Day-to-day discrimination and health among Asian Indians: A population-based study of Gujarati men and women in Metropolitan Detroit Mieko Yoshihama · Deborah Bybee · Juliane Blazevski Received: March 15, 2010 / Accepted: August 6, 2011 / Published online: September 29, 2011 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 Abstract This study examined the relationship between experiences of day-to-day discrimination and two measures of health among Gujaratis, one of the largest ethnic groups of Asian Indians in the U.S. Data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews with a random sample of Gujarati men and women aged 18–64 in Metropolitan Detroit (N = 423). Using structural equation modeling, we tested two gender-moderated models of the relationship between day-to-day discrimination and health, one using the single-item general health status and the other using the 4-item emotional wellbeing measure. For both women and men, controlling for socio-demographic and other relevant characteristics, the experience of day-to- day discrimination was associated with worse emotional wellbeing. However, day-to-day discrimination was asso- ciated with the single-item self-rated general health status only for men. This study identified not only gender dif- ferences in discrimination-health associations but also the importance of using multiple questions in assessing per- ceived health status. Keywords Discrimination · Self-rated health · Asian Indian · Gender · Structural equation modeling Introduction Accumulating empirical evidence suggests that day-to-day discriminatory treatment is prevalent in the lives of people in the U.S., and people of color in particular (Ahmed et al., 2007; Kessler et al., 1999; Krieger, 1999; Williams et al., 2003). Asians in the U.S. are not an exception (Cheryan & Monin, 2005; Gee et al., 2009; Wang & Kleiner, 2001). For example, 41.7% of respondents in one study reported hav- ing experienced day-to-day discrimination due to race/ ethnicity (Gee et al., 2008). Consistent with studies of other racial/ethnic groups (Finch et al., 2001; Kessler et al., 1999; Krieger, 1990; Lee & Ferraro, 2009; Schulz et al., 2002; Williams & Mohammed, 2009; Williams et al., 1997), studies of Asians in the U.S. have documented the negative impact of day-to-day discrimination on health conditions in general (Gee et al., 2006), chronic health conditions (Gee et al., 2007b; Yoo et al., 2009), psychological distress and mental health (Gee, 2002; Gee et al. 2007b; Mossakowski, 2003; Yip et al., 2008), and substance abuse (Chae et al., 2008a, b; Gee et al., 2007a). Studies of Asians in other countries (Asakura et al., 2008; Bhui et al., 2005; Harris et al., 2006; Noh et al., 2007), including those of South Asians in England and South Africa (Karlsen & Nazroo, 2002b; Williams et al., 2008), have also found a similar association. This study investigated the experience of dis- crimination and health among an Asian Indian group in Metropolitan Detroit, a rapidly growing, but understudied, population group. Discrimination involves differential treatment of mem- bers of certain groups (Ahmed et al., 2007; Krieger, 1999). Studies have fairly consistently found that, while overt dis- crimination such as being denied employment/promotion and being unfairly treated by the police is negatively asso- ciated with health outcomes, subtle forms of discrimination M. Yoshihama (&) · J. Blazevski School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106, USA e-mail: miekoy@umich.edu D. Bybee Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA 123 J Behav Med (2012) 35:471– 483 DOI 10.1007/s10865-011-9375-z