Examining The Role of Education in Improving Academic and Health Outcomes Among African Americans Populations
Open AccessRacial disparities in education and health outcomes significantly contribute to health and educational outcomes between White and African American populations. African American students are more likely to have diminished health and education outcomes, such as high incidences of depression and reduced academic performance, compared to White students. The sustained impact of systemic and institutionalized racism results in stress and increased risk of morbidity and more mortality for African Americans. For my dissertation, I conduct three studies examining how education serves as a social determinant of health for African American Students. The first study is a systematic literature review examining how representative bureaucracy (RB) affects the academic outcomes of African American and Latinx students in schools. Results reveal that representation through school boards, administration, and teachers improves academic achievement because: (1) minority school leadership can advocate for programs and policies to support minority students, (2) increased representation creates enhanced cultural competence and shared understanding, and (3) minority teachers are better able to build relationships and connect to minority students, which enables them to serve as mentors and advisors. Representation within schools increases funding for bilingual programs and academic achievement for African American and Latinx students. The second study applies the Systemic Questioning Framework (SQF) to examine chronic absenteeism (CA) literature among African American students in the US to identify how CA affects African American students' academic outcomes. The findings confirm a relationship between racial disparities and education outcomes. African American students are more likely to be chronically absent, resulting in reduced academic performance. Race-based differences in attendance and academic achievement significantly contribute to differential educational attainment for students from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. In my final study, I examine how school racial/ethnic composition (i.e., school segregation) impacts the depression outcomes of older African American adults. The key finding from this study revealed that, for African Americans, the quality of education impacts Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD) depressive symptomology scores in addition to attending desegregated schools, after controlling for age, income, school mobility, demographics, and health factors. When examining how attending a desegregated grade school or high school, a trend emerges among men and women. For women, attending a segregated grade school decreased CESD scores more than attending a desegregated grade school. However, men benefit more from attending desegregated high schools rather than desegregated grade schools. Findings across the three studies confirm a complex interaction between race, education, and health, which results in reduced health and education outcomes for African Americans. My dissertation builds on and confirms that sustained exposure to racism and discrimination translates to diminished health and education outcomes for African Americans.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.