Study: More Effort Needed to Improve Use of Race in Pediatric Journal Literature but Strides Are Noted Over 75-year History

Race-based medicine, which falsely assumes that race is biological, is common in published medical literature. A study, “Trends in the Use and Discussion of Race in Pediatrics Articles Over 75 Years,” analyzed trends in the use of race in the journal Pediatrics published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The study, published in the April 2024 Pediatrics, sampled 375 articles published over the past 75 years and found 39% (n=147) included race. Among the sampled articles, 85% (n=116) used race only to describe study subjects; 7% (n=9) described race as a social construct; and 11% (n=15) described race as a biological construct. Only 7% (n=10) of studies provided a reason for including race. Statements that could be interpreted as reflecting racial bias or discrimination were identified in 22% (n=30) of the articles that mentioned race.  The authors observe that the description of race as a biological variable in the medical literature perpetuates and exacerbates inequities in healthcare delivery and health outcomes. They found that, while there has been improvement over the past 75 years in the reporting of race in published studies in Pediatrics, significant opportunities for further improvement remain. 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.