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Research links racism with poorer health and development in children – leading to long-term impact on their wellbeing.

Children's health and development is adversely affected by racism, says recent research from the ESRC International Centre for Lifecourse Studies at University College London. "There's now a compelling body of evidence linking racism with poorer health and development in children, something which has long-term implications for their wellbeing," says Professor Yvonne Kelly.

Researchers looked at the social, emotional and physical development of children and discovered links between the racism their parents experience and behavioural problems, poor performance on tests of cognitive ability and obesity. In the first study of its kind, researchers explored how mothers' experience of racism affected the physical and mental health of more than 2,000 five-year-olds in the Millennium Cohort Study.

Findings show that children with mothers who had experienced racism first-hand were around one and a half times more likely to be obese than children of mothers who had not. Children living in areas where the mothers described racism as common were more likely to have social and emotional difficulties and performed worse in tests.

"Racism needs to be firmly in the mix of priorities to tackle when policymakers are trying to ensure the health and happiness of the UK's children," Professor Kelly concludes.

Further information

This article was published in the Spring 2016 issue of the Society Now magazine.

• Child of our Time (project website)
• International Centre for Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health