Racial and ethnic differences in health: how can we better study them?

Race and ethnicity are commonly examined variables in health research. However, racial and ethnic disparities in health and the systemic mechanisms that generate them remain insufficiently understood. As a result, efforts to reduce these inequalities remain fragmented, and progress toward health equity has been limited. In this article, we discuss four problems that continue to constrain research on and efforts to address racial and ethnic health inequalities: (1) conceptual ambiguity, or inconsistent use of racial and ethnic categories; (2) binary and White-referent logic, which normalizes whiteness and western perspectives; (3) majority-centred health outcomes, which privilege dominant perspectives of health, and (4) Black-box mechanisms, where differences are described but not well explained. We use articles in Ethnic and Racial Studies to illustrate how these problems manifest in published research. Finally, we outline pathways to advance research on race and ethnicity and their relationships to health and broader social outcomes.