The Intersection of Race, Racism, and Child and Adolescent Health

Abstract

There has been an increasing focus on the impact of racism both within pediatrics and throughout society as a whole. This focus has emerged as a result of the current sociopolitical climate in the United States coupled with the recent deaths of Black Americans by law enforcement and the maltreatment of Latina/o immigrants. In 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics released the landmark policy statement “The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health,” which describes the profound effects of racism on health, its function in perpetuating health disparities, and the potential role of child health professionals in addressing racism as a public health issue. (1) Foundational knowledge regarding race, racism, and their relation to health are not consistently included in standard medical education curricula. This leaves providers, including pediatricians, with varying levels of understanding regarding these concepts. This article seeks to provide an overview of the intersection of race, racism, and child/adolescent health in an effort to reduce knowledge gaps among pediatric providers with the ultimate goal of attenuating racial health disparities among children and adolescents. Please reference the Table for additional resources to reinforce concepts described throughout this article.