants (mean age 45.6 years, 49.12% males). Health-risk behaviours (smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, obesity, infrequent dental visits, and infrequent medical check-ups) were coded as binary variables and summed to create an aggregate score (0-6). Discrimination experiences (in general, at work, in healthcare) and physical symptoms due to discrimination were also coded as binary variables. The three variables on the experience of discrimination were added up to create a combined variable. Negative binomial was used to examine the relationship between discrimination and health-risk behaviours, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Results showed that participants had a mean age of 45.6 years (49.12% males and 50.88% females). Discrimination was reported by 10.1% in general, 7.1% at work, 4.1% in healthcare, and 4.5% experienced physical symptoms. Males had higher health-risk behaviours (mean score: 1.16) than females (1.00), and younger adults (18-34 years) had higher scores (1.19) than those 65 or older (0.87). General discrimination was associated with higher health-risk behaviours (mean:1.23). Negative binomial regression analysis showed significant associations between each of general discrimination (rate ratio ‘RR’: 1.13) (95% Confidence Interval ‘CI’:1.09-1.17) and experiencing physical symptoms due to discrimination (rate ratio ‘RR’: 1.09) (95% CI:1.03-1.15) with engaging in health-risk behaviours. Conclusion This study emphasises the impact of discrimination on health-risk behaviours. Those facing discrimination are more likely to engage in multiple health-risk behaviours