Indicators of inequity: Exploring the complexities of operationalizing area-level structural racism

Joëlle Atere-Roberts; Paul L Delamater; Whitney R Robinson; Allison E Aiello; Taylor W Hargrove; Chantel L Martin

doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101701

Indicators of inequity: Exploring the complexities of operationalizing area-level structural racism

SSM Popul Health. 2024 Jul 25:27:101701. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101701. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Authors

Joëlle Atere-Roberts^{1

2}, Paul L Delamater^{2

3}, Whitney R Robinson⁴, Allison E Aiello⁵, Taylor W Hargrove^{2

6}, Chantel L Martin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
² Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
³ Department of Geography, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁴ Division of Women's Community and Population Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology, Robert N Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, NY, USA.
⁶ Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Abstract

•Examines two types of area-level indicators commonly used in structural racism and health research.•Uses choropleth maps to assess the spatial patterning of the area-level indicators.•Offers methodological considerations for using area-level indicators.•Highlights the prospects and limits of using area-level indicators as proxies of structural racism.