Trends in the Use and Discussion of Race in Pediatrics Articles Over 75 Years

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Race-based medicine, which falsely assumes that race is biological, is common in the published medical literature. We analyzed trends in the use of race in Pediatrics articles over a 75-year period. METHODS We analyzed a random sample of 50 original research articles published each decade in Pediatrics from 1948 to 2022. RESULTS Of 375 articles, 39% (n = 147) included race. Among articles, 85% (n = 116) used race only to describe study subjects, 7% (n = 9) described race as a social construct, and 11% (n = 15) described race as a biological construct. Only 7% (n = 10) of studies provided a reason for including race. Statements reflective of racial bias or discrimination were identified in 22% (n = 30) of the articles that mentioned race. Although statements concerning for explicit racial bias were uncommon, with none identified in the most recent decade, statements suggestive of implicit racial bias still occurred (22%, 5 of 23). Race was presented as a dichotomy, such as “white/nonwhite,” in 9% of studies (n = 12). Regarding currently nonrecommended terminology, the term “minorities” was used in 13% of studies (n = 18); 25% of studies used the term “others” (n = 34), and among these, 91% (n = 31 of 34) did not provide any definition, an occurrence that increased over time at a rate of 0.9%/year. CONCLUSIONS Although there has been improvement over the past 75 years in the reporting of race in published studies in Pediatrics, significant opportunities for further improvement remain.