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Everyday discrimination among middle-aged and older adults in India: a multilevel cross-sectional analysis from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India
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  • Published: 14 February 2026

Everyday discrimination among middle-aged and older adults in India: a multilevel cross-sectional analysis from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India

  • Ravi Sadhu1,
  • Soohyeon Ko1,
  • S. V. Subramanian1,2 &
  • …
  • Rockli Kim3,4 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Epidemiology
  • Risk factors

Abstract

Everyday discrimination (ED) has adverse effects on health and well-being. This study highlights understudied trends in the distribution, correlates, and geographic variation of ED among Indian adults aged 45 and above. The analysis of 61,722 participants in the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (2017-18) revealed significant state/union territory (UT)-level variation. While Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, and Lakshadweep had comparatively lower ED scores than the national average, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka had higher scores. Additionally, using multilevel negative binomial regression, we found that men, non-married adults, migrant residents, and adults in rural areas had higher ED rates. In general, with increases in education level and household monthly per capita income, there was a reduction in ED rates. Notably, adults with a functional disability (Incident Rate Ratio (IRR) = 1.43 [95% confidence interval: 1.32, 1.55]) and physical or mental impairment (IRR = 2.15 [1.88, 2.45]) had significantly higher ED rates than those without. We also partitioned the geographic variation in ED and found that more geographic variance was explained by the community (village/ward) level than by the state/UT level, accounting for roughly 60% and 40% of the variation across models, respectively. Our findings suggest that community-based contextual factors necessitate further research.

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Data availability

The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India dataset used to support the findings in this study can be accessed at [https://www.iipsindia.ac.in/content/LASI-data](https:/www.iipsindia.ac.in/content/LASI-data) .

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Funding

This work was in part supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, INV-002992. The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Ravi Sadhu, Soohyeon Ko & S. V. Subramanian

  2. Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, MA, USA

    S. V. Subramanian

  3. Division of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Rockli Kim

  4. Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Rockli Kim

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  1. Ravi Sadhu
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  2. Soohyeon Ko
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Contributions

RS: conceptualization, design, methodology, software, formal analysis, writing, and editing; SK: design, investigation, formal analysis, software, and editing; RK and SVS: conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and editing.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to S. V. Subramanian or Rockli Kim.

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Sadhu, R., Ko, S., Subramanian, S.V. et al. Everyday discrimination among middle-aged and older adults in India: a multilevel cross-sectional analysis from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37790-7

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  • Received: 10 October 2024

  • Accepted: 27 January 2026

  • Published: 14 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37790-7

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Keywords

  • Everyday discrimination
  • Geographic variation
  • Correlates
  • Multilevel
  • Adults
  • India
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