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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2009.163899v1 100/2/364    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shariff-Marco, S. Articles by Bowie, J. V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shariff-Marco, S. Articles by Bowie, J. V. Related Collections Other Race/Ethnicity Screening Surveys Cancer

Salma Shariff-Marco, PhD, MPH, Ann C. Klassen, PhD and Janice V. Bowie, PhD

Salma Shariff-Marco is with the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD. Ann C. Klassen and Janice V. Bowie are with the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Ann C. Klassen is also with the Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Correspondence: Correspondence should be sent to Salma Shariff-Marco, MPH, PhD, National Cancer Institute, 6130 Executive Blvd, EPN-4009C, MSC 7344, Bethesda, MD 20892-7344 (e-mail: shariffs{at}mail.nih.gov). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints/Eprints" link.

Objectives. We used population-based survey data to estimate the prevalence of self-reported racism across racial/ethnic groups and to evaluate the association between self-reported racism and cancer-related health behaviors.

Methods. We used cross-sectional data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey. Questions measured self-reported racism in general and in health care. The cancer risk behaviors we assessed were smoking, binge drinking, not walking, being overweight or obese, and not being up to date with screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers. Analyses included descriptive analyses and logistic regression.

Results. Prevalences of self-reported racism varied between and within aggregate racial/ethnic groups. In adjusted analyses, general racism was associated with smoking, binge drinking, and being overweight or obese; health care racism was associated with not being up to date with screening for prostate cancer. Associations varied across racial/ethnic groups.

Conclusions. Associations between general racism and lifestyle behaviors suggest that racism is a potential stressor that may shape cancer-related health behaviors, and its impact may vary by race/ethnicity.