Discrimination in the workplace can increase risk

For this study, researchers Midlife Studies in the United States (MIDUS) About U.S. adults across education levels and jobs. They looked at data from 1,246 adults who had no hypertension between 2004 and 2006 (the start of the study), and recorded the markers from 2013 to 2014. Most of the study participants were Caucasian. , about half of whom were women.

They mainly fall into the following age categories:

• Under 45
• 46-55 years old
• 56 years old or older

Most people self-reported to be nonsmokers, had zero to moderate alcohol intake, and also participated in moderate to high intensity physical activity at the start of the study period. press release.

The research team defined workplace discrimination as ‘unfair conditions or unfavorable treatment at work, especially because of personal characteristics such as race, gender and age.’

To determine whether they experienced this discrimination at work, participants answered questions about their experiences at work, such as whether they were treated unfairly, observed more closely than others, or ignored. bottom. Participants were also asked to describe whether promotions were fair and the frequency of sexual, racial, or ethnic jokes and slurs in the workplace.

result?

They found that 319 participants developed high blood pressure After approximately 8 years of follow-up at the end of the study.

Those who had a “moderate workplace discrimination exposure score” were 22% more likely to report hypertension than those who reported a “low workplace discrimination score.”

Furthermore, those with high workplace discrimination exposure scores were 54% more likely to report measures of hypertension during the follow-up period than those who reported low workplace discrimination scores.

Principal study author Dr. Jian Li, MD, Ph.D.A professor of work and health at the Fielding School of Public Health and the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing, he originally hypothesized that there was a link between high blood pressure and workplace discrimination heading into the project, according to Healthline. told to .

He said he was “excited to see” the strong link between discrimination and blood pressure.

“Under stressful situations, the human body is activated to cope with the stimulus through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortical system, the autonomic nervous system, and the inflammatory immune response. They’ll call you ‘run away,'” Lee explained. “chronic stress It can lead to over-activation of the cardiovascular system, which in the long run can lead to hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis cortisol Levels – steroid hormones that enter the bloodstream during times of increased stress – promote flight or flight responses, creating “a whole cascade that leads to common cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and vascular conditions.” increase. Dr. Michelle Albert, MPHEndowed Chair of Cardiology and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Walter A. Haas-Lucy Stern Endowed Chair, Dean of Admissions, UCSF College of Medicine, and Director, Center for Advertisement and Cardiovascular Disease Research (NURTURE Center.

Albert, who was unrelated to Lee’s research, told Healthline that people experiencing discrimination in the workplace may also experience behavioral changes in addition to these biological stress responses. You may experience anxiety and depression in isolation, which are involved in cardiovascular risk factors and can lead to worsening blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and more.

What would you do if your blood pressure spiked or your cardiovascular health changed as a result of discrimination at work?

Lee said employees can rely on self-adjusting stress management that includes: mindfulness practice. He said research suggests that “mindfulness-based stress reduction may lower blood pressure.”

As for these individual behaviors that help manage the blood pressure impact of office discrimination, these individual coping mechanisms may be helpful for individuals, but not everyone has higher coping skills. It doesn’t mean that there is.

“People with better coping skills are less likely to develop high blood pressure and other forms of cardiovascular disease because they have better biological responses,” she explained.

That said, Albert stressed that it puts a lot of responsibility on the individual.

“The thing about coping that I’ve always honestly had trouble with is that it’s up to the individual and not necessarily to the system or the structural part. You need both,” she said. . “We need interventions that address structural discrimination and interventions that help us work to mitigate its effects on a biological level.”

In many ways, this conversation aligns with the larger issue of discrimination related to issues such as sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia and transphobia.

Reforming systems that structurally enable discriminatory practices would go a long way toward closing health disparities among the most vulnerable groups.

“I think it comes back to the fact that we have to set a framework. We have to address this around. How do we dismantle structural discrimination on a systemic level?” Albert said .

She explained that workplaces should collect data about what employees actually experience while on the job. How would the experiences differ based on that person’s individual experience? From there, see how those experiences relate to each other. The task of doing this type of structural review can be complex.

Collecting data on these matters requires consideration of quality-of-life issues at work, such as fair wages, pay equity, equity in relation to parental leave, childcare, and caring for the elderly. .

“What kind of culture does an employer have that creates belonging to everyone – race, gender, gender identity? They are on a systemic level. , there may be opportunities to form groups for support groups, there may be mindfulness activities that people can participate in,” Albert added.

She said underlying issues with physical activity and overall health play a role.

People with lower levels of physical activity were more likely to develop hypertension, and vice versa, of course. You may be more inclined to engage in physical activity.

Addressing all these issues requires a “multipronged approach,” Albert said. This means dealing with larger cultural and systemic issues in parallel with personal and personal issues.

Lee said they can file discrimination complaints or accusations with authorities if they hope to make some changes in the workplace. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

Additionally, you can file a complaint US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

“At an organizational level, diversity, equity and inclusion are key for employers and managers to create a discrimination-free workplace. Remember, a healthy and safe workplace is our human right. said Lee.

When asked which groups were most affected and at risk of the ill effects of discrimination in the workplace, Lee said the range is broad.

Discrimination can target individuals for any number of factors, including race, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, living with certain health conditions, or physical appearance.

One of the research limitations noted in the new study has to do with the fact that non-white people with low education find themselves in a position of low education.Those who manage their positions at work were less likely to participate in follow-up survey sessions. Li said it would be important to address some of these gaps in future research.