WIP 78 - Perceived Discrimination Among Multiracial Children in the United States in the ABCD Longitudinal Cohort Study

Poster Number: WIP 78
Publication Number: WIP 78.937

Background: The Multiracial population, defined as having parents of two or more racial groups, is a fast-growing demographic in the US, increasing from 2.9% of the population in 2010 to 10.2% in 2020. Perceived discrimination is known to adversely affect mental and physical health outcomes, however there is little information about how multiracial children are affected and studies do not consistently disaggregate the multiracial groups. Childhood is a time of significant racial and ethnic identity formation which is related to both perceived discrimination and future health outcomes.

Objective: This study will examine the prevalence of perceived discrimination and the relationship between multiracial identification and perceived discrimination among multiracial children within the ABCD study population.

Design/Methods: The ABCD Study is a longitudinal cohort study of brain development and child health that includes data from children and their parents (school-based, weighted to match the US demographic profile). Baseline data was collected from 2016 – 2018 from 11,878 children ages 9-10 across 21 research sites. The central Institutional Review Board at the University of California, San Diego approved the research protocol.

Children’s race/ethnicity were classified by primary caregivers who had the option to choose multiple racial subgroups. Childrens’ experiences of discrimination will be examined using a Perceived Discrimination Scale (PDS) and identity will be examined using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure- Revised (MEIM-R).

The frequencies and distribution of race/ethnicity responses within the multiracial cohort will determine the disaggregated groups for analysis (e.g. Korean/White, Black/White). Frequencies of PDS scores will be reported for the multiracial groups and their monoracial peers and will be compared using bivariate analyses. Multivariable analyses will assess the relationship between experiences of discrimination, and race/ethnicity, MEIM-R, and demographics (gender, location, household income). The data analysis will be completed before April 1, 2024.