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Investigating Racial Disparities in Cancer Crowdfunding: A Comprehensive Study of Medical GoFundMe Campaigns
Xupin Zhang1, Jingjing Wang1, Jamil M Lane2
1School of Economics and Management, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|December 12, 2023
Summary
Racial disparities exist in cancer crowdfunding, with White individuals receiving higher average donations than Black individuals. Addressing implicit bias and promoting fairness are crucial for equitable health care financing.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Health Economics
- Computational Social Science
Background:
- Growing concern regarding prejudice in crowdfunding, particularly in medical contexts.
- Limited empirical research on racial disparities in medical crowdfunding.
- Focus on cancer crowdfunding on the GoFundMe platform to address racial bias.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate racial disparities in cancer crowdfunding outcomes.
- Analyze average donation amount, number of donations, and campaign success rates.
- Examine the influence of racial identity on donor behavior and crowdfunding performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a dataset of 104,809 US-based cancer crowdfunding campaigns.
- Employed DeepFace facial recognition technology to identify racial identities.
- Applied regression models and 2-tailed t tests to analyze racial factors and anonymity effects, with P<.001 significance.
Main Results:
- Racial identity significantly predicted average donations (P<.001), suggesting implicit bias.
- White individuals received 17.68% more in average donations than Black individuals.
- Campaign success rates (11.77%) were significantly associated with race (P<.001); racial anonymity showed a marginal increase in donations.
Conclusions:
- Racial identity, geographic context, and implicit bias significantly impact cancer crowdfunding.
- Strategies like racial anonymity and strong evidence of deservingness may promote fairness.
- Broader societal changes are needed to address financial distress driving crowdfunding.
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