Poor Health of Middle-Class Black Children

This page provides a summary of a growing literature on why health inequalities sustain high socieconomic status (SES) and middle-class Black children and youth. Analysis of the ABCD, Add Health, FACHS, FFCWS, FAS, NSAL, NCHS, PATH, and MTF data show that effects of SES on asthma, depression, anxiety, suicide, tobacco use, impulsivity, memory, school performance, and brain development are all weaker in Black than White children. High SES Black children report more stress and discrimination as well. For example, Black boys in the US who live in high-income families are most not least depressed. This is shown to be in part due to proximity to Whites. Here is a full list of publications.