Skin Tone and the Health Returns to Higher Status

• Published in: Demography Vol. 59; no. 5; pp. 1791 - 1819
• Main Authors: DeAngelis, Reed T., Hargrove, Taylor W., Hummer, Robert A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Duke University Press 01.10.2022; Duke University Press, NC & IL
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; African Americans; Black or African American; Black People; Economics; Health status; Heterogeneity; Humans; Inflammation; Life course; Life stress; Life transitions; Panel data; Peers; Population Studies; Racial differences; Skin; Skin color; Skin Pigmentation; Social Class; Socioeconomic status; Socioeconomics; Sociology; White People; Diminished returns; Black–White disparities; Biosocial; Colorism; Skin tone

This study addresses two questions. First, why do Black Americans exhibit worse health outcomes than White Americans even at higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES)? Second, are diminished health returns to higher status concentrated among Black Americans with darker skin color? Novel hypotheses...