Research Guides: Racism and Health: Resources for conducting research on racism and health

Research support at VCU

Massey Cancer Center Office of Health Equity & Disparities Research
VCU Center on Health Disparities
Spreadsheet of VCU Libraries health sciences books & videos related to DEI Need help navigating this spreadsheet? Contact your liaison library (https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/staff/departments/research-and-education/)

Methods, Measurement and Data

Racism: science and tools for the public health professional by Chandra L. Ford (Editor); Derek M. Griffith (Editor); Marino A. Bruce (Editor); Keon L. Gilbert (Editor) This important publication builds on the racial health equity work that public health advocates and others have been doing for decades. They have documented the existence of health inequities and have combatted health inequities stemming from racism. This book, which targets racism directly and includes the word squarely in its title, marks an important shift in the field's antiracism struggle for racial health equity. It is intended for use in a wide range of settings including health departments, schools, and in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors where public health professionals work. It will also benefit students still in training and will also serve as a practical reference text for courses and workshops. In this way, this book anticipates acting as a bridge connecting public health professionals, students, community members, as well as policymakers.
ISBN: 0875533035
Publication Date: 2019-08-30

How Do We Define and Measure Health Equity? The State of Current Practice and Tools to Advance Health Equity (2022) Hoyer D, Dee E, O'Leary MS, Heffernan M, Gelfand K, Kappel R, Fromknecht CQ. How Do We Define and Measure Health Equity? The State of Current Practice and Tools to Advance Health Equity. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2022 Sep-Oct 01;28(5):570-577. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001603. PMID: 35867507; PMCID: PMC9311469.
Toolkit for Centering Racial Equity within Data Integration Learning objectives: The six stages of the data life cycle. Five things to consider when assessing race equity algorithmic tools. A three-step process for stakeholder mapping. How to use factor analysis to help identify the root causes of an issue.
Making science and doing justice: The need to reframe research on racial inequities in oral health (2021) Bastos JL, Constante HM, Jamieson LM. Making science and doing justice: The need to reframe research on racial inequities in oral health. Community Dent Health. 2021 May 28;38(2):132-137. doi: 10.1922/CDH_IADRBastos06. PMID: 33780174.
Conducting research through an anti-racism lens (University of Minnesota)
Guide to finding data about racism and ethnic bias
Improving Peer Review for Structural Racism and Health Research "Improving Peer Review For Structural Racism And Health Research", Health Affairs Forefront, July 10, 2023.
The 5Ws of Racial Equity in Research: A Framework for Applying a Racial Equity Lens Throughout the Research Process Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards, Patrice Jordan Fleming, Irene A. Doherty, Dane R. Whicker, Sabrena Mervin-Blake, and Nadine J. Barrett. The 5Ws of Racial Equity in Research: A Framework for Applying a Racial Equity Lens Throughout the Research Process. Health Equity.Dec 2022.917-921.http://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2022.0042

Searching PubMed

PubMed is a great place to start to find literature about Racism and Health. The following Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) are available to help you get started.

More databases to explore racism and health literature

Race Relations Abstracts
Summaries of academic journals, books, periodicals, and newspapers in ethnic and racial studies. Covers discrimination, immigration studies, ideology, community relations, radicalism, economics, cultural identity, and pressure groups.
Ethnic NewsWatch
Full text newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, native and minority press.
HistoryMakers
Oral histories of African-Americans from all walks of life, including politicians, authors, civil rights activists, religious leaders, musicians, legal scholars, and many others. Includes video footage.
African American Communities
Text and visual materials, oral histories, and other primary sources documenting race relations across social, political, cultural, and religious arenas, with a focus on Atlanta, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and cities in North Carolina.
Ethnic Diversity Source
Full text database covering the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America. Includes thousands of books, biographies, primary source documents, speeches, letters, interviews, videos, and more.