Allison Lee
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Shervin Assari
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Public Health + Psychiatry / Medicine
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Oral5
Session: Session 2 – 11am – 11:50am
Room: Breakout Room 2
Authors: Shervin Assari, Allison Lee
Presenter: 6
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) has been previously shown to impact cortical surface area, with higher SES being associated with larger cortical surface areas. However, recent research into the phenomenon of minority diminished returns suggest that members of a minority, ethnic group experience less benefits on health development typically associated with higher SES than White people experience. Similarly, there has been relatively much research into the disparities between White and Black people regarding disparities in health outcomes, but notably less research into the health of Asian Americans. This paper uses data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to statistically test the differences in the strength of association between household income and cortical surface area among Asian and White 9-10 year olds in America. It was found that higher household incomes was associated with greater cortical surface areas among both White and Asian children, but this association was stronger for White children than Asian children. This suggests that societal mechanisms potentially related to race lead to certain groups of people being unable to experience the full health benefits of SES. These findings are significant because they add to the small, yet growing body of literature surrounding Asian American health and further demonstrate that despite being an overall, seemingly “successful†minority group in the United States, that Asians are not free from experiencing the consequences of racial discrimination.
Interdisciplinary, Public Health
