Brown Tyson H, Lee Hedwig E, Hicken Margaret T, Bonilla-Silva Eduardo, Homan Patricia
Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; email:
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Annu Rev Public Health. 2025 Apr;46(1):69-90. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-060222-032022. Epub 2025 Jan 14.
This article provides a guide for rigorous, theory-driven measurement approaches, proposing best practices for the scientific study of systemic racism in health research. We argue that the analytical crux of measuring systemic racism-a complex, interconnected, and dynamic system-lies in operationalizing the collective logics, properties, and mechanisms that undergird racial inequities. Misalignment between measurement tools and these fundamental features undermines research validity, as incongruent measures distort findings and obscure systemic racism's true impacts. To address this, we draw on interdisciplinary theories and evidence to dissect key features of systemic racism, emphasizing their implications for measurement. We further recommend incorporating temporal processes in health research by leveraging core principles of the life course perspective, which elucidate the intricate interplay of individual, historical, and societal trajectories. Our recommendations underscore the necessity of adopting robust, evidence-based methods to advance the understanding of how systemic racism operates and shapes public health.
本文提供了关于严谨的、理论驱动的测量方法的指南，为健康研究中系统性种族主义的科学研究提出了最佳实践。我们认为，测量系统性种族主义（一个复杂、相互关联且动态的系统）的分析关键在于将支撑种族不平等的集体逻辑、属性和机制进行操作化。测量工具与这些基本特征之间的不一致会破坏研究的有效性，因为不一致的测量会扭曲研究结果并掩盖系统性种族主义的真实影响。为了解决这个问题，我们借鉴跨学科理论和证据来剖析系统性种族主义的关键特征，强调它们对测量的影响。我们还建议通过利用生命历程视角的核心原则将时间过程纳入健康研究，这些原则阐明了个人、历史和社会轨迹的复杂相互作用。我们的建议强调了采用强大的、基于证据的方法来推进对系统性种族主义如何运作和塑造公共卫生的理解的必要性。
