251 - Colorblind Racial Attitudes in Pediatricians Versus Non-Pediatric Specialties and Attitudes on Implementing Anti-Racism Efforts in Medicine

Poster Number: 251
Publication Number: 251.1097

Background: Systemic racism is embedded within the United States (US) healthcare system, driving racial and ethnic health disparities, and physicians’ attitudes toward racism may support or hinder antiracism efforts within medicine. Colorblind racial ideology (CBRI) is defined as the denial and minimization of racism in society. Emerging evidence suggests that physicians holding CBRI are more likely to practice race-based medicine. This is especially relevant in light of the AAP policy statement on the need to eliminate race-based medicine in pediatrics as a mechanism towards antiracism. Although nascent evidence exists characterizing the negative influence of physicians’ CBRI on antiracism efforts, there remains a dearth of scholarship about this topic. Therefore, more research is needed to elucidate the role of physician-held CBRI on progress toward antiracism in medicine.

Objective: The objective of this study was to 1) measure CBRI in pediatricians compared to non-pediatric physicians and 2) examine the association between physicians’ CBRI and attitudes about implementing antiracism efforts in medicine.

Design/Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from March to August of 2023 among physicians who are currently practicing medicine in the US. We collected key demographics, including medical specialty. We also measured CBRI with the validated Colorblind Racial Attitudes Scale (COBRAS), which assesses respondent’s total colorblindness, and includes three subscales measuring unawareness of racial privilege (URP), unawareness of institutional discrimination (UID) and unawareness of blatant racial issues (UBRI). We additionally gauged agreement with implementing antiracism efforts in medicine. Univariate statistics, correlations, and multivariable linear regressions analyzed the data.

Results: We collected 254 responses. Most respondents were below age 50, identified as Female/Woman, and White (See Table 1). Respondents working in a non-pediatric specialty had higher levels of colorblindness with a higher total COBRAS score and higher scores of URP, UID, and UBRI compared to pediatricians (See Table 2). Greater agreement with implementing antiracism efforts in medicine was significantly correlated with lower scores across all 4 scales measuring colorblindness (See Table 3), and with a lower total COBRAS score (β = -51.2, p < 0.001).

Conclusion(s): We found that physicians who agree with implementing antiracism efforts in medicine are less likely to hold CBRI. Future interventions on decreasing CBRI held by physicians could potentially move antiracism forward in medicine.