Title: The ethnic density effect on the health of ethnic minority people in the United Kingdom: a study of hypothesised pathways
Abstract: This thesis contributes to our understanding of the individual and community
assets available to ethnic minority people living in areas characterised by high
concentrations of co-ethnics. It has been hypothesized that positive attributes found in
areas of greater concentration of ethnic minority people, or ethnic density, might
provide ethnic minority residents with health promoting, or protective effects.
This study explored the effect of ethnic density on the health of ethnic minority
people in the UK. It proposed and tested three pathways by which ethnic density is
hypothesised to operate: through a change in racism-related social norms; through
buffering the detrimental effects of racism on health; and through an increase in civic-political
activity.
Multilevel methods were applied to three nationally representative cross sectional
studies, the 1999 and 2004 Health Survey for England; the Fourth National
Survey of Ethnic Minorities; and the 2005 and 2007 Citizenship Survey. Results
showed a stronger ethnic density effect on psychological outcomes, as compared to
that found for physical health outcomes. Effect sizes were larger when the ethnic
density of specific groups was analysed, but more likely to be significant when the
density of all minority groups combined was considered.
Analyses conducted to test the social norms model reported a significant
reduction in experienced racism among ethnic minority people living in areas of high
ethnic density, as compared to their counterparts who live in areas of reduced ethnic
density.
Examinations of the buffering effects of ethnic density indicated a tendency for a
weaker association between racism and health as ethnic density increased, although
interactions were mostly non-significant.
Finally, ethnic minority people were not found to report higher civic engagement
as ethnic density increased, but they were found to be more satisfied with local
services and to report greater community cohesion.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-10-01
Language: en
Type: dissertation
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Cited By Count: 5
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