Caregiver experiences of racism are associated with adverse health outcomes for their children: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the New Zealand Health Survey

The study aimed to investigate the association between caregiver experiences of racial discrimination and physical and emotional health outcomes for their children and to explore potential pathway variables in this relation. We analysed data from two instances of the New Zealand Health Survey that provide nationally representative data for children and adults, with high response rates for each of the major ethnic groupings (Indigenous Maori, Pacific, Asian, and European/Other). Questionnaires from the primary caregiver and their child (5 to 14 years) were linked to create n = 2,958 child-primary caregiver dyads in the 2006/07 Survey and n = 2,632 dyads in the 2011/12 Survey. Children whose caregivers reported any experience of racial discrimination had poorer mental health, self-esteem, and behaviour scores on the CHQ PF-28 scale, even after adjustment for caregiver sociodemographic variables. Multivariable models identified a worsening in child emotional health as the number of reported racism experiences increased. Caregiver experiences of racism were not associated with medicated asthma in their children. Multivariable models suggest that caregiver psychological distress may be a pathway linking vicarious racism to poorer child emotional health.