Stressing in : a sociological examination of discrimination and health of racial and ethnic minority groups.

The significance of the perceived discrimination and its association with health and has been receiving more and more attention over the years. Existing literature suggests discriminatory events can affect the health in a variety of ways. In this dissertation, I use multiple datasets in order to: 1) describe the demographic breakdown of those that experience major discrimination events and the associations with functional health, 2) examine the gender disparities in the associations between discrimination and self-rated health, 3) examine the relationship of everyday discrimination with obesity among three racially/ethnically diverse cohorts of women, and 4) examine the role that social support through attendance at religious services, can play in potentially buffering the effects of discrimination on obesity. The results from these analyses will allow researchers, counselors, and medical professionals to better understand the complex roles that social phenomenon play in the health of Americans.