ArticlePloS one2020
Genetic ancestry, skin color and social attainment: The four cities study.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Is pharmacogenetics being racialized? An investigation into the reinscription of racial beliefs in modern biomedicine.Theoretical medicine and bioethics · 2025Article
- Patterns of US citizenship status vs. diet quality among adults of African descent.BMC nutrition · 2025Article
- Validating the Black Identity, Hair Product Use, and Breast Cancer Scale (BHBS) Among Black Breast Cancer Survivors.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Stroke Experiences and Unmet Needs of Individuals of African Descent Living in High-Income Economy Countries: a Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2024Review
- The immunogenetics of tuberculosis (TB) susceptibility.Immunogenetics · 2023Review
- Cardiologists' Perspectives on BiDil and the Use of Race in Drug Prescribing.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2022Article
- Relative impact of genetic ancestry and neighborhood socioeconomic status on all-cause mortality in self-identified African Americans.PloS one · 2022Article
- Reframing racial and ethnic disparities in atopic dermatitis in Black and Latinx populations.The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology · 2021Review
- Benign ethnic neutropenia: an analysis of prevalence, timing and identification accuracy in two large inner-city NHS hospitals.BMC psychiatry · 2021Observational
- Reply to Non and Chang: Challenging the Role of Genetic Ancestry in Explaining Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2021Article
- Genetic loci associated with skin pigmentation in African Americans and their effects on vitamin D deficiency.PLoS genetics · 2021Article
- Genetic Contributions to Prostate Cancer Disparities in Men of West African Descent.Frontiers in oncology · 2021Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionThe Black population in the US is heterogeneous but is often treated as monolithic in research, with skin pigmentation being the primary indicator of racial classification. Objective: This paper examines the differences among Blacks by comparing genetic ancestry, skin color and social attainment of 259 residents across four US cities-Norman, Oklahoma; Cincinnati, Ohio; Harlem, New York; and Washington, District of Columbia.
methodsParticipants were recruited between 2004 and 2006 at community-based forums. Cross-sectional data were analyzed using chi-square tests, correlation analyses and logistic regression.
resultsThere were variations in ancestry, melanin index and social attainment across some cities. Overall, men with darker skin color, and women with lighter skin color were significantly more likely to be married. Darker skin individuals with significantly more West African ancestry reported attainment of graduate degrees, and professional occupations than lighter skin individuals.
conclusionsOur findings suggest differences in skin pigmentation by geography and support regional variations in ancestry of US Blacks. Biomedical research should consider genetic ancestry and local historical/social context rather than relying solely on skin pigmentation as a proxy for race.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.