Colorism as a Fundamental Cause of Inequalities in Health

One of the most influential theories guiding research on the social determinants of health is the theory that socioeconomic status (SES) is a fundamental cause of health inequalities. Nevertheless, the authors of that theory agree that SES is not the only fundamental cause of health worth considering. They, along with other researchers, have identified racism as another important fundamental cause of health inequalities that affects health: ( a ) through its link to SES; ( b ) through its association with flexible resources such as prestige (or status), freedom, and beneficial social connections; and, crucially, ( c ) how it affects multiple disease outcomes through multiple mechanisms above and beyond SES. We argue that colorism, which is a system of discrimination based on the lightness or darkness of one's skin color that is often obscured by or even conflated with racism, is also a fundamental cause of health inequalities for many of the same reasons that racism is. While there is still much to learn about colorism and health, as we acknowledge, there is still enough existing evidence to reasonably conclude that colorism, too, is a fundamental cause of health inequalities—and one that affects health above and beyond both SES and race/ethnicity.