An Analysis Between Trump’s Presidency and Health-Seeking Behaviors of African Americans in the United States

ABSTRACT Background Slavery legally ended over 150 years ago, yet African Americans are still oppressed. The lingering effects of systemic and institutional racism are still present in all walks of life, especially in healthcare. As a result, Black patients have historically been less likely to seek preventative care and subsequently, reported lower health outcomes compared to their white counterparts. The election of Donald Trump in 2016 forced a shift in that narrative. This study aimed to investigate whether there was any correlation between changing racial preferences fueled by Trump’s racist rhetoric and the health-seeking behaviors of Black patients. Through this, we explored if the number of Black patients that reported not having a primary care physician has changed, and how online search history trends researching Black physicians have also changed. Methods This study utilized datasets from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and Google Trends. Pearson’s correlation testing was run to establish any correlation between the number of google searches and positive health-seeking behaviors. Results GoogleTrends data does support an increased popularity for the search term “black doctor near me” over the years of 2015-2018, supporting our hypothesis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine if race, among other variables, was a significant predictor for our predetermined health indicators. The results showed race was significant in nine out of our eleven health indicators. Discussion Despite decades of work to minimize healthcare disparities, this study has demonstrated how much more still needs to be done. It has shown how the intersection of seemingly unrelated issues, such as politics and health, as described in this study, can drastically impact health outcomes. This study highlights the importance of targeted and equitable programming to ensure quality care for all, that can withstand political and social pressures.