Racism and racial iniquities in poor self-rated health: the role of intergenerational social mobility in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Blacks and Browns have major health disadvantages, are less likely to rise in the social hierarchy throughout the course of life, and pertain to lower socioeconomic levels than Whites as a result of structural racism. However, little is known about the mediating role of intergenerational mobility in the association between race/skin color and health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between racism and self-rated health and to verify to what extent intergenerational social mobility mediates this association. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with data from 14,386 participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline (2008-2010). Maternal education, education of the participant, socio-occupational class of the head of household, and socio-occupational class of the participant were used in the indicators of intergenerational social mobility (educational and socio-occupational). Logistic regression models were used. The prevalence of poor self-rated health was 15%, 24%, and 28% among Whites, Browns, and Blacks, respectively. After adjustments for age, sex, and research center, greater chances of poor self-rated health were found among Blacks (OR = 2.15; 95%CI: 1.92-2.41) and Browns (OR = 1.82; 95%CI: 1.64-2.01) when compared to Whites. Intergenerational educational and socio-occupational mobility mediated, respectively, 66% and 53% of the association between race/color and poor self-rated health in Blacks, and 61% and 51% in Browns, respectively. Results confirm racial iniquity in self-rated health and point out that unfavorable intergenerational social mobility is an important mechanism to explain this iniquity.