Exploring Racial Disparities in Brazil: Associations between Partner’s Race, Gender, and Self-Rated Health Status

Maria Carolina Tomás, PUC MINAS
Victor Leocádio, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Ana Paula Verona, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais

We examine the differences in self-rated health status among individuals in interracial unions in Brazil, focusing on white, brown, and black individuals in comparison to those in endogamous. Utilizing data from the 2019 National Health Survey, we analyze samples of both women and men aged 20 to 34 who were married or cohabiting. We employ binary logistic models to investigate the association between an individual's race, their partner's race, interracial unions, and self-rated health. Our findings suggest no significant difference in self-rated health status between interracial and intraracial unions. However, the partner's race does influence an individual's self-rated health status, particularly when partnered with a white individual. Both females and males in relationships with white partners are more likely to rate their health positively compared to those partnered with browns and blacks. Additionally, we find no difference between intermarriage and racially endogamous unions among browns and blacks. This aligns with previous research in the United States by Miller and Kail (2016) and challenges the anticipated negative association between interracial relationships and self-rated health status. Overall, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of racial dynamics in Brazil and underscores the importance of considering race and partner's race in health analyses.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households, Health and Morbidity, Gender Dynamics, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

See paper.