Table 3.
Associations between the frequency and stress of racism and their combined effect across the life course and the risk of high depressive symptoms and the modifying role of received support during childhood and adulthood. Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF) 2010–2012, n = 1612
| Model | Racism before the age of 20 | Racism during the 20s | ||
| Crude RR (95% CI) | Adjusted RR (95%CI)1 | Crude RR (95% CI) | Adjusted RR (95%CI)2 | |
| Frequency of racism | ||||
| High | 1.27 (1.09, 1.47) | 1.26 (1.07, 1.46) | 1.16 (0.98, 1.34) | 1.06 (0.86, 1.27) |
| Low (referent) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Never | 1.08 (0.92, 1.24) | 1.08 (0.93, 1.25) | 1.05 (0.90, 1.21) | 0.95 (0.78, 1.15) |
| Stress of racism | ||||
| High stress | 1.33 (1.09, 1.56) | 1.30 (1.06, 1.54) | 1.18 (0.96, 1.41) | 1.05 (0.81, 1.30) |
| Low stress (referent) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| No stress | 0.90 (0.73, 1.08) | 0.89 (0.73, 1.07) | 0.83 (0.68, 1.00) | 0.84 (0.67, 1.03) |
| Frequency and stress of racism | ||||
| High | 1.39 (1.14, 1.65) | 1.38 (1.13, 1.64) | 1.33 (1.09, 1.58) | 1.21 (0.93, 1.51) |
| Moderate | 1.13 (0.92, 1.36) | 1.13 (0.91, 1.36) | 1.16 (0.95, 1.39) | 1.33 (1.09, 1.58) |
| Low (referent) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Never | 1.15 (0.95, 1.37) | 1.15 (0.95, 1.37) | 1.16 (0.95, 1.38) | 1.03 (0.81, 1.29) |
| Frequency and stress of racism by social support | ||||
| Childhood supportive environment RR (95% CI)3 | Adult support RR (95% CI)4 | |||
| High | Low | High | Low | |
| High | 1.37 (1.08, 1.69) | 1.29 (0.91, 1.61) | 1.20 (0.76, 1.78) | 1.15 (0.86, 1.42) |
| Moderate | 1.04 (0.80, 1.32) | 1.22 (0.87, 1.54) | 1.31 (0.91, 1.81) | 0.96 (0.71, 1.21) |
| Low (referent) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Never | 1.21 (0.97, 1.49) | 0.89 (0.59, 1.23) | 1.10 (0.74, 1.58) | 1.00 (0.75, 1.26) |
1Adjusted for childhood income
2Adjusted for current household income, employment status, and racism before age 20 (included racism variable corresponding to the racism during 20s variable, e.g., frequency before age 20 and during the 20s)
3Test of homogeneity for interaction between racism before the 20s and childhood supportive environment: Likelihood ratio test (LRT) = 7.28 (p-value = 0.06)
4Test of homogeneity for interaction between racism during the 20s and adult support: LRT = 2.73 (p-value = 0.4)