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The Color of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Older Black and Latinx Adults.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Garcia, MA; Homan, PA; García, C; Brown, TH
Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences
February 2021

The aim of this evidence-based theoretically informed article was to provide an overview of how and why the COVID-19 outbreak is particularly detrimental for the health of older Black and Latinx adults.We draw upon current events, academic literature, and numerous data sources to illustrate how biopsychosocial factors place older adults at higher risk for COVID-19 relative to younger adults, and how structural racism magnifies these risks for black and Latinx adults across the life course.We identify 3 proximate mechanisms through which structural racism operates as a fundamental cause of racial/ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 burden among older adults: (a) risk of exposure, (b) weathering processes, and (c) health care access and quality.While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis, the racial/ethnic health inequalities among older adults it has exposed are longstanding and deeply rooted in structural racism within American society. This knowledge presents both challenges and opportunities for researchers and policymakers as they seek to address the needs of older adults. It is imperative that federal, state, and local governments collect and release comprehensive data on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race/ethnicity and age to better gauge the impact of the outbreak across minority communities. We conclude with a discussion of incremental steps to be taken to lessen the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among older Black and Latinx adults, as well as the need for transformative actions that address structural racism in order to achieve population health equity.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences

DOI

EISSN

1758-5368

ISSN

1079-5014

Publication Date

February 2021

Volume

76

Issue

3

Start / End Page

e75 / e80

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • United States
  • Risk
  • Racism
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Hispanic or Latino
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Garcia, M. A., Homan, P. A., García, C., & Brown, T. H. (2021). The Color of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Older Black and Latinx Adults. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 76(3), e75–e80. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa114
Garcia, Marc A., Patricia A. Homan, Catherine García, and Tyson H. Brown. “The Color of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Older Black and Latinx Adults.The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 76, no. 3 (February 2021): e75–80. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa114.
Garcia MA, Homan PA, García C, Brown TH. The Color of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Older Black and Latinx Adults. The journals of gerontology Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences. 2021 Feb;76(3):e75–80.
Garcia, Marc A., et al. “The Color of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Older Black and Latinx Adults.The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol. 76, no. 3, Feb. 2021, pp. e75–80. Epmc, doi:10.1093/geronb/gbaa114.
Garcia MA, Homan PA, García C, Brown TH. The Color of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Older Black and Latinx Adults. The journals of gerontology Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences. 2021 Feb;76(3):e75–e80.
Journal cover image

Published In

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences

DOI

EISSN

1758-5368

ISSN

1079-5014

Publication Date

February 2021

Volume

76

Issue

3

Start / End Page

e75 / e80

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • United States
  • Risk
  • Racism
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Hispanic or Latino