Sociological research on segregation may help explain the higher prevalence of stress exposure among Blacks and American-born Hispanics (Williams et al., 2010). Because of segregation, the conditions under which Blacks and a growing number of Hispanics live are far worse than those of the rest of the population. For those residing in areas of concentrated disadvantage—marked by pathogenic physical and social conditions (e.g., extreme poverty and unemployment, pollution, deteriorating housing, violence) —multiple stressful encounters may be normative.
