Comparison of knowledge and attitudes toward cancer among African Americans

PubMed Central

Thurman, Natalie; Ragin, Camille; Heron, Dwight E; Alford, Renae J; Andraos-Selim, Cecile; Bondzi, Cornelius; Butcher, Jamila A; Coleman, Jamison C; Glass, Charity; Klewien, Barbara; Minor, Aerie T; Williams, Diana J; Taioli, Emanuela

2009-01-01

Background It has been noted that the African American population in the U.S. bears disproportionately higher cancer morbidity and mortality rates than any racial and ethnic group for most major cancers. Many studies also document that decreased longevity is associated with low educational attainment and other markers of low socioeconomic status (SES), both of which are prevalent in African American communities across the nation. Evidence suggests that this phenomenon may be due to attitudes that reflect a lack of knowledge surrounding facts about cancer awareness and prevention. This study was designed to yield data concerning the general population's attitudes toward cancer, taking into consideration racial and/or socioeconomic differences in the population studied. Results Two hundred and fifteen subjects participated in the survey, of which 74% (159/215) defined themselves as African-American, 20% were White, and 6% were of other races. While only 38% of the study population was able to identify at least 5 risk factors associated with cancer, a lower proportion of African Americans identified at least 5 risk factors than whites (34% vs. 53%, p = 0.03). In addition, a slightly higher percentage of African Americans (10%) were not aware of the definition of a clinical trial when compared to whites (8%, p > 0.1). Of those aware of the definition of a clinical trial, African Americans were more reluctant to participate in clinical trials, with 53% answering no to participation compared to 15% of whites (p = 0.002). Conclusion When comparing results to a similar study conducted in 1981, a slight increase in cancer knowledge in the African American population was observed. Our results suggest that while knowledge of cancer facts has increased over the years amongst the general population, African Americans and lower income populations are still behind. This may affect their risk profile and cancer early detection. PMID:19208206

The Impact of Al-Islam on the African American Population.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lumumba, Hakeem

2003-01-01

This article explores different aspects of the Islamic religion, or Al-Islam, including the beliefs and religious practices of Muslims; the historical relationship among Africa, African Americans, and Al-Islam; and the current and future implications for African Americans. (Contains 25 references.) (GCP)

HIV/AIDS among African Americans: progress or progression?

PubMed

Smith, D K; Gwinn, M; Selik, R M; Miller, K S; Dean-Gaitor, H; Ma'at, P I; De Cock, K M; Gayle, H D

2000-06-16

To review data on the extent of HIV infection and associated risk behaviors, the occurrence of AIDS, and HIV-related mortality in African Americans and to suggest what can be done to reduce HIV exposure and infection in this population. Review of epidemiologic, published, multisite data on HIV infection in, and related behaviors of, African Americans. On every epidemiologic measure in common use, African Americans, compared with the four other federally recognized racial/ethnic groups, have the most severe epidemic. The trend data show continuing growth in the African American epidemic despite the availability of effective behavioral interventions and biomedical treatments. Few published intervention studies with African American populations have been adequately evaluated; nor have they focused proportionately on men who have sex with men, a group in the African American community with continuing high rates of infection. Rates of HIV transmission and disease among African Americans are high, disproportionate, and are not declining as significantly in response to effective interventions as they are among whites. Attention is urgently needed to increase our understanding of risk behaviors, social networks, and specific factors in the African American community that can be altered to reduce HIV infection. Macroenvironmental factors--poverty, social class, racism--need to be studied to suggest possible intervention components to reduce rates of HIV transmission and to increase the use of therapies that are more effectively slowing disease progression and lowering death rates among whites.

The Teacher-Student Interactions and Academic Achievement of African American and African Immigrant Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussein, Hassen

2017-01-01

This quantitative survey questionnaires study compared the teacher-student interactions (TSI) and academic achievement of African-American and African immigrant undergraduate males. The academic achievement gap between different population groups provided the impetus for the study. While African Americans have been described as under-achievers in…

African American Males. A Critical Link in the African American Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Dionne J., Ed.

African Americans are experiencing extreme stress in the United States, and African-American males appear to suffer the most. The chapters in this volume examine some of the issues confronting African-American men today. They include: (1) "Introduction" (Dionne J. Jones); (2) "Reaffirming Young African American Males: Mentoring and…

African Ancestry and Its Correlation to Type 2 Diabetes in African Americans: A Genetic Admixture Analysis in Three U.S. Population Cohorts

PubMed Central

Cheng, Ching-Yu; Reich, David; Haiman, Christopher A.; Tandon, Arti; Patterson, Nick; Elizabeth, Selvin; Akylbekova, Ermeg L.; Brancati, Frederick L.; Coresh, Josef; Boerwinkle, Eric; Altshuler, David; Taylor, Herman A.; Henderson, Brian E.; Wilson, James G.; Kao, W. H. Linda

2012-01-01

The risk of type 2 diabetes is approximately 2-fold higher in African Americans than in European Americans even after adjusting for known environmental risk factors, including socioeconomic status (SES), suggesting that genetic factors may explain some of this population difference in disease risk. However, relatively few genetic studies have examined this hypothesis in a large sample of African Americans with and without diabetes. Therefore, we performed an admixture analysis using 2,189 ancestry-informative markers in 7,021 African Americans (2,373 with type 2 diabetes and 4,648 without) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, the Jackson Heart Study, and the Multiethnic Cohort to 1) determine the association of type 2 diabetes and its related quantitative traits with African ancestry controlling for measures of SES and 2) identify genetic loci for type 2 diabetes through a genome-wide admixture mapping scan. The median percentage of African ancestry of diabetic participants was slightly greater than that of non-diabetic participants (study-adjusted difference = 1.6%, P<0.001). The odds ratio for diabetes comparing participants in the highest vs. lowest tertile of African ancestry was 1.33 (95% confidence interval 1.13–1.55), after adjustment for age, sex, study, body mass index (BMI), and SES. Admixture scans identified two potential loci for diabetes at 12p13.31 (LOD = 4.0) and 13q14.3 (Z score = 4.5, P = 6.6×10−6). In conclusion, genetic ancestry has a significant association with type 2 diabetes above and beyond its association with non-genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes in African Americans, but no single gene with a major effect is sufficient to explain a large portion of the observed population difference in risk of diabetes. There undoubtedly is a complex interplay among specific genetic loci and non-genetic factors, which may both be associated with overall admixture, leading to the observed ethnic differences in

Genetic susceptibility loci for subtypes of breast cancer in an African American population

PubMed Central

Palmer, Julie R.; Ruiz-Narvaez, Edward A.; Rotimi, Charles N.; Cupples, L. Adrienne; Cozier, Yvette C.; Adams-Campbell, Lucile L.; Rosenberg, Lynn

2012-01-01

Background Most genome-wide association scans (GWAS) have been carried out in European ancestry populations; no risk variants for breast cancer have been identified solely from African ancestry GWAS data. Few GWAS hits have replicated in African ancestry populations. Methods In a nested case-control study of breast cancer in the Black Women’s Health Study (1,199 cases/1,948 controls), we evaluated index SNPs in 21 loci from GWAS of European or Asian ancestry populations, overall, in subtypes defined by estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor status (ER+/PR+, n=336; ER−/PR−, n=229), and in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC, N=81). To evaluate the contribution of genetic factors to population differences in breast cancer subtype, we also examined global percent African ancestry. Results Index SNPs in five loci were replicated, including three associated with ER−/PR− breast cancer (TERT rs10069690 in 5p15.33, rs704010 in 10q22.3, and rs8170 in 19p13.11): per allele odds ratios were 1.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.59), p=0.02, 1.52 (95% CI 1.12–2.08), p=0.01, and 1.30 (95% CI 1.01–1.68), p=0.04, respectively. Stronger associations were observed for TNBC. Furthermore, cases in the highest quintile of percent African ancestry were three times more likely to have TNBC than ER+/PR+ cancer. Conclusions These findings provide the first confirmation of the TNBC SNP rs8170 in an African ancestry population, and independent confirmation of the TERT ER− SNP. Further, the risk of developing ER− breast cancer, particularly TNBC, increased with increasing proportion of global African ancestry. Impact The findings demonstrate the importance of genetic factors in the disproportionately high occurrence of TNBC in African American women. PMID:23136140

Cardiovascular Health in African Americans: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

PubMed

Carnethon, Mercedes R; Pu, Jia; Howard, George; Albert, Michelle A; Anderson, Cheryl A M; Bertoni, Alain G; Mujahid, Mahasin S; Palaniappan, Latha; Taylor, Herman A; Willis, Monte; Yancy, Clyde W

2017-11-21

Population-wide reductions in cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality have not been shared equally by African Americans. The burden of cardiovascular disease in the African American community remains high and is a primary cause of disparities in life expectancy between African Americans and whites. The objectives of the present scientific statement are to describe cardiovascular health in African Americans and to highlight unique considerations for disease prevention and management. The primary sources of information were identified with PubMed/Medline and online sources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The higher prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors (eg, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk) underlies the relatively earlier age of onset of cardiovascular diseases among African Americans. Hypertension in particular is highly prevalent among African Americans and contributes directly to the notable disparities in stroke, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease among African Americans. Despite the availability of effective pharmacotherapies and indications for some tailored pharmacotherapies for African Americans (eg, heart failure medications), disease management is less effective among African Americans, yielding higher mortality. Explanations for these persistent disparities in cardiovascular disease are multifactorial and span from the individual level to the social environment. The strategies needed to promote equity in the cardiovascular health of African Americans require input from a broad set of stakeholders, including clinicians and researchers from across multiple disciplines. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

FTO Genetic Variation and Association With Obesity in West Africans and African Americans

PubMed Central

Adeyemo, Adebowale; Chen, Guanjie; Zhou, Jie; Shriner, Daniel; Doumatey, Ayo; Huang, Hanxia; Rotimi, Charles

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE The FTO gene is one of the most consistently replicated loci for obesity. However, data from populations of African ancestry are limited. We evaluated genetic variation in the FTO gene and investigated associations with obesity in West Africans and African Americans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study samples comprised 968 African Americans (59% female, mean age 49 years, mean BMI 30.8 kg/m2) and 517 West Africans (58% female, mean age 54 years, mean BMI 25.5 kg/m2). FTO genetic variation was evaluated by genotyping 262 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the entire gene. Association of each SNP with BMI, waist circumference, and percent fat mass was investigated under an additive model. RESULTS As expected, both African-ancestry samples showed weaker linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns compared with other continental (e.g., European) populations. Several intron 8 SNPs, in addition to intron 1 SNPs, showed significant associations in both study samples. The combined effect size for BMI for the top SNPs from meta-analysis was 0.77 kg/m2 (P = 0.009, rs9932411) and 0.70 kg/m2 (P = 0.006, rs7191513). Two previously reported associations with intron 1 SNPs (rs1121980 and rs7204609, r2 = 0.001) were replicated among the West Africans. CONCLUSIONS The FTO gene shows significant differences in allele frequency and LD patterns in populations of African ancestry compared with other continental populations. Despite these differences, we observed evidence of associations with obesity in African Americans and West Africans, as well as evidence of heterogeneity in association. More studies of FTO in multiple ethnic groups are needed. PMID:20299471

Eliminating health disparities in the African American population: the interface of culture, gender, and power.

PubMed

Airhihenbuwa, Collins O; Liburd, Leandris

2006-08-01

Since the release of former Secretary Margaret Heckler's Secretary's Task Force Report on Black and Minority Health more than two decades ago, excess death from chronic diseases and other conditions between African Americans and Whites have increased. The conclusion of that report emphasized excess death and thus clinical care, paying little attention to the sociocultural environment and its effects on risk of disease. The authors of this article contend that eliminating health disparities between the African American and White populations in the United States requires a focus on improving the social environment of African Americans. They examine the interface of culture, gender, and power and how those are central to analysis of the root causes of health disparities. The REACH 2010 project of the Centers for Disease Control offers examples on how a coalition of community and research organizations can infuse community interventions with informed considerations of culture, gender, and power to eliminate health disparities.

Survival Disparity of African American Versus Non-African American Patients With ESRD Due to SLE.

PubMed

Nee, Robert; Martinez-Osorio, Jorge; Yuan, Christina M; Little, Dustin J; Watson, Maura A; Agodoa, Lawrence; Abbott, Kevin C

2015-10-01

surrogate for patient income. Residual socioeconomic confounders may exist. African Americans are at significantly increased risk of death compared with non-African Americans with LN-caused ESRD at age 18 to 40 years, a racial disparity risk that is 10 years longer than that in the general ESRD population. Accounting for area-level median household income and transplantation significantly attenuated the disparity in mortality of African American versus non-African American patients with LN-caused ESRD. Published by Elsevier Inc.

HIV health crisis and African Americans: a cultural perspective.

PubMed

Plowden, K; Miller, J L; James, T

2000-01-01

While incidence of new HIV infections have decreased in the overall population, the numbers continue to rise in African-Americans creating a serious health emergency. Studies seem to imply that part of the rise is due to HIV beliefs and high risk behaviors among African Americans. Due to certain societal factors, African Americans appear to be at greater risk for contracting the virus. This article will examine these critical social factors and their impact on this current state of emergency in the African American community using Leininger's theory of Culture Care and Universality. Implications for health providers are also addressed.

Characterizing the learning styles and testing the science-related attitudes of African American middle school students: Implications for the underrepresentation of African Americans in the sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perine, Donald Ray

African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and women are underrepresented among the population of scientists and science teachers in the United States. Specifically, the shortage of African Americans teaching math and science at all levels of the educational process and going into the many science-related fields is manifested throughout the entire educational and career structure of our society. This shortage exists when compared to the total population of African Americans in this country, the population of African American students, and to society's demand for more math and science teachers and professionals of all races. One suggestion to address this problem is to update curricular and instructional programs to accommodate the learning styles of African Americans from elementary to graduate school. There is little in the published literature to help us understand the learning styles of African American middle school students and how they compare to African American adults who pursue science careers. There is also little published data to help inform us about the relationship between learning styles of African American middle school students and their attitudes toward science. The author used a learning styles inventory instrument to identify the learning style preferences of the African American students and adults. The preferences identified describe how African American students and African American adult science professionals prefer to function, learn, concentrate, and perform in their educational and work activities in the areas of: (a) immediate environment, (b) emotionality, (c) sociological needs, and (d) physical needs. The learning style preferences for the students and adults were not significantly different in key areas of preference. A Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA) was used to measure seven distinct science-related attitudes of the middle school students. A comparison of the profile of the mean scores for the students in this study

[Gene geography of Chile: regional distribution of American, European and African genetic contributions].

PubMed

Fuentes, Macarena; Pulgar, Iván; Gallo, Carla; Bortolini, María-Cátira; Canizales-Quinteros, Samuel; Bedoya, Gabriel; González-José, Rolando; Ruiz-Linares, Andrés; Rothhammer, Francisco

2014-03-01

The geographical distribution of genes plays a key role in genetic epidemiology. The Chilean population has three major stem groups (Native American, European and African). To estimate the regional rate of American, European and African admixture of the Chilean population. Forty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP´s) which exhibit substantially different frequencies between Amerindian populations (ancestry-informative markers or AIM´s), were genotyped in a sample of 923 Chilean participants to estimate individual genetic ancestry. The American, European and African individual average admixture estimates for the 15 Chilean Regions were relatively homogeneous and not statistically different. However, higher American components were found in northern and southern Chile and higher European components were found in central Chile. A negative correlation between African admixture and latitude was observed. On the average, American and European genetic contributions were similar and significantly higher than the African contribution. Weighted mean American, European and African genetic contributions of 44.34% ± 3 9%, 51.85% ± 5.44% and 3.81% ± 0.45%, were estimated. Fifty two percent of subjects harbor African genes. Individuals with Aymara and Mapuche surnames have an American admixture of 58.64% and 68.33%, respectively. Half of the Chilean population harbors African genes. Participants with Aymara and Mapuche surnames had a higher American genetic contribution than the general Chilean population. These results confirm the usefulness of surnames as a first approximation to determine genetic ancestry.

Long-Term Breastfeeding in African American Mothers.

PubMed

Gross, Tyra Toston; Davis, Marsha; Anderson, Alex K; Hall, Jori; Hilyard, Karen

2017-02-01

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39.1% of African American infants are breastfed at 6 months. However, few studies have explored the breastfeeding experiences of African American women who successfully breastfeed to 6 months or longer durations. Research aim: The goal of this qualitative study was to explore the long-term breastfeeding experiences of low-income African American women using the positive deviance approach. African American women with breastfeeding experience were recruited through Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) breastfeeding peer counselors. Eligibility criteria included being age 18 or older, currently participating in WIC, and having breastfed one child for at least 6 months in the past 2 years. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. Transcripts were then analyzed for emerging themes using thematic analysis in NVivo software. Participants had on average three children each, with an average length of breastfeeding of 10.5 months per child. Four main themes developed: (a) deciding to breastfeed, (b) initiating breastfeeding, (c) breastfeeding long-term, and (d) expanding breastfeeding support. Participants offered culturally tailored suggestions to improve breastfeeding support for other African American women: prenatal discussions of breastfeeding with health care providers, African American lactation support personnel and breastfeeding support groups, and African American breastfeeding promotion in print and digital media. Women who participated in this study breastfed for longer durations than the national average for African Americans. Findings can inform practice and research efforts to improve breastfeeding rates in this population using lessons learned from successful women.

Fine-mapping and initial characterization of QT interval loci in African Americans.

PubMed

Avery, Christy L; Sethupathy, Praveen; Buyske, Steven; He, Qianchuan; Lin, Dan-Yu; Arking, Dan E; Carty, Cara L; Duggan, David; Fesinmeyer, Megan D; Hindorff, Lucia A; Jeff, Janina M; Klein, Liviu; Patton, Kristen K; Peters, Ulrike; Shohet, Ralph V; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Young, Alicia M; Kooperberg, Charles; Haiman, Christopher A; Mohlke, Karen L; Whitsel, Eric A; North, Kari E

2012-01-01

The QT interval (QT) is heritable and its prolongation is a risk factor for ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death. Most genetic studies of QT have examined European ancestral populations; however, the increased genetic diversity in African Americans provides opportunities to narrow association signals and identify population-specific variants. We therefore evaluated 6,670 SNPs spanning eleven previously identified QT loci in 8,644 African American participants from two Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) studies: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study and Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial. Of the fifteen known independent QT variants at the eleven previously identified loci, six were significantly associated with QT in African American populations (P≤1.20×10(-4)): ATP1B1, PLN1, KCNQ1, NDRG4, and two NOS1AP independent signals. We also identified three population-specific signals significantly associated with QT in African Americans (P≤1.37×10(-5)): one at NOS1AP and two at ATP1B1. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns in African Americans assisted in narrowing the region likely to contain the functional variants for several loci. For example, African American LD patterns showed that 0 SNPs were in LD with NOS1AP signal rs12143842, compared with European LD patterns that indicated 87 SNPs, which spanned 114.2 Kb, were in LD with rs12143842. Finally, bioinformatic-based characterization of the nine African American signals pointed to functional candidates located exclusively within non-coding regions, including predicted binding sites for transcription factors such as TBX5, which has been implicated in cardiac structure and conductance. In this detailed evaluation of QT loci, we identified several African Americans SNPs that better define the association with QT and successfully narrowed intervals surrounding established loci. These results demonstrate that the same loci influence variation in QT across multiple

Fine-Mapping and Initial Characterization of QT Interval Loci in African Americans

PubMed Central

Avery, Christy L.; Sethupathy, Praveen; Buyske, Steven; He, Qianchuan; Lin, Dan-Yu; Arking, Dan E.; Carty, Cara L.; Duggan, David; Fesinmeyer, Megan D.; Hindorff, Lucia A.; Jeff, Janina M.; Klein, Liviu; Patton, Kristen K.; Peters, Ulrike; Shohet, Ralph V.; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Young, Alicia M.; Kooperberg, Charles; Haiman, Christopher A.; Mohlke, Karen L.; Whitsel, Eric A.; North, Kari E.

2012-01-01

The QT interval (QT) is heritable and its prolongation is a risk factor for ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death. Most genetic studies of QT have examined European ancestral populations; however, the increased genetic diversity in African Americans provides opportunities to narrow association signals and identify population-specific variants. We therefore evaluated 6,670 SNPs spanning eleven previously identified QT loci in 8,644 African American participants from two Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) studies: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study and Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial. Of the fifteen known independent QT variants at the eleven previously identified loci, six were significantly associated with QT in African American populations (P≤1.20×10−4): ATP1B1, PLN1, KCNQ1, NDRG4, and two NOS1AP independent signals. We also identified three population-specific signals significantly associated with QT in African Americans (P≤1.37×10−5): one at NOS1AP and two at ATP1B1. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns in African Americans assisted in narrowing the region likely to contain the functional variants for several loci. For example, African American LD patterns showed that 0 SNPs were in LD with NOS1AP signal rs12143842, compared with European LD patterns that indicated 87 SNPs, which spanned 114.2 Kb, were in LD with rs12143842. Finally, bioinformatic-based characterization of the nine African American signals pointed to functional candidates located exclusively within non-coding regions, including predicted binding sites for transcription factors such as TBX5, which has been implicated in cardiac structure and conductance. In this detailed evaluation of QT loci, we identified several African Americans SNPs that better define the association with QT and successfully narrowed intervals surrounding established loci. These results demonstrate that the same loci influence variation in QT across multiple

Church and spirituality in the lives of the African American community.

PubMed

Giger, Joyce Newman; Appel, Susan J; Davidhizar, Ruth; Davis, Claudia

2008-10-01

The African American church is held in the highest esteem by most African Americans. Although the influence of the African American church has been underestimated by physicians and nurses, it could be pivotal in optimizing health status among African Americans. Because of this influence, health care practitioners, including nurses, are now recognizing the important role that the African American church plays in improving the health status of individuals in the African American community. This article illuminates the health and health care concerns of the African American community by considering the traditional lack of equal access for this population and the role that the church can play in not only offering church-based health care services but also improving the health status of church congregations. Future roles of the African American church for improved health status are also suggested.

Recruitment of a hidden population: African Americans with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Williams, Monnica T; Proetto, Dante; Casiano, Delane; Franklin, Martin E

2012-01-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, however for reasons that are poorly understood ethnic minority groups are not well represented in clinical research studies. Thus, although African Americans experience equivalent rates of OCD according to epidemiological surveys, the generalizability of findings from clinical trials remains unknown. Research designed to improve identification, assessment and treatment of OCD is an important public health priority. The purpose of this study is to report outreach methods used to recruit African American adults for participation in an OCD research study. A variety of methods were employed, including radio advertisements, public transportation advertising, community outreach, and online advertising. A total of 83 African American adult participants were recruited over a 9.5 month period at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and given comprehensive psychiatric assessments. African Americans with OCD symptoms were reliably identified and assessed, for a total of 75 with lifetime OCD (4 past and 71 current diagnoses). There was variability in the success and cost effectiveness of study recruitment methods. Radio ads were the most expensive means of recruitment, newspaper ads accounted for the largest number of eligible participants, and no cost methods such as Craig's List and word of mouth were also effective. The authors conclude that, with focused efforts, there are many effective methods for recruiting African Americans with OCD. Guidelines for recruitment are discussed, with a focus on cultural considerations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recruitment of a Hidden Population: African Americans with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

PubMed Central

Williams, Monnica T.; Proetto, Dante; Casiano, Delane; Franklin, Martin

2011-01-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, however for reasons that are poorly understood ethnic minority groups are not well represented in clinical research studies. Thus, although African Americans experience equivalent rates of OCD according to epidemiological surveys, the generalizability of findings from clinical trials remains unknown. Research designed to improve identification, assessment and treatment of OCD is an important public health priority. The purpose of this study is to report outreach methods used to recruit African American adults for participation in an OCD research study. A variety of methods were employed, including radio advertisements, public transportation advertising, community outreach, and online advertising. A total of 83 African American adult participants were recruited over a 9.5 month period at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and given comprehensive psychiatric assessments. African Americans with OCD symptoms were reliably identified and assessed, for a total of 75 with lifetime OCD (4 past and 71 current diagnoses). There was variability in the success and cost effectiveness of study recruitment methods. Radio ads were the most expensive means of recruitment, newspaper ads accounted for the largest number of eligible participants, and no cost methods such as Craig’s List and word of mouth were also effective. The authors conclude that, with focused efforts, there are many effective methods for recruiting African Americans with OCD. Guidelines for recruitment are discussed, with a focus on cultural considerations. PMID:21983626

CFTR mutation distribution among U.S. Hispanic and African American individuals: evaluation in cystic fibrosis patient and carrier screening populations.

PubMed

Sugarman, Elaine A; Rohlfs, Elizabeth M; Silverman, Lawrence M; Allitto, Bernice A

2004-01-01

We reviewed CFTR mutation distribution among Hispanic and African American individuals referred for CF carrier screening and compared mutation frequencies to those derived from CF patient samples. Results from CFTR mutation analyses received from January 2001 through September 2003, were analyzed for four populations: Hispanic individuals with a CF diagnosis (n = 159) or carrier screening indication (n = 15,333) and African American individuals with a CF diagnosis (n = 108) or carrier screening indication (n = 8,973). All samples were tested for the same 87 mutation panel. In the Hispanic population, 42 mutations were identified: 30 in the patient population (77.5% detection rate) and 33 among carrier screening referrals. Five mutations not included in the ACMG/ACOG carrier screening panel (3876delA, W1089X, R1066C, S549N, 1949del84) accounted for 7.55% detection in patients and 5.58% among carriers. Among African American referrals, 33 different mutations were identified: 21 in the patient population (74.4% detection) and 23 in the carrier screening population. Together, A559T and 711+5G>A were observed at a detection rate of 3.71% in CF patients and 6.38% in carriers. The mutation distribution seen in both the carrier screening populations reflected an increased frequency of mutations with variable expression such as D1152H, R117H, and L206W. A detailed analysis of CFTR mutation distribution in the Hispanic and African American patient and carrier screening populations demonstrates that a diverse group of mutations is most appropriate for diagnostic and carrier screening in these populations. To best serve the increasingly diverse U.S. population, ethnic-specific mutations should be included in mutation panels.

Prevalence, Determinants, and Clinical Significance of Masked Hypertension in a Population-Based Sample of African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study.

PubMed

Diaz, Keith M; Veerabhadrappa, Praveen; Brown, Michael D; Whited, Matthew C; Dubbert, Patricia M; Hickson, DeMarc A

2015-07-01

The disproportionate rates of cardiovascular disease in African Americans may, in part, be due to suboptimal assessment of blood pressure (BP) with clinic BP measurements alone. To date, however, the prevalence of masked hypertension in African Americans has not been fully delineated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate masked hypertension prevalence in a large population-based sample of African Americans and examine its determinants and association with indices of target organ damage (TOD). Clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring were conducted in 972 African Americans enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness, left ventricular mass index, and the urinary albumin:creatinine excretion ratio were evaluated as indices of TOD. Masked hypertension prevalence was 25.9% in the overall sample and 34.4% in participants with normal clinic BP. All indices of TOD were significantly higher in masked hypertensives compared to sustained normotensives and were similar between masked hypertensives and sustained hypertensives. Male gender, smoking, diabetes, and antihypertensive medication use were independent determinants of masked hypertension in multivariate analyses. In this population-based cohort of African Americans, approximately one-third of participants with presumably normal clinic BP had masked hypertension when BP was assessed in their daily environment. Masked hypertension was accompanied by a greater degree of TOD in this cohort. © American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2014. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

African American legislators' perceptions of firearm violence prevention legislation.

PubMed

Payton, Erica; Thompson, Amy; Price, James H; Sheu, Jiunn-Jye; Dake, Joseph A

2015-06-01

Firearm mortality is the leading cause of death for young African American males, however, few studies have focused on racial/ethnic minority populations and firearm violence. The National Black Caucus of State Legislators advocates for legislation that promotes the health of African Americans. Thus, the purpose of this study was to collect baseline data on African American legislators' perceptions regarding firearm violence in the African American community. A cross-sectional study of African American legislators (n = 612) was conducted to investigate the research questions. Of the 612 questionnaires mailed, 12 were not deliverable, and 170 were returned (28%). Utilizing a three wave mailing process, African American legislators were invited to participate in the study. The majority (88%) of respondents perceived firearm violence to be very serious among African Americans. Few (10%) legislators perceived that addressing legislative issues would be an effective strategy in reducing firearm violence among African Americans. The majority (72%) of legislators perceived the most effective strategy to reducing firearm violence in the African American community should focus on addressing societal issues (e.g. crime and poverty). After adjusting for the number of perceived barriers, the number of perceived benefits was a significant predictor of legislators' perceived effectiveness of firearm violence prevention legislation for 8 of the 24 potential firearm violence prevention legislative bills.

Cognition and Health in African American Men

PubMed Central

Sims, Regina C.; Thorpe, Roland J.; Gamaldo, Alyssa A.; Aiken-Morgan, Adrienne T.; Hill, LaBarron K.; Allaire, Jason C.; Whitfield, Keith E.

2015-01-01

Objective Despite high rates of poor health outcomes, little attention has been focused on associations between prominent health factors and cognitive function in African American men, exclusively. The objective was to examine relationships between cardiovascular and pulmonary health, and cognitive function in African American men. Method Data from 257 men were pooled from two studies of African American aging. The mean age of participants was 58.15 and mean educational attainment was 11.78 years. Participants provided self-reported health and demographic information, completed cognitive measures, and had their blood pressure and peak expiratory flow assessed. Results After adjustment, significant relationships were found between average peak expiratory flow rate (APEFR) and cognitive performance measures. Discussion Results suggest that lung function is important to consider when examining cognitive function in African American men. Understanding the role of health in cognition and implications for quality of life in this population will be critical as life expectancies increase. PMID:25053802

Bight of Benin: a Maternal Perspective of Four Beninese Populations and their Genetic Implications on the American Populations of African Ancestry.

PubMed

Primativo, Giuseppina; Ottoni, Claudio; Biondi, Gianfranco; Serafino, Sara; Martínez-Labarga, Cristina; Larmuseau, Maarten H D; Scardi, Michele; Decorte, Ronny; Rickards, Olga

2017-03-01

The understanding of the first movements of the ancestral populations within the African continent is still unclear, particularly in West Africa, due to several factors that have shaped the African genetic pool across time. To improve the genetic representativeness of the Beninese population and to better understand the patterns of human settlement inside West Africa and the dynamics of peopling of the Democratic Republic of Benin, we analyzed the maternal genetic variation of 193 Beninese individuals belonging to Bariba, Berba, Dendi, and Fon populations. Results support the oral traditions indicating that the western neighbouring populations have been the ancestors of the first Beninese populations, and the extant genetic structure of the Beninese populations is most likely the result of admixture between populations from neighbouring countries and native people. The present findings highlight how the Beninese populations contributed to the gene pool of the extant populations of some American populations of African ancestry. This strengthens the hypothesis that the Bight of Benin was not only an assembly point for the slave trade during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade but also an important slave trapping area. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.

Bullying and victimization among African American adolescents: a literature review.

PubMed

Albdour, Maha; Krouse, Helene J

2014-05-01

Bullying among African American adolescents. This article reviews the current literature on bullying and victimization among African American adolescents. It highlights bullying and violence disparity among African American adolescents, associated risk and protective factors, and effects of bullying on adolescent health. Twenty-three English language peer-reviewed articles from CINAHL, Pubmed, and Psyc-INFO databases. African American adolescents have higher rates of bullying and victimization compared to other adolescent populations. This review found strong associations among bullying involvement, substance abuse, and family factors. Bullying also had a significant impact on adolescent health, particularly psychological symptoms and school performance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A comparison of nephron number, glomerular volume and kidney weight in Senegalese Africans and African Americans

PubMed Central

McNamara, Bridgette J.; Diouf, Boucar; Douglas-Denton, Rebecca N.; Hughson, Michael D.; Hoy, Wendy E.; Bertram, John F.

2010-01-01

Background. Low nephron number is determined in utero and is a proposed risk for essential hypertension. Glomerular volume is inversely correlated with nephron number, and genetic and environmental factors that determine nephron number are thought to determine glomerular volume. This study compared total glomerular (nephron) number (Nglom), mean glomerular volume (Vglom) and kidney weight in two geographically separated black populations with significant common genetic ancestry. Methods. Unbiased stereology was used to determine Nglom and Vglom in kidneys collected at coronial autopsy in an age- and sex-matched sample of 39 adult Africans from Dakar in Senegal, West Africa and 39 African Americans from Mississippi in the USA. Results. African Americans were taller and heavier than their Senegalese counterparts. Nglom was remarkably similar—with a geometric mean of 937 967 in Senegalese and 904 412 in African Americans (P = 0.62). Vglom was correlated inversely with Nglom and directly with body surface area in both groups, but Vglom was 54% greater in African Americans than in Senegalese Africans [8.30 ± 2.92 (SD) and 5.38 ± 1.25  μm3 × 106, respectively] and remained significantly larger (38%) after adjustment for body size. Vglom increased with age in African Americans, but not in the Senegalese. Kidney weight was larger in African Americans (P < 0.0001), but kidney-to-body weight ratio was not different between groups. Conclusions. Despite similar nephron numbers, a common genetic constitution, and even in relation to current body size, African Americans have larger Vglom than Senegalese subjects. This may mark exposure to environmental stressors or hereditary traits concentrated in the population's relocation to North America. PMID:20154008

A comparison of nephron number, glomerular volume and kidney weight in Senegalese Africans and African Americans.

PubMed

McNamara, Bridgette J; Diouf, Boucar; Douglas-Denton, Rebecca N; Hughson, Michael D; Hoy, Wendy E; Bertram, John F

2010-05-01

Low nephron number is determined in utero and is a proposed risk for essential hypertension. Glomerular volume is inversely correlated with nephron number, and genetic and environmental factors that determine nephron number are thought to determine glomerular volume. This study compared total glomerular (nephron) number (N(glom)), mean glomerular volume (V(glom)) and kidney weight in two geographically separated black populations with significant common genetic ancestry. Unbiased stereology was used to determine N(glom) and V(glom) in kidneys collected at coronial autopsy in an age- and sex-matched sample of 39 adult Africans from Dakar in Senegal, West Africa and 39 African Americans from Mississippi in the USA. African Americans were taller and heavier than their Senegalese counterparts. N(glom) was remarkably similar-with a geometric mean of 937 967 in Senegalese and 904 412 in African Americans (P = 0.62). V(glom) was correlated inversely with N(glom) and directly with body surface area in both groups, but V(glom) was 54% greater in African Americans than in Senegalese Africans [8.30 +/- 2.92 (SD) and 5.38 +/- 1.25 microm(3) x 10(6), respectively] and remained significantly larger (38%) after adjustment for body size. V(glom) increased with age in African Americans, but not in the Senegalese. Kidney weight was larger in African Americans (P < 0.0001), but kidney-to-body weight ratio was not different between groups. Despite similar nephron numbers, a common genetic constitution, and even in relation to current body size, African Americans have larger V(glom) than Senegalese subjects. This may mark exposure to environmental stressors or hereditary traits concentrated in the population's relocation to North America.

African-American Female Students and STEM: Principals' Leadership Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sampson, Kristin Morgan

As the U.S. becomes more diverse, school leaders, major corporations, and areas of national defense continue to investigate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education issues. African-American female students have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields, yet educational leadership research, examining this population is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how principals support African-American female students in schools with a STEM program. The Critical Race Theory (CRT)was used as a theoretical framework to highlight the inadequacies to support educational inequalities. The application of the CRT in this study is due to the embedded inequality practices within the educational system, that have resulted in the underrepresentation of African-American female students in STEM. To complement CRT, the transformative leadership model was also utilized to examine the emancipatory leadership practices principals utilized. These theories framed the context of this study by recognizing the need to address how support is actualized to African-American female students in STEM by their principals. A case study approach was an appropriate method to answer the two research questions, 1) How do principals feel they support African-American female students in their STEM programs? and 2) What practices do principals engage in that support underrepresented students in STEM? This approach intended to uncover how a principal leads a multifaceted population of underrepresented students in STEM programs. Two principals of STEM schools, where more than 50% of the population were African-American, were interviewed and observed completing daily operations at community-wide events. The STEM Coordinators and a teacher were also interviewed, and test scores were examined to provide further information about the STEM program, and public records were obtained to analyze the principals' means of communication. I found that principals supported

The Hidden Side of Zero Tolerance Policies: The African American Perspective

PubMed Central

Bell, Charles

2015-01-01

Several papers have documented the disproportionate representation of African Americans in school discipline and incarceration settings as a result of zero tolerance policies. In 2009, a federal study of the Chicago Public School system found African American boys represented 23 percent of the school age population, 44 percent of students who were suspended, and 61 percent of students who were expelled within the 2007 school year. Twenty years after the implementation of the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988, studies show African Americans comprised a startling 74 percent of those incarcerated for drug offenses despite being only 15 percent of America’s drug users. Despite overwhelming evidence that suggests African Americans are adversely affected by zero tolerance policies, African American perceptions of zero tolerance policies remain relatively hidden in the literature. The current review seeks to explore a seemingly bidirectional process that involves how zero tolerance impacts African Americans and how African Americans perceive zero tolerance policies. PMID:25893006

Faith-Based Mental Health Interventions with African Americans: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hays, Krystal; Aranda, Maria P.

2016-01-01

Faith-based interventions have emerged culturally sensitive way to address mental health issues among African Americans. This systematic review explores the scope and efficacy of faith-based mental health intervention outcomes among African Americans. Extracted data included the study population, setting, study design, intervention, adaptations,…

Negro, Black, Black African, African Caribbean, African American or what? Labelling African origin populations in the health arena in the 21st century

PubMed Central

Agyemang, C.; Bhopal, R.; Bruijnzeels, M.

2005-01-01

Broad terms such as Black, African, or Black African are entrenched in scientific writings although there is considerable diversity within African descent populations and such terms may be both offensive and inaccurate. This paper outlines the heterogeneity within African populations, and discusses the strengths and limitations of the term Black and related labels from epidemiological and public health perspectives in Europe and the USA. This paper calls for debate on appropriate terminologies for African descent populations and concludes with the proposals that (1) describing the population under consideration is of paramount importance (2) the word African origin or simply African is an appropriate and necessary prefix for an ethnic label, for example, African Caribbean or African Kenyan or African Surinamese (3) documents should define the ethnic labels (4) the label Black should be phased out except when used in political contexts. PMID:16286485

A Decade of Experience With Renal Transplantation in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Foster, Clarence E.; Philosophe, Benjamin; Schweitzer, Eugene J.; Colonna, John O.; Farney, Alan C.; Jarrell, Bruce; Anderson, Leslie; Bartlett, Stephen T.

2002-01-01

Objective To evaluate the strategies instituted by the authors’ center to decrease the time to transplantation and increase the rate of transplantation for African-Americans, consisting of a formal education program concerning the benefits of living organ donation that is oriented to minorities; a laparoscopic living donation program; use of hepatitis C-positive donors in documented positive recipients; and encouraging vaccination for hepatitis B, allowing the use of hepatitis B core Ab-positive donors. Summary Background Data The national shortage of suitable kidney donor organs has disproportional and adverse effects on African-Americans for several reasons. Type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension, major etiologic factors for end-stage renal disease, are more prevalent in African-Americans than in the general population. Once kidney failure has developed, African-Americans are disadvantaged for the following reasons: this patient cohort has longer median waiting times on the renal transplant list; African-Americans have higher rates of acute rejection, which affects long-term allograft survival; and once they are transplanted, the long-term graft survival rates are lower in this population than in other groups. Methods From March 1990 to November 2001 the authors’ center performed 2,167 renal transplants; 944 were in African-Americans (663 primary cadaver renal transplants and 253 primary Living donor renal transplants). The retransplants consisted of 83 cadaver transplants and 17 living donor transplants. Outcome measures of this retrospective analysis included median waiting time, graft and patient survival rates, and the rate of living donation in African-Americans and comparable non-African-Americans. Where applicable, data are compared to United Network for Organ Sharing national statistics. Statistical analysis employed appropriate SPSS applications. Results One- and 5-year patient survival rates for living donor kidneys were 97.1% and 91.3% for non-African-Americans

A decade of experience with renal transplantation in African-Americans.

PubMed

Foster, Clarence E; Philosophe, Benjamin; Schweitzer, Eugene J; Colonna, John O; Farney, Alan C; Jarrell, Bruce; Anderson, Leslie; Bartlett, Stephen T

2002-12-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the strategies instituted by the authors' center to decrease the time to transplantation and increase the rate of transplantation for African-Americans, consisting of a formal education program concerning the benefits of living organ donation that is oriented to minorities; a laparoscopic living donation program; use of hepatitis C-positive donors in documented positive recipients; and encouraging vaccination for hepatitis B, allowing the use of hepatitis B core Ab-positive donors. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA The national shortage of suitable kidney donor organs has disproportional and adverse effects on African-Americans for several reasons. Type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension, major etiologic factors for end-stage renal disease, are more prevalent in African-Americans than in the general population. Once kidney failure has developed, African-Americans are disadvantaged for the following reasons: this patient cohort has longer median waiting times on the renal transplant list; African-Americans have higher rates of acute rejection, which affects long-term allograft survival; and once they are transplanted, the long-term graft survival rates are lower in this population than in other groups. METHODS From March 1990 to November 2001 the authors' center performed 2,167 renal transplants; 944 were in African-Americans (663 primary cadaver renal transplants and 253 primary Living donor renal transplants). The retransplants consisted of 83 cadaver transplants and 17 living donor transplants. Outcome measures of this retrospective analysis included median waiting time, graft and patient survival rates, and the rate of living donation in African-Americans and comparable non-African-Americans. Where applicable, data are compared to United Network for Organ Sharing national statistics. Statistical analysis employed appropriate SPSS applications. RESULTS One- and 5-year patient survival rates for living donor kidneys were 97.1% and 91.3% for non-African-Americans

Early Preterm Birth Across Generations Among Whites and African-Americans: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Dorner, Rebecca A; Rankin, Kristin M; Collins, James W

2017-11-01

Objectives To determine the extent to which non-Latina White and African-American mother's gestational age is associated with extremely early (<30 weeks), modestly early (30-33 weeks), and late (34-36 weeks) infant preterm birth (PTB) rates. Methods Race-specific stratified and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed on the Illinois Transgenerational Birth File of non-Latino White and African-American infants (born 1989-1991) and their mothers (born 1956-1976). Results White mothers (n = 184) born at <30 weeks had a greater extremely early infant PTB rate than White mothers (n = 131,980) born at term: 1.6 versus 0.5%, respectively; RR = 3.6 (1.2, 11.0). African-American mothers (n = 269) born at <30 weeks had a greater extremely early infant PTB rate than African-American mothers (n = 34,885) born at term: 4.1 versus 2.1%, respectively; RR = 2.0 (1.1, 3.6). In logistic regression models the adjusted (controlling for maternal age, education, parity, prenatal care, marital status, and cigarette smoking) OR of extremely early PTB for White and African-American mothers born <30 (compared to ≥37) weeks equaled 4.0 (1.2, 12.6) and 2.3 (1.2, 4.3), respectively. The adjusted OR of modestly early PTB for White and African-American mothers born 30-33 (compared to ≥37) weeks equaled 1.6 (1.0, 2.5) and 1.3 (0.9, 1.7), respectively. The adjusted OR of late PTB for White and African-American mothers born 34-36 (compared to ≥37) weeks equaled 1.2 (1.0, 1.3) and 1.1 (1.0, 1.2), respectively. Conclusions A generational association of extremely early, but not modestly early or late, PTB exists among non-Latino Whites and African-Americans.

Perceptions of support among older African American cancer survivors.

PubMed

Hamilton, Jill B; Moore, Charles E; Powe, Barbara D; Agarwal, Mansi; Martin, Pamela

2010-07-01

To explore the perceived social support needs among older adult African American cancer survivors. Qualitative design using grounded theory techniques. Outpatient oncology clinics in the southeastern United States. Focus groups with 22 older adult African American cancer survivors. Purposeful sampling technique was used to identify focus group participants. In-depth interviews were conducted and participants were interviewed until informational redundancy was achieved. Social support needs of older adult African American patients with cancer. Social support was influenced by (a) symptoms and treatment side effects, (b) perceptions of stigma and fears expressed by family and friends, (c) cultural beliefs about cancer, and (d) desires to lessen any burden or disruption to the lives of family and friends. Survivors navigated within and outside of their networks to get their social support needs met. In some instances, survivors socially withdrew from traditional sources of support for fear of being ostracized. Survivors also described feeling hurt, alone, and socially isolated when completely abandoned by friends. The support from family, friends, and fellow church members is important to positive outcomes among older African American cancer survivors. However, misconceptions, fears, and negative cultural beliefs persist within the African American community and negatively influence the social support available to this population. Early identification of the factors that influence social support can facilitate strategies to improve outcomes and decrease health disparities among this population.

Perceptions of Teacher Expectations by African American High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pringle, Beverley E.; Lyons, James E.; Booker, Keonya C.

2010-01-01

African American high school students are performing behind their White classmates regardless of whether they are in majority or minority populations at school. Teacher expectations, among school-related factors that can impact the academic achievement of African American high school students, are the focus of this study. Interviews were conducted…

Barriers and facilitators affecting African Americans continuation into graduate programs in nursing.

PubMed

Mingo, Aunderia Doreen

2008-01-01

The population in the United States (US) is becoming more and more diverse. With each year the minority population in the US continues to grow. In the year 2000 there were over 281 million Americans with approximately 23% of them being minorities (US Census, 2000). African-Americans accounted for 34.6 million of the population or 12.3% in the 2000 census. Yet despite their growing numbers in the general population African-American Registered Nurses (RNs) only accounted for 4.9% of the total nurse population in the 2002 National Sample Survey of RN's (Health Resources Services Administration [HRSA], 2002).

African-Americans and Alzheimer's

MedlinePlus

... Share Plus on Google Plus African-Americans and Alzheimer's alz.org | IHaveAlz Introduction 10 Warning Signs Brain ... African-Americans are at a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease. Many Americans dismiss the warning signs of ...

Mental Health and African Americans

MedlinePlus

... than Non-Hispanic whites. The death rate from suicide for African American men was more than four ... for African American women, in 2014. However, the suicide rate for African Americans is 70% lower than ...

Sociostructural factors influencing health behaviors of urban African-American men.

PubMed

Plowden, Keith O; Young, Anthony E

2003-06-01

African-American men are suffering disproportionately from most illnesses. Seemingly, action is needed if health disparities that disproportionately affect African-American men as compared to their White and female counterparts are to be reduced or eliminated. An important step in decreasing common health disparities evidenced among African-American men is to understand social factors that act as motivators and barriers to seeking care for most of this vulnerable population. Following a constructionist epistemology, this study used ethnography to explore social structure factors that motivate urban African-American men to seek care. Leininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory guided this study. Qualitative interviews were conducted with urban African-American men and other individuals in the community to explore understanding, attitudes, and beliefs about health. Critical issues examined included social factors associated with health seeking behaviors. Themes that emerged from these data indicated that critical social factors include: 1) Kinship/significant others; 2) accessibility of resources; 3) ethnohealth belief; and 4) accepting caring environment. The data also indicated a relationship between these social factors and health seeking behaviors of urban African-American men.

"Nobody ever asked me before": understanding life experiences of African American elders.

PubMed

Shellman, Juliette

2004-10-01

With the unprecedented growth in the African American elderly population, there exists an urgent need to prepare nurses to deliver culturally competent care. The purpose of this study was to increase the knowledge available about the cultural heritage, worldviews, and life experiences of African American elders. Reminiscence interviews were conducted with African American elders living in a medium-sized northeast urban community. Data were analyzed using Spiegelberg's phenomenological Method. The following themes emerged: (a) nobody ever asked me before, (b) stories of discrimination, (c) coping with discrimination, (d) the hurt of discrimination, and (e) self-discoveries. Nurses, through the use of reminiscence, can gain insight into the cultural heritage, worldviews, and life experiences of African American elders and improve their ability to deliver culturally competent care to this population.

An ImmunoChip study of multiple sclerosis risk in African Americans

PubMed Central

Isobe, Noriko; Madireddy, Lohith; Khankhanian, Pouya; Matsushita, Takuya; Caillier, Stacy J.; Moré, Jayaji M.; Gourraud, Pierre-Antoine; McCauley, Jacob L.; Beecham, Ashley H.; Piccio, Laura; Herbert, Joseph; Khan, Omar; Cohen, Jeffrey; Stone, Lael; Santaniello, Adam; Cree, Bruce A. C.; Onengut-Gumuscu, Suna; Rich, Stephen S.; Hauser, Stephen L.; Sawcer, Stephen

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were: (i) to determine to what degree multiple sclerosis-associated loci discovered in European populations also influence susceptibility in African Americans; (ii) to assess the extent to which the unique linkage disequilibrium patterns in African Americans can contribute to localizing the functionally relevant regions or genes; and (iii) to search for novel African American multiple sclerosis-associated loci. Using the ImmunoChip custom array we genotyped 803 African American cases with multiple sclerosis and 1516 African American control subjects at 130 135 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms. We conducted association analysis with rigorous adjustments for population stratification and admixture. Of the 110 non-major histocompatibility complex multiple sclerosis-associated variants identified in Europeans, 96 passed stringent quality control in our African American data set and of these, >70% (69) showed over-representation of the same allele amongst cases, including 21 with nominally significant evidence for association (one-tailed test P < 0.05). At a further eight loci we found nominally significant association with an alternate correlated risk-tagging single nucleotide polymorphism from the same region. Outside the regions known to be associated in Europeans, we found seven potentially associated novel candidate multiple sclerosis variants (P < 10−4), one of which (rs2702180) also showed nominally significant evidence for association (one-tailed test P = 0.034) in an independent second cohort of 620 African American cases and 1565 control subjects. However, none of these novel associations reached genome-wide significance (combined P = 6.3 × 10−5). Our data demonstrate substantial overlap between African American and European multiple sclerosis variants, indicating common genetic contributions to multiple sclerosis risk. PMID:25818868

Strategies to Improve HIV Testing in African Americans.

PubMed

Kenya, Sonjia; Okoro, Ikenna; Wallace, Kiera; Carrasquillo, Olveen; Prado, Guillermo

2015-01-01

Only 17% of Miami-Dade County residents are African American, yet this population accounts for 59% of the county's HIV-related mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend annual testing for persons at increased risk for HIV, but 40% of African Americans have never been tested. OraQuick® (OraSure Technologies, Inc., Bethlehem, PA), the first US Food and Drug Administration-approved home-based HIV rapid test (HBHRT), has the potential to increase testing rates; however, there are concerns about HBHRT in vulnerable populations. We conducted focus groups in an underserved Miami neighborhood to obtain community input regarding HBHRT as a potential mechanism to increase HIV testing in African Americans. We queried HIV knowledge, attitudes toward research, and preferred intervention methods. Several HIV misconceptions were identified, and participants expressed support for HIV research and introducing HBHRT into the community by culturally appropriate individuals trained to provide support. We concluded that community health workers paired with HBHRT were a promising strategy to increase HIV testing in this population. Copyright © 2015 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of genome-wide association-identified variants for atrial fibrillation in African Americans.

PubMed

Delaney, Jessica T; Jeff, Janina M; Brown, Nancy J; Pretorius, Mias; Okafor, Henry E; Darbar, Dawood; Roden, Dan M; Crawford, Dana C

2012-01-01

Despite a greater burden of risk factors, atrial fibrillation (AF) is less common among African Americans than European-descent populations. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AF in European-descent populations have identified three predominant genomic regions associated with increased risk (1q21, 4q25, and 16q22). The contribution of these loci to AF risk in African American is unknown. We studied 73 African Americans with AF from the Vanderbilt-Meharry AF registry and 71 African American controls, with no history of AF including after cardiac surgery. Tests of association were performed for 148 SNPs across the three regions associated with AF, and 22 SNPs were significantly associated with AF (P<0.05). The SNPs with the strongest associations in African Americans were both different from the index SNPs identified in European-descent populations and independent from the index European-descent population SNPs (r(2)<0.40 in HapMap CEU): 1q21 rs4845396 (odds ratio [OR] 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.67, P = 0.003), 4q25 rs4631108 (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.59-7.42, P = 0.002), and 16q22 rs16971547 (OR 8.1, 95% CI 1.46-45.4, P = 0.016). Estimates of European ancestry were similar among cases (23.6%) and controls (23.8%). Accordingly, the probability of having two copies of the European derived chromosomes at each region did not differ between cases and controls. Variable European admixture at known AF loci does not explain decreased AF susceptibility in African Americans. These data support the role of 1q21, 4q25, and 16q22 variants in AF risk for African Americans, although the index SNPs differ from those identified in European-descent populations.

The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 1: African-American patients.

PubMed

McClelland, Shearwood; Page, Brandi R; Jaboin, Jerry J; Chapman, Christina H; Deville, Curtiland; Thomas, Charles R

2017-01-01

African Americans experience the highest burden of cancer incidence and mortality in the United States and have been persistently less likely to receive interventional care, even when such care has been proven superior to conservative management by randomized controlled trials. The presence of disparities in access to radiation therapy (RT) for African American cancer patients has rarely been examined in an expansive fashion. An extensive literature search was performed using the PubMed database to examine studies investigating disparities in RT access for African Americans. A total of 55 studies were found, spanning 11 organ systems. Disparities in access to RT for African Americans were most prominently study in cancers of the breast (23 studies), prostate (7 studies), gynecologic system (5 studies), and hematologic system (5 studies). Disparities in RT access for African Americans were prevalent regardless of organ system studied and often occurred independently of socioeconomic status. Fifty of 55 studies (91%) involved analysis of a population-based database such as Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER; 26 studies), SEER-Medicare (5 studies), National Cancer Database (3 studies), or a state tumor registry (13 studies). African Americans in the United States have diminished access to RT compared with Caucasian patients, independent of but often in concert with low socioeconomic status. These findings underscore the importance of finding systemic and systematic solutions to address these inequalities to reduce the barriers that patient race provides in receipt of optimal cancer care.

Smoking abstinence-related expectancies among American Indians, African Americans, and women: potential mechanisms of tobacco-related disparities.

PubMed

Hendricks, Peter S; Westmaas, J Lee; Ta Park, Van M; Thorne, Christopher B; Wood, Sabrina B; Baker, Majel R; Lawler, R Marsh; Webb Hooper, Monica; Delucchi, Kevin L; Hall, Sharon M

2014-03-01

Research has documented tobacco-related health disparities by race and gender. Prior research, however, has not examined expectancies about the smoking cessation process (i.e., abstinence-related expectancies) as potential contributors to tobacco-related disparities in special populations. This cross-sectional study compared abstinence-related expectancies between American Indian (n = 87), African American (n = 151), and White (n = 185) smokers, and between women (n = 231) and men (n = 270) smokers. Abstinence-related expectancies also were examined as mediators of race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self efficacy. Results indicated that American Indians and African Americans were less likely than Whites to expect withdrawal effects, and more likely to expect that quitting would be unproblematic. African Americans also were less likely than Whites to expect smoking cessation interventions to be effective. Compared with men, women were more likely to expect withdrawal effects and weight gain. These expectancy differences mediated race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Findings emphasize potential mechanisms underlying tobacco-related health disparities among American Indians, African Americans, and women and suggest a number of specific approaches for targeting tobacco dependence interventions to these populations.

Smoking Abstinence-related Expectancies among American Indians, African Americans, and Women: Potential Mechanisms of Tobacco-related Disparities

PubMed Central

Hendricks, Peter S.; Westmaas, J. Lee; Park, Van M. Ta; Thorne, Christopher B.; Wood, Sabrina B.; Baker, Majel R.; Lawler, R. Marsh; Hooper, Monica Webb; Delucchi, Kevin L.; Hall, Sharon M.

2014-01-01

Research has documented tobacco-related health disparities by race and gender. Prior research, however, has not examined expectancies about the smoking cessation process (i.e., abstinence-related expectancies) as potential contributors to tobacco-related disparities in special populations. This cross-sectional study compared abstinence-related expectancies between American Indian (n = 87), African American (n = 151), and White (n = 185) smokers, and between women (n = 231) and men (n = 270) smokers. Abstinence-related expectancies also were examined as mediators of race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Results indicated that American Indians and African Americans were less likely than Whites to expect withdrawal effects, and more likely to expect that quitting would be unproblematic. African Americans also were less likely than Whites to expect smoking cessation interventions to be effective. Compared to men, women were more likely to expect withdrawal effects and weight gain.These expectancy differences mediated race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Findings emphasize potential mechanisms underlying tobacco-related health disparities among American Indians, African Americans, and women, and suggest a number of specific approaches for targeting tobacco dependence interventions to these populations. PMID:23528192

African American Suicide

MedlinePlus

African American Suicide Fact Sheet Based on 2012 Data (2014) Overview • In 2012, 2,357 African Americans completed suicide in the U.S. Of these, 1,908 (80. ... rate of 9.23 per 100,000). The suicide rate for females was 1.99 per 100, ...

Self-care and mothering in African American women with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Shambley-Ebron, Donna Z; Boyle, Joyceen S

2006-02-01

African American women are the most rapidly growing group of people in the United States diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of self-care and mothering among African American women with HIV/AIDS. It is important to recognize how culture affects illness management, childrearing, and daily living to design culturally appropriate nursing interventions for African American women. Critical ethnography was used to study 10 African American mothers from the rural Southeast who were HIV positive and mothered children who were HIV positive. Domains derived from the research were disabling relationships, strong mothering, and redefining self-care. The cultural theme was creating a life of meaning. African American mothers with HIV/AIDS in the rural Southeast used culturally specific self-care and mothering strategies reflective of cultural traditions. This study acknowledges strengths of African American women and generates theory that will enhance nursing care to this population.

Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness in African Americans: A Health Disparity Risk Factor?

PubMed Central

Swift, Damon L.; Staiano, Amanda E.; Johannsen, Neil M.; Lavie, Carl J.; Earnest, Conrad P.; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Blair, Steven N.; Newton, Robert L.; Church, Timothy S.

2013-01-01

Low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a well-established risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. African Americans have higher rates of cardiovascular disease compared to their Caucasian counterparts. However, the extent to which lower CRF levels contribute to the excess risk in African Americans has not been fully explored. The purpose of this review is to: 1) explore the literature evaluating the relationship between CRF and mortality specifically in African American populations; and 2) critically evaluate the studies which have compared CRF between African American and Caucasians in epidemiological studies and clinical trials. We have further discussed several potential mechanisms that may contribute to the observation of lower CRF levels in African American compared to Caucasian adults including potential racial differences in physical activity levels, muscle fiber type distribution, and hemoglobin levels. If lower CRF is generally present in African Americans compared to Caucasians, and is of a clinically meaningful difference, this may represent an important public health concern. PMID:23982718

Detecting directional selection in the presence of recent admixture in African-Americans.

PubMed

Lohmueller, Kirk E; Bustamante, Carlos D; Clark, Andrew G

2011-03-01

We investigate the performance of tests of neutrality in admixed populations using plausible demographic models for African-American history as well as resequencing data from African and African-American populations. The analysis of both simulated and human resequencing data suggests that recent admixture does not result in an excess of false-positive results for neutrality tests based on the frequency spectrum after accounting for the population growth in the parental African population. Furthermore, when simulating positive selection, Tajima's D, Fu and Li's D, and haplotype homozygosity have lower power to detect population-specific selection using individuals sampled from the admixed population than from the nonadmixed population. Fay and Wu's H test, however, has more power to detect selection using individuals from the admixed population than from the nonadmixed population, especially when the selective sweep ended long ago. Our results have implications for interpreting recent genome-wide scans for positive selection in human populations. © 2011 by the Genetics Society of America

Detecting Directional Selection in the Presence of Recent Admixture in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Lohmueller, Kirk E.; Bustamante, Carlos D.; Clark, Andrew G.

2011-01-01

We investigate the performance of tests of neutrality in admixed populations using plausible demographic models for African-American history as well as resequencing data from African and African-American populations. The analysis of both simulated and human resequencing data suggests that recent admixture does not result in an excess of false-positive results for neutrality tests based on the frequency spectrum after accounting for the population growth in the parental African population. Furthermore, when simulating positive selection, Tajima's D, Fu and Li's D, and haplotype homozygosity have lower power to detect population-specific selection using individuals sampled from the admixed population than from the nonadmixed population. Fay and Wu's H test, however, has more power to detect selection using individuals from the admixed population than from the nonadmixed population, especially when the selective sweep ended long ago. Our results have implications for interpreting recent genome-wide scans for positive selection in human populations. PMID:21196524

Enhanced statistical tests for GWAS in admixed populations: assessment using African Americans from CARe and a Breast Cancer Consortium.

PubMed

Pasaniuc, Bogdan; Zaitlen, Noah; Lettre, Guillaume; Chen, Gary K; Tandon, Arti; Kao, W H Linda; Ruczinski, Ingo; Fornage, Myriam; Siscovick, David S; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Larkin, Emma; Lange, Leslie A; Cupples, L Adrienne; Yang, Qiong; Akylbekova, Ermeg L; Musani, Solomon K; Divers, Jasmin; Mychaleckyj, Joe; Li, Mingyao; Papanicolaou, George J; Millikan, Robert C; Ambrosone, Christine B; John, Esther M; Bernstein, Leslie; Zheng, Wei; Hu, Jennifer J; Ziegler, Regina G; Nyante, Sarah J; Bandera, Elisa V; Ingles, Sue A; Press, Michael F; Chanock, Stephen J; Deming, Sandra L; Rodriguez-Gil, Jorge L; Palmer, Cameron D; Buxbaum, Sarah; Ekunwe, Lynette; Hirschhorn, Joel N; Henderson, Brian E; Myers, Simon; Haiman, Christopher A; Reich, David; Patterson, Nick; Wilson, James G; Price, Alkes L

2011-04-01

While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have primarily examined populations of European ancestry, more recent studies often involve additional populations, including admixed populations such as African Americans and Latinos. In admixed populations, linkage disequilibrium (LD) exists both at a fine scale in ancestral populations and at a coarse scale (admixture-LD) due to chromosomal segments of distinct ancestry. Disease association statistics in admixed populations have previously considered SNP association (LD mapping) or admixture association (mapping by admixture-LD), but not both. Here, we introduce a new statistical framework for combining SNP and admixture association in case-control studies, as well as methods for local ancestry-aware imputation. We illustrate the gain in statistical power achieved by these methods by analyzing data of 6,209 unrelated African Americans from the CARe project genotyped on the Affymetrix 6.0 chip, in conjunction with both simulated and real phenotypes, as well as by analyzing the FGFR2 locus using breast cancer GWAS data from 5,761 African-American women. We show that, at typed SNPs, our method yields an 8% increase in statistical power for finding disease risk loci compared to the power achieved by standard methods in case-control studies. At imputed SNPs, we observe an 11% increase in statistical power for mapping disease loci when our local ancestry-aware imputation framework and the new scoring statistic are jointly employed. Finally, we show that our method increases statistical power in regions harboring the causal SNP in the case when the causal SNP is untyped and cannot be imputed. Our methods and our publicly available software are broadly applicable to GWAS in admixed populations.

Recruiting Secondary Mathematics Teachers: Characteristics That Add Up for African American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ragland, Tamra C.; Harkness, Shelly Sheats

2014-01-01

In this article, the authors provide portraits of three mathematics teachers: one European American man, one African American man, and one Middle Eastern woman. All three taught in secondary schools with predominantly African American student populations. Semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted to create a comparative case study…

Psychological Misdiagnosis of African Americans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garretson, Deborah J.

1993-01-01

Reviews historical and current problems with making accurate psychological diagnoses of African Americans. Suggests that misdiagnosis is strongly related to pathologization of African-American culture itself. Explores diagnostic process, stereotypes of African-American psychopathology, cultural differences in values and life stressors, and…

Nonabusive physical punishment and child behavior among African-American children: a systematic review.

PubMed Central

Horn, Ivor Braden; Joseph, Jill G.; Cheng, Tina L.

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: The use of nonabusive physical punishment as a form of discipline has been greatly debated in the scientific and popular literature. Impact on child behavioral outcomes has frequently been found; however, the effects of its use are not clear, particularly for African-American children. This systematic review of the literature examined the impact of exposure to nonabusive physical punishment on the behavior of African-American children. METHODS: A search was conducted of PubMed and Psyclnfo from 1970 to 2000 using the key terms: corporal punishment, physical punishment, disciplinary practices, and discipline and parenting. Studies that described ethnicity of the population and included a majority of a well-described African-American population were included. Each study was required to include measurable data on child behavioral outcomes and at least one measure of discipline that assessed use of nonabusive physical punishment in children 0-14 years of age. RESULTS: All seven included studies used lower socioeconomic status (SES) and/or urban African-American populations. Study design and rural versus urban populations differentiated beneficial and detrimental outcomes. In all longitudinal studies, African-American children had beneficial or neutral outcomes. DISCUSSION: This review suggests that it is possible that there are benefits to nonabusive physical punishment for African-American children. However, needed are further longitudinal studies that better assess the multiple confounders that impact the use of discipline, such as SES, parental education level, and exposure to community or domestic violence. PMID:15481744

European ancestry and resting metabolic rate in older African Americans.

PubMed

Manini, T M; Patel, K V; Bauer, D C; Ziv, E; Schoeller, D A; Mackey, D C; Li, R; Newman, A B; Nalls, M; Zmuda, J M; Harris, T B

2011-06-01

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) contributes 60-80% of total energy expenditure and is consistently lower in populations of African descent compared with populations of European populations. Determination of European ancestry (EA) through single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis would provide an initial step for identifying genetic associations that contribute to low RMR. We sought to evaluate the association between RMR and EA in African Americans. RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry in 141 African American men and women (aged 74.7±3.0 years) enrolled in a substudy of the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Ancestry informative markers were used to estimate individual percent EA. Multivariate regression was used to assess the association between RMR and EA after adjustments for soft tissue fat-free mass (STFFM), fat mass, age, study site, physical activity level and sex. Mean EA was 23.8±16% (range: 0.1-70.7%) and there were no differences by sex. Following adjustments, each percent EA was associated with a 1.6 kcal/day (95% Confidence interval: 0.42, 2.7 kcal/day) higher RMR (P=0.008). This equates to a 160 kcal/day lower RMR in a population of completely African ancestry, with one of completely European ancestry. Additional adjustment for trunk STFFM that partially accounts for high-metabolic rate organs did not affect this association. EA in African Americans is strongly associated with higher RMR. The data suggest that population differences in RMR may be due to genetic variants.

Differential effects of the classroom on African American and non-African American's mathematics achievement.

PubMed

Schenke, Katerina; Nguyen, Tutrang; Watts, Tyler W; Sarama, Julie H; Clements, Douglas H

2017-08-01

We examined whether African American students differentially responded to dimensions of the observed classroom-learning environment compared with non-African American students. Further, we examined whether these dimensions of the classroom mediated treatment effects of a preschool mathematics intervention targeted at students from low-income families. Three observed dimensions of the classroom (teacher expectations and developmental appropriateness; teacher confidence and enthusiasm; and support for mathematical discourse) were evaluated in a sample of 1,238 preschool students in 101 classrooms. Using multigroup multilevel mediation where African American students were compared to non-African American students, we found that teachers in the intervention condition had higher ratings on the observed dimensions of the classroom compared with teachers in the control condition. Further, ratings on teacher expectations and developmental appropriateness had larger associations with the achievement of African American students than for non-African Americans. Findings suggest that students within the same classroom may react differently to that learning environment and that classroom learning environments could be structured in ways that are beneficial for students who need the most support.

An ImmunoChip study of multiple sclerosis risk in African Americans.

PubMed

Isobe, Noriko; Madireddy, Lohith; Khankhanian, Pouya; Matsushita, Takuya; Caillier, Stacy J; Moré, Jayaji M; Gourraud, Pierre-Antoine; McCauley, Jacob L; Beecham, Ashley H; Piccio, Laura; Herbert, Joseph; Khan, Omar; Cohen, Jeffrey; Stone, Lael; Santaniello, Adam; Cree, Bruce A C; Onengut-Gumuscu, Suna; Rich, Stephen S; Hauser, Stephen L; Sawcer, Stephen; Oksenberg, Jorge R

2015-06-01

The aims of this study were: (i) to determine to what degree multiple sclerosis-associated loci discovered in European populations also influence susceptibility in African Americans; (ii) to assess the extent to which the unique linkage disequilibrium patterns in African Americans can contribute to localizing the functionally relevant regions or genes; and (iii) to search for novel African American multiple sclerosis-associated loci. Using the ImmunoChip custom array we genotyped 803 African American cases with multiple sclerosis and 1516 African American control subjects at 130 135 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms. We conducted association analysis with rigorous adjustments for population stratification and admixture. Of the 110 non-major histocompatibility complex multiple sclerosis-associated variants identified in Europeans, 96 passed stringent quality control in our African American data set and of these, >70% (69) showed over-representation of the same allele amongst cases, including 21 with nominally significant evidence for association (one-tailed test P < 0.05). At a further eight loci we found nominally significant association with an alternate correlated risk-tagging single nucleotide polymorphism from the same region. Outside the regions known to be associated in Europeans, we found seven potentially associated novel candidate multiple sclerosis variants (P < 10(-4)), one of which (rs2702180) also showed nominally significant evidence for association (one-tailed test P = 0.034) in an independent second cohort of 620 African American cases and 1565 control subjects. However, none of these novel associations reached genome-wide significance (combined P = 6.3 × 10(-5)). Our data demonstrate substantial overlap between African American and European multiple sclerosis variants, indicating common genetic contributions to multiple sclerosis risk. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All

Successfully Educating Our African-American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moncree-Moffett, Kareem

2013-01-01

The purpose of this empirical study was to explore the lived experiences of African American retired female teachers who have prior experience with educating urban African American students in public schools. Also explored are the experiences of active African American female teachers of urban African American students and comparisons are…

Cultural Barriers to African American Participation in Anxiety Disorders Research

PubMed Central

Williams, Monnica T.; Beckmann-Mendez, Diana A.; Turkheimer, Eric

2014-01-01

Anxiety disorders are understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated in African Americans. Research focused on the phenomenology, etiology, and treatment of anxiety in African Americans has been hampered by lack of inclusion of this population in clinical research studies. The reason for exclusion is not well understood, although cultural mistrust has been hypothesized as a major barrier to research participation. This article reviews the relevant literature to date and examines the experience of 6 African American adults who participated in a larger clinical assessment study about anxiety. Drawing upon in-depth semistructured interviews about their subjective experiences, we examined participant perspectives about the assessment process, opinions about African American perception of anxiety studies, and participant-generated ideas about how to improve African American participation. Based on a qualitative analysis of responses, feelings of mistrust emerged as a dominant theme. Concerns fell under 6 categories, including not wanting to speak for others, confidentiality, self and group presentation concerns, repercussions of disclosure, potential covert purposes of the study, and the desire to confide only in close others. Suggestions for increasing African American participation are discussed, including assurances of confidentiality, adequate compensation, and a comfortable study environment. PMID:23862294

The Disproportionate Cost of Smoking for African Americans in California

PubMed Central

Sung, Hai-Yen; Tucker, Lue-Yen; Stark, Brad

2010-01-01

Objectives. We estimated the economic impact of smoking on African Americans in California in 2002, including smoking-attributable health care expenditures and productivity losses from smoking-caused mortality. Methods. We estimated econometric models of smoking-attributable ambulatory care, prescription drugs, inpatient care, and home health care using national and state survey data. We assessed smoking-attributable mortality using epidemiological models. Results. Adult smoking prevalence for African Americans was 19.3% compared with 15.4% for all Californians. The health care cost of smoking was $626 million for the African American community. A total of 3013 African American Californians died of smoking-attributable illness in 2002, representing a loss of over 49 000 years of life and $784 million in productivity. The total cost of smoking for this community amounted to $1.4 billion, or $1.8 billion expressed in 2008 dollars. Conclusions. Although African Americans account for 6% of the California adult population, they account for over 8% of smoking-attributable expenditures and fully 13% of smoking-attributable mortality costs. Our findings confirm the need to tailor tobacco control programs to African Americans to mitigate the disproportionate burden of smoking for this community. PMID:19965569

An evaluation of treatment strategies for head and neck cancer in an African American population.

PubMed

Ignacio, D N; Griffin, J J; Daniel, M G; Serlemitsos-Day, M T; Lombardo, F A; Alleyne, T A

2013-07-01

This study evaluated treatment strategies for head and neck cancers in a predominantly African American population. Data were collected utilizing medical records and the tumour registry at the Howard University Hospital. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis predicted the hazard of death. Analysis revealed that the main treatment strategy was radiation combined with platinum for all stages except stage I. Cetuximab was employed in only 1% of cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed stage II patients had poorer outcome than stage IV while Cox proportional hazard regression analysis (p = 0.4662) showed that stage I had a significantly lower hazard of death than stage IV (HR = 0.314; p = 0.0272). Contributory factors included tobacco and alcohol but body mass index (BMI) was inversely related to hazard of death. There was no difference in survival using any treatment modality for African Americans.

Teachers' and Parents' Perceptions of Special Education Referral for African American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith-McClelland, Darlene

2017-01-01

Patterns of representation of African Americans in K-12 special education programs vary across the United States. A school district in Arizona has a 13% African American population, yet the African American special education representation is 17%. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to generate an understanding of the processes related…

Impact of biomedical research on African Americans.

PubMed Central

Harrison, R. W.

2001-01-01

Pharmaceutical development and medical research continues at a fevered pitch. Historically, however, African Americans and other minorities have not been adequately represented in the studies determining a drug's safety and efficacy in humans. A history of misuse in the medical research systems (most notably the Tuskeegee study of syphillis in a population of illiterate, poor black men) have left many blacks wary of the health care system. However, attempts to address the health disparities faced by African Americans must include processes for including wider representation of blacks--as patients as well as investigators--in clinical trials. PMID:12653393

Impact of biomedical research on African Americans.

PubMed

Harrison, R W

2001-03-01

Pharmaceutical development and medical research continues at a fevered pitch. Historically, however, African Americans and other minorities have not been adequately represented in the studies determining a drug's safety and efficacy in humans. A history of misuse in the medical research systems (most notably the Tuskeegee study of syphillis in a population of illiterate, poor black men) have left many blacks wary of the health care system. However, attempts to address the health disparities faced by African Americans must include processes for including wider representation of blacks--as patients as well as investigators--in clinical trials.

High cancer-related mortality in an urban, predominantly African-American, HIV-infected population.

PubMed

Riedel, David J; Mwangi, Evelyn Ivy W; Fantry, Lori E; Alexander, Carla; Hossain, Mian B; Pauza, C David; Redfield, Robert R; Gilliam, Bruce L

2013-04-24

To determine mortality associated with a new cancer diagnosis in an urban, predominantly African-American, HIV-infected population. Retrospective cohort study. All HIV-infected patients diagnosed with cancer between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2010 were reviewed. Mortality was examined using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models. There were 470 cases of cancer among 447 patients. Patients were predominantly African-American (85%) and male (79%). Non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs, 69%) were more common than AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs, 31%). Cumulative cancer incidence increased significantly over the study period. The majority (55.9%) was taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) at cancer diagnosis or started afterward (26.9%); 17.2% never received ART. Stage 3 or 4 cancer was diagnosed in 67%. There were 226 deaths during 1096 person years of follow-up, yielding an overall mortality rate of 206 per 1000 person years. The cumulative mortality rate at 30 days, 1 year, and 2 years was 6.5, 32.2, and 41.4%, respectively. Mortality was similar between patients on ART whether they started before or after the cancer diagnosis but was higher in patients who never received ART. In patients with a known cause of death, 68% were related to progression of the underlying cancer. In a large cohort of urban, predominantly African-American patients with HIV and cancer, many patients presented with late-stage cancer. There was substantial 30-day and 2-year mortality, although ART had a significant mortality benefit. Deaths were most often caused by progression of cancer and not from another HIV-related or AIDS-related event.

Teaching African-American Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, Harold

1994-01-01

Examines the historical blighting of African-American slaves' minds, which stripped them of their African culture. Examines the effect on African-American children, as well as other children of color. Offers suggestions for coping with the problems of modern schools in terms of respecting and teaching these children that the system is the problem,…

African-American Picture Coverage in "Life,""Newsweek," and "Time," 1937-1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Paul; Smith, Ron

A study explored whether the pictorial coverage of African-Americans in three national magazines (Life, Newsweek, and Time) has increased over time, whether the content categories of those pictures has changed, and whether the picture percentage for African-Americans has approached their percentage of the population (11%). Content analysis of…

African American Women’s Preparation for Childbirth From the Perspective of African American Health-Care Providers

PubMed Central

Abbyad, Christine; Robertson, Trina Reed

2011-01-01

Preparation for birthing has focused primarily on Caucasian women. No studies have explored African American women’s birth preparation. From the perceptions of 12 African American maternity health-care providers, this study elicited perceptions of the ways in which pregnant African American women prepare for childbirth. Focus group participants answered seven semistructured questions. Four themes emerged: connecting with nurturers, traversing an unresponsive system, the need to be strong, and childbirth classes not a priority. Recommendations for nurses and childbirth educators include: (a) self-awareness of attitudes toward African Americans, (b) empowering of clients for birthing, (c) recognition of the role that pregnant women’s mothers play, (d) tailoring of childbirth classes for African American women, and (e) research on how racism influences pregnant African American women’s preparation for birthing. PMID:22211059

Genetic Variability of Smoking Persistence in African Americans

PubMed Central

Hamidovic, A; Kasberger, J; Young, T; Goodloe, R; Redline, S; Buxbaum, S; Benowitz, N; Bergen, A; Butler, K; Franceschini, N; Gharib, S; Hitsman, B; Levy, D; Meng, Y; Papanicolaou, G; Preiss, S; Spring, B; Styn, M; Tong, E; White, W; Wiggins, K; Jorgenson, E

2011-01-01

To date, most genetic association analyses of smoking behaviors have been conducted in populations of European ancestry and many of these studies focused on the phenotype that measures smoking quantity, i.e. cigarettes per day. Additional association studies in diverse populations with different linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns and an alternate phenotype, such as total tobacco exposure which accounts for intermittent periods of smoking cessation within a larger smoking period as measured in large cardiovascular risk studies, can aid the search for variants relevant to smoking behavior. For these reasons, we undertook an association analysis using a genotyping array that includes 2100 genes to analyze smoking persistence in unrelated African-American participants from The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. A locus located ~ 4 Kb downstream from the 3’ UTR of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) significantly influenced smoking persistence. In addition, independent variants rs12915366 and rs12914385 in the cluster of genes encoding nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits (CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4) on 15q25.1 were also associated with the phenotype in this sample of African American subjects. To our knowledge, this is the first study to more extensively evaluate the genome in the African American population as a limited number of previous studies of smoking behavior in this population included evaluations of only single genomic regions. PMID:21436384

Serotonin-related FEV gene variant in the sudden infant death syndrome is a common polymorphism in the African-American population.

PubMed

Broadbelt, Kevin G; Barger, Melissa A; Paterson, David S; Holm, Ingrid A; Haas, Elisabeth A; Krous, Henry F; Kinney, Hannah C; Markianos, Kyriacos; Beggs, Alan H

2009-12-01

An important subset of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is associated with multiple serotonergic (5-HT) abnormalities in regions of the medulla oblongata. The mouse ortholog of the fifth Ewing variant gene (FEV) is critical for 5-HT neuronal development. A putatively rare intronic variant [IVS2-191_190insA, here referred to as c.128-(191_192)dupA] has been reported as a SIDS-associated mutation in an African-American population. We tested this association in an independent dataset: 137 autopsied cases (78 SIDS, 59 controls) and an additional 296 control DNA samples from Coriell Cell Repositories. In addition to the c.128-(191_192)dupA variant, we observed an associated single-base deletion [c.128-(301-306)delG] in a subset of the samples. Neither of the two FEV variants showed significant association with SIDS in either the African-American subgroup or the overall cohort. Although we found a significant association of c.128-(191_192)dupA with SIDS when San Diego Hispanic SIDS cases were compared with San Diego Hispanic controls plus Mexican controls (p = 0.04), this became nonsignificant after multiple testing correction. Among Coriell controls, 33 of 99 (33%) African-American and 0 of 197 (0%) of the remaining controls carry the polymorphism (c.128-(191_192)dupA). The polymorphism seems to be a common, likely nonpathogenic, variant in the African-American population.

Gout in African Americans.

PubMed

Krishnan, Eswar

2014-09-01

African Americans have a substantially higher prevalence of risk factors for gout than Caucasians. The aim of the present study was to compare the risk for incident gout among African Americans and Caucasians. Incidence rates of physician-diagnosed gout among 11,559 Caucasian men and 931 African American men aged 35 to 57 years and at high cardiovascular risk, observed for 7 years as a part of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, were analyzed. Cox regression models were used to account for potential confounding by age, body mass index, diuretic use, hypertension and diabetes status, aspirin and alcohol consumption, and kidney disease. At baseline, after accounting for risk factors, African Americans had a 14% lower prevalence of hyperuricemia than Caucasians. Incidence of gout increased with increasing prevalence of risk factors in both Caucasians and African Americans. Ethnic disparities in incidence rates were most apparent among those without other risk factors for gout. In separate Cox regression models, after accounting for risk factors, African American ethnicity was associated with a hazard ratio of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.93) for physician-diagnosed gout and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.90) for incident hyperuricemia. Significant interactions were observed; the association was the strongest (hazard ratio 0.47; 0.37-0.60). These associations were unaffected by addition of serum urate as a covariate or by using alternate case definitions for gout. After accounting for the higher prevalence of risk factors, African American ethnicity is associated with a significantly lower risk for gout and hyperuricemia compared with Caucasian ethnicity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

African American fathers and incarceration: paternal involvement and child outcomes.

PubMed

Perry, Armon R; Bright, Mikia

2012-01-01

Despite only accounting for 6% of the general population, African American males represent nearly 50% of the prison population. To investigate the impact of mass incarceration on African American families, data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being study were analyzed. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of previous incarceration on African American fathers' instrumental and affective involvement with their children, and the extent to which their previous incarceration influences their children's behavior. Results revealed that 51% of the fathers in the sample had been incarcerated by their child's fifth birthday. The results also revealed that these fathers fared worse economically and were less involved with their children. Moreover, the children of previously incarcerated fathers had significantly worse behavioral problems than the children of fathers who had never been incarcerated.

Narcolepsy in African Americans

PubMed Central

Kawai, Makoto; O'Hara, Ruth; Einen, Mali; Lin, Ling; Mignot, Emmanuel

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: Although narcolepsy affects 0.02–0.05% of individuals in various ethnic groups, clinical presentation in different ethnicities has never been fully characterized. Our goal was to study phenotypic expression across ethnicities in the United States. Design/Setting: Cases of narcolepsy from 1992 to 2013 were identified from searches of the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy Research database. International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition diagnosis criteria for type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy were used for inclusion, but subjects were separated as with and without cataplexy for the purpose of data presentation. Information extracted included demographics, ethnicity and clinical data, HLA-DQB1*06:02, polysomnography (PSG), multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) data, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 level. Patients: 182 African-Americans, 839 Caucasians, 35 Asians, and 41 Latinos with narcolepsy. Results: Sex ratio, PSG, and MSLT findings did not differ across ethnicities. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score was higher and age of onset of sleepiness earlier in African Americans compared with other ethnicities. HLA-DQB1*06:02 positivity was higher in African Americans (91.0%) versus others (76.6% in Caucasians, 80.0% in Asians, and 65.0% in Latinos). CSF hypocretin-1 level, obtained in 222 patients, was more frequently low (≤ 110 pg/ml) in African Americans (93.9%) versus Caucasians (61.5%), Asians (85.7%) and Latinos (75.0%). In subjects with low CSF hypocretin-1, African Americans (28.3%) were 4.5 fold more likely to be without cataplexy when compared with Caucasians (8.1%). Conclusions: Narcolepsy in African Americans is characterized by earlier symptom onset, higher Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, higher HLA-DQB1*06:02 positivity, and low cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 level in the absence of cataplexy. In African Americans, more subjects without cataplexy have type 1 narcolepsy. Citation: Kawai M, O'Hara R, Einen M, Lin L

The Education of African-Americans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willie, Charles V., Ed.; And Others

The 17 papers in this volume are products of a study group on the education of African Americans that was part of a national project, "The Assessment of the Status of African-Americans." The volume takes a comprehensive look at the education of African Americans, specifically early childhood through postsecondary education, and relevant…

Lung cancer disparities and African-Americans.

PubMed

Sin, Mo-Kyung

2017-07-01

African-Americans, as historically disadvantaged minorities, have more advanced stages of cancer when diagnosed, lower survival rates, and lower rates of accessing timely care than do Caucasians. Lung cancer incidence and mortality, in particular, are high among African-Americans. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently released an evidence-based lung cancer screening technology called low-dose computerized tomography. High-risk African-Americans might benefit greatly from such screening but not many are aware of this technology. Public health nurses can play a key role in increasing awareness of the technology among African-American communities and encouraging qualified African-Americans to obtain screening. This study discusses issues with lung cancer and smoking among African-Americans, a recently released evidence-based lung cancer screening technology, and implications for public health nurses to enhance uptake of the new screening technology among high-risk African-Americans. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Admixture mapping of lung cancer in 1812 African-Americans.

PubMed

Schwartz, Ann G; Wenzlaff, Angela S; Bock, Cathryn H; Ruterbusch, Julie J; Chen, Wei; Cote, Michele L; Artis, Amanda S; Van Dyke, Alison L; Land, Susan J; Harris, Curtis C; Pine, Sharon R; Spitz, Margaret R; Amos, Christopher I; Levin, Albert M; McKeigue, Paul M

2011-03-01

Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death in the USA and the best example of a cancer with undisputed evidence of environmental risk. However, a genetic contribution to lung cancer has also been demonstrated by studies of familial aggregation, family-based linkage, candidate gene studies and most recently genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The African-American population has been underrepresented in these genetic studies and has patterns of cigarette use and linkage disequilibrium that differ from patterns in other populations. Therefore, studies in African-Americans can provide complementary data to localize lung cancer susceptibility genes and explore smoking dependence-related genes. We used admixture mapping to further characterize genetic risk of lung cancer in a series of 837 African-American lung cancer cases and 975 African-American controls genotyped at 1344 ancestry informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Both case-only and case-control analyses were conducted using ADMIXMAP adjusted for age, sex, pack-years of smoking, family history of lung cancer, history of emphysema and study site. In case-only analyses, excess European ancestry was observed over a wide region on chromosome 1 with the largest excess seen at rs6587361 for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Z-score = -4.33; P = 1.5 × 10⁻⁵) and for women with NSCLC (Z-score = -4.82; P = 1.4 × 10⁻⁶). Excess African ancestry was also observed on chromosome 3q with a peak Z-score of 3.33 (P = 0.0009) at rs181696 among ever smokers with NSCLC. These results add to the findings from the GWAS in Caucasian populations and suggest novel regions of interest.

Hypertensive chronic kidney disease in African Americans: Strategies for improving care

PubMed Central

MARTINS, DAVID; AGODOA, LAWRENCE; NORRIS, KEITH C.

2013-01-01

African Americans have a disproportionate burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which tends to have an earlier onset and a more rapid progression in this population. Many of the factors responsible for the rapid progression of CKD in African Americans are detectable by screening and are modifiable with prompt therapy. PMID:23027732

Genetic Heterogeneity in Colorectal Cancer Associations in Americans of African vs. European Descent

PubMed Central

Kupfer, Sonia S.; Anderson, Jeffrey R.; Hooker, Stanley; Skol, Andrew; Kittles, Rick A.; Keku, Temitope O.; Sandler, Robert S.; Ellis, Nathan A.

2013-01-01

Background & Aims Genome-wide association studies of colorectal cancer (CRC) have identified risk variants in 10 genomic regions. None of these studies included African Americans, who have the highest incidence and mortality from CRC in the US. For the 10 genomic regions, we performed an association study of Americans of African and European descent. Methods We genotyped 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA samples from 1194 patients with CRC (795 African Americans and 399 European Americans) and 1352 controls (985 African Americans and 367 European Americans). At chromosome 8q24.21 region 3, we analyzed 6 SNPs from 1000 African American cases and 1393 controls. Association testing was done using multivariate logistic regression controlling for ancestry, age, and sex. Results Sizes and directions of association for all SNPs tested in European Americans were consistent with previously published studies, but for 9 of 22 SNPs tested in African Americans, they were of an opposite direction. Among African Americans, the SNP rs6983267 at 8q24.21 was not associated with CRC (odds ratio [OR]=1.18; P=0.12); instead, the 8q24.21 SNP rs7014346 (OR=1.15; p=0.03) was associated with CRC in this population. At 15q13.3, rs10318 was associated with CRC in both populations. At 10p14, the opposite allele of rs10795668 was associated with CRC in African Americans (OR=1.35; P=0.04). At 11q23.1, rs3802842 was significantly associated with rectal cancer risk only among African Americans (OR 1.34; P=0.01); this observation was made in previous studies. Among European Americans, SNPs at 8q24.21, 11q23.1, and 16q22.1 were associated with CRC, in agreement with previous reports. Conclusion There is genetic heterogeneity in CRC associations in Americans of African vs. European descent. PMID:20659471

Characterization of Genome-Wide Association-Identified Variants for Atrial Fibrillation in African Americans

PubMed Central

Delaney, Jessica T.; Jeff, Janina M.; Brown, Nancy J.; Pretorius, Mias; Okafor, Henry E.; Darbar, Dawood; Roden, Dan M.; Crawford, Dana C.

2012-01-01

Background Despite a greater burden of risk factors, atrial fibrillation (AF) is less common among African Americans than European-descent populations. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AF in European-descent populations have identified three predominant genomic regions associated with increased risk (1q21, 4q25, and 16q22). The contribution of these loci to AF risk in African American is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We studied 73 African Americans with AF from the Vanderbilt-Meharry AF registry and 71 African American controls, with no history of AF including after cardiac surgery. Tests of association were performed for 148 SNPs across the three regions associated with AF, and 22 SNPs were significantly associated with AF (P<0.05). The SNPs with the strongest associations in African Americans were both different from the index SNPs identified in European-descent populations and independent from the index European-descent population SNPs (r2<0.40 in HapMap CEU): 1q21 rs4845396 (odds ratio [OR] 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13–0.67, P = 0.003), 4q25 rs4631108 (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.59–7.42, P = 0.002), and 16q22 rs16971547 (OR 8.1, 95% CI 1.46–45.4, P = 0.016). Estimates of European ancestry were similar among cases (23.6%) and controls (23.8%). Accordingly, the probability of having two copies of the European derived chromosomes at each region did not differ between cases and controls. Conclusions/Significance Variable European admixture at known AF loci does not explain decreased AF susceptibility in African Americans. These data support the role of 1q21, 4q25, and 16q22 variants in AF risk for African Americans, although the index SNPs differ from those identified in European-descent populations. PMID:22384221

Active smoking and survival following breast cancer among African American and non-African American women in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study.

PubMed

Parada, Humberto; Sun, Xuezheng; Tse, Chiu-Kit; Olshan, Andrew F; Troester, Melissa A; Conway, Kathleen

2017-09-01

To examine racial differences in smoking rates at the time of breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent survival among African American and non-African American women in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (Phases I/II), a large population-based North Carolina study. We interviewed 788 African American and 1,020 Caucasian/non-African American women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from 1993 to 2000, to assess smoking history. After a median follow-up of 13.56 years, we identified 717 deaths using the National Death Index; 427 were breast cancer-related. We used Cox regression to examine associations between self-reported measures of smoking and breast cancer-specific survival within 5 years and up to 18 years after diagnosis conditional on 5-year survival. We examined race and estrogen receptor status as potential modifiers. Current (vs never) smoking was not associated with 5-year survival; however, risk of 13 year conditional breast cancer-specific mortality was elevated among women who were current smokers at diagnosis (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.06-2.25), compared to never smokers. Although smoking rates were similar among African American (22.0%) and non-African American (22.1%) women, risk of breast cancer-specific mortality was elevated among African American (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.00-2.85), but only weakly elevated among non-African American (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.70-2.14) current (vs. never) smokers (P Interaction  = 0.30). Risk of breast cancer-specific mortality was also elevated among current (vs never) smokers diagnosed with ER - (HR 2.58, 95% CI 1.35-4.93), but not ER + (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.69-1.78) tumors (P Interaction  = 0.17). Smoking may negatively impact long-term survival following breast cancer. Racial differences in long-term survival, as related to smoking, may be driven by ER status, rather than by differences in smoking patterns.

Dementia Incidence Declined in African Americans, but not in Yoruba

PubMed Central

Gao, Sujuan; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Hall, Kathleen S.; Baiyewu, Olesegun; Unverzagt, Frederick W.; Lane, Kathleen A.; Murrell, Jill R.; Gureje, Oye; Hake, Ann M.; Hendrie, Hugh C

2015-01-01

Background To compare dementia incidence of African American and Yoruba cohorts age 70 or older enrolled in 1992 and 2001. Methods African Americans residing in Indianapolis and Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria without dementia were enrolled in 1992 and 2001 and evaluated every two to three years until 2009. The cohorts consist of 1440 African Americans, 1774 Yoruba in 1992 and 1835 African Americans and 1895 Yoruba in the 2001 cohorts age 70 or older. Results In African Americans, dementia and AD incidence rates were significantly lower in 2001 than 1992 for all age groups except the oldest group. The overall standardized annual dementia incidence rates were 3.6% (95% CI: 3.2–4.1%) in the1992 cohort and 1.4% (95% CI: 1.2–1.7%) in the 2001 cohort. There was no significant difference in dementia or AD incidence between the Yoruba cohorts. Conclusions Future research is needed to explore the reasons for the differential changes in incidence rates in these two populations. PMID:26218444

Dementia incidence declined in African-Americans but not in Yoruba.

PubMed

Gao, Sujuan; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Hall, Kathleen S; Baiyewu, Olusegun; Unverzagt, Frederick W; Lane, Kathleen A; Murrell, Jill R; Gureje, Oye; Hake, Ann M; Hendrie, Hugh C

2016-03-01

To compare dementia incidence of African-American and Yoruba cohorts aged ≥70 years enrolled in 1992 and 2001. African-Americans residing in Indianapolis and Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria without dementia were enrolled in 1992 and 2001 and evaluated every 2-3 years until 2009. The cohorts consist of 1440 African-Americans, 1774 Yoruba in 1992 and 1835 African-Americans and 1895 Yoruba in the 2001 cohorts aged ≥70 years. In African-Americans, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) incidence rates were significantly lower in 2001 than 1992 for all age groups except the oldest group. The overall standardized annual dementia incidence rates were 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2%-4.1%) in the 1992 cohort and 1.4% (95% CI, 1.2%-1.7%) in the 2001 cohort. There was no significant difference in dementia or AD incidence between the Yoruba cohorts. Future research is needed to explore the reasons for the differential changes in incidence rates in these two populations. Copyright © 2016 The Alzheimer's Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Narcolepsy in African Americans.

PubMed

Kawai, Makoto; O'Hara, Ruth; Einen, Mali; Lin, Ling; Mignot, Emmanuel

2015-11-01

Although narcolepsy affects 0.02-0.05% of individuals in various ethnic groups, clinical presentation in different ethnicities has never been fully characterized. Our goal was to study phenotypic expression across ethnicities in the United States. Cases of narcolepsy from 1992 to 2013 were identified from searches of the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy Research database. International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition diagnosis criteria for type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy were used for inclusion, but subjects were separated as with and without cataplexy for the purpose of data presentation. Information extracted included demographics, ethnicity and clinical data, HLA-DQB1*06:02, polysomnography (PSG), multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) data, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 level. 182 African-Americans, 839 Caucasians, 35 Asians, and 41 Latinos with narcolepsy. Sex ratio, PSG, and MSLT findings did not differ across ethnicities. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score was higher and age of onset of sleepiness earlier in African Americans compared with other ethnicities. HLA-DQB1*06:02 positivity was higher in African Americans (91.0%) versus others (76.6% in Caucasians, 80.0% in Asians, and 65.0% in Latinos). CSF hypocretin-1 level, obtained in 222 patients, was more frequently low (≤ 110 pg/ml) in African Americans (93.9%) versus Caucasians (61.5%), Asians (85.7%) and Latinos (75.0%). In subjects with low CSF hypocretin-1, African Americans (28.3%) were 4.5 fold more likely to be without cataplexy when compared with Caucasians (8.1%). Narcolepsy in African Americans is characterized by earlier symptom onset, higher Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, higher HLA-DQB1*06:02 positivity, and low cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 level in the absence of cataplexy. In African Americans, more subjects without cataplexy have type 1 narcolepsy. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Hispanic versus African American Girls: Body Image, Nutrition, and Puberty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talpade, Medha

2008-01-01

Public health research has been dominated by the biomedical model, which does not appear to be appropriate for studying public health variables across different populations. For example, when comparing the Hispanic American (HA) and African American (AA) population in the U.S., there are similarities on several demographic and public health…

Associations Between Cigarette Print Advertising and Smoking Initiation Among African Americans.

PubMed

Trinidad, Dennis R; Blanco, Lyzette; Emery, Sherry L; Fagan, Pebbles; White, Martha M; Reed, Mark B

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to examine changes in the annual number of cigarette advertisements in magazines with a predominantly African-American audience following the broadcast ban on tobacco, and whether fluctuations in cigarette print advertising targeting African Americans during the late-1970s until the mid-1980s were associated with declines in smoking initiation. We tabulated the annual number of cigarette advertisements from magazines with large African-American readerships (Ebony, Essence, and Jet) from 1960 to 1990. Advertisements were coded depending on whether they featured African-American models. We calculated the incidence rate of regular smoking initiation from 1975 to 1990 for African-American 14-25 years old using data from the 1992-1993, 1995-1996, 1998-1999, and 2001-2002 Tobacco Use Supplements of the Current Population Survey. We examined whether trends in smoking initiation coincided with trends in cigarette advertising practices among African Americans. The annual aggregated number of printed cigarette advertisements in Ebony, Essence, and Jet magazines increased at least five-fold starting in 1971, following the broadcast ban on cigarette advertising. A decrease in the percentage of ads by Brown & Williamson that showed African-American models was positively correlated (r = 0.30) with declines in the incidence rate of smoking initiation among African Americans from the late-1970s to the mid-1980s. The tobacco industry adapted quickly following the broadcast ban on cigarettes by increasing print advertising in African-American magazines. However, changes in print advertising practices by were associated with declines in smoking initiation among African Americans from the late-1970s to mid-1980s.

Genome-wide Scan of 29,141 African Americans Finds No Evidence of Directional Selection since Admixture

PubMed Central

Bhatia, Gaurav; Tandon, Arti; Patterson, Nick; Aldrich, Melinda C.; Ambrosone, Christine B.; Amos, Christopher; Bandera, Elisa V.; Berndt, Sonja I.; Bernstein, Leslie; Blot, William J.; Bock, Cathryn H.; Caporaso, Neil; Casey, Graham; Deming, Sandra L.; Diver, W. Ryan; Gapstur, Susan M.; Gillanders, Elizabeth M.; Harris, Curtis C.; Henderson, Brian E.; Ingles, Sue A.; Isaacs, William; De Jager, Phillip L.; John, Esther M.; Kittles, Rick A.; Larkin, Emma; McNeill, Lorna H.; Millikan, Robert C.; Murphy, Adam; Neslund-Dudas, Christine; Nyante, Sarah; Press, Michael F.; Rodriguez-Gil, Jorge L.; Rybicki, Benjamin A.; Schwartz, Ann G.; Signorello, Lisa B.; Spitz, Margaret; Strom, Sara S.; Tucker, Margaret A.; Wiencke, John K.; Witte, John S.; Wu, Xifeng; Yamamura, Yuko; Zanetti, Krista A.; Zheng, Wei; Ziegler, Regina G.; Chanock, Stephen J.; Haiman, Christopher A.; Reich, David; Price, Alkes L.

2014-01-01

The extent of recent selection in admixed populations is currently an unresolved question. We scanned the genomes of 29,141 African Americans and failed to find any genome-wide-significant deviations in local ancestry, indicating no evidence of selection influencing ancestry after admixture. A recent analysis of data from 1,890 African Americans reported that there was evidence of selection in African Americans after their ancestors left Africa, both before and after admixture. Selection after admixture was reported on the basis of deviations in local ancestry, and selection before admixture was reported on the basis of allele-frequency differences between African Americans and African populations. The local-ancestry deviations reported by the previous study did not replicate in our very large sample, and we show that such deviations were expected purely by chance, given the number of hypotheses tested. We further show that the previous study’s conclusion of selection in African Americans before admixture is also subject to doubt. This is because the FST statistics they used were inflated and because true signals of unusual allele-frequency differences between African Americans and African populations would be best explained by selection that occurred in Africa prior to migration to the Americas. PMID:25242497

Disparities in the Population Distribution of African American and Non-Hispanic White Smokers along the Quitting Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trinidad, Dennis R.; Xie, Bin; Fagan, Pebbles; Pulvers, Kim; Romero, Devan R.; Blanco, Lyzette; Sakuma, Kari-Lyn K.

2015-01-01

Purpose: To examine disparities and changes over time in the population-level distribution of smokers along a cigarette quitting continuum among African American smokers compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Methods: Secondary data analyses of the 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2008 California Tobacco Surveys (CTS). The CTS are large, random-digit-dialed,…

Association of substance use disorders with childhood trauma but not African genetic heritage in an African American cohort.

PubMed

Ducci, Francesca; Roy, Alec; Shen, Pei-Hong; Yuan, Qiaoping; Yuan, Nicole P; Hodgkinson, Colin A; Goldman, Lynn R; Goldman, David

2009-09-01

Genetic variation influences differential vulnerability to addiction within populations. However, it remains unclear whether differences in frequencies of vulnerability alleles contribute to disparities between populations and to what extent ancestry correlates with differential exposure to environmental risk factors, including poverty and trauma. The authors used 186 ancestry-informative markers to measure African ancestry in 407 addicts and 457 comparison subjects self-identified as African Americans. The reference group was 1,051 individuals from the Human Genome Diversity Cell Line Panel, which includes 51 diverse populations representing most worldwide genetic diversity. African Americans varied in degrees of African, European, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian genetic heritage. The overall level of African ancestry was actually smaller among cocaine, opiate, and alcohol addicts (proportion=0.76-0.78) than nonaddicted African American comparison subjects (proportion=0.81). African ancestry was associated with living in impoverished neighborhoods, a factor previously associated with risk. There was no association between African ancestry and exposure to childhood abuse or neglect, a factor that strongly predicted all types of addictions. These results suggest that African genetic heritage does not increase the likelihood of genetic risk for addictions. They highlight the complex interrelation between genetic ancestry and social, economic, and environmental conditions and the strong relation of those factors to addiction. Studies of epidemiological samples characterized for genetic ancestry and social, psychological, demographic, economic, cultural, and historical factors are needed to better disentangle the effects of genetic and environmental factors underlying interpopulation differences in vulnerability to addiction and other health disparities.

Association of Substance Use Disorders With Childhood Trauma but not African Genetic Heritage in an African American Cohort

PubMed Central

Ducci, Francesca; Roy, Alec; Shen, Pei-Hong; Yuan, Qiaoping; Yuan, Nicole P.; Hodgkinson, Colin A.; Goldman, Lynn R.; Goldman, David

2009-01-01

Objective Genetic variation influences differential vulnerability to addiction within populations. However, it remains unclear whether differences in frequencies of vulnerability alleles contribute to disparities between populations and to what extent ancestry correlates with differential exposure to environmental risk factors, including poverty and trauma. Method The authors used 186 ancestry-informative markers to measure African ancestry in 407 addicts and 457 comparison subjects self-identified as African Americans. The reference group was 1,051 individuals from the Human Genome Diversity Cell Line Panel, which includes 51 diverse populations representing most worldwide genetic diversity. Results African Americans varied in degrees of African, European, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian genetic heritage. The overall level of African ancestry was actually smaller among cocaine, opiate, and alcohol addicts (proportion=0.76–0.78) than nonaddicted African American comparison subjects (proportion=0.81). African ancestry was associated with living in impoverished neighborhoods, a factor previously associated with risk. There was no association between African ancestry and exposure to childhood abuse or neglect, a factor that strongly predicted all types of addictions. Conclusions These results suggest that African genetic heritage does not increase the likelihood of genetic risk for addictions. They highlight the complex interrelation between genetic ancestry and social, economic, and environmental conditions and the strong relation of those factors to addiction. Studies of epidemiological samples characterized for genetic ancestry and social, psychological, demographic, economic, cultural, and historical factors are needed to better disentangle the effects of genetic and environmental factors underlying interpopulation differences in vulnerability to addiction and other health disparities. PMID:19605534

Impact of Supplemental Site Grants to Increase African-American Accrual for SELECT

PubMed Central

Cook, Elise D.; Arnold, Kathryn B.; Hermos, John A.; McCaskill-Stevens, Worta; Moody-Thomas, Sarah; Probstfield, Jeffrey L.; Hamilton, Sandra J.; Campbell, Russell D.; Anderson, Karen B.; Minasian, Lori M.

2014-01-01

Background Low rates of minority recruitment in prevention studies may reduce the generalizability of study results to minority populations, including African Americans. High African American accrual to prevention studies requires additional resources and focused efforts. Objective To analyze the impact of Minority Recruitment Enhancement Grants (MREGs) on African American recruitment to the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). Results Fifteen of 427 SELECT sites received MREGs after they demonstrated early success in minority recruitment. After receiving the grants, the average monthly rate of African American recruitment at these sites increased from 27.2% to 31.5%, and total average monthly recruitment also increased. Sites that did not receive grants, including sites that did not apply, increased average monthly African American recruitment from 11.0% to 14.6% but declined in total average monthly recruitment. Conclusions and Implications Sites who received MREGs modestly increased both the proportion of African American recruits and total recruits. These results are tempered by the high cost of the intervention, the relatively low number of SELECT sites that applied for the grants and the administrative delays in implementation. Nevertheless, targeted grants may be a useful multi-site intervention to increase African American accrual for a prevention study where adequate African American recruitment is essential. PMID:20156960

Diabetes in the African-American Medicare population. Morbidity, quality of care, and resource utilization.

PubMed

Chin, M H; Zhang, J X; Merrell, K

1998-07-01

To determine whether African-American Medicare recipients with diabetes are at increased risk for morbidity, poor quality of care, and high resource utilization. We analyzed 1,376 patients with diabetes who were > or = 65 years of age and in the 1993 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. Morbidity measures were the Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, overall health perception, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, and diabetic complications. Quality of care standards were glycosylated hemoglobin measurements, ophthalmological visits, lipid testing, mammography, influenza vaccination, readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge, and outpatient visits within 4 weeks of hospital discharge. We stratified Medicare reimbursement by type of service and adjusted for sex, education, and age in multivariable analyses. Compared with white patients, African-American patients had worse health perception and lower quality of care. They were more likely to visit the emergency department and had fewer physician visits per year. African-Americans had higher reimbursement for home health services, but total reimbursement was similar after case-mix adjustment. Improved access to preventive care for older African-Americans with diabetes may improve health perception and use of the emergency department. The potential effect on total reimbursement is unclear. Future policy interventions to improve quality of care among Medicare patients with diabetes should especially target African-Americans.

Genome-wide scan of 29,141 African Americans finds no evidence of directional selection since admixture.

PubMed

Bhatia, Gaurav; Tandon, Arti; Patterson, Nick; Aldrich, Melinda C; Ambrosone, Christine B; Amos, Christopher; Bandera, Elisa V; Berndt, Sonja I; Bernstein, Leslie; Blot, William J; Bock, Cathryn H; Caporaso, Neil; Casey, Graham; Deming, Sandra L; Diver, W Ryan; Gapstur, Susan M; Gillanders, Elizabeth M; Harris, Curtis C; Henderson, Brian E; Ingles, Sue A; Isaacs, William; De Jager, Phillip L; John, Esther M; Kittles, Rick A; Larkin, Emma; McNeill, Lorna H; Millikan, Robert C; Murphy, Adam; Neslund-Dudas, Christine; Nyante, Sarah; Press, Michael F; Rodriguez-Gil, Jorge L; Rybicki, Benjamin A; Schwartz, Ann G; Signorello, Lisa B; Spitz, Margaret; Strom, Sara S; Tucker, Margaret A; Wiencke, John K; Witte, John S; Wu, Xifeng; Yamamura, Yuko; Zanetti, Krista A; Zheng, Wei; Ziegler, Regina G; Chanock, Stephen J; Haiman, Christopher A; Reich, David; Price, Alkes L

2014-10-02

The extent of recent selection in admixed populations is currently an unresolved question. We scanned the genomes of 29,141 African Americans and failed to find any genome-wide-significant deviations in local ancestry, indicating no evidence of selection influencing ancestry after admixture. A recent analysis of data from 1,890 African Americans reported that there was evidence of selection in African Americans after their ancestors left Africa, both before and after admixture. Selection after admixture was reported on the basis of deviations in local ancestry, and selection before admixture was reported on the basis of allele-frequency differences between African Americans and African populations. The local-ancestry deviations reported by the previous study did not replicate in our very large sample, and we show that such deviations were expected purely by chance, given the number of hypotheses tested. We further show that the previous study's conclusion of selection in African Americans before admixture is also subject to doubt. This is because the FST statistics they used were inflated and because true signals of unusual allele-frequency differences between African Americans and African populations would be best explained by selection that occurred in Africa prior to migration to the Americas. Copyright © 2014 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

African-American College Student Attitudes toward Physics and Their Effect on Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drake, Carl Timothy

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the attitudes that African-American college students have towards introductory college physics. The population targeted for this study consisted of African-American males and females enrolled in introductory college physics classes at an urban public historical black college or…

WIC peer counselors’ perceptions of breastfeeding in African-American women with lower incomes

PubMed Central

Gross, Tyra T.; Powell, Rachel; Anderson, Alex K.; Hall, Jori; Davis, Marsha; Hilyard, Karen

2015-01-01

Background African-American women have the lowest breastfeeding rates among all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Peer counseling is an effective intervention in improving breastfeeding in this population. However, little is known on peer counselors’ perceptions of breastfeeding in African-American women. Objectives As part of a larger qualitative study, the goal of this study was to understand the contextual factors influencing breastfeeding decisions of low-income African-American women from the perspective of breastfeeding peer counselors (PCs). Methods Three focus groups were conducted with 23 PCs from the WIC program in a Southeastern state. All focus group discussions were audio-recorded, professionally transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological model was used to group categories into themes. Results Of the sample, 48% were African-American, 78.2% were married, 56.5% had some college education. Five main themes emerged to describe factors at multiple-levels influencing breastfeeding in PCs’ low-income African-American clients: Individual, Microsystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and Chronosystem. Novel findings included 1) having breast-pumps may give African-American women a “sense of security”, 2) cultural pressures to be a “strong black woman” can impede breastfeeding support, and 3) breastfeeding “generational gaps” have resulted from American “slavery” and when formula was “a sign of wealth”. Conclusions As PCs described, low-income African-American women breastfeeding decisions are impacted by numerous contextual factors. Findings from this study suggest a need to broaden public health approach to breastfeeding promotion in this population by moving beyond individual characteristics to examining historical and socio-cultural factors underlying breastfeeding practices in African-American women. PMID:25480019

Colorectal Cancer in Young African Americans: Is it time to revisit guidelines and prevention?

PubMed Central

Ashktorab, Hassan; Vilmenay, Kimberly; Brim, Hassan; Laiyemo, Adeyinka O; Kibreab, Angesom; Nouraie, Mehdi

2016-01-01

Previous studies have suggested an increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in young adults (younger than 50 years). Among older people, African Americans have disproportionally higher CRC incidence and mortality. It is unclear if this CRC disparity also applies to CRC diagnosed among young people Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registries, a population-based cancer registry covering 25.6% of the United States’ African American population, we identified patients diagnosed with CRC between the years of 2000-2012. The age-adjusted rates for non-Hispanic whites (NHW), African Americans and Asian Pacific Islanders (API) were calculated for the age categories 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and 40-44. Results CRC age-adjusted incidence is increasing among all three racial groups and was higher for African Americans compared to NHW and API across all years 2000-2012 (P<0.001). Stage IV CRC was higher in African Americans compared with NHW while there was higher stage III CRC in API compared with NHWs. Conclusion CRC incidence is increasing among the young in all racial groups under study. This increase in frequency of CRC is true among young African American adults who display highly advanced tumors in comparison to other races. While the present attention to screening seems to have decreased CRC prevalence in individuals older than 50, special attention needs to be addressed to young African American adults as well, to counter the observed trend, as they have the highest incidence of CRC among young population groups by race/ethnicity. PMID:27278956

African American adolescent perceptions of vulnerability and resilience to HIV.

PubMed

Glenn, Betty L; Wilson, Kathleen P

2008-07-01

HIV/AIDS is growing at a disproportional rate among African American adolescents. This trend has occurred despite the fact that 89% of schools have educational programs on HIV/AIDS. Barriers to effective HIV prevention may be related to a failure to develop educational programs based on the cultural competencies of vulnerable populations such as adolescents who are at risk for HIV. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore African American adolescent perceptions of vulnerability and resilience to HIV/AIDS within a cultural competency paradigm. A group of 8 adolescents at an African American church participated in a focus group to discuss vulnerability and resilience to HIV. To facilitate discussion, the adolescents developed collages from pictures in African American magazines. Content analysis was used to identify themes. The themes revealed were confidence, safe social activities, innocence, image, music/drug culture, and peer pressure.

African American Therapists Working with African American Families: An Exploration of the Strengths Perspective in Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell-Tolliver, Laverne; Burgess, Ruby; Brock, Linda J.

2009-01-01

With the exception of Hill's (1971, 1999) work, historically much of the literature on African American families has focused more on pathology than strengths. This study used interviews with 30 African American psychotherapists, self-identified as employing a strengths perspective with African American families, to investigate which strengths they…

Investigating Instructional Practices of an African American Male Mathematics Teacher with Underachieving African American Male Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muhammad, Rhonda K.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study examined the instructional practices of an experienced African American mathematics teacher to determine his perceived capabilities in augmenting academic proficiency for his African American male students. Provided in this descriptive case study are the lived experiences of an African American male teacher working to move…

Stress, stress reduction, and hypertension in African Americans: an updated review.

PubMed Central

Barnes, V.; Schneider, R.; Alexander, C.; Staggers, F.

1997-01-01

This is a comprehensive and integrative review of multiple factors underlying the greater prevalence of hypertension in African Americans compared with whites. Evidence linking stress with hypertension and cardiovascular disease in African Americans is reviewed. A survey of mechanisms of hypertension in African Americans and existing behavioral strategies for the treatment of hypertension is presented. Given that the excess of hypertension may be mediated in part by behavioral factors operating through biological mechanisms, a case is presented for behavioral stress reduction measures. This review of stress reduction techniques especially the Transcendental Mediation program for the treatment of hypertension in African Americans highlights current issues facing the field. New information is provided to help direct future nonpharmacological research and practice in hypertension to prevent morbidity and premature mortality in this underserved population. PMID:9220696

Stress, stress reduction, and hypertension in African Americans: an updated review.

PubMed

Barnes, V; Schneider, R; Alexander, C; Staggers, F

1997-07-01

This is a comprehensive and integrative review of multiple factors underlying the greater prevalence of hypertension in African Americans compared with whites. Evidence linking stress with hypertension and cardiovascular disease in African Americans is reviewed. A survey of mechanisms of hypertension in African Americans and existing behavioral strategies for the treatment of hypertension is presented. Given that the excess of hypertension may be mediated in part by behavioral factors operating through biological mechanisms, a case is presented for behavioral stress reduction measures. This review of stress reduction techniques especially the Transcendental Mediation program for the treatment of hypertension in African Americans highlights current issues facing the field. New information is provided to help direct future nonpharmacological research and practice in hypertension to prevent morbidity and premature mortality in this underserved population.

Practice recommendations for pain assessment by self-report with African American older adults.

PubMed

Booker, Staja Star; Pasero, Chris; Herr, Keela A

2015-01-01

Despite decades of education and clinical practice guidelines underscoring disparities in pain management, pain continues to be inadequately managed in older African American adults as a result of patient, provider, and systems factors. Critical factors influencing pain assessment in older African American adults has not been extensively examined, contributing to a lack of data to inform health care providers' knowledge on culturally-responsive pain assessment in older African Americans. Assessing pain in older African Americans is unique because differences in language, cultural beliefs, and practices moderate how they report and express pain. This paper presents an overview of patient-provider factors that affect pain assessment in older African Americans with a focus on this population's unique cultural beliefs and practices. Recommendations for best practices for performance of a culturally-responsive pain assessment with older African Americans are provided. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disparities in health-related Internet use among African American men, 2010.

PubMed

Mitchell, Jamie A; Thompson, Hayley S; Watkins, Daphne C; Shires, Deirdre; Modlin, Charles S

2014-03-20

Given the benefits of health-related Internet use, we examined whether sociodemographic, medical, and access-related factors predicted this outcome among African American men, a population burdened with health disparities. African American men (n = 329) completed an anonymous survey at a community health fair in 2010; logistic regression was used to identify predictors. Only education (having attended some college or more) predicted health-related Internet use (P < .001). African American men may vary in how they prefer to receive health information; those with less education may need support to engage effectively with health-related Internet use.

Predicting Non-African American Lesbian and Heterosexual Preadoptive Couples' Openness to Adopting an African American Child

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Abbie E.; Smith, JuliAnna Z.

2009-01-01

Despite increases in transracial adoption, African American children remain the least likely to be adopted. No research has examined the factors that predict prospective adopters' willingness to adopt an African American child. This study used multilevel modeling to examine predictors of willingness to adopt an African American child in a sample…

African American's awareness of disparities in infant mortality rates and sudden infant death syndrome risks.

PubMed

Oliva, Geraldine; Rienks, Jennifer; Smyly, Virginia

2010-08-01

African American infant mortality rates (IMR) in San Francisco have remained 2.5 to three times those of Whites for over 20 years. A 69-item telephone survey of African American residents in four neighborhoods with the most African American births assessed awareness of IMR disparities, associated risks, and social capital. Of the 804 respondents, 57% were not aware of the IMR disparity. Higher levels of awareness occurred in those volunteering (OR 1.5, CI 1.1-2.0), participating in efforts to benefit the African American community (OR 1.8, CI 1.3-2.4), sensing that they belonged in their neighborhood (OR 1.7, CI 1.2-2.3), and being aware of a local African American-led initiative to improve infant health (OR 2.3, CI 1.7-3.9). Lack of awareness can be a barrier to a population's engagement in improving its overall health. Lack of awareness of IMR disparities and risk factors exists in the San Francisco African American population and is related to less social capital. Improving awareness is a prerequisite for implementing community level interventions.

African American and Black Caribbean Feelings of Closeness to Africans

PubMed Central

Thornton, Michael C.; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Chatters, Linda M.; Forsythe-Brown, Ivy

2016-01-01

African American and Black Caribbean relations dominate research on interactions across black ethnic divides. Using National Survey of American Life data, we explore a different aspect of black interethnic attitudes: how close these groups feel toward Africans. African Americans and Black Caribbeans were largely similar in their feelings of closeness to Africans. For Black Caribbeans, younger and male respondents, those reporting higher levels of financial strain, living in the northeast and persons who immigrated to the United States at least 11 years ago, report feeling especially close to Africans. Being male was the only significant correlate among African Americans. The findings are discussed in relation to how race, ethnicity and national origin shape personal identities within the U.S. and their significance for intergroup perceptions. These broader issues warrant further consideration in light of assertions that race as a defining feature of American life and intergroup relations is obsolete. PMID:28943747

Mechanisms of Vowel Variation in African American English.

PubMed

Holt, Yolanda Feimster

2018-02-15

This research explored mechanisms of vowel variation in African American English by comparing 2 geographically distant groups of African American and White American English speakers for participation in the African American Shift and the Southern Vowel Shift. Thirty-two male (African American: n = 16, White American controls: n = 16) lifelong residents of cities in eastern and western North Carolina produced heed,hid,heyd,head,had,hod,hawed,whod,hood,hoed,hide,howed,hoyd, and heard 3 times each in random order. Formant frequency, duration, and acoustic analyses were completed for the vowels /i, ɪ, e, ɛ, æ, ɑ, ɔ, u, ʊ, o, aɪ, aʊ, oɪ, ɝ/ produced in the listed words. African American English speakers show vowel variation. In the west, the African American English speakers are participating in the Southern Vowel Shift and hod fronting of the African American Shift. In the east, neither the African American English speakers nor their White peers are participating in the Southern Vowel Shift. The African American English speakers show limited participation in the African American Shift. The results provide evidence of regional and socio-ethnic variation in African American English in North Carolina.

Posttraumatic stress disorder in African Americans: a two year follow-up study.

PubMed

Pérez Benítez, Carlos I; Sibrava, Nicholas J; Kohn-Wood, Laura; Bjornsson, Andri S; Zlotnick, Caron; Weisberg, Risa; Keller, Martin B

2014-12-15

The present study was a prospective, naturalistic, longitudinal investigation of the two year course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of African Americans with anxiety disorders. The study objectives were to examine the two year course of PTSD and to evaluate differences between African Americans with PTSD and anxiety disorders and African Americans with anxiety disorders but no PTSD with regard to comorbidity, psychosocial impairment, physical and emotional functioning, and treatment participation. The participants were 67 African Americans with PTSD and 98 African Americans without PTSD (mean age 41.5 years, 67.3% female). Individuals with PTSD were more likely to have higher comorbidity, lower functioning, and they were less likely to seek treatment than those with other anxiety disorders but no PTSD. The rate of recovery from PTSD over two years was 0.10 and recovery from comorbid Major Depressive Disorder was 0.55. PTSD appears to be persistent over time in this population. The rates of recovery were lower than what has been reported in previous longitudinal studies with predominantly non-Latino Whites. It is imperative to examine barriers to treatment and factors related to treatment engagement for this population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding African American Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Edward Earl

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the socialization skills, self-esteem, and academic readiness of African American males in a school environment. Discussions with students and the School Perceptions Questionnaire provided data for this investigation. The intended targets for this investigation were African American students; however, there…

Prevalence and Severity of Symptoms in a Sample of African Americans and White Participants.

PubMed

Taneja, Indu; So, Suzanna; Stewart, Julian M; Evans, Meredyth; Jason, Leonard A

2015-01-01

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), African Americans have a substantially greater prevalence of a range of health conditions when compared to other racial or ethnic groups. Many of these conditions have been attributed to the historical and contemporary social and economic disparities faced by the African American community. While many health conditions occur at a higher rate in African Americans, it is unclear whether there are specific symptom clusters that may also be more prevalent in African Americans as a result of these disparities. Potential differences in symptomology have not been thoroughly examined between African Americans and White populations. The current study compares the prevalence and pain severity of symptoms among a sample of African Americans and White participants. Significant differences in symptom prevalence were found in disturbed sleep and reproductive areas. African Americans also experience more pain due to symptoms related to orthostatic intolerance. Implications of this finding are discussed.

The Criminal Justice Experience of African American Cocaine Users in Arkansas.

PubMed

Zaller, Nickolas; Cheney, Ann M; Curran, Geoffrey M; Booth, Brenda M; Borders, Tyrone F

2016-10-14

African Americans are incarcerated at rates much higher than other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. We sought to qualitatively explore the relationships between ongoing involvement in the criminal justice system and continued drug use in a population of urban and rural African American cocaine users in a southern state. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted among African American cocaine users in Arkansas between 2010 and 2012. Participants resided in both rural (two counties located in the eastern Arkansas Mississippi delta region) and urban (the county including the capital city of Little Rock) areas. Numerous important themes emerged from participants' narratives, including chronic involvement with the criminal justice system (being a "career criminal"), continued access to drugs while incarcerated, relapse, and reincarceration and lack of access to effective drug treatment. Conclusion/Importance: The themes which emerged from our data speak to the collective experience that many substance using populations in the United States face in dealing with the criminal justice system. Our findings highlight the need to better, more holistic ways of engaging African American substance users in community based substance use treatment and supportive services.

The Criminal Justice Experience of African American Cocaine Users in Arkansas

PubMed Central

Zaller, Nickolas; Cheney, Ann M.; Curran, Geoffrey M.; Booth, Brenda M.; Borders, Tyrone F.

2018-01-01

Background African Americans are incarcerated at rates much higher than other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Objectives We sought to qualitatively explore the relationships between ongoing involvement in the criminal justice system and continued drug use in a population of urban and rural African American cocaine users in a southern state. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted among African American cocaine users in Arkansas between 2010 and 2012. Participants resided in both rural (two counties located in the eastern Arkansas Mississippi delta region) and urban (the county including the capital city of Little Rock) areas. Results Numerous important themes emerged from participants’ narratives, including chronic involvement with the criminal justice system (being a “career criminal”), continued access to drugs while incarcerated, relapse, and reincarceration and lack of access to effective drug treatment. Conclusion/Importance The themes which emerged from our data speak to the collective experience that many substance using populations in the United States face in dealing with the criminal justice system. Our findings highlight the need to better, more holistic ways of engaging African American substance users in community based substance use treatment and supportive services. PMID:27486889

The TG/HDL-C ratio does not predict insulin resistance in overweight women of African descent: a study of South African, African American and West African women.

PubMed

Knight, Michael G; Goedecke, Julia H; Ricks, Madia; Evans, Juliet; Levitt, Naomi S; Tulloch-Reid, Marshall K; Sumner, Anne E

2011-01-01

Women of African descent have a high prevalence of diseases caused by insulin resistance. To positively impact cardiometabolic health in Black women, effective screening tests for insulin resistance must be identified. Recently, the TG/HDL-C ratio has been recommended as a tool to predict insulin resistance in overweight people. While the ratio predicts insulin resistance in White women, it is ineffective in African American women. As there are no data for African women, we tested the ability of the TG/HDL-C ratio to predict insulin resistance in Black women from South Africa, West Africa and the United States. For comparison, the ratio was also tested in White women from South Africa. Participants were 801 women (157 Black South African, 382 African American, 119 West African, 143 White South African, age 36 +/- 9y [mean +/- SD]). Standardized scores were created from log-transformed homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance values from each population. Participants in the upper third of their population distribution were classified as insulin-resistant. To predict insulin resistance by the TC/HDL-C ratio, area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC) curve was used and criteria were: 0.50 for no discrimination and > or = 0.70 for acceptable. Seventy-one percent of the Black women were overweight vs 51% of White women (P<.01). In overweight White women, AUC-ROC curve for prediction of insulin resistance by TG/HDL-C was 0.76 +/- 0.06, but below the 0.70 threshold in each group of overweight Black women (Black South African: 0.64 +/- 0.06, African American: 0.66 +/- 0.03, and West African: 0.63 +/- 0.07). Therefore, TG/HDL-C does not predict insulin resistance in overweight African American women and this investigation extends that finding to overweight Black South African and West African women. Resources to identify effective markers of insulin resistance are needed to improve cardiometabolic health in women of African descent.

Disparity in the Persistence of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Genotypes Between African American and European American Women of College Age

PubMed Central

Banister, Carolyn E.; Messersmith, Amy R.; Cai, Bo; Spiryda, Lisa B.; Glover, Saundra H.; Pirisi, Lucia; Creek, Kim E.

2015-01-01

Background. Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in African Americans than in European Americans (white, non-Hispanic of European ancestry). The reasons for this disparity are not known. Methods. We recruited a population-based longitudinal cohort of 326 European American and 113 African American female college freshmen in Columbia, South Carolina, to compare clearance of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection between ethnicities. HPV testing and typing from samples obtained for Papanicolaou testing occurred every 6 months. Results. African American participants had an increased risk of testing positive for HR-HPV, compared with European American participants, but the frequency of incident HPV infection was the same in African American and European American women. Thus, exposure to HPV could not explain the higher rate of HPV positivity among African American women. The time required for 50% of participants to clear HR-HPV infection was 601 days for African American women (n = 63) and 316 days for European American women (n = 178; odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–2.53). African American women were more likely than European American women to have an abnormal result of a Papanicolaou test (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.05–2.39). Conclusions. We propose that the longer time to clearance of HR-HPV among African American women leads to increased rates of abnormal results of Papanicolaou tests and contributes to the increased rates of cervical cancer observed in African American women. PMID:25028692

African-American Sacred Music.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, A. Peter

1991-01-01

The history of African-American sacred music is traced from the time of slavery to the present interest in gospel music. The religious music of African Americans is geared toward liberation themes. It is important that this music does not dilute its power through cross-over with other music forms. (SLD)

Adherence to cancer prevention guidelines and cancer risk in low-income and African American populations

PubMed Central

Andersen, Shaneda Warren; Blot, William J; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Sonderman, Jennifer S; Steinwandel, Mark D; Hargreaves, Margaret K; Zheng, Wei

2016-01-01

Background The American Cancer Society (ACS) publishes behavioral guidelines for cancer prevention, including standards on body weight, physical activity, nutrition, alcohol, and tobacco use. The impact of these guidelines has been rarely studied in low-income and African American populations. Methods The study included 61,098 racially diverse, mainly low-income adults who participated in the Southern Community Cohort Study and were followed for a median of 6 years. Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for cancer incidence associated with behaviors and with an ACS physical activity/nutrition 0-to-4 compliance score indicating the number of body weight, physical activity, healthy eating, and alcohol guidelines met. Results During the study period, 2,240 incident cancers were identified. Significantly lower cancer incidence was found among never smokers and non/moderate alcohol drinkers, but not among those meeting guidelines for obesity, physical activity, and diet. The ACS compliance score was inversely associated with cancer risk among the 25,509 participants without baseline chronic disease. HRs for cancer incidence among those without baseline chronic diseases and who met one, two, three, or four guidelines vs. zero guideline were 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.71–1.21), 0.85 (0.65–1.12), 0.70 (0.51–0.97), and 0.55 (0.31–0.99), respectively. Associations were consistent in analyses stratified by sex, race, household income, and smoking status. Conclusions Meeting the ACS smoking and body weight/physical activity/dietary/alcohol guidelines for cancer prevention is associated with reductions in cancer incidence in low-income and African American populations. Impact This study provides strong evidence supporting lifestyle modification to lower cancer incidence in these underserved populations. PMID:26965499

16 Extraordinary African Americans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lobb, Nancy

This collection for children tells the stories of 16 African Americans who helped make America what it is today. African Americans can take pride in the heritage of these contributors to society. Biographies are given for the following: (1) Sojourner Truth, preacher and abolitionist; (2) Frederick Douglass, abolitionist; (3) Harriet Tubman, leader…

Association of the distal region of the ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 gene with type 2 diabetes in an African-American population enriched for nephropathy.

PubMed

Keene, Keith L; Mychaleckyj, Josyf C; Smith, Shelly G; Leak, Tennille S; Perlegas, Peter S; Langefeld, Carl D; Freedman, Barry I; Rich, Stephen S; Bowden, Donald W; Sale, Michèle M

2008-04-01

Variants in the ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) gene have shown positive associations with diabetes and related phenotypes, including insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 1 diabetic nephropathy. Additionally, evidence for linkage for type 2 diabetes in African Americans was observed at 6q24-27, with the proximal edge of the peak encompassing the ENPP1 gene. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate variants in ENPP1 for association with type 2 diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Forty-nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the coding and flanking regions of ENPP1 were genotyped in 577 African-American individuals with type 2 diabetic ESRD and 596 African-American control subjects. Haplotypic association and genotypic association for the dominant, additive, and recessive models were tested by calculating a chi(2) statistic and corresponding P value. Nine SNPs showed nominal evidence for association (P < 0.05) with type 2 diabetic ESRD in one or more genotypic model. The most significant associations were observed with rs7754586 (P = 0.003 dominant model, P = 0.0005 additive, and P = 0.007 recessive), located in the 3' untranslated region, and an intron 24 SNP (rs1974201: P = 0.004 dominant, P = 0.0005 additive, and P = 0.005 recessive). However, the extensively studied K121Q variant (rs1044498) did not reveal evidence for association with type 2 diabetic ESRD in this African-American population. This study was the first to comprehensively evaluate variants of the ENPP1 gene for association in an African-American population with type 2 diabetes and ESRD and suggests that variants in the distal region of the ENPP1 gene may contribute to diabetes or diabetic nephropathy susceptibility in African Americans.

Who Will Teach African American Youth?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Wali

Disparities between Whites and African Americans exist in many areas in U.S. society. These disparities are exacerbated by social ills, including the Persian Gulf conflict. Positive change on the part of African American educators is required to combat these problems. The following four postulates for teaching African American youth are provided:…

Understanding the Association of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Breast Cancer Among African American and European American Populations in South Carolina.

PubMed

Samson, Marsha E; Adams, Swann Arp; Orekoya, Olubunmi; Hebert, James R

2016-09-01

In South Carolina, the co-occurrence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and breast cancer (BrCA) is much more prevalent among African American populations than among European American populations. The underlying relationship between diabetes and breast cancer may influence breast cancer survival. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the effect of diabetes on developing breast cancer and to reduce racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Study participants included women of European American (EA) and African American (AA) ethnicity from both the Medicaid ICD-9 designations and the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry (SCCCR). A historical prospective cohort design was used to determine the risk of developing breast cancer among women of different ethnicities with and without DM. The chi-square test was used to determine the significance of the association; the logistic model was used to assess the relationship between breast cancer and other factors among EA and AA women. Menopause may have protective properties for AA compared to EA women. AA women have twice the odds of not surviving from each breast cancer stage compared to EA women with respect to their breast cancer stage. Adherence to diabetes medication may contribute to lower breast cancer death in EA. This study illustrates the discrepancy between EA and AA women in terms of breast cancer survival. AA women bear a higher disease burden than EA women. To create ethnic-appropriate public health policies, it is imperative that we understand the effect of comorbidities on breast cancer and how we can prevent them from occurring.

African American Fathers' Occupational Participation: "Keeping the Mothers in a Positive Vibe".

PubMed

Pizur-Barnekow, Kris; Pate, David; Lazar, Katie; Paul, Nelly; Pritchard, Kathleen; Morris, George

2017-10-01

Infant mortality is a major public health issue in the United States that disproportionally affects African Americans. Evidence suggests reducing stress on African American women and engaging African American fathers may improve health and social outcomes for families. This study sought to understand the experiences of African American fathers through a positivistic lens and to inform future interventions that support father engagement. A descriptive, qualitative study using the Person, Environment, Occupation-Performance (PEO-P) model as a framework for analysis was conducted involving 45 fathers participating in four focus groups and one member-checking group. An initial content analysis was followed by constant comparative methods to identify categories related to the PEO-P model. Transcripts revealed a range of factors that enable or inhibit fathers' occupational performance and engagement including environmental barriers such as societal expectations and perceptions. Occupational therapy practitioners may utilize population health approaches to support African American fathers' occupational engagement.

Internet and mobile technology use among urban African American parents: survey study of a clinical population.

PubMed

Mitchell, Stephanie J; Godoy, Leandra; Shabazz, Kanya; Horn, Ivor B

2014-01-13

There is considerable potential for mobile technologies to empower pediatric patients and families by improving their communication with health professionals. National surveys suggest minority parents frequently communicate via mobile technology, but it is uncertain how amenable they are to receiving health care information in this format. Although the low cost and far reach characteristics of mobile health (mHealth) technology makes it advantageous for communication with minority parents, data on acceptance are needed. The objective of the study was to determine utilization of mobile and Internet technology by African American parents in an urban, underserved population, and to assess their interest in receiving health information via text messaging or other technologies (eg, social media and the Internet). A survey was administered to parents of children aged 1-12 years covered by public insurance receiving care at 3 pediatric primary care centers in Washington, DC. The African American sample (N=302) was composed of primarily single (75.8%, 229/302) mothers. Almost half had more than a high school education (47.7%, 144/302) and incomes above US $25,000 per year (43.0%, 130/302). Most (97.0%, 293/302) reported owning a cell phone, of which 91.1% (275/302) used it to text and 78.5% (237/302) used it to access the Internet. Most had service plans with unlimited text and data, but 26.5% (80/302) experienced service interruptions in the previous year. Home Internet access was more prevalent among those with higher income (86.2%, 112/130), but it was still relatively pervasive among lower income families (66.9%, 83/124). In adjusted logistic regression models, African American mothers with income greater than US $25,000 annually were 4 times as likely to own a tablet computer than their lower income counterparts. Of the participants, 80.8% (244/302) used social networking, primarily Facebook, and 74.2% (224/302) were interested in joining a social networking group

Reliability and Construct Validity of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised for Latino, European American, and African American Male Inmates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Elizabeth A.; Abramowitz, Carolyn S.; Lopez, Mabel; Kosson, David S.

2006-01-01

The utility of the psychopathy construct in predicting laboratory deficits, criminal behavior, response to intervention, and recidivism has been well documented in European American populations. However, less is known about the manifestation and correlates of psychopathy in Latino and African American populations. The present study examined the…

Novel genetic risk factors for asthma in African American children: Precision Medicine and the SAGE II Study.

PubMed

White, Marquitta J; Risse-Adams, O; Goddard, P; Contreras, M G; Adams, J; Hu, D; Eng, C; Oh, S S; Davis, A; Meade, K; Brigino-Buenaventura, E; LeNoir, M A; Bibbins-Domingo, K; Pino-Yanes, M; Burchard, E G

2016-07-01

Asthma, an inflammatory disorder of the airways, is the most common chronic disease of children worldwide. There are significant racial/ethnic disparities in asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality among US children. This trend is mirrored in obesity, which may share genetic and environmental risk factors with asthma. The majority of asthma biomedical research has been performed in populations of European decent. We sought to identify genetic risk factors for asthma in African American children. We also assessed the generalizability of genetic variants associated with asthma in European and Asian populations to African American children. Our study population consisted of 1227 (812 asthma cases, 415 controls) African American children with genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. Logistic regression was used to identify associations between SNP genotype and asthma status. We identified a novel variant in the PTCHD3 gene that is significantly associated with asthma (rs660498, p = 2.2 × 10(-7)) independent of obesity status. Approximately 5 % of previously reported asthma genetic associations identified in European populations replicated in African Americans. Our identification of novel variants associated with asthma in African American children, coupled with our inability to replicate the majority of findings reported in European Americans, underscores the necessity for including diverse populations in biomedical studies of asthma.

The Cultural Relevance of Mindfulness Meditation as a Health Intervention for African Americans

PubMed Central

Woods-Giscombé, Cheryl L.; Gaylord, Susan A.

2014-01-01

African Americans experience a disproportionate rate of stress-related health conditions compared to European Americans. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be effective for managing stress and various stress-related health conditions. This study explored the cultural relevance of mindfulness meditation training for African Americans adults. Fifteen African American adults with past or current experience with mindfulness meditation training were interviewed. Participants felt that mindfulness meditation helped them with enhanced stress management, direct health improvement, and enhanced self-awareness and purposefulness. They felt that they would recommend it and that other African Americans would be open to the practice but suggested that its presentation may need to be adapted. They suggested emphasizing the health benefits, connecting it to familiar spiritual ideology and cultural practices, supplementing the reading material with African American writers, increasing communication (education, instructor availability, “buddy system,” etc.), and including African Americans as instructors and participants. By implementing minor adaptations that enhance cultural relevance, mindfulness meditation can be a beneficial therapeutic intervention for this population. PMID:24442592

Discrimination, mental health, and leukocyte telomere length among African American men.

PubMed

Chae, David H; Epel, Elissa S; Nuru-Jeter, Amani M; Lincoln, Karen D; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Lin, Jue; Blackburn, Elizabeth H; Thomas, Stephen B

2016-01-01

African American men in the US experience disparities across multiple health outcomes. A common mechanism underlying premature declines in health may be accelerated biological aging, as reflected by leukocyte telomere length (LTL). Racial discrimination, a qualitatively unique source of social stress reported by African American men, in tandem with poor mental health, may negatively impact LTL in this population. The current study examined cross-sectional associations between LTL, self-reported racial discrimination, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among 92 African American men 30-50 years of age. LTL was measured in kilobase pairs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, greater anxiety symptoms were associated with shorter LTL (b=-0.029, standard error [SE]=0.014; p<0.05). There were no main effects of racial discrimination or depressive symptoms on LTL, but we found evidence for a significant interaction between the two (b=0.011, SE=0.005; p<0.05). Racial discrimination was associated with shorter LTL among those with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Findings from this study highlight the role of social stressors and individual-level psychological factors for physiologic deterioration among African American men. Consistent with research on other populations, greater anxiety may reflect elevated stress associated with shorter LTL. Racial discrimination may represent an additional source of social stress among African American men that has detrimental consequences for cellular aging among those with lower levels of depression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlates of Psychological Distress and Major Depressive Disorder Among African American Men

PubMed Central

Lincoln, Karen D.; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Watkins, Daphne C.; Chatters, Linda M.

2011-01-01

This study examines the demographic correlates of depressive symptoms, serious psychological distress (SPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD; 12-month and lifetime prevalence) among a national sample of African American men. Analysis of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) data set provides first-time substantiation of important demographic differences in depressive symptoms (measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale [CES-D]), SPD (measured by the K6), and 12-month and lifetime MDD among African American men. Findings illuminate the heterogeneity within the African American male population. Findings also demonstrate the need for additional research focusing on within-group differences and a comprehensive research and mental health promotion agenda that recognizes the importance of improving access to education and employment and promoting healthy coping behaviors, while acknowledging the larger social context in which African American men live. PMID:21666885

Mechanisms of Vowel Variation in African American English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, Yolanda Feimster

2018-01-01

Purpose: This research explored mechanisms of vowel variation in African American English by comparing 2 geographically distant groups of African American and White American English speakers for participation in the African American Shift and the Southern Vowel Shift. Method: Thirty-two male (African American: n = 16, White American controls: n =…

The aging African-American face.

PubMed

Brissett, Anthony E; Naylor, Michelle C

2010-05-01

With the desire to create a more youthful appearance, patients of all races and ethnicities are increasingly seeking nonsurgical and surgical rejuvenation. In particular, facial rejuvenation procedures have grown significantly within the African-American population. This increase has resulted in a paradigm shift in facial plastic surgery as one considers rejuvenation procedures in those of African descent, as the aging process of various racial groups differs from traditional models. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the facial features unique to those of African descent and the role these features play in the aging process, taking care to highlight the differences from traditional models of facial aging. In addition, this article will briefly describe the nonsurgical and surgical options for facial rejuvenation taking into consideration the previously discussed facial aging differences and postoperative considerations. Thieme Medical Publishers.

African-American Women’s Perceptions and Experiences About Breastfeeding

PubMed Central

Obeng, Cecilia S.; Emetu, Roberta E.; Curtis, Terry J.

2015-01-01

There are health benefits to breastfeeding for both mothers and their children. The preventive health effects of breastfeeding continue into adulthood, lowering rate of various chronic illnesses. African-American women, especially of lower socioeconomic status, are less likely to breastfeed in comparison to their racial and ethnic counterparts. The purpose of this study is to explore how African-American women experience breastfeeding in the early stages of postpartum care. Two focus groups (N = 20, 10 in each group) were conducted with African-American mothers. Results revealed that participants felt that there were health benefits to breastfeeding, and organizations such as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provided support. However, participants stated that lack of information, negative perceptions, and unforeseen circumstances were barriers to breastfeeding. This study proposes support and interventions for this group to increase breastfeeding among this population. PMID:26734597

The Impact of CHAMPS on the Exclusionary Discipline Incidents of African-American Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell-Smith, Saundra

2018-01-01

African-American boys who receive exclusionary discipline (i.e. in- or out-of-school suspensions) are overrepresented at the elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade) level. Although African-American boys comprised only 15% of the population of this school, they accounted for 70% of the exclusionary discipline incidents. This…

Exploration of Anaemia as a Progression Factor in African Americans with Cardiovascular Disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Despite the higher incidence of end stage renal disease (ESRD) among African Americans, whites in the United States population have a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease. This may be due, in part, to a faster rate of progression to ESRD among African Americans with kidney disease. Anemia i...

Race, African ancestry, and Helicobacter pylori infection in a low-income United States population

PubMed Central

Epplein, Meira; Signorello, Lisa B.; Zheng, Wei; Peek, Richard M.; Michel, Angelika; Williams, Scott M.; Pawlita, Michael; Correa, Pelayo; Cai, Qiuyin; Blot, William J.

2011-01-01

Background Gastric cancer incidence in African Americans is twice that of whites, and differing prevalence of Helicobacter pylori strain-specific isolates may help explain the disparity. Methods Serum levels of antibodies to each of 15 Helicobacter pylori proteins were assessed using multiplex serology for a sample of 689 African American and white participants from the Southern Community Cohort Study. African and European admixture was estimated using a panel of 276 ancestry genetic markers, with “low”, “medium”, and “high” categories of African ancestry defined as <85%, 85-95%, and ≥95%. Results The majority (79%) of our study population were sero-positive for Helicobacter pylori. African American race was associated with a 2- to 6-fold increased odds for sero-positivity to 8 Helicobacter pylori proteins, including the cancer-associated virulence constituents CagA (odds ratio, 6.4; 95% confidence interval, 4.5-9.1), and VacA (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-3.5). Compared to whites, African Americans of low, medium, and high African ancestry had 1.6-, 4.1-, and 5.2-fold increased odds of sero-positivity to Helicobacter pylori, primarily related to CagA sero-positive strains, for which increasing African ancestry led to 2.5-, 9.6-, and 13.1-fold increased odds. Among African Americans alone, compared to those of low African ancestry, African Americans of medium and high African ancestry had 2.5- and 3.4-fold increased odds of sero-positivity to Helicobacter pylori, and 3.5-and 4.9-fold increased odds of CagA sero-positive Helicobacter pylori strains. Conclusions Host genetic variation and/or lifestyle factors associated with African ancestry contribute to the likelihood of infection with Helicobacter pylori, particularly its virulent strains, in this low-income U.S. southern population. Impact Our findings that low-income African Americans of high African ancestry have a particularly high prevalence of antibodies against Helicobacter

Concepts of diabetes self-management in Mexican American and African American low-income patients with diabetes.

PubMed

Lynch, E B; Fernandez, A; Lighthouse, N; Mendenhall, E; Jacobs, E

2012-10-01

The goal of the study was to explore low-income minority patients' concepts of diabetes self-management and assess the extent to which patient beliefs correspond to evidence-based recommendations. African American and Mexican American patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited from safety net clinics that serve the uninsured and under-insured in Chicago and San Francisco to participate in focus group discussions. Grounded theory was used to identify themes related to diabetes self-management. Strategies participants mentioned for diabetes self-care were medication use, diet, weight loss and exercise. Eating more fruit and vegetables and consuming smaller portions were the most commonly mentioned dietary behaviors to control diabetes. African Americans expressed skepticism about taking medications. Mexican Americans discussed barriers to acquiring medications and use of herbal remedies. Mexican Americans frequently mentioned intentional exercise of long duration as a management strategy, whereas African Americans more frequently described exercise as regular activities of daily living. Blood glucose self-monitoring and reducing risks of diabetes complications were rarely mentioned as diabetes self-management behaviors. African American and Mexican American patients have different concepts of diabetes self-management, especially with regard to medication use and physical activity. Consideration of these differences may facilitate design of effective self-management interventions for these high-risk populations.

Ethnic and Gender Considerations in the Use of Facial Injectables: African-American Patients.

PubMed

Burgess, Cheryl; Awosika, Olabola

2015-11-01

The United States is becoming increasingly more diverse as the nonwhite population continues to rise faster than ever. By 2044, the US Census Bureau projects that greater than 50% of the US population will be of nonwhite descent. Ethnic patients are the quickest growing portion of the cosmetic procedures market, with African-Americans comprising 7.1% of the 22% of ethnic minorities who received cosmetic procedures in the United States in 2014. The cosmetic concerns and natural features of this ethnic population are unique and guided by differing structural and aging processes than their white counterparts. As people of color increasingly seek nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons must become aware that the Westernized look does not necessarily constitute beauty in these diverse people. The use of specialized aesthetic approaches and understanding of cultural and ethnic-specific features are warranted in the treatment of these patients. This article will review the key principles to consider when treating African-American patients, including the average facial structure of African-Americans, the impact of their ethnicity on aging and structure of face, and soft-tissue augmentation strategies specific to African-American skin.

Osteoporosis screening is unjustifiably low in older African-American women.

PubMed Central

Wilkins, Consuelo H.; Goldfeder, Jason S.

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: More than one million Americans suffer osteoporotic fractures yearly, resulting in a marked increase in morbidity and mortality. Despite a decrease in bone mineral density with increasing age in all ethnic groups and both genders, preventative and therapeutics efforts in osteoporosis have been focused on caucasian and Asian women. This study assesses the osteoporosis screening practices and the frequency of low bone density in a primarily African-American population of older women. METHODS: Medical records of 252 women at risk for osteoporosis were reviewed for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, prior osteoporosis screening, prior breast cancer screening, and the use of calcium, vitamin D or estrogen. Subsequently, 128 women were assessed for risk factors for osteoporosis, and their bone mineral density was measured using a peripheral bone densitometer. RESULTS: Osteoporosis screening had been performed in 11.5% of the subjects. Of the women evaluated by peripheral bone densitometry, 44.5% of all women, 40.4% of African-American women, and 53.3% of caucasian women had abnormally low bone density measurements. The frequency of abnormal bone density increased with both increasing age and decreasing body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Although few women in this population were previously screened for osteoporosis, low bone density occurred in African-American women at substantial rates. Increasing age and low body mass are important risk factors for low bone density in African-American women. Ethnicity should not be used as an exclusion criterion for screening for osteoporosis. PMID:15101666

African american women, hair care, and health barriers.

PubMed

Gathers, Raechele Cochran; Mahan, Meredith Grace

2014-09-01

The objective of this study was to elucidate the prevalence of hair loss among African American women; explore the psychosocial impact of hair grooming difficulties; and examine both perceptions related to physician encounters in this group and the relationship between hair grooming, physical activity, and weight maintenance. An anonymous retrospective and qualitative survey, the Hair Care Assessment Survey, is an 18-question novel survey instrument designed at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Dermatology Multicultural Dermatology Center. The Hair Care Assessment Survey was distributed at church-related functions at predominantly African American metropolitan Detroit churches. Two hundred African American women from metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, aged 21 to 83. The Hair Care Assessment Survey collected data relating to hair loss and hair care, psychosocial experiences relating to hair loss, and hair care as it relates to exercise and body weight management. Data was collected on doctor-patient hair-related medical visits and experiences with commercially available ethnic hair care products. More than 50 percent reported excessive hair loss. Twenty-eight percent had visited a physician to discuss hair issues, but only 32 percent felt their physician understood African American hair. Forty-five percent reported avoiding exercise because of hair concerns, and 22 percent felt that their hair impeded maintaining healthy body weight. Hair loss affects a compelling number of African American women, and a significant number express dissatisfaction in hair-related physician encounters. Additionally, hair styling problems present a serious impediment to physical activity and weight management among this already high-risk population.

African American Women, Hair Care, and Health Barriers

PubMed Central

Mahan, Meredith Grace

2014-01-01

Objectives: The objective of this study was to elucidate the prevalence of hair loss among African American women; explore the psychosocial impact of hair grooming difficulties; and examine both perceptions related to physician encounters in this group and the relationship between hair grooming, physical activity, and weight maintenance. Design: An anonymous retrospective and qualitative survey, the Hair Care Assessment Survey, is an 18-question novel survey instrument designed at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Dermatology Multicultural Dermatology Center. Setting: The Hair Care Assessment Survey was distributed at church-related functions at predominantly African American metropolitan Detroit churches. Participants: Two hundred African American women from metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, aged 21 to 83. Measurements: The Hair Care Assessment Survey collected data relating to hair loss and hair care, psychosocial experiences relating to hair loss, and hair care as it relates to exercise and body weight management. Data was collected on doctor-patient hair-related medical visits and experiences with commercially available ethnic hair care products. Results: More than 50 percent reported excessive hair loss. Twenty-eight percent had visited a physician to discuss hair issues, but only 32 percent felt their physician understood African American hair. Forty-five percent reported avoiding exercise because of hair concerns, and 22 percent felt that their hair impeded maintaining healthy body weight. Conclusion: Hair loss affects a compelling number of African American women, and a significant number express dissatisfaction in hair-related physician encounters. Additionally, hair styling problems present a serious impediment to physical activity and weight management among this already high-risk population. PMID:25276273

Overrepresented Minorities in Special Education in the United States and Romania: Comparison between African-American and Roma Populations in Disability Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Gabriela

2008-01-01

This manuscript briefly examines minority participation within the school population that is eligible for special education services--namely, African Americans in the United States and the Roma population in Romania. A large percentage of students from both minorities come to school unprepared to learn and they remain behind because of the…

Trichotillomania symptoms in African American women: are they related to anxiety and culture?

PubMed

Neal-Barnett, Angela; Statom, Deborah; Stadulis, Robert

2011-08-01

Trichotillomania (TTM) is a little understood disorder that has been underresearched in the African American community. Furthermore, the incorporation of cultural factors into TTM research has virtually been ignored. Existing data from an African American college student population suggest TTM is associated with high levels of anxiety. In this study, we explored anxiety symptoms and cultural hair messages in an African American female community sample with TTM symptoms. We predicted high levels of TTM severity and impairment would be associated with high level of anxiety symptoms. We also predicted that cultural messages about hair will influence both TTM and anxiety symptoms. In this telephone study, 41 African American females participated in interviews about their TTM. TTM impairment and severity was positively correlated with general anxiety symptoms as measured on the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL 90-R(®) ). Severity was also positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Given the significance of hair for African American women, we also explored the childhood cultural messages receive about hair. Over half the sample received at least one cultural message about hair. Although many women received the same message, the value they placed on the message differed. Messages received about hair were not associated with TTM severity or impairment. The association among obsessive-compulsive symptoms and hair messages approached significance. Results highlight the importance of assessing anxiety comorbidity and culture with African American TTM samples. Little is known about TTM in African American samples. Existing research indicates this population seeks TTM help from their hairdressers. Among college students, a significant correlation has been found for anxiety as measured on the Beck Anxiety Inventory and TTM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to examine cultural messages about hair in an African American sample. In addition

Disparity in the persistence of high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes between African American and European American women of college age.

PubMed

Banister, Carolyn E; Messersmith, Amy R; Cai, Bo; Spiryda, Lisa B; Glover, Saundra H; Pirisi, Lucia; Creek, Kim E

2015-01-01

Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in African Americans than in European Americans (white, non-Hispanic of European ancestry). The reasons for this disparity are not known. We recruited a population-based longitudinal cohort of 326 European American and 113 African American female college freshmen in Columbia, South Carolina, to compare clearance of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection between ethnicities. HPV testing and typing from samples obtained for Papanicolaou testing occurred every 6 months. African American participants had an increased risk of testing positive for HR-HPV, compared with European American participants, but the frequency of incident HPV infection was the same in African American and European American women. Thus, exposure to HPV could not explain the higher rate of HPV positivity among African American women. The time required for 50% of participants to clear HR-HPV infection was 601 days for African American women (n = 63) and 316 days for European American women (n = 178; odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.53). African American women were more likely than European American women to have an abnormal result of a Papanicolaou test (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.05-2.39). We propose that the longer time to clearance of HR-HPV among African American women leads to increased rates of abnormal results of Papanicolaou tests and contributes to the increased rates of cervical cancer observed in African American women. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Understanding African American Adolescents’ Identity Development: A Relational Developmental Systems Perspective

PubMed Central

Brittian, Aerika S.

2012-01-01

This article examines the development of African American adolescents’ identity using a relational developmental systems theory framework, which led to the expectation that identity development is linked to both the reduction of risk behaviors and the promotion of African American adolescents’ healthy development. Different personological theories of identity development were discussed, including Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development and Marcia’s theory of identity statuses. Developmental systems theory was used to further the literature on African American adolescents’ identity development, by integrating various views of identity development as they pertain to these youth. Furthermore, the formation of many aspects of identity may be an important coping and resilience process for such youth. In addition, directions for future research are discussed, including a consideration of the complexity of diversity that exists within the African American adolescent population, and a call for more longitudinal assessments of identity development is presented. PMID:23243325

Life-course Financial Strain and Health in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Thorpe, Roland J; Whitfield, Keith E

2010-01-01

Differential exposure to financial strain may explain some differences in population health. However, few studies have examined the cumulative health effect of financial strain across the life-course. Studies that have are limited to self-reported health measures. Our objective was to examine the associations between childhood, adulthood, and life-course, or cumulative, financial strain with disability, lung function, cognition, and depression. In a population-based cross-sectional cohort study of adult African-American twins enrolled in the US Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA), we found that participants who reported financial strain as children and as adults are more likely to be physically disabled, and report more depressive symptoms than their unstrained counterparts. Participants who reported childhood financial strain had lower cognitive functioning than those with no childhood financial strain. We were unable to detect a difference in lung function beyond the effect of actual income and education in those who reported financial strain compared to those who did not. Financial strain in adulthood was more consistently associated with poor health than was childhood financial strain, a finding that suggests targeting adult financial strain could help prevent disability and depression among African-American adults. PMID:20452712

The use of pathological grief outcomes in bereavement studies on African Americans.

PubMed

Granek, Leeat; Peleg-Sagy, Tal

2017-06-01

Pathological bereavement outcomes (i.e., complicated grief, traumatic grief, prolonged grief disorder) are a robust and growing research area in the psychological and medical sciences. Although grief is considered to be a universal phenomenon, it is well documented that grieving processes and outcomes are culturally and contextually bound. The objectives of this study were: (a) to examine representations of African Americans in the grief and mourning literature and to assess the extent to which this research utilizes pathological grief outcomes; and (b) to examine the characteristics of pathological grief constructs in the literature to assess their relevance for African American populations. We conducted comprehensive searches of three scientific databases including PsycNET, Medline, and CINAHL, which contain the majority of grief and mourning literature published between January 1998 and February 2014. We found 59 studies addressing grief and mourning in African Americans. Thirteen of these studies used pathological grief outcomes. Pathological grief outcomes that were constructed and validated on White populations were frequently used as outcome variables with African American participants. We discuss the implications for the grief and mourning field and argue that the failure to use culturally sensitive outcome measures in research studies is a form of epistemological violence that may have negative research and clinical implications for African Americans and other ethnic minorities.

African-American Academic Nurse Leader's Role in Persistence of African-American Baccalaureate Nursing Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Kesha Marie

2017-01-01

African-American baccalaureate nursing students have a limited persistence to graduation. This constructivist grounded theory study was designed to generate a substantive theory, emerged from these data, that explained and provided insight the African-American academic nurse leader's role in the persistence to graduation of African-American…

Unravelling the hidden ancestry of American admixed populations.

PubMed

Montinaro, Francesco; Busby, George B J; Pascali, Vincenzo L; Myers, Simon; Hellenthal, Garrett; Capelli, Cristian

2015-03-24

The movement of people into the Americas has brought different populations into contact, and contemporary American genomes are the product of a range of complex admixture events. Here we apply a haplotype-based ancestry identification approach to a large set of genome-wide SNP data from a variety of American, European and African populations to determine the contributions of different ancestral populations to the Americas. Our results provide a fine-scale characterization of the source populations, identify a series of novel, previously unreported contributions from Africa and Europe and highlight geohistorical structure in the ancestry of American admixed populations.

Smoking and Genetic Risk Variation across Populations of European, Asian, and African-American Ancestry - A Meta-analysis of Chromosome 15q25

PubMed Central

Chen, Li-Shiun; Saccone, Nancy L.; Culverhouse, Robert C.; Bracci, Paige M.; Chen, Chien-Hsiun; Dueker, Nicole; Han, Younghun; Huang, Hongyan; Jin, Guangfu; Kohno, Takashi; Ma, Jennie Z.; Przybeck, Thomas R.; Sanders, Alan R.; Smith, Jennifer A.; Sung, Yun Ju; Wenzlaff, Angie S.; Wu, Chen; Yoon, Dankyu; Chen, Ying-Ting; Cheng, Yu-Ching; Cho, Yoon Shin; David, Sean P.; Duan, Jubao; Eaton, Charles B.; Furberg, Helena; Goate, Alison M.; Gu, Dongfeng; Hansen, Helen M.; Hartz, Sarah; Hu, Zhibin; Kim, Young Jin; Kittner, Steven J.; Levinson, Douglas F.; Mosley, Thomas H.; Payne, Thomas J.; Rao, DC; Rice, John P.; Rice, Treva K.; Schwantes-An, Tae-Hwi; Shete, Sanjay S.; Shi, Jianxin; Spitz, Margaret R.; Sun, Yan V.; Tsai, Fuu-Jen; Wang, Jen C.; Wrensch, Margaret R.; Xian, Hong; Gejman, Pablo V.; He, Jiang; Hunt, Steven C.; Kardia, Sharon L.; Li, Ming D.; Lin, Dongxin; Mitchell, Braxton D.; Park, Taesung; Schwartz, Ann G.; Shen, Hongbing; Wiencke, John K.; Wu, Jer-Yuarn; Yokota, Jun; Amos, Christopher I.; Bierut, Laura J.

2012-01-01

Recent meta-analyses of European ancestry subjects show strong evidence for association between smoking quantity and multiple genetic variants on chromosome 15q25. This meta-analysis extends the examination of association between distinct genes in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 region and smoking quantity to Asian and African American populations to confirm and refine specific reported associations. Association results for a dichotomized cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) phenotype in 27 datasets (European ancestry (N=14,786), Asian (N=6,889), and African American (N=10,912) for a total of 32,587 smokers) were meta-analyzed by population and results were compared across all three populations. We demonstrate association between smoking quantity and markers in the chromosome 15q25 region across all three populations, and narrow the region of association. Of the variants tested, only rs16969968 is associated with smoking (p < 0.01) in each of these three populations (OR=1.33, 95%C.I.=1.25–1.42, p=1.1×10−17 in meta-analysis across all population samples). Additional variants displayed a consistent signal in both European ancestry and Asian datasets, but not in African Americans. The observed consistent association of rs16969968 with heavy smoking across multiple populations, combined with its known biological significance, suggests rs16969968 is most likely a functional variant that alters risk for heavy smoking. We interpret additional association results that differ across populations as providing evidence for additional functional variants, but we are unable to further localize the source of this association. Using the cross-population study paradigm provides valuable insights to narrow regions of interest and inform future biological experiments. PMID:22539395

Smoking and genetic risk variation across populations of European, Asian, and African American ancestry--a meta-analysis of chromosome 15q25.

PubMed

Chen, Li-Shiun; Saccone, Nancy L; Culverhouse, Robert C; Bracci, Paige M; Chen, Chien-Hsiun; Dueker, Nicole; Han, Younghun; Huang, Hongyan; Jin, Guangfu; Kohno, Takashi; Ma, Jennie Z; Przybeck, Thomas R; Sanders, Alan R; Smith, Jennifer A; Sung, Yun Ju; Wenzlaff, Angie S; Wu, Chen; Yoon, Dankyu; Chen, Ying-Ting; Cheng, Yu-Ching; Cho, Yoon Shin; David, Sean P; Duan, Jubao; Eaton, Charles B; Furberg, Helena; Goate, Alison M; Gu, Dongfeng; Hansen, Helen M; Hartz, Sarah; Hu, Zhibin; Kim, Young Jin; Kittner, Steven J; Levinson, Douglas F; Mosley, Thomas H; Payne, Thomas J; Rao, D C; Rice, John P; Rice, Treva K; Schwantes-An, Tae-Hwi; Shete, Sanjay S; Shi, Jianxin; Spitz, Margaret R; Sun, Yan V; Tsai, Fuu-Jen; Wang, Jen C; Wrensch, Margaret R; Xian, Hong; Gejman, Pablo V; He, Jiang; Hunt, Steven C; Kardia, Sharon L; Li, Ming D; Lin, Dongxin; Mitchell, Braxton D; Park, Taesung; Schwartz, Ann G; Shen, Hongbing; Wiencke, John K; Wu, Jer-Yuarn; Yokota, Jun; Amos, Christopher I; Bierut, Laura J

2012-05-01

Recent meta-analyses of European ancestry subjects show strong evidence for association between smoking quantity and multiple genetic variants on chromosome 15q25. This meta-analysis extends the examination of association between distinct genes in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 region and smoking quantity to Asian and African American populations to confirm and refine specific reported associations. Association results for a dichotomized cigarettes smoked per day phenotype in 27 datasets (European ancestry (N = 14,786), Asian (N = 6,889), and African American (N = 10,912) for a total of 32,587 smokers) were meta-analyzed by population and results were compared across all three populations. We demonstrate association between smoking quantity and markers in the chromosome 15q25 region across all three populations, and narrow the region of association. Of the variants tested, only rs16969968 is associated with smoking (P < 0.01) in each of these three populations (odds ratio [OR] = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.25-1.42, P = 1.1 × 10(-17) in meta-analysis across all population samples). Additional variants displayed a consistent signal in both European ancestry and Asian datasets, but not in African Americans. The observed consistent association of rs16969968 with heavy smoking across multiple populations, combined with its known biological significance, suggests rs16969968 is most likely a functional variant that alters risk for heavy smoking. We interpret additional association results that differ across populations as providing evidence for additional functional variants, but we are unable to further localize the source of this association. Using the cross-population study paradigm provides valuable insights to narrow regions of interest and inform future biological experiments. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dissecting the within-Africa ancestry of populations of African descent in the Americas.

PubMed

Stefflova, Klara; Dulik, Matthew C; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill S; Pai, Athma A; Walker, Amy H; Rebbeck, Timothy R

2011-01-06

The ancestry of African-descended Americans is known to be drawn from three distinct populations: African, European, and Native American. While many studies consider this continental admixture, few account for the genetically distinct sources of ancestry within Africa--the continent with the highest genetic variation. Here, we dissect the within-Africa genetic ancestry of various populations of the Americas self-identified as having primarily African ancestry using uniparentally inherited mitochondrial DNA. We first confirmed that our results obtained using uniparentally-derived group admixture estimates are correlated with the average autosomal-derived individual admixture estimates (hence are relevant to genomic ancestry) by assessing continental admixture using both types of markers (mtDNA and Y-chromosome vs. ancestry informative markers). We then focused on the within-Africa maternal ancestry, mining our comprehensive database of published mtDNA variation (∼5800 individuals from 143 African populations) that helped us thoroughly dissect the African mtDNA pool. Using this well-defined African mtDNA variation, we quantified the relative contributions of maternal genetic ancestry from multiple W/WC/SW/SE (West to South East) African populations to the different pools of today's African-descended Americans of North and South America and the Caribbean. Our analysis revealed that both continental admixture and within-Africa admixture may be critical to achieving an adequate understanding of the ancestry of African-descended Americans. While continental ancestry reflects gender-specific admixture processes influenced by different socio-historical practices in the Americas, the within-Africa maternal ancestry reflects the diverse colonial histories of the slave trade. We have confirmed that there is a genetic thread connecting Africa and the Americas, where each colonial system supplied their colonies in the Americas with slaves from African colonies they controlled

Psychosocial Keys to African American Achievement? Examining the Relationship between Achievement and Psychosocial Variables in High Achieving African Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixson, Dante D.; Roberson, Cyrell C. B.; Worrell, Frank C.

2017-01-01

Grit, growth mindset, ethnic identity, and other group orientation are four psychosocial variables that have been associated with academic achievement in adolescent populations. In a sample of 105 high achieving African American high school students (cumulative grade point average [GPA] > 3.0), we examined whether these four psychosocial…

Late-life Depression in Older African Americans: A Comprehensive Review of Epidemiological and Clinical Data

PubMed Central

Pickett, Yolonda R.; Bazelais, Kisha N.; Bruce, Martha L.

2013-01-01

Objective The population of older African Americans is expected to triple by 2050, highlighting the public health importance of understanding their mental health needs. Despite evidence of the negative impact of late-life depression, less is known of how this disorder affects the lives of older African Americans. Lack of studies focusing on how depression presents in older African Americans and their subsequent treatment needs lead to a gap in epidemiologic and clinical knowledge for this population. In this review, we aim to present a concise report of prevalence, correlates, course, outcomes, symptom recognition, and treatment of depression for these individuals. Method We performed a literature review of English-language articles identified from PubMed and Medline published between January 1990 and June 2012. Studies included older adults and contained the key words “geriatric depression in African Americans,” “geriatric depression in Blacks,” and geriatric depression in minorities.” Results Although in most studies older African Americans had higher or equivalence prevalence of depression compared to Caucasian Americans, we also found lower rates of recognition of depression and treatment. Many studies reported worse outcomes associated for depression among older African Americans compared older Caucasians. Conclusions Serious racial and ethnic disparities persist in the management of older African Americans with depression. Understanding their unmet needs and improving depression care for these individuals is necessary to reduce these disparities. PMID:23225736

Health Disparities and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in African American Women: A Review.

PubMed

Newman, Lisa A; Kaljee, Linda M

2017-05-01

Variation in cancer incidence and outcome has well-documented correlations with racial/ethnic identity. In the United States, the possible genetic and ancestral hereditary explanations for these associations are confounded by socioeconomic, cultural, and lifestyle patterns. Differences in the breast cancer burden of African American compared with European/white American women represent one of the most notable examples of disparities in oncology related to racial/ethnic identity. Elucidating the source of these associations is imperative in achieving the promise of the national Precision Medicine Initiative. Population-based breast cancer mortality rates have been higher for African American compared with white American women since the early 1980s, largely reflecting declines in mortality that have been disproportionately experienced among white American patients and at least partly explained by the advent of endocrine therapy that is less effective in African American women because of the higher prevalence of estrogen receptor-negative disease. The increased risk of triple-negative breast cancer in African American women as well as western, sub-Saharan African women compared with white American, European, and east African women furthermore suggests that selected genetic components of geographically defined African ancestry are associated with hereditary susceptibility for specific patterns of mammary carcinogenesis. Disentangling health care access barriers, as well as reproductive, lifestyle, and dietary factors from genetic contributions to breast cancer disparities remains challenging. Epigenetics and experiences of societal inequality (allostatic load) increase the complexity of studying breast cancer risk related to racial/ethnic identity. Oncologic anthropology represents a transdisciplinary field of research that can combine the expertise of population geneticists, multispecialty oncologists, molecular epidemiologists, and behavioral scientists to eliminate

African Ancestry is a Risk Factor for Asthma and High Total IgE Levels in African Admixed Populations

PubMed Central

Vergara, Candelaria; Murray, Tanda; Rafaels, Nicholas; Lewis, Rachel; Campbell, Monica; Foster, Cassandra; Gao, Li; Faruque, Mezbah; Oliveira, Ricardo Riccio; Carvalho, Edgar; Araujo, Maria Ilma; Cruz, Alvaro A.; Watson, Harold; Mercado, Dilia; Knight-Madden, Jennifer; Ruczinski, Ingo; Dunston, Georgia; Ford, Jean; Caraballo, Luis; Beaty, Terri H.; Mathias, Rasika A.; Barnes, Kathleen C.

2014-01-01

Characterization of genetic admixture of populations in the Americas and the Caribbean is of interest for anthropological, epidemiological, and historical reasons. Asthma has a higher prevalence and is more severe in populations with a high African component. Association of African ancestry with asthma has been demonstrated. We estimated admixture proportions of samples from six trihybrid populations of African descent and determined the relationship between African ancestry and asthma and total serum IgE levels (tIgE). We genotyped 237 ancestry informative markers in asthmatics and nonasthmatic controls from Barbados (190/277), Jamaica (177/529), Brazil (40/220), Colombia (508/625), African Americans from New York (207/171), and African Americans from Baltimore/Washington, D.C. (625/757). We estimated individual ancestries and evaluated genetic stratification using Structure and principal component analysis. Association of African ancestry and asthma and tIgE was evaluated by regression analysis. Mean SD African ancestry ranged from 0.76 ± 0.10 among Barbadians to 0.33 ± 0.13 in Colombians. The European component varied from 0.14 ± 0.05 among Jamaicans and Barbadians to 0.26 ± 0.08 among Colombians. African ancestry was associated with risk for asthma in Colombians (odds ratio (OR) = 4.5, P = 0.001) Brazilians (OR = 136.5, P = 0.003), and African Americans of New York (OR: 4.7; P = 0.040). African ancestry was also associated with higher tIgE levels among Colombians (β = 1.3, P = 0.04), Barbadians (β = 3.8, P = 0.03), and Brazilians (β = 1.6, P = 0.03). Our findings indicate that African ancestry can account for, at least in part, the association between asthma and its associated trait, tIgE levels. PMID:23554133

Education, genetic ancestry, and blood pressure in African Americans and Whites.

PubMed

Non, Amy L; Gravlee, Clarence C; Mulligan, Connie J

2012-08-01

We assessed the relative roles of education and genetic ancestry in predicting blood pressure (BP) within African Americans and explored the association between education and BP across racial groups. We used t tests and linear regressions to examine the associations of genetic ancestry, estimated from a genomewide set of autosomal markers, and education with BP variation among African Americans in the Family Blood Pressure Program. We also performed linear regressions in self-identified African Americans and Whites to explore the association of education with BP across racial groups. Education, but not genetic ancestry, significantly predicted BP variation in the African American subsample (b=-0.51 mm Hg per year additional education; P=.001). Although education was inversely associated with BP in the total population, within-group analyses showed that education remained a significant predictor of BP only among the African Americans. We found a significant interaction (b=3.20; P=.006) between education and self-identified race in predicting BP. Racial disparities in BP may be better explained by differences in education than by genetic ancestry. Future studies of ancestry and disease should include measures of the social environment.

Factors influencing HIV-risk behaviors among HIV-positive urban African Americans.

PubMed

Plowden, Keith O; Fletcher, Audwin; Miller, J Lawrence

2005-01-01

Urban African Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV, the virus associated with AIDS. Although incidence and mortality appear to be decreasing in some populations, they continue to remain steady among inner-city African Americans. A major concern is the number of HIV-positive individuals who continue to practice high-risk behaviors. Understanding factors that increase risks is essential for the development and implementation of effective prevention initiatives. Following a constructionist epistemology, this study used ethnography to explore social and cultural factors that influence high-risk behaviors among inner-city HIV-positive African Americans. Leininger's culture care diversity and universality theory guided the study. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with HIV-positive African Americans in the community to explore social and cultural factors that increase HIV-risky behaviors. For this study, family/kinship, economic, and education factors played a significant role in risky behaviors. Reducing HIV disparity among African Americans is dependent on designing appropriate interventions that enhance protective factors. Clinicians providing care to HIV-positive individuals can play a key role in reducing transmission by recognizing and incorporating these factors when designing effective prevention interventions.

Social Environment and Sexual Risk-Taking among Gay and Transgender African American Youth

PubMed Central

Stevens, Robin; Bernadini, Stephen; Jemmott, John B.

2014-01-01

More prevention effort is required as the HIV epidemic increases among gay and transgender African American youth. Using ecological systems theory and an integrative model of behaviour change, this study examines the sexual behaviour of gay and transgender African American young people as embedded within the unique social and structural environments affecting this population. Also examined is the important role played by mobile technology in the social and sexual lives of individuals. Seven focus groups were conducted with 54 African American young adults in a northeastern U.S. city. The findings provide a rich examination of the social and sexual lives of gay and transgender African American youth, focusing on the social environment and the impact of the environment on sexual risk behaviour. PMID:23889233

Recruitment Is Not Enough: Retaining African American Students in Gifted Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, James L., III; Ford, Donna Y.; Milner, H. Richard

2005-01-01

In public school systems all around the country, educators--teachers, counselors, and administrators--have made significant progress in identifying and recruiting diverse populations in gifted and enrichment programs. Despite the efforts, too many African American students and other students of color (e.g., Hispanic Americans and Native Americans)…

African American grandmother raising grandchildren: a phenomenological perspective of marginalized women.

PubMed

del Bene, Susan B

2010-08-01

More African American grandmothers are becoming caregivers for their grandchildren when the parents are unable or unwilling to provide care. This qualitative study used hermeneutic phenomenology based on in-dept interviews with 15 African American women who have assumed the role of caregivers. The following themes, with subthemes emerged regarding this new role for the grandmothers: Finding a Voice to Match Medical Needs, The Role of the Confidante: The Power of the Group, The Relationship with the Biological Parents, and Legal Issues. These finding provide rich understand. These findings provide rich understanding of the African American women and the challenges they face related to culture, race, lack of political voice and power, and limited resources--in essence, the impact of marginalization in society. The underlying point is the potential impact on this population and the degree to which the health profession can draw on an interdisciplinary model to frame, analyze and dress future health care problems in marginalized African American women.

Relationship between Hysterectomy and Admixture in African American Women

PubMed Central

Qi, Lihong; Nassir, Rami; Kosoy, Roman; Garcia, Lorena; Waetjen, L. Elaine; Ochs-Balcom, Heather M.; Gass, Margery; Robbins, John; Seldin, Michael F

2013-01-01

Objective Most studies suggest that hysterectomies are more common in African Americans than in other ethnic groups. To assess this ethnic surgical disparity in a novel way, our main goal was to determine whether admixture (the proportion of sub-Saharan African or European origin in individuals) is associated with hysterectomy frequency in African American women in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). Study Design In this retrospective study, we used ancestry informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to estimate admixture proportions in >10,000 African American women from the WHI. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between admixture and self-reported history of hysterectomy with and without controlling for relevant covariates. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess the association between admixture and self-reported age of hysterectomy. We also considered other potential risk factors (adiposity, hypertension, and education) for hysterectomy accounting for admixture. Results African admixture was a strong risk factor after adjusting for multiple covariates (OR 1.85, P<.0001). The admixture risk for hysterectomy was highest for those performed in the 35–39 age range (OR 3.08, P<.0001) and least evident in oldest ages (45 or older). Our analyses also suggest that adiposity, hypertension and education were independently associated with hysterectomy in this population group. Conclusion These results suggest that higher African admixture is associated with higher frequencies of hysterectomy and that genetic studies specifically targeting African American women and diseases associated with hysterectomy may be especially useful in understanding the pathogenesis and underlying cause of this disparity in health outcome. PMID:23333549

Differential Splicing of Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes in African- and Caucasian-American Populations: Contributing Factor in Prostate Cancer Disparities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

Populations: Contributing Factor in Prostate Cancer Disparities? PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Norman H Lee, Ph.D. CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: George Washington...Prostate Cancer Disparities? 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Norman H Lee, PhD; Bi-Dar Wang, PhD; Jacqueline Olender (PhD graduate...suppressor genes in prostate cancer disparities between African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) prostate cancer (PCa). In year 1 of this award

African American cancer patients' pain experience.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok; Lim, Hyun-Ju; Clark, Maresha; Chee, Wonshik

2008-01-01

Although very little is known about African American cancer patients' pain experience, a few studies have indicated that their cancer pain experience is unique and somewhat different from that of other ethnic groups. The purpose of the study reported in this article was to explore African American cancer patients' pain experience using an online forum. This study was a qualitative online forum designed from a feminist perspective and conducted among 11 African American cancer patients who were recruited through both Internet and real settings. Nine online forum topics were used to administer the 6-month online forum, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged through the data analysis process. First, participants viewed cancer as a challenge in life that they should fight against. Second, cancer pain was differentiated from ordinary pain because cancer was stigmatized in their culture. Third, participants viewed that African Americans, especially women, were culturally raised to be strong, and this African American cultural heritage inhibited cancer patients from expressing pain and seeking help for pain management. Finally, the findings indicated certain changes in perspectives among African American cancer patients during the disease process, which might make them tolerate pain through praying to God and reading the Bible. Based on the findings, we suggest further studies among diverse groups of African American cancer patients, with a focus on cultural attitudes toward cancer pain and influences of family on cancer pain experience.

What precipitates depression in African-American cancer patients? Triggers and stressors.

PubMed

Zhang, Amy Y; Gary, Faye; Zhu, Hui

2012-12-01

This study examined general and cancer-related stressors of depression that are unique to African-American cancer patients. The study used cohort design and mixed methods. Seventy-four breast and prostate cancer survivors including 34 depressed and 23 non-depressed African-Americans and 17 depressed whites were interviewed. Qualitative data analysis identified themes. The thematic codes were converted to a SPSS data set numerically. The Fisher's exact test was performed to examine group differences in the experience of stress. Significantly more depressed African-Americans experienced a dramatic reaction to a cancer diagnosis (p = 0.03) or had concerns about functional decline (p = 0.01), arguments with relatives or friends (p = 0.02), and unemployment status (p = 0.03) than did non-depressed African-Americans, who reacted to the cancer diagnosis as a matter of reality (p = 0.02). Significantly more depressed African-Americans talked about feeling shocked by a cancer diagnosis (p = 0.04) and being unable to do things that they used to do (p = 0.02) than did depressed whites. Qualitative analysis shed light on the extent of such group differences. Distress from the initial cancer diagnosis and functional decline were likely to have triggered or worsened depression in African-American cancer patients. This study highlighted racial differences in this aspect. It is critical to screen African-American cancer patients for depression at two critical junctures: immediately after the disclosure of a cancer diagnosis and at the onset of functional decline. This will enhance the chance of prompt diagnosis and treatment of depression in this underserved population.

Can Faith and Hospice Coexist: Is the African American Church the Key to Increased Hospice Utilization for African Americans?

PubMed

Townsend, Apollo; March, Alice L; Kimball, Jan

2017-01-01

African Americans are twice as likely as Caucasian Americans to choose aggressive hospital treatment when death is imminent. Repeat hospitalizations are traumatic for patients and drain patient and health system resources. Hospice care is a specialized alternative that vastly improves patient quality of life at end-of-life. This study was conducted to determine if hospices partnering with African American churches to disseminate hospice education materials could increase utilization of hospice services by African Americans. Members of two African American churches (N = 34) participated in focus group discussions to elicit beliefs about hospice care. Focus group transcripts were coded and comments were grouped according to theme. Six themes were identified. Lack of knowledge about hospice services and spiritual beliefs emerged as the top two contributing factors for underutilization of hospice services. Study findings support partnerships between hospices and African American churches to provide hospice education to the African American community. © The Author(s) 2015.

African American Pastors' Beliefs and Actions Regarding Childhood Incest in the African American Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Tesia Denis

2012-01-01

This quantitative study sought to explore African American pastors' beliefs and actions regarding childhood incest in the African American community and their decisions to inform the proper authorities. This exploratory study was developed in order to draw both public and academic attention to the understudied phenomenon of childhood incest within…

Leukoedema: an epidemiological study in white and African Americans.

PubMed

Martin, J L

1997-01-01

Leukoedema, a benign grayish-white lesion which characteristically involves the oral mucosa of humans, was once indicated as a probable precursor to leukoplakia. The author reports an incidence of fifty-three percent in a population of 13,000 white and African Americans who reside in the Southeastern region of the United States. This longitudinal study revealed that the incidence of leukoedema per 1,000 persons increased with age in both ethnic groups up to ages 40-49 and then declined systematically. There was no sex predilection. The occurrence of leukoedema was significantly greater in African Americans.

The CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 nicotinic receptor subunit gene cluster affects risk for nicotine dependence in African-Americans and in European-Americans.

PubMed

Saccone, Nancy L; Wang, Jen C; Breslau, Naomi; Johnson, Eric O; Hatsukami, Dorothy; Saccone, Scott F; Grucza, Richard A; Sun, Lingwei; Duan, Weimin; Budde, John; Culverhouse, Robert C; Fox, Louis; Hinrichs, Anthony L; Steinbach, Joseph Henry; Wu, Meng; Rice, John P; Goate, Alison M; Bierut, Laura J

2009-09-01

Genetic association studies have shown the importance of variants in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 cholinergic nicotinic receptor subunit gene cluster on chromosome 15q24-25.1 for the risk of nicotine dependence, smoking, and lung cancer in populations of European descent. We have carried out a detailed study of this region using dense genotyping in both European-Americans and African-Americans. We genotyped 75 known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and one sequencing-discovered SNP in an African-American sample (N = 710) and in a European-American sample (N = 2,062). Cases were nicotine-dependent and controls were nondependent smokers. The nonsynonymous CHRNA5 SNP rs16969968 is the most significant SNP associated with nicotine dependence in the full sample of 2,772 subjects [P = 4.49 x 10(-8); odds ratio (OR), 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25-1.61] as well as in African-Americans only (P = 0.015; OR, 2.04; 1.15-3.62) and in European-Americans only (P = 4.14 x 10(-7); OR, 1.40; 1.23-1.59). Other SNPs that have been shown to affect the mRNA levels of CHRNA5 in European-Americans are associated with nicotine dependence in African-Americans but not in European-Americans. The CHRNA3 SNP rs578776, which has a low correlation with rs16969968, is associated with nicotine dependence in European-Americans but not in African-Americans. Less common SNPs (frequency populations of European-descent, is also significantly associated with risk in African-Americans. Additional SNPs contribute to risk in distinct ways in these two populations.

The third-age African American seniors: benefits of participating in senior multipurpose facilities.

PubMed

Taylor-Harris, Davette; Zhan, Heying Jenny

2011-05-01

This article examines the contexts and benefits of African American seniors' participation in multipurpose facilities. Using qualitative data from 15 in-depth participant interviews and 6-month on-site participant observations as well as a survey result, research revealed the physical, emotional, and social benefits that African American seniors reported as a result of their participation in various activities offered in a multipurpose senior center in Atlanta Georgia. The study presents a social context in which African American seniors constructed their new third age identities that is different from the wide-spread negative images depicted by the mainstream about this minority group. Findings from this study increase the knowledge about African American seniors' participation in multipurpose facilities and provide a better understanding for the diverse socio-economic backgrounds of African American seniors. Study results will have policy implications for a better development of senior centers for minority population in the United States for the promotion of productive and successful aging.

Defense.gov Special Report: African-American History Month

Science.gov Websites

Department of Defense Submit Search African-American History Month: At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality Links Air Force African-American History Month Special Report Naval History and Heritage Command , African American Navy Experience 2013 African American/Black History Month Tri-signed Letter Presidential

Racial disparities in African Americans with diabetes: process and outcome mismatch.

PubMed

Bulger, John B; Shubrook, Jay H; Snow, Richard

2012-08-01

Over the past 2 decades, numerous studies have demonstrated the existence of racial disparities in patient care in the United States. Specifically, African Americans with diabetes are less likely to have recommended process of care measures performed and outcome benchmarks for quality of care. To evaluate the delivery of diabetes care (processes and outcomes) associated with racial categories using a national web-based registry-the American Osteopathic Association Clinical Assessment Program (AOA-CAP). A retrospective analysis of data retrieved from the AOA-CAP database on outcomes and process measures for diabetes. A total of 10,699 Caucasian and African American patients who received diabetes care had data entered into the AOA-CAP registry between July 1, 2005, and October 30, 2010. African Americans represented 3123 patients (29%), Caucasians 7576 (71%). Demographic, process of care, and outcomes comparisons between ethnicities were carried out using ?2 and t tests. Composite measures of process and outcomes of diabetes care were created to investigate the effect of race on care. The process of care composite measure was significantly different among African American patients (P = .02) who were more likely to receive all indicated care than Caucasian patients (33.9% vs 31.6%). Evaluation of the composite outcome measure, which quantifies the percentage of patients achieving control of all 3 intermediate outcomes, was (P <.001) lower in African Americans than in Caucasians (8.1% vs 12.3%). African American patients with diabetes were as likely or more likely to have recommended process of care measures performed. In spite of this, intermediate diabetes outcomes were still poorer in the same African American population.

Internet and Mobile Technology Use Among Urban African American Parents: Survey Study of a Clinical Population

PubMed Central

Godoy, Leandra; Shabazz, Kanya

2014-01-01

Background There is considerable potential for mobile technologies to empower pediatric patients and families by improving their communication with health professionals. National surveys suggest minority parents frequently communicate via mobile technology, but it is uncertain how amenable they are to receiving health care information in this format. Although the low cost and far reach characteristics of mobile health (mHealth) technology makes it advantageous for communication with minority parents, data on acceptance are needed. Objective The objective of the study was to determine utilization of mobile and Internet technology by African American parents in an urban, underserved population, and to assess their interest in receiving health information via text messaging or other technologies (eg, social media and the Internet). Methods A survey was administered to parents of children aged 1-12 years covered by public insurance receiving care at 3 pediatric primary care centers in Washington, DC. Results The African American sample (N=302) was composed of primarily single (75.8%, 229/302) mothers. Almost half had more than a high school education (47.7%, 144/302) and incomes above US $25,000 per year (43.0%, 130/302). Most (97.0%, 293/302) reported owning a cell phone, of which 91.1% (275/302) used it to text and 78.5% (237/302) used it to access the Internet. Most had service plans with unlimited text and data, but 26.5% (80/302) experienced service interruptions in the previous year. Home Internet access was more prevalent among those with higher income (86.2%, 112/130), but it was still relatively pervasive among lower income families (66.9%, 83/124). In adjusted logistic regression models, African American mothers with income greater than US $25,000 annually were 4 times as likely to own a tablet computer than their lower income counterparts. Of the participants, 80.8% (244/302) used social networking, primarily Facebook, and 74.2% (224/302) were interested in

Some African American Males' Perspectives on the Black Woman.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrow, Rufus, Jr.

1992-01-01

Presents views of Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, and James Hal Cone (African-American male leaders) toward African-American women in the United States. Discusses the role of African-American men in addressing and eradicating sexism in African-American churches and the African-American community. (SLD)

Understanding the Strengths of African American Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Littlejohn-Blake, Sheila M.; Darling, Carol Anderson

1993-01-01

Focuses on strengths of African-American families and how they function, relevant conceptual approaches, and trends and issues in studying African-American families that can facilitate understanding. A shift from studying dysfunctional families to more positive aspects can help African-American families meet societal challenges. (SLD)

Engaging African Americans in Smoking Cessation Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallen, Jacqueline; Randolph, Suzanne; Carter-Pokras, Olivia; Feldman, Robert; Kanamori-Nishimura, Mariano

2014-01-01

Background: African Americans are disproportionately exposed to and targeted by prosmoking advertisements, particularly menthol cigarette ads. Though African Americans begin smoking later than whites, they are less likely to quit smoking than whites. Purpose: This study was designed to explore African American smoking cessation attitudes,…

Cancer statistics for African Americans, 2013.

PubMed

DeSantis, Carol; Naishadham, Deepa; Jemal, Ahmedin

2013-05-01

In this article, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new cancer cases and deaths for African Americans and compiles the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, survival, and screening prevalence based upon incidence data from the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. It is estimated that 176,620 new cases of cancer and 64,880 deaths will occur among African Americans in 2013. From 2000 to 2009, the overall cancer death rate among males declined faster among African Americans than whites (2.4% vs 1.7% per year), but among females, the rate of decline was similar (1.5% vs 1.4% per year, respectively). The decrease in cancer death rates among African American males was the largest of any racial or ethnic group. The reduction in overall cancer death rates since 1990 in men and 1991 in women translates to the avoidance of nearly 200,000 deaths from cancer among African Americans. Five-year relative survival is lower for African Americans than whites for most cancers at each stage of diagnosis. The extent to which these disparities reflect unequal access to health care versus other factors remains an active area of research. Overall, progress in reducing cancer death rates has been made, although more can and should be done to accelerate this progress through ensuring equitable access to cancer prevention, early detection, and state-of-the-art treatments. Copyright © 2013 American Cancer Society, Inc.

Genome-wide Association Study Identifies African-Specific Susceptibility Loci in African Americans with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

PubMed Central

Brant, Steven R.; Okou, David T.; Simpson, Claire L.; Cutler, David J.; Haritunians, Talin; Bradfield, Jonathan P.; Chopra, Pankaj; Prince, Jarod; Begum, Ferdouse; Kumar, Archana; Huang, Chengrui; Venkateswaran, Suresh; Datta, Lisa W.; Wei, Zhi; Thomas, Kelly; Herrinton, Lisa J.; Klapproth, Jan-Micheal A.; Quiros, Antonio J.; Seminerio, Jenifer; Liu, Zhenqiu; Alexander, Jonathan S.; Baldassano, Robert N.; Dudley-Brown, Sharon; Cross, Raymond K.; Dassopoulos, Themistocles; Denson, Lee A.; Dhere, Tanvi A.; Dryden, Gerald W.; Hanson, John S.; Hou, Jason K.; Hussain, Sunny Z.; Hyams, Jeffrey S.; Isaacs, Kim L.; Kader, Howard; Kappelman, Michael D.; Katz, Jeffry; Kellermayer, Richard; Kirschner, Barbara S.; Kuemmerle, John F.; Kwon, John H.; Lazarev, Mark; Li, Ellen; Mack, David; Mannon, Peter; Moulton, Dedrick E.; Newberry, Rodney D.; Osuntokun, Bankole O.; Patel, Ashish S.; Saeed, Shehzad A.; Targan, Stephan R.; Valentine, John F.; Wang, Ming-Hsi; Zonca, Martin; Rioux, John D.; Duerr, Richard H.; Silverberg, Mark S.; Cho, Judy H.; Hakonarson, Hakon; Zwick, Michael E.; McGovern, Dermot P.B.; Kugathasan, Subra

2016-01-01

Background & Aims The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) cause significant morbidity and are increasing in prevalence among all populations, including African Americans. More than 200 susceptibility loci have been identified in populations of predominantly European ancestry, but few loci have been associated with IBD in other ethnicities. Methods We performed 2 high-density, genome-wide scans comprising 2345 cases of African Americans with IBD (1646 with CD, 583 with UC, and 116 inflammatory bowel disease unclassified [IBD-U]) and 5002 individuals without IBD (controls, identified from the Health Retirement Study and Kaiser Permanente database). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated at P<5.0×10−8 in meta-analysis with a nominal evidence (P<.05) in each scan were considered to have genome-wide significance. Results We detected SNPs at HLA-DRB1, and African-specific SNPs at ZNF649 and LSAMP, with associations of genome-wide significance for UC. We detected SNPs at USP25 with associations of genome-wide significance associations for IBD. No associations of genome-wide significance were detected for CD. In addition, 9 genes previously associated with IBD contained SNPs with significant evidence for replication (P<1.6×10−6): ADCY3, CXCR6, HLA-DRB1 to HLA-DQA1 (genome-wide significance on conditioning), IL12B, PTGER4, and TNC for IBD; IL23R, PTGER4, and SNX20 (in strong linkage disequilibrium with NOD2) for CD; and KCNQ2 (near TNFRSF6B) for UC. Several of these genes, such as TNC (near TNFSF15), CXCR6, and genes associated with IBD at the HLA locus, contained SNPs with unique association patterns with African-specific alleles. Conclusions We performed a genome-wide association study of African Americans with IBD and identified loci associated with CD and UC in only this population; we also replicated loci identified in European populations. The detection of variants associated with IBD risk in only

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies African-Specific Susceptibility Loci in African Americans With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PubMed

Brant, Steven R; Okou, David T; Simpson, Claire L; Cutler, David J; Haritunians, Talin; Bradfield, Jonathan P; Chopra, Pankaj; Prince, Jarod; Begum, Ferdouse; Kumar, Archana; Huang, Chengrui; Venkateswaran, Suresh; Datta, Lisa W; Wei, Zhi; Thomas, Kelly; Herrinton, Lisa J; Klapproth, Jan-Micheal A; Quiros, Antonio J; Seminerio, Jenifer; Liu, Zhenqiu; Alexander, Jonathan S; Baldassano, Robert N; Dudley-Brown, Sharon; Cross, Raymond K; Dassopoulos, Themistocles; Denson, Lee A; Dhere, Tanvi A; Dryden, Gerald W; Hanson, John S; Hou, Jason K; Hussain, Sunny Z; Hyams, Jeffrey S; Isaacs, Kim L; Kader, Howard; Kappelman, Michael D; Katz, Jeffry; Kellermayer, Richard; Kirschner, Barbara S; Kuemmerle, John F; Kwon, John H; Lazarev, Mark; Li, Ellen; Mack, David; Mannon, Peter; Moulton, Dedrick E; Newberry, Rodney D; Osuntokun, Bankole O; Patel, Ashish S; Saeed, Shehzad A; Targan, Stephan R; Valentine, John F; Wang, Ming-Hsi; Zonca, Martin; Rioux, John D; Duerr, Richard H; Silverberg, Mark S; Cho, Judy H; Hakonarson, Hakon; Zwick, Michael E; McGovern, Dermot P B; Kugathasan, Subra

2017-01-01

The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) cause significant morbidity and are increasing in prevalence among all populations, including African Americans. More than 200 susceptibility loci have been identified in populations of predominantly European ancestry, but few loci have been associated with IBD in other ethnicities. We performed 2 high-density, genome-wide scans comprising 2345 cases of African Americans with IBD (1646 with CD, 583 with UC, and 116 inflammatory bowel disease unclassified) and 5002 individuals without IBD (controls, identified from the Health Retirement Study and Kaiser Permanente database). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated at P < 5.0 × 10 -8 in meta-analysis with a nominal evidence (P < .05) in each scan were considered to have genome-wide significance. We detected SNPs at HLA-DRB1, and African-specific SNPs at ZNF649 and LSAMP, with associations of genome-wide significance for UC. We detected SNPs at USP25 with associations of genome-wide significance for IBD. No associations of genome-wide significance were detected for CD. In addition, 9 genes previously associated with IBD contained SNPs with significant evidence for replication (P < 1.6 × 10 -6 ): ADCY3, CXCR6, HLA-DRB1 to HLA-DQA1 (genome-wide significance on conditioning), IL12B,PTGER4, and TNC for IBD; IL23R, PTGER4, and SNX20 (in strong linkage disequilibrium with NOD2) for CD; and KCNQ2 (near TNFRSF6B) for UC. Several of these genes, such as TNC (near TNFSF15), CXCR6, and genes associated with IBD at the HLA locus, contained SNPs with unique association patterns with African-specific alleles. We performed a genome-wide association study of African Americans with IBD and identified loci associated with UC in only this population; we also replicated IBD, CD, and UC loci identified in European populations. The detection of variants associated with IBD risk in only people of African descent demonstrates the

Comparison of African American and Caucasian Caregiver Self-Efficacy.

PubMed

Easom, Leisa; Cotter, Ellen; Ramos, Angel

2018-03-01

Self-efficacy influences one's behavior and can determine the degree to which one is motivated to take action. The current study explores changes in caregiver self-efficacy pre- and post-participation in a Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH II) program, a multi-component intervention aimed at caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. The study specifically compared this construct in African American and Caucasian populations, which may give indications of how to empower dementia caregivers and whether REACH II is culturally sensitive and thus, an important component to examine. Nurses are the connection between families and community resources and must serve as referral sources to programs that work. Although African American and Caucasian caregivers showed comparable rates of increase in self-efficacy, African American caregivers started and ended at higher rates of self-efficacy for obtaining respite and overall self-efficacy. Applications of the results and directions for future research are discussed. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(3), 16-21.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Complexity of Exercise Behavior Among Older African American Women.

PubMed

Kosma, Maria; Buchanan, David; Hondzinski, Jan

2017-07-01

Despite the exercise benefits, disparities among diverse older adults continue to exist, where African American women have the lowest percentage of any population group in meeting national recommended activity guidelines. Drawing on the philosophical tradition of phronesis (practical reasoning) introduced by Aristotle, we studied perceptions of the exercise value among 14 older African American women. Three themes included: (1) exercise goals (e.g., effort exerted), (2) exercise reasons (e.g., health benefits, enjoyment and convenience, and activity recommendation), and (3) inactivity reasons (e.g., health issues, lack of motivation, and family responsibilities/priorities). Although most women reported being active, only three participants met the Healthy People 2020 guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, while two individuals were inactive. Exercise promoters should consider the values that motivate older African American women to exercise, such as the provision of accessible, nondiscriminatory exercise facilities, and not to exercise, such as concerns about neighborhood safety, in designing programs.

A genome-wide association search for type 2 diabetes genes in African Americans.

PubMed

Palmer, Nicholette D; McDonough, Caitrin W; Hicks, Pamela J; Roh, Bong H; Wing, Maria R; An, S Sandy; Hester, Jessica M; Cooke, Jessica N; Bostrom, Meredith A; Rudock, Megan E; Talbert, Matthew E; Lewis, Joshua P; Ferrara, Assiamira; Lu, Lingyi; Ziegler, Julie T; Sale, Michele M; Divers, Jasmin; Shriner, Daniel; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Rotimi, Charles N; Ng, Maggie C Y; Langefeld, Carl D; Freedman, Barry I; Bowden, Donald W; Voight, Benjamin F; Scott, Laura J; Steinthorsdottir, Valgerdur; Morris, Andrew P; Dina, Christian; Welch, Ryan P; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Huth, Cornelia; Aulchenko, Yurii S; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; McCulloch, Laura J; Ferreira, Teresa; Grallert, Harald; Amin, Najaf; Wu, Guanming; Willer, Cristen J; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; McCarroll, Steve A; Langenberg, Claudia; Hofmann, Oliver M; Dupuis, Josée; Qi, Lu; Segrè, Ayellet V; van Hoek, Mandy; Navarro, Pau; Ardlie, Kristin; Balkau, Beverley; Benediktsson, Rafn; Bennett, Amanda J; Blagieva, Roza; Boerwinkle, Eric; Bonnycastle, Lori L; Boström, Kristina Bengtsson; Bravenboer, Bert; Bumpstead, Suzannah; Burtt, Noël P; Charpentier, Guillaume; Chines, Peter S; Cornelis, Marilyn; Couper, David J; Crawford, Gabe; Doney, Alex S F; Elliott, Katherine S; Elliott, Amanda L; Erdos, Michael R; Fox, Caroline S; Franklin, Christopher S; Ganser, Martha; Gieger, Christian; Grarup, Niels; Green, Todd; Griffin, Simon; Groves, Christopher J; Guiducci, Candace; Hadjadj, Samy; Hassanali, Neelam; Herder, Christian; Isomaa, Bo; Jackson, Anne U; Johnson, Paul R V; Jørgensen, Torben; Kao, Wen H L; Klopp, Norman; Kong, Augustine; Kraft, Peter; Kuusisto, Johanna; Lauritzen, Torsten; Li, Man; Lieverse, Aloysius; Lindgren, Cecilia M; Lyssenko, Valeriya; Marre, Michel; Meitinger, Thomas; Midthjell, Kristian; Morken, Mario A; Narisu, Narisu; Nilsson, Peter; Owen, Katharine R; Payne, Felicity; Perry, John R B; Petersen, Ann-Kristin; Platou, Carl; Proença, Christine; Prokopenko, Inga; Rathmann, Wolfgang; Rayner, N William; Robertson, Neil R; Rocheleau, Ghislain; Roden, Michael; Sampson, Michael J; Saxena, Richa; Shields, Beverley M; Shrader, Peter; Sigurdsson, Gunnar; Sparsø, Thomas; Strassburger, Klaus; Stringham, Heather M; Sun, Qi; Swift, Amy J; Thorand, Barbara; Tichet, Jean; Tuomi, Tiinamaija; van Dam, Rob M; van Haeften, Timon W; van Herpt, Thijs; van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, Jana V; Walters, G Bragi; Weedon, Michael N; Wijmenga, Cisca; Witteman, Jacqueline; Bergman, Richard N; Cauchi, Stephane; Collins, Francis S; Gloyn, Anna L; Gyllensten, Ulf; Hansen, Torben; Hide, Winston A; Hitman, Graham A; Hofman, Albert; Hunter, David J; Hveem, Kristian; Laakso, Markku; Mohlke, Karen L; Morris, Andrew D; Palmer, Colin N A; Pramstaller, Peter P; Rudan, Igor; Sijbrands, Eric; Stein, Lincoln D; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Uitterlinden, Andre; Walker, Mark; Wareham, Nicholas J; Watanabe, Richard M; Abecasis, Goncalo R; Boehm, Bernhard O; Campbell, Harry; Daly, Mark J; Hattersley, Andrew T; Hu, Frank B; Meigs, James B; Pankow, James S; Pedersen, Oluf; Wichmann, H-Erich; Barroso, Inês; Florez, Jose C; Frayling, Timothy M; Groop, Leif; Sladek, Rob; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Wilson, James F; Illig, Thomas; Froguel, Philippe; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Stefansson, Kari; Altshuler, David; Boehnke, Michael; McCarthy, Mark I; Soranzo, Nicole; Wheeler, Eleanor; Glazer, Nicole L; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Mägi, Reedik; Randall, Joshua; Johnson, Toby; Elliott, Paul; Rybin, Denis; Henneman, Peter; Dehghan, Abbas; Hottenga, Jouke Jan; Song, Kijoung; Goel, Anuj; Egan, Josephine M; Lajunen, Taina; Doney, Alex; Kanoni, Stavroula; Cavalcanti-Proença, Christine; Kumari, Meena; Timpson, Nicholas J; Zabena, Carina; Ingelsson, Erik; An, Ping; O'Connell, Jeffrey; Luan, Jian'an; Elliott, Amanda; McCarroll, Steven A; Roccasecca, Rosa Maria; Pattou, François; Sethupathy, Praveen; Ariyurek, Yavuz; Barter, Philip; Beilby, John P; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Bergmann, Sven; Bochud, Murielle; Bonnefond, Amélie; Borch-Johnsen, Knut; Böttcher, Yvonne; Brunner, Eric; Bumpstead, Suzannah J; Chen, Yii-Der Ida; Chines, Peter; Clarke, Robert; Coin, Lachlan J M; Cooper, Matthew N; Crisponi, Laura; Day, Ian N M; de Geus, Eco J C; Delplanque, Jerome; Fedson, Annette C; Fischer-Rosinsky, Antje; Forouhi, Nita G; Frants, Rune; Franzosi, Maria Grazia; Galan, Pilar; Goodarzi, Mark O; Graessler, Jürgen; Grundy, Scott; Gwilliam, Rhian; Hallmans, Göran; Hammond, Naomi; Han, Xijing; Hartikainen, Anna-Liisa; Hayward, Caroline; Heath, Simon C; Hercberg, Serge; Hicks, Andrew A; Hillman, David R; Hingorani, Aroon D; Hui, Jennie; Hung, Joe; Jula, Antti; Kaakinen, Marika; Kaprio, Jaakko; Kesaniemi, Y Antero; Kivimaki, Mika; Knight, Beatrice; Koskinen, Seppo; Kovacs, Peter; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Lathrop, G Mark; Lawlor, Debbie A; Le Bacquer, Olivier; Lecoeur, Cécile; Li, Yun; Mahley, Robert; Mangino, Massimo; Manning, Alisa K; Martínez-Larrad, María Teresa; McAteer, Jarred B; McPherson, Ruth; Meisinger, Christa; Melzer, David; Meyre, David; Mitchell, Braxton D; Mukherjee, Sutapa; Naitza, Silvia; Neville, Matthew J; Oostra, Ben A; Orrù, Marco; Pakyz, Ruth; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Pattaro, Cristian; Pearson, Daniel; Peden, John F; Pedersen, Nancy L; Perola, Markus; Pfeiffer, Andreas F H; Pichler, Irene; Polasek, Ozren; Posthuma, Danielle; Potter, Simon C; Pouta, Anneli; Province, Michael A; Psaty, Bruce M; Rayner, Nigel W; Rice, Kenneth; Ripatti, Samuli; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Rolandsson, Olov; Sandbaek, Annelli; Sandhu, Manjinder; Sanna, Serena; Sayer, Avan Aihie; Scheet, Paul; Seedorf, Udo; Sharp, Stephen J; Shields, Beverley; Sijbrands, Eric J G; Silveira, Angela; Simpson, Laila; Singleton, Andrew; Smith, Nicholas L; Sovio, Ulla; Swift, Amy; Syddall, Holly; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Tanaka, Toshiko; Tönjes, Anke; Uitterlinden, André G; van Dijk, Ko Willems; Varma, Dhiraj; Visvikis-Siest, Sophie; Vitart, Veronique; Vogelzangs, Nicole; Waeber, Gérard; Wagner, Peter J; Walley, Andrew; Ward, Kim L; Watkins, Hugh; Wild, Sarah H; Willemsen, Gonneke; Witteman, Jaqueline C M; Yarnell, John W G; Zelenika, Diana; Zethelius, Björn; Zhai, Guangju; Zhao, Jing Hua; Zillikens, M Carola; Borecki, Ingrid B; Loos, Ruth J F; Meneton, Pierre; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Nathan, David M; Williams, Gordon H; Silander, Kaisa; Salomaa, Veikko; Smith, George Davey; Bornstein, Stefan R; Schwarz, Peter; Spranger, Joachim; Karpe, Fredrik; Shuldiner, Alan R; Cooper, Cyrus; Dedoussis, George V; Serrano-Ríos, Manuel; Lind, Lars; Palmer, Lyle J; Franks, Paul W; Ebrahim, Shah; Marmot, Michael; Kao, W H Linda; Pramstaller, Peter Paul; Wright, Alan F; Stumvoll, Michael; Hamsten, Anders; Buchanan, Thomas A; Valle, Timo T; Rotter, Jerome I; Siscovick, David S; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Boomsma, Dorret I; Deloukas, Panos; Spector, Timothy D; Ferrucci, Luigi; Cao, Antonio; Scuteri, Angelo; Schlessinger, David; Uda, Manuela; Ruokonen, Aimo; Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Waterworth, Dawn M; Vollenweider, Peter; Peltonen, Leena; Mooser, Vincent; Sladek, Robert

2012-01-01

African Americans are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes (T2DM) yet few studies have examined T2DM using genome-wide association approaches in this ethnicity. The aim of this study was to identify genes associated with T2DM in the African American population. We performed a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) using the Affymetrix 6.0 array in 965 African-American cases with T2DM and end-stage renal disease (T2DM-ESRD) and 1029 population-based controls. The most significant SNPs (n = 550 independent loci) were genotyped in a replication cohort and 122 SNPs (n = 98 independent loci) were further tested through genotyping three additional validation cohorts followed by meta-analysis in all five cohorts totaling 3,132 cases and 3,317 controls. Twelve SNPs had evidence of association in the GWAS (P<0.0071), were directionally consistent in the Replication cohort and were associated with T2DM in subjects without nephropathy (P<0.05). Meta-analysis in all cases and controls revealed a single SNP reaching genome-wide significance (P<2.5×10(-8)). SNP rs7560163 (P = 7.0×10(-9), OR (95% CI) = 0.75 (0.67-0.84)) is located intergenically between RND3 and RBM43. Four additional loci (rs7542900, rs4659485, rs2722769 and rs7107217) were associated with T2DM (P<0.05) and reached more nominal levels of significance (P<2.5×10(-5)) in the overall analysis and may represent novel loci that contribute to T2DM. We have identified novel T2DM-susceptibility variants in the African-American population. Notably, T2DM risk was associated with the major allele and implies an interesting genetic architecture in this population. These results suggest that multiple loci underlie T2DM susceptibility in the African-American population and that these loci are distinct from those identified in other ethnic populations.

A Genome-Wide Association Search for Type 2 Diabetes Genes in African Americans

PubMed Central

Palmer, Nicholette D.; McDonough, Caitrin W.; Hicks, Pamela J.; Roh, Bong H.; Wing, Maria R.; An, S. Sandy; Hester, Jessica M.; Cooke, Jessica N.; Bostrom, Meredith A.; Rudock, Megan E.; Talbert, Matthew E.; Lewis, Joshua P.; Ferrara, Assiamira; Lu, Lingyi; Ziegler, Julie T.; Sale, Michele M.; Divers, Jasmin; Shriner, Daniel; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Rotimi, Charles N.; Ng, Maggie C. Y.; Langefeld, Carl D.; Freedman, Barry I.; Bowden, Donald W.

2012-01-01

African Americans are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes (T2DM) yet few studies have examined T2DM using genome-wide association approaches in this ethnicity. The aim of this study was to identify genes associated with T2DM in the African American population. We performed a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) using the Affymetrix 6.0 array in 965 African-American cases with T2DM and end-stage renal disease (T2DM-ESRD) and 1029 population-based controls. The most significant SNPs (n = 550 independent loci) were genotyped in a replication cohort and 122 SNPs (n = 98 independent loci) were further tested through genotyping three additional validation cohorts followed by meta-analysis in all five cohorts totaling 3,132 cases and 3,317 controls. Twelve SNPs had evidence of association in the GWAS (P<0.0071), were directionally consistent in the Replication cohort and were associated with T2DM in subjects without nephropathy (P<0.05). Meta-analysis in all cases and controls revealed a single SNP reaching genome-wide significance (P<2.5×10−8). SNP rs7560163 (P = 7.0×10−9, OR (95% CI) = 0.75 (0.67–0.84)) is located intergenically between RND3 and RBM43. Four additional loci (rs7542900, rs4659485, rs2722769 and rs7107217) were associated with T2DM (P<0.05) and reached more nominal levels of significance (P<2.5×10−5) in the overall analysis and may represent novel loci that contribute to T2DM. We have identified novel T2DM-susceptibility variants in the African-American population. Notably, T2DM risk was associated with the major allele and implies an interesting genetic architecture in this population. These results suggest that multiple loci underlie T2DM susceptibility in the African-American population and that these loci are distinct from those identified in other ethnic populations. PMID:22238593

Association Analysis in African Americans of European-Derived Type 2 Diabetes Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms From Whole-Genome Association Studies

PubMed Central

Lewis, Joshua P.; Palmer, Nicholette D.; Hicks, Pamela J.; Sale, Michele M.; Langefeld, Carl D.; Freedman, Barry I.; Divers, Jasmin; Bowden, Donald W.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE— Several whole-genome association studies have reported identification of type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes in various European-derived study populations. Little investigation of these loci has been reported in other ethnic groups, specifically African Americans. Striking differences exist between these populations, suggesting they may not share identical genetic risk factors. Our objective was to examine the influence of type 2 diabetes genes identified in whole-genome association studies in a large African American case-control population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 12 loci (e.g., TCF7L2, IDE/KIF11/HHEX, SLC30A8, CDKAL1, PKN2, IGF2BP2, FLJ39370, and EXT2/ALX4) associated with type 2 diabetes in European-derived populations were genotyped in 993 African American type 2 diabetic and 1,054 African American control subjects. Additionally, 68 ancestry-informative markers were genotyped to account for the impact of admixture on association results. RESULTS— Little evidence of association was observed between SNPs, with the exception of those in TCF7L2, and type 2 diabetes in African Americans. One TCF7L2 SNP (rs7903146) showed compelling evidence of association with type 2 diabetes (admixture-adjusted additive P [Pa] = 1.59 × 10−6). Only the intragenic SNP on 11p12 (rs9300039, dominant P [Pd] = 0.029) was also associated with type 2 diabetes after admixture adjustments. Interestingly, four of the SNPs are monomorphic in the Yoruba population of the HAPMAP project, with only the risk allele from the populations of European descent present. CONCLUSIONS— Results suggest that these variants do not significantly contribute to interindividual susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in African Americans. Consequently, genes contributing to type 2 diabetes in African Americans may, in part, be different from those in European-derived study populations. High frequency of risk alleles in several of these genes may

Association analysis in african americans of European-derived type 2 diabetes single nucleotide polymorphisms from whole-genome association studies.

PubMed

Lewis, Joshua P; Palmer, Nicholette D; Hicks, Pamela J; Sale, Michele M; Langefeld, Carl D; Freedman, Barry I; Divers, Jasmin; Bowden, Donald W

2008-08-01

Several whole-genome association studies have reported identification of type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes in various European-derived study populations. Little investigation of these loci has been reported in other ethnic groups, specifically African Americans. Striking differences exist between these populations, suggesting they may not share identical genetic risk factors. Our objective was to examine the influence of type 2 diabetes genes identified in whole-genome association studies in a large African American case-control population. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 12 loci (e.g., TCF7L2, IDE/KIF11/HHEX, SLC30A8, CDKAL1, PKN2, IGF2BP2, FLJ39370, and EXT2/ALX4) associated with type 2 diabetes in European-derived populations were genotyped in 993 African American type 2 diabetic and 1,054 African American control subjects. Additionally, 68 ancestry-informative markers were genotyped to account for the impact of admixture on association results. Little evidence of association was observed between SNPs, with the exception of those in TCF7L2, and type 2 diabetes in African Americans. One TCF7L2 SNP (rs7903146) showed compelling evidence of association with type 2 diabetes (admixture-adjusted additive P [P(a)] = 1.59 x 10(-6)). Only the intragenic SNP on 11p12 (rs9300039, dominant P [P(d)] = 0.029) was also associated with type 2 diabetes after admixture adjustments. Interestingly, four of the SNPs are monomorphic in the Yoruba population of the HAPMAP project, with only the risk allele from the populations of European descent present. Results suggest that these variants do not significantly contribute to interindividual susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in African Americans. Consequently, genes contributing to type 2 diabetes in African Americans may, in part, be different from those in European-derived study populations. High frequency of risk alleles in several of these genes may, however, contribute to the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in

International Studies in Dementia With Particular Emphasis on Populations of African Origin

PubMed Central

Hendrie, Hugh C.; Murrell, Jill; Gao, Sujuan; Unverzagt, Fredrick W.; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Hall, Kathleen S.

2011-01-01

Epidemiologic studies on dementia generally have 2 major interacting objectives: descriptive, where rates of dementia and Alzheimer Disease (AD) are calculated for communities and selected populations, and analytic, which attempt to explain the observed phenotypic variations in communities and populations by identifying disease risk factors. The public health benefits derived from descriptive studies are exemplified by the recent published review of the global prevalence of dementia under the auspices of Alzheimer Disease International. This review emphasized the enormous and growing burden associated with dementia particularly for countries in the developing world and outlined strategies to influence policy making, planning, and healthcare allocation. One interesting feature of descriptive studies on dementia is that although the few epidemiologic studies conducted in Africa suggest that rates of dementia and AD are relatively low, rates of AD and dementia have been reported to be relatively high for African Americans. The Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia Project has reported that the incidence rates for AD and dementia in Yoruba are less than half the incidence rates for AD and dementia in African Americans. Analytic studies are now underway to identify risk factors that may account for these rate differences. The risk factor model being applied, attempts to identify not only putative genetic and environmental factors but also their interactions. So far the major findings have included: apolipoprotein E e4, a major risk factor for AD in most populations, is also a risk factor for AD in African Americans but not for Yoruba; African Americans are at higher risk not only for AD, but also for diseases associated with increased cardiovascular risk such as hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome; African Americans have higher rates of hypercholesterolemia than Yoruba: there is an interaction between apolipoprotein E e4, cholesterol, and AD risk in both Yoruba and

International studies in dementia with particular emphasis on populations of African origin.

PubMed

Hendrie, Hugh C; Murrell, Jill; Gao, Sujuan; Unverzagt, Fredrick W; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Hall, Kathleen S

2006-01-01

Epidemiologic studies on dementia generally have 2 major interacting objectives: descriptive, where rates of dementia and Alzheimer Disease (AD) are calculated for communities and selected populations, and analytic, which attempt to explain the observed phenotypic variations in communities and populations by identifying disease risk factors. The public health benefits derived from descriptive studies are exemplified by the recent published review of the global prevalence of dementia under the auspices of Alzheimer Disease International. This review emphasized the enormous and growing burden associated with dementia particularly for countries in the developing world and outlined strategies to influence policy making, planning, and healthcare allocation. One interesting feature of descriptive studies on dementia is that although the few epidemiologic studies conducted in Africa suggest that rates of dementia and AD are relatively low, rates of AD and dementia have been reported to be relatively high for African Americans. The Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia Project has reported that the incidence rates for AD and dementia in Yoruba are less than half the incidence rates for AD and dementia in African Americans. Analytic studies are now underway to identify risk factors that may account for these rate differences. The risk factor model being applied, attempts to identify not only putative genetic and environmental factors but also their interactions. So far the major findings have included: apolipoprotein E e4, a major risk factor for AD in most populations, is also a risk factor for AD in African Americans but not for Yoruba; African Americans are at higher risk not only for AD, but also for diseases associated with increased cardiovascular risk such as hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome; African Americans have higher rates of hypercholesterolemia than Yoruba: there is an interaction between apolipoprotein E e4, cholesterol, and AD risk in both Yoruba and

Incidence of atrial fibrillation in whites and African-Americans: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

PubMed

Alonso, Alvaro; Agarwal, Sunil K; Soliman, Elsayed Z; Ambrose, Marietta; Chamberlain, Alanna M; Prineas, Ronald J; Folsom, Aaron R

2009-07-01

To define the incidence and cumulative risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a population-based cohort of whites and African Americans. African-Americans reportedly have a lower risk of AF than whites despite their higher exposure to AF risk factors. However, precise estimates of AF incidence in African Americans have not been previously published. We studied the incidence of AF in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which has followed up 15,792 men and women 45 to 65 years of age at baseline from 4 communities in the United States since 1987. Atrial fibrillation cases were identified from electrocardiograms conducted at baseline and 3 follow-up visits, and from hospitalizations and death certificates through the end of 2004. During follow-up, 1,085 new cases of AF were identified (196 in African Americans, 889 in whites). Crude incidence rates of AF were 6.7, 4.0, 3.9, and 3.0 per 1,000 persons per year in white men, white women, African-American men, and African-American women, respectively. Increasing age was exponentially associated with an elevated risk of AF. Compared to whites, African-Americans had a 41% (95% CI: 8%-62%) lower age- and sex-adjusted risk of being diagnosed with AF. The cumulative risk of AF at 80 years of age was 21% in white men, 17% in white women, and 11% in African-American men and women. In this population-based cohort, African Americans presented a lower risk of AF than whites. Still, the burden of AF among the former is substantial, with 1 in 9 receiving a diagnosis of AF before 80 years of age.

Life-course financial strain and health in African-Americans.

PubMed

Szanton, Sarah L; Thorpe, Roland J; Whitfield, Keith

2010-07-01

Differential exposure to financial strain may explain some differences in population health. However, few studies have examined the cumulative health effect of financial strain across the life-course. Studies that have are limited to self-reported health measures. Our objective was to examine the associations between childhood, adulthood, and life-course, or cumulative, financial strain with disability, lung function, cognition, and depression. In a population-based cross-sectional cohort study of adult African-American twins enrolled in the US Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA), we found that participants who reported financial strain as children and as adults are more likely to be physically disabled, and report more depressive symptoms than their unstrained counterparts. Participants who reported childhood financial strain had lower cognitive functioning than those with no childhood financial strain. We were unable to detect a difference in lung function beyond the effect of actual income and education in those who reported financial strain compared to those who did not. Financial strain in adulthood was more consistently associated with poor health than was childhood financial strain, a finding that suggests targeting adult financial strain could help prevent disability and depression among African-American adults. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defense.gov Special Report: African-American History Month 2014

Science.gov Websites

Department of Defense Submit Search African-American History Month: Civil Rights in America - February 2014 Proclamation African-American Firsts in U.S. Naval History DEOMI 2014 African American/Black History Month Poster African-American History at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force African-Americans and the U.S

African-American women's Upward Economic Mobility and Small for Gestational Age Births: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Collins, James W; Mariani, Allison; Rankin, Kristin

2018-03-01

Background The relationship between African-American women's upward economic mobility and small for gestational age (weight for gestational < 10th percentile, SGA) rates is incompletely understood. Objective To ascertain the extent to which African-American women's upward economic mobility from early-life impoverishment is coupled with reduced SGA rates. Methods Stratified and multilevel logistic regression analyses were completed on the Illinois transgenerational dataset of African-American infants (1989-1991) and their Chicago-born mothers (1956-1976) with linked U.S. census income information. Results Impoverished-born (defined as lowest quartile of neighborhood income distribution) African-American women (n = 4891) who remained impoverished by the time of delivery had a SGA rate of 19.7%. Individuals who achieved low (n = 5827), modest (n = 2254), or high (n = 732) upward economic mobility by adulthood had lower SGA rates of 17.2, 14.8, and 13.7%, respectively; RR = 0.9 (0.8-0.9), 0.8 (0.7-0.8), and 0.7 (0.6-0.8), respectively. In adjusted (controlling for traditional individual-level risk factors) multilevel regression models, there was a decreasing linear trend in SGA rates with increasing levels of upward economic mobility; the adjusted RR of SGA birth for impoverished-born African-American women who experienced low, modest, of high (compared to no) upward mobility equaled 0.95 (0.91, 0.99), 0.90 (0.83, 0.98), and 0.86 (0.75, 0.98), respectively, p < 0.05. Conclusions African-American women's upward economic mobility from early-life residence in poor urban communities is associated with lower SGA rates independent of adulthood risk status.

Pre-experience perceptions about telemedicine among African Americans and Latinos in South Central Los Angeles.

PubMed

George, Sheba M; Hamilton, Alison; Baker, Richard

2009-01-01

This study explores perceptions about telemedicine among urban underserved African American and Latino populations. Telemedicine has been advanced as a vehicle to increase access to specialty care among the urban underserved, yet little is known about its acceptability among these populations. We conducted 10 focus groups with African American and Latino participants (n = 87) in urban Los Angeles in order to explore perceptions about this novel type of care. We found that concerns about telemedicine varied between the two racial/ethnic groups. These findings have implications for important issues such as adoption of telemedicine, patient satisfaction, and doctor-patient interaction. It will be critical to consider perceptions of this healthcare innovation in the development of strategies to market and implement telemedicine among urban, underserved African American and Latino populations.

Race and Ethnic Differences in Religious Involvement: African Americans, Caribbean Blacks and Non-Hispanic Whites

PubMed Central

Chatters, Linda M.; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Bullard, Kai McKeever; Jackson, James S.

2010-01-01

This study examined differences in religious participation and spirituality among African Americans, Caribbean Blacks (Black Caribbeans) and non-Hispanic Whites. Data are taken from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative study of African Americans, Black Caribbeans and non-Hispanic Whites. Selected measures of organizational, nonorganizational and subjective religious participation were examined. African American and Caribbean Blacks were largely similar in their reports of religious involvement; both groups generally indicated higher levels of religious participation than non-Hispanic Whites. African Americans were more likely than Black Caribbeans to be official members of their places of worship, engage in activities (choirs, church clubs) at their place of worship and request prayer from others. Black Caribbeans reported reading religious materials more frequently than African Americans. The discussion notes the importance of examining ethnic differences within the black American population of the United States. PMID:20975850

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Promote Smoking Cessation among African American Smokers: A Randomized Clinical Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Monica S.; de Ybarra, Denise Rodriguez; Baker, Elizabeth A.; Reis, Isildinha M.; Carey, Michael P.

2010-01-01

Objective: The health consequences of tobacco smoking disproportionately affect African Americans, but research on whether efficacious interventions can be generalized to this population is limited. This study examined the efficacy of group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking cessation among African Americans. Method: Participants…

Most Common SNPs Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Subjects of European Ancestry Confer Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Hughes, Laura B.; Reynolds, Richard J.; Brown, Elizabeth E.; Kelley, James M.; Thomson, Brian; Conn, Doyt L.; Jonas, Beth L.; Westfall, Andrew O.; Padilla, Miguel A.; Callahan, Leigh F.; Smith, Edwin A.; Brasington, Richard D.; Edberg, Jeffrey C.; Kimberly, Robert P.; Moreland, Larry W.; Plenge, Robert M.; Bridges, S. Louis

2010-01-01

Objective Large-scale genetic association studies have identified over 20 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk alleles among individuals of European ancestry. The influence of these risk alleles has not been comprehensively studied in African-Americans. We therefore sought to examine whether these validated RA risk alleles are associated with RA in an African-American population. Methods 27 candidate SNPs were genotyped in 556 autoantibody-positive African-Americans with RA and 791 healthy African-American controls. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each SNP were compared to previously published ORs of RA patients of European ancestry. We then calculated a composite Genetic Risk Score (GRS) for each individual based on the sum of all risk alleles. Results There was overlap in the OR and 95% CI between the European and African-American populations in 24 of the 27 candidate SNPs. Conversely, 3 of the 27 SNPs (CCR6 rs3093023, TAGAP rs394581, TNFAIP3 rs6920220) demonstrated an OR in the opposite direction from those reported in RA patients of European ancestry. The GRS analysis indicated a small but highly significant probability that African-American cases were enriched for the European RA risk alleles relative to controls (p=0.00005). Conclusion The majority of RA risk alleles previously validated among European ancestry RA patients showed similar ORs in our population of African-Americans with RA. Furthermore, the aggregate GRS supports the hypothesis that these SNPs are risk alleles for RA in the African-American population. Future large-scale genetic studies are needed to validate these risk alleles and identify novel risk alleles for RA in African-Americans. PMID:21120996

Help-Seeking Experiences and Attitudes among African American, Asian American, and European American College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masuda, Akihiko; Anderson, Page L.; Twohig, Michael P.; Feinstein, Amanda B.; Chou, Ying-Yi; Wendell, Johanna W.; Stormo, Analia R.

2009-01-01

The study examined African American, Asian American, and European American college students' previous direct and indirect experiences of seeking professional psychological services and related attitudes. Survey data were collected from 254 European American, 182 African American and 82 Asian American college students. Results revealed that fewer…

Freedom Road: Adult Education of African Americans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Elizabeth A., Ed.

This book contains six chapters by various authors about the history of African Americans' contributions and participation in adult education. The book reports on how some African American leaders saw the connection between education and the eventual freedom or uplift of the African American people. Following a foreword (Phyllis M. Cunningham) and…

African American Teaching and the Matriarchal Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffries, Rhonda Baynes

This paper discusses the role of matriarchs in African-American culture, explaining that traditionally, African-American matriarchs arise from a combination of African norms and American social positions that naturally forces them to assume leadership conditions. The roles these women assume are a response to the desire to survive in a society…

Hospitalizations for Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans and Whites with HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Oramasionwu, Christine U.; Morse, Gene D.; Lawson, Kenneth A.; Brown, Carolyn M.; Koeller, Jim M.

2013-01-01

Abstract Therapeutic advances have resulted in an epidemiological shift in the predominant causes of hospitalization for patients with HIV/AIDS. An emerging cause for hospitalization in this patient population is cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, data are limited regarding how this shift affects different racial groups. The objective of this observational, retrospective study was to evaluate the association between race and hospitalization for CVD in African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS and to compare the types of CVD-related hospitalizations between African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 1.5 million hospital discharges from the US National Hospital Discharge Surveys for the years of 1996 to 2008 were identified. After controlling for potential confounders, the odds of CVD-related hospitalization in patients with HIV/AIDS were 45% higher for African Americans than whites (odds ratio [OR]=1.45, 95% CI, 1.39–1.51). Other covariates that were associated with increased odds of hospitalization for CVD included chronic kidney disease (OR=1.43, 95% CI, 1.36–1.51), age≥50 years (OR=3.22, 95% CI, 2.94–3.54), region in the Southern United States (OR=1.17, 95% CI, 1.11–1.23), and Medicare insurance coverage (OR=1.71, 95% CI, 1.60–1.83). Male sex was not significantly associated with the study outcome (OR=0.99, 95% CI, 0.96–1.02). Compared to whites with HIV/AIDS, African Americans with HIV/AIDS had more hospitalizations for heart failure and hypertension, but fewer hospitalizations for stroke and coronary heart disease. In conclusion, African Americans with HIV/AIDS have increased odds of CVD-related hospitalization as compared to whites with HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, the most common types of CVD-related hospitalizations differ significantly in African Americans and whites. (Population Health Management 2012;16:201–207) PMID:23194035

African American administrators in community/migrant health centers.

PubMed

Glover, S H; Shi, L; Samuels, M E

1997-05-01

Community and migrant health centers (CHC/MHCs) play a secondary role as avenues for the development of minority and women health care professionals, groups traditionally underrepresented in administrative and managerial positions within the health care system. This paper focuses on the role of CHC/MHCs in eliminating the barriers that typically limit the professional advancement of these groups. In a survey of both rural and urban CHC/MHC administrators, it was found that CHC/MHCs have higher percentages of minorities in top management positions than general management but do not necessarily reflect the minority composition of those being served. Of the CHC/MHC administrators, 20 percent were African American, less than the population served (31 percent) but greater than the percentage of African Americans in the general U.S. population (12 percent). This suggests that CHC/MHCs have partially met the original goal of upward mobility and that there is room for improvement.

Education, Genetic Ancestry, and Blood Pressure in African Americans and Whites

PubMed Central

Gravlee, Clarence C.; Mulligan, Connie J.

2012-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the relative roles of education and genetic ancestry in predicting blood pressure (BP) within African Americans and explored the association between education and BP across racial groups. Methods. We used t tests and linear regressions to examine the associations of genetic ancestry, estimated from a genomewide set of autosomal markers, and education with BP variation among African Americans in the Family Blood Pressure Program. We also performed linear regressions in self-identified African Americans and Whites to explore the association of education with BP across racial groups. Results. Education, but not genetic ancestry, significantly predicted BP variation in the African American subsample (b = −0.51 mm Hg per year additional education; P = .001). Although education was inversely associated with BP in the total population, within-group analyses showed that education remained a significant predictor of BP only among the African Americans. We found a significant interaction (b = 3.20; P = .006) between education and self-identified race in predicting BP. Conclusions. Racial disparities in BP may be better explained by differences in education than by genetic ancestry. Future studies of ancestry and disease should include measures of the social environment. PMID:22698014

Qualitative study of African-American job satisfaction in a scientific/technical research environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krossa, Cheryl Delemos

1996-09-01

Many studies have been conducted in the area of job satisfaction. Its necessary attributes sor components have been studied, analyzed, validated, standardized, and normed, onpredominantly white male populations. Few of these studies have focused on people of color, specifically African-Americans, and fewer still on those African-Americans working in a high-tech, scientific and research environments. The researchers have defined what is necessary for the current dominent culture`s population, but are their findings applicable and valid for our nation`s other cultures and ethnic groups? Among the conclusions: the subjects felt that there was no real difference in job satisfiers from their whitemore » colleagues; however the subjects had the sense of community (African-American) and the need to give back to it. Frustrations included politics, funding, and lack of control.« less

Long QT syndrome in African-Americans.

PubMed

Fugate, Thomas; Moss, Arthur J; Jons, Christian; McNitt, Scott; Mullally, Jamie; Ouellet, Gregory; Goldenberg, Ilan; Zareba, Wojciech; Robinson, Jennifer L

2010-01-01

We evaluated the risk factors and clinical course of Long QT syndrome (LQTS) in African-American patients. The study involved 41 African-Americans and 3456 Caucasians with a QTc > or = 450 ms from the U.S. portion of the International LQTS Registry. Data included information about the medical history and clinical course of the LQTS patients with end points relating to the occurrence of syncope, aborted cardiac arrest, or LQTS-related sudden cardiac death from birth through age 40 years. The statistical analyses involved Kaplan-Meier time to event graphs and Cox regression models for multivariable risk factor evaluation. The QTc was 29 ms longer in African-Americans than Caucasians. Multivarite Cox analyses with adjustment for decade of birth revealed that the cardiac event rate was similar in African-Americans and Caucasians with LQTS and that beta-blockers were equally effective in reducing cardiac events in the two racial groups. The clinical course of LQTS in African-Americans is similar to that of Caucasians with comparable risk factors and benefit from beta-blocker therapy in the two racial groups.

Endotypes of difficult-to-control asthma in inner-city African American children

PubMed Central

Brown, K. R.; Krouse, R. Z.; Calatroni, A.; Visness, C. M.; Sivaprasad, U.; Kercsmar, C. M.; Matsui, E. C.; West, J. B.; Makhija, M. M.; Gill, M. A.; Kim, H.; Kattan, M.; Pillai, D.; Gern, J. E.; Busse, W. W.; Togias, A.; Liu, A. H.

2017-01-01

African Americans have higher rates of asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality in comparison with other racial groups. We sought to characterize endotypes of childhood asthma severity in African American patients in an inner-city pediatric asthma population. Baseline blood neutrophils, blood eosinophils, and 38 serum cytokine levels were measured in a sample of 235 asthmatic children (6–17 years) enrolled in the NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)-sponsored Asthma Phenotypes in the Inner City (APIC) study (ICAC (Inner City Asthma Consortium)-19). Cytokines were quantified using a MILLIPLEX panel and analyzed on a Luminex analyzer. Patients were classified as Easy-to-Control or Difficult-to-Control based on the required dose of controller medications over one year of prospective management. A multivariate variable selection procedure was used to select cytokines associated with Difficult-to-Control versus Easy-to-Control asthma, adjusting for age, sex, blood eosinophils, and blood neutrophils. In inner-city African American children, 12 cytokines were significant predictors of Difficult-to-Control asthma (n = 235). CXCL-1, IL-5, IL-8, and IL-17A were positively associated with Difficult-to-Control asthma, while IL-4 and IL-13 were positively associated with Easy-to-Control asthma. Using likelihood ratio testing, it was observed that in addition to blood eosinophils and neutrophils, serum cytokines improved the fit of the model. In an inner-city pediatric population, serum cytokines significantly contributed to the definition of Difficult-to-Control asthma endotypes in African American children. Mixed responses characterized by TH2 (IL-5) and TH17-associated cytokines were associated with Difficult-to-Control asthma. Collectively, these data may contribute to risk stratification of Difficult-to-Control asthma in the African American population. PMID:28686637

KSC kicks off African-American History Month

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Clothed in her traditional African garb, Michelle Amos, mistress of ceremonies, welcomes the audience on Feb. 3 at the kick-off of African-American History Month. The theme for this year's observation is 'Heritage and Horizons: The African-American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st Century.' February is designated each year as a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans to Kennedy Space Center, NASA and the nation.

African Americans and High Blood Pressure

MedlinePlus

ANSWERS by heart Lifestyle + Risk Reduction High Blood Pressure What About African Americans and High Blood Pressure? African Americans in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP) ...

Dissecting the Within-Africa Ancestry of Populations of African Descent in the Americas

PubMed Central

Stefflova, Klara; Dulik, Matthew C.; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill S.; Pai, Athma A.; Walker, Amy H.; Rebbeck, Timothy R.

2011-01-01

Background The ancestry of African-descended Americans is known to be drawn from three distinct populations: African, European, and Native American. While many studies consider this continental admixture, few account for the genetically distinct sources of ancestry within Africa – the continent with the highest genetic variation. Here, we dissect the within-Africa genetic ancestry of various populations of the Americas self-identified as having primarily African ancestry using uniparentally inherited mitochondrial DNA. Methods and Principal Findings We first confirmed that our results obtained using uniparentally-derived group admixture estimates are correlated with the average autosomal-derived individual admixture estimates (hence are relevant to genomic ancestry) by assessing continental admixture using both types of markers (mtDNA and Y-chromosome vs. ancestry informative markers). We then focused on the within-Africa maternal ancestry, mining our comprehensive database of published mtDNA variation (∼5800 individuals from 143 African populations) that helped us thoroughly dissect the African mtDNA pool. Using this well-defined African mtDNA variation, we quantified the relative contributions of maternal genetic ancestry from multiple W/WC/SW/SE (West to South East) African populations to the different pools of today's African-descended Americans of North and South America and the Caribbean. Conclusions Our analysis revealed that both continental admixture and within-Africa admixture may be critical to achieving an adequate understanding of the ancestry of African-descended Americans. While continental ancestry reflects gender-specific admixture processes influenced by different socio-historical practices in the Americas, the within-Africa maternal ancestry reflects the diverse colonial histories of the slave trade. We have confirmed that there is a genetic thread connecting Africa and the Americas, where each colonial system supplied their colonies in the

Medical Advocacy and Supportive Environments for African-Americans Following Abnormal Mammograms.

PubMed

Molina, Yamile; Hempstead, Bridgette H; Thompson-Dodd, Jacci; Weatherby, Shauna Rae; Dunbar, Claire; Hohl, Sarah D; Malen, Rachel C; Ceballos, Rachel M

2015-09-01

African-American women experience disproportionately adverse outcomes relative to non-Latina White women after an abnormal mammogram result. Research has suggested medical advocacy and staff support may improve outcomes among this population. The purpose of the study was to understand reasons African-American women believe medical advocacy to be important and examine if and how staff can encourage and be supportive of medical advocacy. A convenience-based sample of 30-74-year-old women who self-identified as African-American/Black/of African descent and who had received an abnormal mammogram result was recruited from community-based organizations, mobile mammography services, and the local department of health. This qualitative study included semi-structured interviews. Patients perceived medical advocacy to be particularly important for African-Americans, given mistrust and discrimination present in medical settings and their own familiarity with their bodies and symptoms. Respondents emphasized that staff can encourage medical advocacy through offering information in general in a clear, informative, and empathic style. Cultural competency interventions that train staff how to foster medical advocacy may be a strategy to improve racial disparities following an abnormal mammogram.

Graduation 101: Critical Strategies for African American Men College Completion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolliver, David V., III; Miller, Michael T.

2018-01-01

African American men have not historically participated in higher education at the same levels or with the same success as others. And, as colleges and universities have sought to diversify their student populations, the rapidly increasing enrollment of Asian American and Hispanic students has illustrated the difficulty in trying to increase the…

Disease Management to Promote Blood Pressure Control Among African Americans

PubMed Central

Brennan, Troyen; Villagra, Victor; Ofili, Elizabeth; McMahill-Walraven, Cheryl; Lowy, Elizabeth J.; Daniels, Pamela; Quarshie, Alexander; Mayberry, Robert

2010-01-01

Abstract African Americans have a higher prevalence of hypertension and poorer cardiovascular and renal outcomes than white Americans. The objective of this study was to determine whether a telephonic nurse disease management (DM) program designed for African Americans is more effective than a home monitoring program alone to increase blood pressure (BP) control among African Americans enrolled in a national health plan. A prospective randomized controlled study (March 2006—December 2007) was conducted, with 12 months of follow-up on each subject. A total of 5932 health plan members were randomly selected from the population of self-identified African Americans, age 23 and older, in health maintenance organization plans, with hypertension; 954 accepted, 638 completed initial assessment, and 485 completed follow-up assessment. The intervention consisted of telephonic nurse DM (intervention group) including educational materials, lifestyle and diet counseling, and home BP monitor vs. home BP monitor alone (control group). Measurements included proportion with BP < 120/80, mean systolic BP, mean diastolic BP, and frequency of BP self-monitoring. Results revealed that systolic BP was lower in the intervention group (adjusted means 123.6 vs. 126.7 mm Hg, P = 0.03); there was no difference for diastolic BP. The intervention group was 50% more likely to have BP in control (odds ratio [OR] = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.997–2.27, P = 0.052) and 46% more likely to monitor BP at least weekly (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.07–2.00, P = 0.02) than the control group. A nurse DM program tailored for African Americans was effective at decreasing systolic BP and increasing the frequency of self-monitoring of BP to a greater extent than home monitoring alone. Recruitment and program completion rates could be improved for maximal impact. (Population Health Management 2010;13:65–72) PMID:20415618

African-American Males' Health Perceptions and Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeal, CoSandra; Perkins, Isaac; Lyons, Shenia

2006-01-01

Research on African American men's health is limited. Perception and knowledge of health may have a significant effect on health seeking behavior and self care. This study was designed to examine factors that may influence health perception and knowledge among African American males. This is a cross-sectional study of 343 African American males…

Increasing Reading Engagement in African American Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Husband, Terry

2014-01-01

Much has been written concerning the challenges many teachers face in engaging African American males in reading practices. While much of this extant scholarship focuses on African American males at the pre-adolescent stage of development and beyond, little has been written regarding increasing reading engagement in African American boys in P-5…

Germline mutations in PALB2 in African-American breast cancer cases.

PubMed

Ding, Yuan Chun; Steele, Linda; Chu, Li-Hao; Kelley, Karen; Davis, Helen; John, Esther M; Tomlinson, Gail E; Neuhausen, Susan L

2011-02-01

Breast cancer incidence is lower in African Americans than in Caucasian Americans. However, African-American women have higher breast cancer mortality rates and tend to be diagnosed with earlier-onset disease. Identifying factors correlated to the racial/ethnic variation in the epidemiology of breast cancer may provide better understanding of the more aggressive disease at diagnosis. Truncating germline mutations in PALB2 have been identified in approximately 1% of early-onset and/or familial breast cancer cases. To date, PALB2 mutation testing has not been performed in African-American breast cancer cases. We screened for germline mutations in PALB2 in 139 African-American breast cases by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and direct sequencing. Twelve variants were identified in these cases and none caused truncation of the protein. Three missense variants, including two rare variants (P8L and T300I) and one common variant (P210L), were predicted to be pathogenic, and were located in a coiled-coil domain of PALB2 required for RAD51- and BRCA1-binding. We investigated and found no significant association between the P210L variant and breast cancer risk in a small case-control study of African-American women. This study adds to the literature that PALB2 mutations, although rare, appear to play a role in breast cancer in all populations investigated to date.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in older African Americans.

PubMed Central

Funnyé, Allen S.; Akhtar, Abbasi J.; Biamby, Gisele

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if older African Americans are disproportionately affected by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and to review the clinical impact of AIDS and the importance of prevention and treatment efforts. A review of the literature and statistics was obtained using Medline and the AIDS Public Information Data Set offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Twenty-seven percent of the U.S. population is above the age of 50, and the number of AIDS cases in this group is growing, with African Americans accounting for the highest proportion of cases and deaths. Testing for HIV may be delayed and symptoms attributed to other illnesses. Though 5% of new cases occur in those over 50, prevention programs, testing, and the perception of risk by providers may be insufficient. There are few research studies on HIV treatment in older patients and no specific guidelines for antiretroviral treatments available. Although death rates for AIDS has been declining, adults over 50 still have the highest mortality rate. Co-morbid conditions, such as heart disease and hypertension, may require taking multiple drugs, which may complicate treatment. Increasing heterosexual transmission rates and a lack of information on HIV reinforces the need for specific prevention programs targeted toward older African Americans. PMID:11991333

Recruitment and Retention of Kindergarten through Grade 12 African American Male Educators in Rural Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Shannon

2013-01-01

African American male teachers represent a disproportionately low number of educators in the American public school system. This lack of representation has implications for understanding, interacting with and educating the growing population of students of African descent in public schools. In addition, all students benefit from experiencing…

Elder Abuse among African Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tauriac, Jesse J.; Scruggs, Natoschia

2006-01-01

Perceptions of extreme, moderate, and mild forms of elder abuse among African-American women (n=25) and men (n=10) were examined. African-American respondents emphasized physical abuse when giving examples of extremely abusive behavior. Along with physical abuse, verbal abuse was the most frequently identified form of abuse, and was significantly…

Perceptions of Climate and Student-Faculty Interactions amongst African American Persisters in a Business Program at a Predominantly-White Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Monica E.

2017-01-01

While representation of African American students in freshmen enrollment has improved, degree attainment of African Americans and other minority groups continue to lag behind the White and Asian American populations. Compounding the issue of lower attainment is the issue of degree major. African American students are highly concentrated in…

Recruitment of African Americans into prostate cancer screening.

PubMed

Weinrich, S P; Boyd, M D; Bradford, D; Mossa, M S; Weinrich, M

1998-01-01

Both incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer are significantly higher in African American men than in white men. This report identifies community sites for the optimal recruitment of African American men into prostate cancer screening. A descriptive study was conducted, providing an educational program to 1369 African American men, 1264 of whom completed a survey on demographic data, prostate cancer knowledge, and prostate cancer screening history. The programs were offered at six different types of community sites, including various work sites, churches, housing projects, National Association for Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP) sites, barber shops, and a state fairground. Free prostate cancer screening was offered to all participants. The advertised mass screening site (state fairground), the most common method used nationally to recruit African American men for cancer screening, was the least effective site, with only 16 men completing the survey. Of the 1264 men completing the survey at all community sites, 597 men (47%) did so at work sites and 438 (35%) did so at churches. Per site, the largest percentage of men who had never been screened was at work sites (n = 276, 46%) and NAACP sites (n = 22, 33.8%). The highest percentage of men who obtained free screening were at the state fairground (14 of 16), churches (256 of 438), and work sites (336 of 597). The most prostate cancers were detected at the housing projects, where 3 of 38 (7.9%) men who were screened received diagnoses of prostate cancer. To reduce prostate mortality rates in African American men, healthcare providers need to make a concerted effort to increase prostate cancer education and screening in this population. To be effective, recruitment of African American men must move from a provider/health site orientation to a consumer/community orientation. These findings indicate that recruitment strategies are more successful if efforts are based in the community or where a large

African American Educational Leadership in the School Superintendency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Eva C.

2013-01-01

African American educational leadership has long been part of American education and African American activism to resist oppression. However, the field of educational leadership has rarely included the contributions of African American leaders, particularly women leaders, into mainstream leadership theory and practices. This omission is difficult…

Assessing Motivation of Collegiate African American Males in a Rural Area of East Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Calvin Earl

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate achievement factors of African American males on a college campus in the state of Texas, primarily a private 4-year college that serves a predominantly African American student population. The researcher used a case study approach to determine factors that affect the persistence of these college-aged…

Moving beyond the Margins: An Exploration of Low Performing African American Male College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Ronald C.

2011-01-01

Data have shown that African American male college students are being outperformed. Compared to all other populations by ethnicity and gender, African American males most often fare the worst in terms of persistence, performance, and completion. The impetus of this study was to explore the motivation of those that have low academic performance and…

The myth of meritocracy and African American health.

PubMed

Kwate, Naa Oyo A; Meyer, Ilan H

2010-10-01

Recent theoretical and empirical studies of the social determinants of health inequities have shown that economic deprivation, multiple levels of racism, and neighborhood context limit African American health chances and that African Americans' poor health status is predicated on unequal opportunity to achieve the American Dream. President Obama's election has been touted as a demonstration of American meritocracy-the belief that all may obtain the American Dream-and has instilled hope in African Americans. However, we argue that in the context of racism and other barriers to success, meritocratic ideology may act as a negative health determinant for African Americans.

African-American mitochondrial DNAs often match mtDNAs found in multiple African ethnic groups

PubMed Central

Ely, Bert; Wilson, Jamie Lee; Jackson, Fatimah; Jackson, Bruce A

2006-01-01

Background Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes have become popular tools for tracing maternal ancestry, and several companies offer this service to the general public. Numerous studies have demonstrated that human mtDNA haplotypes can be used with confidence to identify the continent where the haplotype originated. Ideally, mtDNA haplotypes could also be used to identify a particular country or ethnic group from which the maternal ancestor emanated. However, the geographic distribution of mtDNA haplotypes is greatly influenced by the movement of both individuals and population groups. Consequently, common mtDNA haplotypes are shared among multiple ethnic groups. We have studied the distribution of mtDNA haplotypes among West African ethnic groups to determine how often mtDNA haplotypes can be used to reconnect Americans of African descent to a country or ethnic group of a maternal African ancestor. The nucleotide sequence of the mtDNA hypervariable segment I (HVS-I) usually provides sufficient information to assign a particular mtDNA to the proper haplogroup, and it contains most of the variation that is available to distinguish a particular mtDNA haplotype from closely related haplotypes. In this study, samples of general African-American and specific Gullah/Geechee HVS-I haplotypes were compared with two databases of HVS-I haplotypes from sub-Saharan Africa, and the incidence of perfect matches recorded for each sample. Results When two independent African-American samples were analyzed, more than half of the sampled HVS-I mtDNA haplotypes exactly matched common haplotypes that were shared among multiple African ethnic groups. Another 40% did not match any sequence in the database, and fewer than 10% were an exact match to a sequence from a single African ethnic group. Differences in the regional distribution of haplotypes were observed in the African database, and the African-American haplotypes were more likely to match haplotypes found in ethnic groups from

Clinical utility of the Rorschach with African Americans.

PubMed

Presley, G; Smith, C; Hilsenroth, M; Exner, J

2001-12-01

In this study we sought to identify Rorschach differences between African Americans and White Americans and to understand these differences within a social and cultural framework. Data from the Exner (1993) Comprehensive System normative sample (N = 700) was used to form a group of 44 African Americans and 44 White Americans matched for age, sex, education, and socioeconomic status. Twenty-three Rorschach variables were chosen a priori and group differences were analyzed. The only clinically significant difference found was that African Americans offered significantly less cooperative movement. This lower frequency of cooperative movement may suggest African Americans do not anticipate cooperative interactions with others as a routine event. This may reflect a shared feeling among African Americans that most members of our society are less likely to be sensitive to or responsive to their needs relative to others. However, the study demonstrates a striking similarity between the groups, supporting the clinical use of the Rorschach with African Americans.

A prospective study of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels and mortality among African Americans and non-African Americans.

PubMed

Signorello, Lisa B; Han, Xijing; Cai, Qiuyin; Cohen, Sarah S; Cope, Elizabeth L; Zheng, Wei; Blot, William J

2013-01-15

The beneficial biologic effects attributed to vitamin D suggest a potential to influence overall mortality. Evidence addressing this hypothesis is limited, especially for African Americans who have a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. The authors conducted a nested case-control study within the prospective Southern Community Cohort Study to relate baseline serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) with subsequent mortality. Cases were 1,852 participants who enrolled from 2002 to 2009 and died >12 months postenrollment. Controls (n = 1,852) were matched on race, sex, age, enrollment site, and blood collection date. The odds ratios for quartile 1 (<10.18 ng/mL) versus quartile 4 (>21.64 ng/mL) levels of 25(OH)D were 1.60 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20, 2.14) for African Americans and 2.11 (95% CI: 1.39, 3.21) for non-African Americans. The effects were strongest for circulatory disease death, where quartile 1 versus quartile 4 odds ratios were 2.53 (95% CI: 1.44, 4.46) and 3.25 (95% CI: 1.33, 7.93) for African Americans and non-African Americans, respectively. The estimated odds of total mortality were minimized in the 25(OH)D range of 35-40 ng/mL. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that vitamin D status may have an important influence on mortality for both African Americans and non-African Americans.

Coming of Age: African American Male Rites-of-Passage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Paul, Jr.

An overview is provided of issues confronting the African American male, along with a strategy to nurture a new generation of African American males. Chapters 1 and 2 focus on the social status and new demographics of the African American male and the external threats that are devastating to the African American male and the African American…

"Brothers Gonna Work It Out:" Understanding the Pedagogic Performance of African American Male Teachers Working with African American Male Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Anthony L.

2009-01-01

Drawing from ethnographic data, this paper explores how African American male teachers working with African American male students performed their pedagogy. This paper highlights how teachers' understanding of African American males social and educational needs shaped their pedagogical performance. Interestingly however, teachers' performance was…

Sociocultural Influences on Weight-Related Behaviors in African American Adolescents.

PubMed

Tate, Nutrena H; Davis, Jean E; Yarandi, Hossein N

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the sociocultural factors related to weight behaviors in African American adolescents utilizing a social ecological approach. A descriptive correlational design included a sample of 145 African American adolescents. Perceived familial socialization, ethnic identity, physical activity, and eating behavior patterns were measured. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple regression equations. Perceived maternal socialization was significantly related to adolescent eating behaviors and physical activity whereas perceived paternal socialization was significantly related only to their physical activity. The adolescents' ethnic identity was not significantly related to their eating behaviors or physical activity. Health care providers who work with adolescents and their families can use the initial findings from this study to encourage healthy weight-related behaviors while reducing the obesity epidemic within the African American adolescent population in a developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive manner. © The Author(s) 2014.

African American student perception of persistence in engineering at a predominantly white institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Sean T.

This study examines African American student perceptions of persistence in engineering. The research design is methodologically qualitative using a purposefully selected population of engineering students. Semi-structured interviews were designed to develop an in-depth understanding of what completion of the engineering degree means to African American engineering students. This research seeks insight into the linkages between African American student perceptions of persistence as it relates to both the academic and social culture of the engineering department. Vincent Tinto's model of Institutional Departure (1975, 1987) is one of the most commonly cited models of persistence in higher education (Braxton, Milem, Sullivan, 2000). Tinto's model was leveraged in this study to understand perceptions obtained through student interviews. Tinto suggests that exploration of student goal commitment and perceptions of institutional commitment are key to understanding student persistence. Results of this study suggest that African American students have perceptions about the university that may influence the decision to persist in engineering. Ultimately, this study may prove useful to researchers and administrators interested in improving access and success for African American engineering students.

Tobacco Withdrawal Amongst African American, Hispanic, and White Smokers

PubMed Central

Bello, Mariel S.; Pang, Raina D.; Cropsey, Karen L.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Reitzel, Lorraine R.; Huh, Jimi

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Persistent tobacco use among racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States is a critical public health concern. Yet, potential sources of racial/ethnic disparities in tobacco use remain unclear. The present study examined racial/ethnic differences in tobacco withdrawal—a clinically-relevant underpinning of tobacco use that has received sparse attention in the disparities literature—utilizing a controlled laboratory design. Methods: Daily smokers (non-Hispanic African American [n = 178], non-Hispanic white [n = 118], and Hispanic [n = 28]) attended two counterbalanced sessions (non-abstinent vs. 16-hour abstinent). At both sessions, self-report measures of urge, nicotine withdrawal, and affect were administered and performance on an objective behavioral task that assessed motivation to reinstate smoking was recorded. Abstinence-induced changes (abstinent scores vs. non-abstinent scores) were analyzed as a function of race/ethnicity. Results: Non-Hispanic African American smokers reported greater abstinence-induced declines in several positive affect states in comparison to other racial/ethnic groups. Relative to Hispanic smokers, non-Hispanic African American and non-Hispanic white smokers displayed larger abstinence-provoked increases in urges to smoke. No racial/ethnic differences were detected for a composite measure of nicotine withdrawal symptomatology, negative affect states, and motivation to reinstate smoking behavior. Conclusions: These results suggest qualitative differences in the expression of some components of tobacco withdrawal across three racial/ethnic groups. This research helps shed light on bio-behavioral sources of tobacco-related health disparities, informs the application of smoking cessation interventions across racial/ethnic groups, and may ultimately aid the overall effort towards reducing the public health burden of tobacco addiction in minority populations. Implications: The current study provides

Straight Talk: HIV Prevention for African-American Heterosexual Men--Theoretical Bases and Intervention Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frye, Victoria; Bonner, Sebastian; Williams, Kim; Henny, Kirk; Bond, Keosha; Lucy, Debbie; Cupid, Malik; Smith, Stephen; Koblin, Beryl A.

2012-01-01

In the United States, racial disparities in HIV/AIDS are stark. Although African Americans comprise an estimated 14% of the U.S. population, they made up 52% of new HIV cases among adults and adolescents diagnosed in 2009. Heterosexual transmission is now the second leading cause of HIV in the United States. African Americans made up a full…

Marital Satisfaction Among African Americans and Black Caribbeans: Findings From the National Survey of American Life*

PubMed Central

Bryant, Chalandra M.; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Lincoln, Karen D.; Chatters, Linda M.; Jackson, James S.

2010-01-01

This study examines the correlates of marital satisfaction using data from a national probability sample of African Americans (N = 962) and Black Caribbeans (N = 560). Findings reveal differences between African Americans and Black Caribbeans, and men and women within those groups, in the predictors of marital satisfaction. Black Caribbean women reported overall higher levels of marital satisfaction than African American women. The findings amply demonstrate the significance of ethnic diversity within the Black population in the United States. Difficulties with finances (budgeting, credit issues, and debt management) are one of the key issues that generate conflict in marriages; stress generated as a result of financial problems can lower marital satisfaction. Because these issues are salient for couples at any given time in the family life cycle, counseling at critical points in the marriage (birth of children, launching of children from home, and retirement) may be helpful. PMID:21151891

Liver transplantation outcomes among Caucasians, Asian Americans, and African Americans with hepatitis B.

PubMed

Bzowej, Natalie; Han, Steven; Degertekin, Bulent; Keeffe, Emmet B; Emre, Sukru; Brown, Robert; Reddy, Rajender; Lok, Anna S

2009-09-01

Several previous studies found that Asians transplanted for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection had worse post-transplant outcomes than Caucasians. Data on post-transplant outcomes of African Americans and waitlist outcomes of Asian Americans and African Americans with hepatitis B are scant. The aim of this study was to compare waitlist and post-transplant outcomes among Asian Americans, African Americans, and Caucasians who had HBV-related liver disease. Data from a retrospective-prospective study on liver transplantation for HBV infection were analyzed. A total of 274 patients (116 Caucasians, 135 Asians, and 23 African Americans) from 15 centers in the United States were enrolled. African Americans were younger and more Asian Americans had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at the time of liver transplant listing. The probability of undergoing transplantation and the probability of survival on the waitlist were comparable in the 3 racial groups. Of the 170 patients transplanted, 19 died during a median follow-up of 31 months. The probability of post-transplant survival at 5 years was 94% for African Americans, 85% for Asian Americans, and 89% for Caucasians (P = 0.93). HCC recurrence was the only predictor of post-transplant survival, and recurrence rates were similar in the 3 racial groups. Caucasians had a higher rate of HBV recurrence: 4-year recurrence was 19% versus 7% and 6% for Asian Americans and African Americans, respectively (P = 0.043). In conclusion, we found similar waitlist and post-transplant outcomes among Caucasians, Asian Americans, and African Americans with hepatitis B. Our finding of a higher rate of HBV recurrence among Caucasians needs to be validated in other studies. (c) 2009 AASLD.

African American and European American Mothers’ Beliefs about Negative Emotions and Emotion Socialization Practices

PubMed Central

Nelson, Jackie A.; Leerkes, Esther M.; O’Brien, Marion; Calkins, Susan D.; Marcovitch, Stuart

2012-01-01

SYNOPSIS Objective Mothers’ beliefs about their children’s negative emotions and their emotion socialization practices were examined. Design Sixty-five African American and 137 European American mothers of 5-year-old children reported their beliefs and typical responses to children’s negative emotions, and mothers’ emotion teaching practices were observed. Results African American mothers reported that the display of negative emotions was less acceptable than European American mothers, and African American mothers of boys perceived the most negative social consequences for the display of negative emotions. African American mothers reported fewer supportive responses to children’s negative emotions than European Americans and more nonsupportive responses to children’s anger. African American mothers of boys also reported more nonsupportive responses to submissive negative emotions than African American mothers of girls. However, no differences were found by ethnicity or child gender in observed teaching about emotions. Group differences in mothers’ responses to negative emotions were explained, in part, by mothers’ beliefs about emotions. Conclusions Differences in beliefs and practices may reflect African American mothers’ efforts to protect their children from discrimination. PMID:22639552

Lower kidney allograft survival in African-Americans compared to Hispanic-Americans with lupus.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Suarez, M L; Contreras, G

2017-10-01

Background and objective African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans with lupus are the two most common minority groups who receive kidney transplants in the USA. It is unknown if African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans with lupus have similar outcomes after kidney transplantation. In this study, we assessed whether African-Americans compared to Hispanic-Americans have worse kidney allograft survival after risk factors of rejection and other prognostic factors were matched between both groups. Methods Out of 1816 African-Americans and 901 Hispanic-Americans with lupus, who received kidney transplants between 1987 and 2006 and had complete records in the UNOS program, 478 pairs were matched in 16 baseline predictors and follow-up time employing a predicted probability of group membership. The primary outcome was kidney allograft survival. Main secondary outcomes were rejection, allograft failure attributed to rejection, and mortality. Results Matched pairs were predominantly women (81%) with the mean age of 36 years. 96% were on dialysis before transplantation. 89% of recipients received kidneys from deceased donors and 15.5% from expanded criteria donors. 12% of recipients had zero HLA mismatch. African-Americans compared to Hispanic-Americans had lower cumulative allograft survival during 12-year follow-up ( p < 0.001). African-Americans compared to Hispanic-Americans had higher rates of rejection (10.4 vs 6.73 events/100 patients-years; p = 0.0002) and allograft failure attributed to rejection (6.31 vs 3.99; p = 0.0023). However, African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans had similar mortality rates (2.71 vs 2.31; p = 0.4269). Conclusions African-Americans compared to Hispanic-Americans with lupus had lower kidney allograft survival when recognized risk factors of rejection were matched between groups.

Engaging African American breast cancer survivors in an intervention trial: culture, responsiveness and community

PubMed Central

Mishel, Merle H.; Alexander, G. Rumay; Jenerette, Coretta; Blyler, Diane; Baker, Carol; Vines, Anissa I.; Green, Melissa; Long, Debra G.

2011-01-01

Introduction Younger breast cancer survivors often lead extremely busy lives with multiple demands and responsibilities, making them difficult to recruit into clinical trials. African American women are even more difficult to recruit because of additional historical and cultural barriers. In a randomized clinical trial of an intervention, we successfully used culturally informed, population-specific recruitment and retention strategies to engage younger African-American breast cancer survivors. Methods Caucasian and African American breast cancer survivors were recruited from multiple communities and sites. A variety of planned recruitment and retention strategies addressed cultural and population-specific barriers and were guided by three key principals: increasing familiarity with the study in the communities of interest; increasing the availability and accessibility of study information and study participation; and using cultural brokers. Results Accrual of younger African-American breast cancer survivors increased by 373% in 11 months. The steepest rise in the numbers of African-American women recruited came when all strategies were in place and operating simultaneously. Retention rates were 87% for both Caucasian and African American women. Discusssion/Conclusions To successfully recruit busy, younger African American cancer survivors, it is important to use a multifaceted approach, addressing cultural and racial/ethnic barriers to research participation; bridging gaps across cultures and communities; including the role of faith and beliefs in considering research participation; recognizing the demands of different life stages and economic situations and the place of research in the larger picture of peoples’ lives. Designs for recruitment and retention need to be broadly conceptualized and specifically applied. Implications for Cancer Survivors For busy cancer survivors, willingness to participate in and complete research participation is enhanced by

Engaging African American breast cancer survivors in an intervention trial: culture, responsiveness and community.

PubMed

Germino, Barbara B; Mishel, Merle H; Alexander, G Rumay; Jenerette, Coretta; Blyler, Diane; Baker, Carol; Vines, Anissa I; Green, Melissa; Long, Debra G

2011-03-01

Younger breast cancer survivors often lead extremely busy lives with multiple demands and responsibilities, making them difficult to recruit into clinical trials. African American women are even more difficult to recruit because of additional historical and cultural barriers. In a randomized clinical trial of an intervention, we successfully used culturally informed, population-specific recruitment and retention strategies to engage younger African-American breast cancer survivors. Caucasian and African American breast cancer survivors were recruited from multiple communities and sites. A variety of planned recruitment and retention strategies addressed cultural and population-specific barriers and were guided by three key principals: increasing familiarity with the study in the communities of interest; increasing the availability and accessibility of study information and study participation; and using cultural brokers. Accrual of younger African-American breast cancer survivors increased by 373% in 11 months. The steepest rise in the numbers of African-American women recruited came when all strategies were in place and operating simultaneously. Retention rates were 87% for both Caucasian and African American women. DISCUSSSION/CONCLUSIONS: To successfully recruit busy, younger African American cancer survivors, it is important to use a multifaceted approach, addressing cultural and racial/ethnic barriers to research participation; bridging gaps across cultures and communities; including the role of faith and beliefs in considering research participation; recognizing the demands of different life stages and economic situations and the place of research in the larger picture of peoples' lives. Designs for recruitment and retention need to be broadly conceptualized and specifically applied. For busy cancer survivors, willingness to participate in and complete research participation is enhanced by strategies that address barriers but also acknowledge the many

Advanced emphysema in African-American and white patients: do differences exist?

PubMed

Chatila, Wissam M; Hoffman, Eric A; Gaughan, John; Robinswood, G Blake; Criner, Gerard J

2006-07-01

Emphysema is the only smoking-related disease in which white patients have higher prevalence and higher attributable mortality rates than African-American patients. Epidemiologic studies have not addressed, nor explained, the observed racial differences in emphysema. To determine whether white and African-American patients differ with respect to the magnitude, anatomic distribution, and physiologic impairments of emphysema. Characteristics of patients with severe and very severe emphysema enrolled in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial were examined and compared. Patient demographics, cardiopulmonary function, quality of life, and severity/distribution of the emphysema by quantitative CT were analyzed. Of the 1,218 patients enrolled in the trial, 42 were African American (3.4%) and 1,156 were white (95%). African Americans were younger (mean age +/- SD, 63 +/- 7 years vs 67 +/- 6 years) and smoked less (26 +/- 14 cigarettes per day vs 32 +/- 14 cigarettes per day) than white patients (p = 0.01). There was no difference between the two racial groups in pulmonary function (FEV1, 27 +/- 6% predicted vs 27 +/- 7% predicted), gas exchange (Pa(O2), 66 +/- 11 mm Hg vs 65 +/- 10 mm Hg), and exercise (33 +/- 14 W vs 36 +/- 21 W), respectively. Quality of life measures were similar between the groups, but African Americans had a lower socioeconomic status, lower education level, and fewer were married. Radiographic analysis of the extent of emphysema in African Americans, who were matched with selected white patients, revealed significantly less emphysema in the former group and different distribution of severe emphysema. African Americans with emphysema were younger and had a similar degree of lung impairment as the white study population despite smoking less. In a subgroup of matched patients, the severity and distribution of emphysema by quantitative radiographic analysis were different.

Investigation of the estrogen receptor-alpha gene with type 2 diabetes and/or nephropathy in African-American and European-American populations.

PubMed

Gallagher, Carla J; Keene, Keith L; Mychaleckyj, Josyf C; Langefeld, Carl D; Hirschhorn, Joel N; Henderson, Brian E; Gordon, Candace J; Freedman, Barry I; Rich, Stephen S; Bowden, Donald W; Sale, Michèle M

2007-03-01

The estrogen receptor-alpha gene (ESR1) was selected as a positional candidate under a type 2 diabetes linkage peak at 6q24-27. A total of 42 ESR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 380 African-American type 2 diabetic case subjects with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and 276 African-American control subjects. A total of 22 ancestry informative markers were also genotyped, and the program Admixmap was used to adjust allelic and haplotypic association tests for individual estimates of admixture. The most significant association with type 2 diabetes-ESRD was with rs1033182 in intron 2 (P = 0.013, admixture-adjusted P(a) = 0.021). Genotyping 17 SNPs across a region of ESR1 intron 1-intron 2 in an expanded population of 851 case and 635 control subjects supported association with rs1033182 (P = 0.004, P(a) = 0.027) and with an independent six-SNP haplotype of high linkage disequilibrium spanning 6.4 kb (P < 0.0001, P(a) < 0.0001). The same 17 ESR1 SNPs were genotyped in 300 European-American type 2 diabetes-ESRD case subjects and 310 European-American control subjects. Two intron 2 SNPs, rs2431260 (P = 0.015) and rs1709183 (P = 0.019), and a four-SNP haplotype containing these SNPs (P = 0.033) were associated with type 2 diabetes and/or ESRD. Results suggest that intron 1 and intron 2 of the ESR1 gene may contain functionally important regions related to type 2 diabetes or ESRD risk.

CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES PERSIST AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS IN WISCONSIN

PubMed Central

Jones, Nathan R.; Williamson, Amy; Foote, Mary; Creswell, Paul; Strickland, Rick; Remington, Patrick; Cleary, James; Adams, Alexandra

2011-01-01

Background Cancer incidence and mortality rates have decreased over the last few decades, yet not all groups have benefited equally from these successes. This has resulted in increased disparities in cancer burden among various population groups. Objective This study examined trends in absolute and relative disparities in overall cancer incidence and mortality rates between African American and white residents of Wisconsin during 1995 to 2006. Methods Cancer incidence data were obtained from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System. Mortality data were accessed from the National Center for Health Statistics’ public use mortality file. Trends in incidence and mortality rates during 1995–2006 for African Americans and whites were calculated and changes in relative disparity were measured using rate ratios. Results With few exceptions, African American incidence and mortality rates were higher than white rates in every year of the period 1995–2006. Although cancer mortality and incidence declined for both groups over the period, relative racial disparities in rates persisted over the period and account for about a third of African American cancer deaths. Conclusions Elimination of cancer health disparities will require further research into the many contributing factors, as well as into effective interventions to address them. In Wisconsin, policy makers, health administrators, and healthcare providers need to balance resources carefully and set appropriate priorities to target racial inequities in cancer burden. PMID:21066932

Childhood obesity policy: implications for African American girls and a nursing ecological model.

PubMed

Reed, Monique

2013-01-01

In the United States there is a prevalence of obesity among ethnic groups, especially African American girls. The author in this column examines through an ecological lens selected American federal, state, and city policies and program interventions aimed at reducing obesity. Specifically, the eating behavior of African American girls is discussed as a population subset for which significant gaps are present in current obesity policy and implementation. Policy recommendations should include parents as research has shown a significant relationship in the eating behaviors of African American girls and their parents. Opportunities for nurses in practice and research to test the effectiveness of family and community level policy and program initiatives that address the ecological perspectives of the adolescent environment are discussed.

Interethnic admixture and the evolution of Latin American populations

PubMed Central

Salzano, Francisco Mauro; Sans, Mónica

2014-01-01

A general introduction to the origins and history of Latin American populations is followed by a systematic review of the data from molecular autosomal assessments of the ethnic/continental (European, African, Amerindian) ancestries for 24 Latin American countries or territories. The data surveyed are of varying quality but provide a general picture of the present constitution of these populations. A brief discussion about the applications of these results (admixture mapping) is also provided. Latin American populations can be viewed as natural experiments for the investigation of unique anthropological and epidemiological issues. PMID:24764751

What's culture got to do with it? Prevention programs for African American adolescent girls.

PubMed

Corneille, Maya A; Ashcroft, Amie M; Belgrave, Faye Z

2005-11-01

This paper examines prevention programming for African American girls by placing the prevention process within the larger African and African American cultural context. We provide an overview of the theories and issues we consider most relevant to African American culture, including Africentric theory, ethnic identity, gender identity and relational theory, developmental issues, the community context, and historical considerations. Drawing from our own drug prevention work, we provide examples of how to incorporate culture into prevention programs to make them most relevant for the target population. We also summarize our own efforts to create culturally appropriate prevention interventions and their impact on the girls in our programs. We conclude with suggested directions for future research into culture-specific prevention programs.

KSC kicks off African-American History Month

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Mack McKinney, chief, program resources management at NASA and chairperson for African-American History Month, presents a plaque to Bhetty Waldron at the kick-off ceremony of African-American History Month on Feb. 3 at the NASA Training Auditorium. The award was given in thanks for Waldron's portrayal of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and Zora Neal Hurston during the ceremony. The theme for this year's observation is 'Heritage and Horizons: The African-American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st Century.' February is designated each year as a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans to Kennedy Space Center, NASA and the nation.

Frailty, Diabetes, and Mortality in Middle-Aged African Americans.

PubMed

Chode, S; Malmstrom, T K; Miller, D K; Morley, J E

2016-01-01

Older adult frail diabetics have high mortality risk, but data are limited regarding frail late middle-aged diabetics, especially for African-Americans. The aim of this study is to examine the association of diabetes with health outcomes and frailty in the African American Health (AAH) study. AAH is a population-based longitudinal cohort study. Participants were African Americans (N=998) ages 49 to 65 years at baseline. Cross-sectional comparisons for diabetes included disability, function, physical performance, cytokines, and frailty. Frailty measures included the International Academy of Nutrition and Aging [FRAIL] frailty scale, Study of Osteoporotic Fractures [SOF] frailty scale, Cardiovascular Health Study [CHS] frailty scale, and Frailty Index [FI]). Longitudinal associations for diabetes included new ADLs ≥ 1 and mortality at 9-year follow-up. Diabetics were more likely to be frail using any of the 4 frailty scales than were non-diabetics. Frail diabetics, compared to nonfrail diabetics, reported significantly increased falls in last 1 year, higher IADLs and higher LBFLs. They demonstrated worse performance on the SPPB, one-leg stand, and grip strength; and higher Tumor Necrosis Factor receptors (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2). Mortality and 1 or more new ADLs also were increased among frail compared to nonfrail diabetics when followed for 9 years. Frailty in middle-aged African American persons with diabetes is associated with having more disability and functional limitations, worse physical performance, and higher cytokines (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 only). Middle-aged African Americans with diabetes have an increased risk of mortality and frail diabetics have an even higher risk of death, compared to nonfrail diabetics.

Pitfalls in communication with Hispanic and African-American patients: do translators help or harm?

PubMed

Brooks, T R

1992-11-01

The Martin Luther King County General Hospital, Los Angeles, California, provides services for an equal number of Hispanics (most are recent immigrants from Mexico) and African Americans who have lived in the community since before the Watts riot in 1965. The hospital is staffed by a large percentage of foreign-trained doctors and other personnel who speak some English, but suffer from a lack of understanding of the Hispanic as well as the African-American patients. Very few trained interpreters are provided for the Spanish-speaking population, and no interpreters are provided for African Americans. A 100-question survey on common African-American expressions was conducted in the Department of Family Medicine, as well as an opinion poll to determine if adequate understanding existed between patients and providers. The data revealed that native African-American providers understood significantly more African-American expressions than foreign, white, and Hispanic providers. The opinion poll also revealed inadequate translation of medical complaints from patients through interpreters. In addition, the poll found that diagnoses and instructions were not adequately related to the patients. Furthermore, it was felt that trained interpreters should be provided for all patients who presented communication problems.

Symptom Dimensions in Two Samples of Africans Americans with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

PubMed Central

Williams, M. T.; Elstein, J.; Buckner, E.; Abelson, J.; Himle, J.

2012-01-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, however, there is a lack of research that includes African Americans, thus it is unclear whether findings about symptom dimensions can be generalized to this population. A sample of adult African Americans with OCD (N=74) was recruited at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and administered the Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive checklist (YBOCS) to better understand the phenomenology of OCD in African Americans. Frequencies of symptoms are reported and compared to findings from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL; N=54). A principal components analysis of YBOCS categories and items was performed on the Penn sample. A six-component solution was found, that included Contamination & Washing, Hoarding, Sexual Obsessions & Reassurance, Aggression & Mental Compulsions, Symmetry & Perfectionism, and Doubt & Checking, explaining 59.1% of the variance. Factors identified were similar to those of previous studies in primarily white samples. African Americans with OCD reported more contamination symptoms and were twice as likely to report excessive concerns with animals as European Americans with OCD. The results indicate the presence of cultural differences, which is consistent with findings among non-clinical samples. Implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:22708117

Persistence of African American Men in Science: Exploring the Influence of Scientist Identity, Mentoring, and Campus Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guy, Breonte Stephan

The scant literature on persistence of African American males in science typically takes a deficits-based approach to encapsulate the myriad reasons this population is so often underrepresented. Scientist Identity, Mentoring, and Campus Climate have, individually, been found to be related to the persistence of African American students. However, the unified impact of these three variables on the persistence of African American students with science interests has not been evaluated, and the relationship between the variables, the students' gender, and markers of academic achievement have not been previously investigated. The current study takes a strengths-based approach to evaluating the relationship between Scientist Identity, Mentoring, and Campus climate with a population of African American students with science interests who were studying at six Minority Serving Institutions and Predominantly White Institutions in the Southern United States. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the impact of Scientist Identity, Mentoring, and Campus Climate on Intention to Persist of African American males. The results indicate that Scientist Identity predicts Intention to Persist, and that gender, academic performance, and institution type moderate the relationship between Scientist Identity and Intention to Persist. These results lend credence to the emerging notion that, for African American men studying science, generating a greater depth and breadth of understanding of the factors that lead to persistence will aid in the development of best practices for supporting persistence among this perpetually underrepresented population.

Religiosity and HIV risk behaviors in African-American students.

PubMed

Boyd-Starke, Kimberly; Hill, Oliver W; Fife, John; Whittington, Marcina

2011-04-01

The participants were 256 African-American students between the ages of 18 and 25, from two historically Black universities. The purpose of this study was to see how dimensions of religiosity and spirituality influenced the HIV risk behavior in African-American college students. Each participant completed the Expressions of Spirituality Inventory (ESI) and a survey of sexual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. The data were analyzed using a series of ANOVAs, t tests, and correlations. The results from the study confirmed that there was a relationship between religiosity/spirituality and one's tendency to engage in HIV risk behaviors in the population of African-American college students. Interestingly, this study was able to reveal that traditional indicators of religiosity, such as association and church attendance, were not predictors of any of the risky sexual behaviors or attitudes. The portions of religiosity with the greatest impact on these behaviors were the Experiential/Phenomenological, the Existential Well-being, and the Cognitive dimensions, with high scores on each indicative of less likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors.

Designing Culturally Relevant Physical Activity Programs for African-American Women: A Framework for Intervention Development.

PubMed

Joseph, Rodney P; Keller, Colleen; Affuso, Olivia; Ainsworth, Barbara E

2017-06-01

African-American women perform low levels of physical activity and are disproportionally burdened by associated cardiometabolic disease conditions (i.e., 57 % are obese, 49 % have cardiovascular disease). The marked health disparities among African-American women indicate the need for innovative strategies to promote physical activity to help attenuate the chronic disease health disparities in this high-risk population. Culturally tailoring physical activity programs to address the sociocultural norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors of African-American women is an advantageous strategy to enhance physical activity promotion efforts. The purpose of this article is to discuss critical aspects for researchers to consider when designing physical activity programs for African-American women and to present a conceptual framework to guide intervention development. Development of the framework was based on our previous physical activity research with African-American women, seminal literature on the topics of cultural adaptation and health promotion, sociological and theoretical perspectives on the role of women in African-American culture, and key determinants of physical activity engagement among African-American women. Three key concepts are discussed in the conceptual framework: (1) Developmental milestones and life stage transitions of African-American women; (2) Historical, social, and cultural influences associated with physical activity engagement; and (3) Intervention delivery strategies. Using the framework to guide intervention development has the potential to enhance the physical activity and health outcomes of a physical activity program for African-American women.

Designing Culturally Relevant Physical Activity Programs for African American Women: A Framework for Intervention Development

PubMed Central

Keller, Colleen; Affuso, Oliva; Ainsworth, Barbara E.

2016-01-01

Background African American women perform low levels of physical activity and are disproportionally burdened by associated cardiometabolic disease conditions (i.e. 57% are obese, 49% have cardiovascular disease) The marked health disparities among African American women indicate the need for innovative strategies to promote physical activity to help attenuate the chronic disease health disparities in this high-risk population. Culturally tailoring PA programs to address the sociocultural norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors of African American women is an advantageous strategy to enhance physical activity promotion efforts. The purpose of this article is to discuss critical aspects for researchers to consider when designing physical activity programs for African American women and to present a conceptual framework to guide intervention development. Methods Development of the framework was based on our previous physical activity research with African American women, seminal literature on the topics of cultural adaptation and health promotion, sociological and theoretical perspectives on the role of women in African American culture, and key determinants of physical activity engagement among African American women. Results Three key concepts are discussed in the conceptual framework: 1) Developmental milestones and life stage transitions of African American women, 2) Historical, social and cultural influences associated with physical activity engagement, and 3) Intervention delivery strategies. Discussion Using the framework to guide intervention development has the potential to enhance the physical activity and health outcomes of a physical activity program for African American women. PMID:27178447

African American and Afrocentric Communication Courses: A Rationale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrd, Marquita L.

One of the main problems with higher education is that curriculums, both past and present, objectify and marginalize the experiences of people of color and thus reduce diversity in the graduate and professional school populations. African American, Asians, Hispanics, and other minorities are studied in many college-level classes only as an…

Atrial fibrillation among African Americans, Hispanics and Caucasians: clinical features and outcomes from the AFFIRM trial.

PubMed

Bush, David; Martin, Lisa W; Leman, Robert; Chandler, Mary; Haywood, L Julian

2006-03-01

The Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study concluded that rate control with anticoagulation was equivalent overall to rhythm control with cardioversion for long-term survival and that anticoagulation reduced the risk of stroke. We compared baseline and follow-up data for three ethnic groups: Caucasians (n=3,599), African Americans (n=265) and Hispanics (n=132). Caucasians were older and more likely male, African Americans were more likely female and hypertensive, and Hispanics had higher prevalence of cardiomyopathy. Survival was better for rate control than rhythm control in Caucasians, equivalent in African Americans and better for rhythm control in Hispanics. Outcomes may be influenced by differential baseline characteristics, but low numbers of African Americans and Hispanics warrant caution in data interpretation. The AFFIRM study compared a rate-control strategy to a rhythm-control strategy for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients at high risk for stroke or death. It concluded that the rhythm-control strategy offered no survival advantage, and it also confirmed the value of anticoagulation to prevent complications of AF. Data have not previously been available for specific racial ethnic populations. We compared baseline and follow-up data for the patients randomized to rate-control versus rhythm-control in three population groups-Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic. Among 4,060 total patients, 3,599 were Caucasian, 265 were African-American and 132 were Hispanic. At baseline, Caucasians were older and had a higher percentage of males, normal ejection fractions, AF as their only cardiac diagnosis, a prior antiarrhythmic drug failure and less congestive heart failure. African Americans were more likely to be female, had more hypertension and qualified for the study with a first episode of AF, compared to Caucasians. Hispanics had more cardiomyopathy at baseline than Caucasians. Overall survival in

New Insights on the Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans: The Role of Added Sugars

PubMed Central

Saab, Karim R.; Kendrick, Jessica; Yracheta, Joseph M.; Lanaspa, Miguel A.; Pollard, Maisha

2015-01-01

African Americans are at increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, including obesity, high BP, diabetes, CKD, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Here we summarize the current risks and provide an overview of the underlying risk factors that may account for these associations. By reviewing the relationship between cardiovascular and renal diseases and the African-American population during the early 20th century, the historic and recent associations of African heritage with cardiovascular disease, and modern population genetics, it is possible to assemble strong hypotheses for the primary underlying mechanisms driving the increased frequency of disease in African Americans. Our studies suggest that underlying genetic mechanisms may be responsible for the increased frequency of high BP and kidney disease in African Americans, with particular emphasis on the role of APOL1 polymorphisms in causing kidney disease. In contrast, the Western diet, particularly the relatively high intake of fructose-containing sugars and sweetened beverages, appears to be the dominant force driving the increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and downstream complications. Given that intake of added sugars is a remediable risk factor, we recommend clinical trials to examine the reduction of sweetened beverages as a primary means for reducing cardiovascular risk in African Americans. PMID:25090991

Psychometrics of the "Self-Efficacy Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables Scale" in African American women.

PubMed

Gittner, Lisaann S; Gittner, Kevin B

2017-08-01

Assess the psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy Consumption of Fruit and Vegetable Scale (F/V scale) in African American women. Midwestern Health Maintenance Organization. 221 African American women age 40-65 with BMI≥30 MEASURES: F/V scale was compared to eating efficacy/availability subscale reported on the WEL and mean micronutrient intake (vitamins A, C, K, folate, potassium, and beta-carotene reported on 3-day food records. F/V scale construct validity and internal consistency were assessed and compared to: 1) the original scale validation in Chinese women, 2) WEL scale, and 3) to micronutrient intake from 3-day food records. Total scale scores differed between African American women (μ=1.87+/-0.87) and Chinese (μ=0.41). In a Chinese population, F/V scale factored into two subscales; the F/V factored into one subscale in African American women. Construct validity was supported with correlation between the F/V scale and the eating efficacy WEL subscale (r 2 =-0.336, p=0.000). There was not a significant correlation between dietary consumption of micronutrients representative of fruit and vegetable intake and the F/V scale. The F/V scale developed for Chinese populations can be reliably used with African American women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequency of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and degree of hepatic steatosis in African-American patients.

PubMed Central

Giday, Samuel A.; Ashiny, Zelalem; Naab, Tammy; Smoot, Duane; Banks, Alpha

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study evaluates the degree and distribution of hepatic steatosis in predominantly African-American patients who had liver biopsies over a period of five years in our institution. METHOD: A search in the pathology registry of Howard University Hospital was performed for the presence of fat in liver biopsies. Each biopsy was assessed. RESULTS: Of the 320 liver biopsies that were reviewed, 61 were found to have steatosis. Fifty-six of the 61 patients were African-American. The mean body mass index in those African-American patients was found to be 30. Grade-1 steatosis was found in 16 patients, grade 2 in 22 patients, grade 3 in 14 patients and nine patients had grade-4 steatosis. Four patients fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). All four patients had simple steatosis without any inflammation. The frequency of NAFLD in our study population was found to be <2%. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was not found in any of our study population. Dyslipidemia was found in all four patients with steatosis. CONCLUSION: NAFLD has a low prevalence in African-American patients. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was not found in any of the African-American patients seen at our institution. PMID:17052050

R.J. Reynolds' targeting of African Americans: 1988-2000.

PubMed

Balbach, Edith D; Gasior, Rebecca J; Barbeau, Elizabeth M

2003-05-01

The purpose of this study was to describe RJ Reynolds (RJR) Tobacco Company's strategy for targeting African Americans, as revealed in tobacco industry documents and magazine advertisements. The authors searched industry documents to determine RJR's strategies and analyzed magazine advertising during 2 periods: the time of the launch of the company's Uptown cigarette (1989-1990) and a decade later (1999-2000). RJR's efforts to target the African American market segment existed before and after Uptown, and the company's strategy was largely implemented via other RJR brands. Advertisements featured mentholated cigarettes, fantasy/escape, expensive objects, and nightlife. To help all populations become tobacco-free, tobacco control practitioners must understand and counter tobacco industry strategies.

Low birth weight of contemporary African Americans: an intergenerational effect of slavery?

PubMed

Jasienska, Grazyna

2009-01-01

The average birth weight in the contemporary African-American population is about 250 g lower than the average birth weight of European Americans. Differences in genetic and socioeconomic factors present between these two groups can explain only part of birth weight variation. I propose a hypothesis that the low birth weight of contemporary African Americans not only results from the difference in present exposure to lifestyle factors known to affect fetal development but also from conditions experienced during the period of slavery. Slaves had poor nutritional status during all stages of life because of the inadequate dietary intake accompanied by high energetic costs of physical work and infectious diseases. The concept of "fetal programming" suggests that physiology and metabolism including growth and fat accumulation of the developing fetus, and, thus its birth weight, depend on intergenerational signal of environmental quality passed through generations of matrilinear ancestors. I suggest that several generations that have passed since the abolition of slavery in the United States (1865) has not been enough to obliterate the impact of slavery on the current biological and health condition of the African-American population. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cigarette Smoking Among Inmates by Race/Ethnicity: Impact of Excluding African American Young Adult Men From National Prevalence Estimates.

PubMed

Kennedy, Sara M; Sharapova, Saida R; Beasley, Derrick D; Hsia, Jason

2016-04-01

Cigarette smoking prevalence is more than two times greater among incarcerated adults, a population usually excluded from national health surveys. African American young adult (18-25) men are less likely to smoke cigarettes than their white counterparts. However, they are two and a-half-times more likely to be incarcerated. This study estimated smoking prevalence with noninstitutionalized and incarcerated samples combined to determine if excluding incarcerated adults impacts smoking prevalence for certain populations. The Bureau of Justice Statistics last fielded the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correction Facilities in 2003-2004. We combined data from Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correction Facilities (n = 17 910) and the 2003 and 2004 National Health Interview Survey (n = 61 470) to calculate combined cigarette smoking estimates by race/ethnicity, sex, and age. Inmates represented the greatest proportion of smokers among African American men. Among African American young adult men, inmates represented 15.2% of all smokers in the combined population, compared to 2.0% among white young adult men. Cigarette smoking prevalence was 17.6% in the noninstitutionalized population of young adult African American men and 19.7% in the combined population. Among white young adult men, cigarette smoking prevalence was 29.8% in the noninstitutionalized population, and 30.2% in the combined population. There was little difference in estimates among women. The exclusion of incarcerated African American young adult men may result in a small underestimation of cigarette smoking prevalence in this population. Increasing access to smoking cessation support among inmates may reduce smoking prevalence in disproportionately incarcerated segments of the US population. The exclusion of incarcerated adults from national survey data should be considered when examining differences in cigarette smoking prevalence estimates between African American and white young adult men

African Americans and World War II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersten, Andrew E.

2002-01-01

Focuses on the experience of African Americans during World War II on the homefront and in the armed forces. States that African Americans not only fought fascism overseas but also apartheid in the United States, also known as the "Double V." (CMK)

DefenseLink Special: African Americans in the Military

Science.gov Websites

Related Links * Timeline * 2007 Presidential Proclamation * White House: African American History History Month * African-Americans and the U.S. Navy * A Historic Context for the African-American Military UN Ambassador Young Praises Military's Inclusiveness * Life and History of the "Buffalo Soldiers

Political fragmentation and widening disparities in African-American and white mortality, 1972-1988.

PubMed

Kim, Yonsu; Bruckner, Tim A

2016-12-01

During the 1970s and 1980s in the U.S., population movement, urban sprawl and urban governance reform led to a proliferation of local, autonomous jurisdictions. Prior literature examines how this creation of local governments, also referred to as political fragmentation, contributes to economic growth and social inequality. We examine the impact of political fragmentation on health equity by testing the hypothesis that the mortality disparity between whites and African-Americans varies positively with political fragmentation. We retrieved mortality data from the multiple cause-of-death file and calculated total number of local governments per 1000 residents in a county to measure the degree of political fragmentation. We focused on 226 U.S. counties with population size greater than 200,000 and restricted the analysis to four distinct periods with overlapping government and mortality data (1972-73, 1977-78, 1982-83, and 1987-88). We applied generalized estimating equation methods that permit analysis of clustered data over time. Methods also controlled for the age structure of the population, reductions in mortality over time, and confounding by county-level sociodemographic variables. Adjusted coefficients of fragmentation are positive and statistically significant for both whites (coef: 2.60, SE: 0.60, p <0.001) and African-Americans (coef: 5.31, SE: 1.56, p <0.001). The two-fold larger positive coefficient for African-Americans than for whites indicates a greater racial disparity in mortality among more politically fragmented urban counties and/or time periods. From 1972 to 1988, political fragmentation in large urban counties moves positively with the racial/ethnic gap in mortality between whites and African-Americans. We discuss intervening mechanisms through which political fragmentation may disproportionately affect mortality among African-Americans.

Black versus Black: The Relationship among African, African American, and African Caribbean Persons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Jennifer V.; Cothran, Mary E.

2003-01-01

Surveyed people of African descent regarding relationships among African, African-American, and African-Caribbean persons, focusing on contact and friendship, travel to countries of the diaspora, cross-cultural communication, thoughts and stereotypes, and education. Most respondents had contacts with the other groups, but groups had preconceived…

Help-Seeking Attitudes among African American College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

So, Dominicus W.; Gilbert, Stefanie; Romero, Sergio

2005-01-01

Traditionally, African American students display a low-rate of seeking mental health treatment. Issues such as mistrust of White therapists, attitudes toward mental health problems, and African American spirituality affect their help-seeking behavior. The present study examined a sample of 134 African American students at a Historically Black…

Oral Cancer in African Americans: Addressing Health Disparities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodd, Virginia J.; Watson, Jennifer M.; Choi, Youjin; Tomar, Scott L.; Logan, Henrietta L.

2008-01-01

Objectives: To explore factors underlying African Americans' perceptions of oral cancer and the oral cancer exam. Study findings were used to guide development of oral cancer messages designed to increase oral cancer exams among African Americans. Methods: Focus groups were conducted to understand African Americans' attitudes and expectations…

African Americans: College Majors and Earnings. Fact Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnevale, Anthony P.; Fasules, Megan L.; Porter, Andrea; Landis-Santos Jennifer

2016-01-01

Access to college for African Americans has increased, but African Americans are highly concentrated in lower-paying majors. The college major, which has critical economic consequences throughout life, reflects personal choices but also reflects the fact that African-American students are concentrated in open-access four-year institutions that…

Stigma Reduction Among African American Women with HIV: UNITY Health Study.

PubMed

Rao, Deepa; Kemp, Christopher G; Huh, David; Nevin, Paul E; Turan, Janet; Cohn, Susan E; Simoni, Jane M; Andrasik, Michele; Molina, Yamile; Mugavero, Michael J; French, Audrey L

2018-03-08

African American women encounter disproportionately high rates of HIVrelated morbidity and mortality which is partially mediated through stigma and its effect on HIV treatment adherence. To assess the effect of the UNITY peer support workshop on HIV-related stigma among African American women living with HIV, compared to a time and attention control group. African American women living with HIV were randomized to the UNITY workshop or a breast cancer education control group. Interventions took place in HIV clinics in Chicago, IL and Birmingham, AL. Participants self-reported HIV-related stigma and social support at baseline, post-workshop, and 4 follow-up visits over 12 months. 239 participants (UNITY n=124; breast cancer education n=115) were assessed over one year. Both arms experienced decreases in mean stigma scores over time. Our model estimated that allocation to UNITY was not associated with a significant difference in stigma points over time. Post-hoc analysis suggested that preceding increases in perceived social support are associated with decreased HIVrelated stigma in this population. Although UNITY did not significantly reduce HIV-related stigma in this population, our findings suggest that social support may be key to HIV-related stigma reduction.

Adequate nutrient intake can reduce cardiovascular disease risk in African Americans.

PubMed

Reusser, Molly E; DiRienzo, Douglas B; Miller, Gregory D; McCarron, David A

2003-03-01

Cardiovascular disease kills nearly as many Americans each year as the next seven leading causes of death combined. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and most of its associated risk factors is markedly higher and increasing more rapidly among African Americans than in any other racial or ethnic group. Improving these statistics may be simply a matter of improving diet quality. In recent years, a substantial and growing body of evidence has revealed that dietary patterns complete in all food groups, including nutrient-rich dairy products, are essential for preventing and reducing cardiovascular disease and the conditions that contribute to it. Several cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, insulin resistance syndrome, and obesity, have been shown to be positively influenced by dietary patterns that include adequate intake of dairy products. The benefits of nutrient-rich dietary patterns have been specifically tested in randomized, controlled trials emphasizing African American populations. These studies demonstrated proportionally greater benefits for African Americans without evidence of adverse effects such as symptoms of lactose intolerance. As currently promoted for the prevention of certain cancers and osteoporosis, regular consumption of diets that meet recommended nutrient intake levels might also be the most effective approach for reducing cardiovascular disease risk in African Americans.

Exposure of African-American Youth to Alcohol Advertising.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2003

The marketing of alcohol products in African-American communities has, on occasion, stirred national controversy and met with fierce resistance from African Americans and others. Despite occasional media and community spotlights on the marketing of alcohol products in the African-American community, there has been no systematic review of the…

Urinary Incontinence and Psychological Distress in Community-Dwelling Older African Americans and Whites

PubMed Central

Bogner, Hillary R.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVES To compare the association between urinary incontinence (UI) and psychological distress in older African Americans and whites. DESIGN A population-based longitudinal survey. SETTING Continuing participants in a study of community-dwelling adults who were initially living in East Baltimore in 1981. PARTICIPANTS African Americans and whites aged 50 and older at follow-up interviews performed between 1993 and 1996 for whom complete data were available (n = 747). MEASUREMENTS Participants were classified as incontinent if any uncontrolled urine loss within the 12 months before the interview was reported. Psychological distress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). RESULTS African Americans with UI were more likely to experience psychological distress as measured using the GHQ than were African Americans without UI (unadjusted odds ratio = 4.22, 95% confidence interval = 1.72–10.39). In multivariate models that controlled for age, sex, education, functional status, cognitive status, and chronic medical conditions, this association remained statistically significant. The association between UI and psychological distress did not achieve statistical significance in whites. CONCLUSION The effect of UI on emotional well-being may be greater for African Americans than for whites. PMID:15507064

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies genetic risk factors for stroke in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Carty, Cara L.; Keene, Keith L.; Cheng, Yu-Ching; Meschia, James F.; Chen, Wei-Min; Nalls, Mike; Bis, Joshua C.; Kittner, Steven J.; Rich, Stephen S.; Tajuddin, Salman; Zonderman, Alan B.; Evans, Michele K.; Langefeld, Carl D.; Gottesman, Rebecca; Mosley, Thomas H.; Shahar, Eyal; Woo, Daniel; Yaffe, Kristine; Liu, YongMei; Sale, Michèle M.; Dichgans, Martin; Malik, Rainer; Longstreth, WT; Mitchell, Braxton D.; Psaty, Bruce M.; Kooperberg, Charles; Reiner, Alexander; Worrall, Bradford B.; Fornage, Myriam

2015-01-01

Background and Purpose The majority of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of stroke have focused on European-ancestry populations; however, none has been conducted in African-Americans despite the disproportionately high burden of stroke in this population. The Consortium of Minority Population genome-wide Association Studies of Stroke (COMPASS) was established to identify stroke susceptibility loci in minority populations. Methods Using METAL, we conducted meta-analyses of GWAS in 14,746 African-Americans (1,365 ischemic and 1,592 total stroke cases) from COMPASS, and tested SNPs with P<10−6 for validation in METASTROKE, a consortium of ischemic stroke genetic studies in European-ancestry populations. We also evaluated stroke loci previously identified in European-ancestry populations. Results The 15q21.3 locus linked with lipid levels and hypertension was associated with total stroke (rs4471613, P=3.9×10−8) in African-Americans. Nominal associations (P<10−6) for total or ischemic stroke were observed for 18 variants in or near genes implicated in cell cycle/ mRNA pre-splicing (PTPRG, CDC5L), platelet function (HPS4), blood-brain barrier permeability (CLDN17), immune response (ELTD1, WDFY4, IL1F10-IL1RN), and histone modification (HDAC9). Two of these loci achieved nominal significance in METASTROKE: 5q35.2 (P=0.03), and 1p31.1 (P=0.018). Four of 7 previously reported ischemic stroke loci (PITX2, HDAC9, CDKN2A/CDKN2B and ZFHX3) were nominally associated (P<0.05) with stroke in COMPASS. Conclusions We identified a novel SNP associated with total stroke in African-Americans and found that ischemic stroke loci identified in European-ancestry populations may also be relevant for African-Americans. Our findings support investigation of diverse populations to identify and characterize genetic risk factors, and the importance of shared genetic risk across populations. PMID:26089329

The African American Woman. Runta (Truth).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Monica L.; Watson, Betty Collier, Ed.

1989-01-01

The African American woman has commanded widespread public attention, but popular misconceptions of her socioeconomic role and status differ sharply from her actual situation. The following basic characteristics of the contemporary African American woman, drawn from census figures, are outlined: (1) demographically, females comprise a majority of…

Attitudes and beliefs associated with leisure-time physical activity among African American adults.

PubMed

Affuso, Olivia; Cox, Tiffany L; Durant, Nefertiti H; Allison, David B

2011-01-01

More than 60% of African American adults do not meet recommendations for moderate physical activity. We sought to discover the extent to which health attitudes and beliefs are associated with leisure-time physical activity in this population. Cross-sectional study. African American adults were asked about their health attitudes and beliefs during a national survey. Participants were 807 African American men and women aged 18 years and older. Random-digit dialing was employed, sampling telephone numbers by geographical region, area code, and population size. Participants were asked six health belief questions on the importance of exercise and body weight in health. Logistic regression was used to determine which of these factors were associated with physical activity participation. The percent of respondents participating in some form of physical activity during the past month was 87.1% in men and 82.9% in women. Factors associated with previous month physical activity in men were perceived personal importance of exercise (P < .001) and necessity of exercise for health (P = .018). In women, perceived personal importance of exercise (P < .001), necessity of exercise for health (P = .006), and having enough activity space (P = .017) were associated with physical activity participation. Though the direction of causation is unknown, having the attitude that it is important to exercise or be physically active for health predicts physical activity participation in both African American men and women. Creating a sense of importance of physical activity to relieve stress and foster good health may stimulate physical activity participation in African American adults.

Defense.gov Special Report: African American History Month

Science.gov Websites

Department of Defense Submit Search During National African-American History Month, we celebrate the rich In honor of African-American History Month, Fred Moore, the first African-American Tomb Guard history a year later. Story Longest Serving Airman Also Longest in DOD The Air Force's longest serving

Most common single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with rheumatoid arthritis in persons of European ancestry confer risk of rheumatoid arthritis in African Americans.

PubMed

Hughes, Laura B; Reynolds, Richard J; Brown, Elizabeth E; Kelley, James M; Thomson, Brian; Conn, Doyt L; Jonas, Beth L; Westfall, Andrew O; Padilla, Miguel A; Callahan, Leigh F; Smith, Edwin A; Brasington, Richard D; Edberg, Jeffrey C; Kimberly, Robert P; Moreland, Larry W; Plenge, Robert M; Bridges, S Louis

2010-12-01

Large-scale genetic association studies have identified >20 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk alleles among individuals of European ancestry. The influence of these risk alleles has not been comprehensively studied in African Americans. We therefore sought to examine whether these validated RA risk alleles are associated with RA risk in an African American population. Twenty-seven candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 556 autoantibody-positive African Americans with RA and 791 healthy African American control subjects. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for each SNP were compared with previously published ORs for RA patients of European ancestry. We then calculated a composite genetic risk score (GRS) for each individual based on the sum of all risk alleles. Overlap of the ORs and 95% CIs between the European and African American populations was observed for 24 of the 27 candidate SNPs. Conversely, 3 of the 27 SNPs (CCR6 rs3093023, TAGAP rs394581, and TNFAIP3 rs6920220) demonstrated ORs in the opposite direction from those reported for RA patients of European ancestry. The GRS analysis indicated a small but highly significant probability that African American patients relative to control subjects were enriched for the risk alleles validated in European RA patients (P = 0.00005). The majority of RA risk alleles previously validated for RA patients of European ancestry showed similar ORs in our population of African Americans with RA. Furthermore, the aggregate GRS supports the hypothesis that these SNPs are risk alleles for RA in the African American population. Future large-scale genetic studies are needed to validate these risk alleles and identify novel RA risk alleles in African Americans. Copyright © 2010 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Online Health Information and Low-Literacy African Americans

PubMed Central

Birru, Mehret S

2004-01-01

African Americans with low incomes and low literacy levels disproportionately suffer poor health outcomes from many preventable diseases. Low functional literacy and low health literacy impede millions of Americans from successfully accessing health information. These problems are compounded for African Americans by cultural insensitivity in health materials. The Internet could become a useful tool for providing accessible health information to low-literacy and low-income African Americans. Optimal health Web sites should include text written at low reading levels and appropriate cultural references. More research is needed to determine how African Americans with low literacy skills access, evaluate, prioritize, and value health information on the Internet. PMID:15471752

The Influence of the African American Father on Level of Self-Efficacy, Career Achievement, and Aspirations of His African American Daughter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, April E.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate the influence of perceived and desired paternal involvement of the African American father on his African American daughter. The research problem is how father involvement may influence self-efficacy, career achievements, and aspirations of African American females. This study sought to…

Understanding Tobacco Use Onset Among African Americans

PubMed Central

Colby, Suzanne M.; Lu, Bo; Ferketich, Amy K.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Compared to the majority of non-Hispanic white (“white”) cigarette smokers, many African American smokers demonstrate a later age of initiation. The goal of the present study was to examine African American late-onset smoking (ie, regular smoking beginning at age 18 or later) and determine whether late-onset (vs. early-onset) smoking is protective in terms of quit rates and health outcomes. Methods: We used data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) because the wide age range of participants (20–75 at baseline) allowed the examination of smoking cessation and mortality incidence across the lifespan. Results: Consistent with previous research, results indicated a later average age of smoking onset among African Americans, compared to whites. Disentangling effects of race from age-of-onset, we found that the cessation rate among late-onset African American smokers was 33%, whereas rates for early-onset African American smokers and early- and late-onset white smokers ranged from 52% to 57%. Finally, results showed that among white, low-socioeconomic status (SES) smokers, the hazard rate for mortality was greater among early- versus late-onset smokers; in contrast, among African American smokers (both low- and high-SES) hazard rates for mortality did not significantly differ among early- versus late-onset smokers. Conclusions: Although late (vs. early) smoking onset may be protective for whites, the present results suggest that late-onset may not be similarly protective for African Americans. Tobacco programs and regulatory policies focused on prevention should expand their perspective to include later ages of initiation, in order to avoid widening tobacco-related health disparities. Implications: This study indicates that late-onset smoking is not only the norm among African American adult smokers, but that late- versus early-onset smoking (ie, delaying onset) does not appear to afford any benefits for African

African American therapists working with African American families: an exploration of the strengths perspective in treatment.

PubMed

Bell-Tolliver, LaVerne; Burgess, Ruby; Brock, Linda J

2009-07-01

With the exception of Hill's (1971, 1999) work, historically much of the literature on African American families has focused more on pathology than strengths. This study used interviews with 30 African American psychotherapists, self-identified as employing a strengths perspective with African American families, to investigate which strengths they identified in the families and how they use those strengths in therapy. Themes emerging from data analysis confirmed the continued importance of the five strengths Hill noted. In addition, two new strengths were identified by the participants: a willingness of a greater number of families to seek therapy, and the importance of family structure. Strategies used in engaging the families in therapy and practice implications for family therapists are discussed.

Optimizing care for African-American HIV-positive patients.

PubMed

Smith, Kimberly Y; Brutus, Andre; Cathcart, Ronald; Gathe, Joseph; Johnson, William; Jordan, Wilbert; Kwakwa, Helena A; Nkwanyou, Joseph; Page, Carlos; Scott, Robert; Vaughn, Anita C; Virgil, Luther A; Williamson, Diana

2003-10-01

The African-American community has been disproportionately affected HIV/AIDS, as noted by higher reported rates of HIV infection, higher proportion of AIDS cases, and more deaths caused by complications of AIDS than whites and other ethnic groups. In addition, epidemiologic trends suggest that African Americans with HIV infection are more often diagnosed later in the course of HIV disease than whites. Numerous reasons account for this disparity, including the lack of perception of risk and knowledge about HIV transmission as well as a delays in HIV testing and diagnosis in the African-American community. Understanding the important considerations in the management of HIV infection in the African-American patient may create awareness among health care professionals and broaden the knowledge of HIV-infected patients within the African-American community.

The Jackson Heart KIDS Pilot Study: Theory-Informed Recruitment in an African American Population.

PubMed

Beech, Bettina M; Bruce, Marino A; Crump, Mary E; Hamilton, Gina E

2017-04-01

Recruitment for large cohort studies is typically challenging, particularly when the pool of potential participants is limited to the descendants of individuals enrolled in a larger, longitudinal "parent" study. The increasing complexity of family structures and dynamics can present challenges for recruitment in offspring. Few best practices exist to guide effective and efficient empirical approaches to participant recruitment. Social and behavioral theories can provide insight into social and cultural contexts influencing individual decision-making and facilitate the development strategies for effective diffusion and marketing of an offspring cohort study. The purpose of this study was to describe the theory-informed recruitment approaches employed by the Jackson Heart KIDS Pilot Study (JHKS), a prospective offspring feasibility study of 200 African American children and grandchildren of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS)-the largest prospective cohort study examining cardiovascular disease among African American adults. Participant recruitment in the JHKS was founded on concepts from three theoretical perspectives-the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Strength of Weak Ties, and Marketing Theory. Tailored recruitment strategies grounded in participatory strategies allowed us to exceed enrollment goals for JHKS Pilot Study and develop a framework for a statewide study of African American adolescents.

The Jackson Heart KIDS Pilot Study: Theory-Informed Recruitment in an African American Population

PubMed Central

Beech, Bettina M.; Bruce, Marino A.; Crump, Mary E.; Hamilton, Gina E.

2016-01-01

Recruitment for large cohort studies is typically challenging, particularly when the pool of potential participants is limited to the descendants of individuals enrolled in a larger, longitudinal “parent” study. The increasing complexity of family structures and dynamics can present challenges for recruitment in offspring. Few best practices exist to guide effective and efficient empirical approaches to participant recruitment. Social and behavioral theories can provide insight into social and cultural contexts influencing individual decision-making and facilitate the development strategies for effective diffusion and marketing of an offspring cohort study. The purpose of this study was to describe the theory-informed recruitment approaches employed by the Jackson Heart KIDS Pilot Study (JHKS), a prospective offspring feasibility study of 200 African American children and grandchildren of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS)—the largest prospective cohort study examining cardiovascular disease among African American adults. Participant recruitment in the JHKS was founded on concepts from three theoretical perspectives—the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Strength of Weak Ties, and Marketing Theory. Tailored recruitment strategies grounded in participatory strategies allowed us to exceed enrollment goals for JHKS Pilot Study and develop a framework for a statewide study of African American adolescents. PMID:27129858

KSC kicks off African-American History Month

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Michelle Amos, mistress of ceremonies for the kick-off of African-American History Month, works with the audience to assist them in the pronunciation of a few token words in native Swahili. The theme for this year's observation is 'Heritage and Horizons: The African-American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st Century.' February is designated each year as a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans to Kennedy Space Center, NASA and the nation.

Educating African American Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Edward E.

2010-01-01

Background: Schools across America spend money, invest in programs, and sponsor workshops, offer teacher incentives, raise accountability standards, and even evoke the name of Obama in efforts to raise the academic achievement of African American males. Incarceration and college retention rates point to a dismal plight for many African American…

The Epidemiology of Coping in African American Adults in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS).

PubMed

Brenner, Allison B; Diez-Roux, Ana V; Gebreab, Samson Y; Schulz, Amy J; Sims, Mario

2017-12-07

Differences in coping within the African American population are not well understood, yet these differences may be critical to reducing stress, improving health, and reducing racial health disparities. Using a descriptive, exploratory analysis of the Jackson Heart Study (N = 5301), we examine correlations between coping responses and associations between coping and demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and neighborhood factors. Overall, coping responses were not strongly correlated and patterns of associations between covariates and coping responses were largely inconsistent. The results suggest that coping varies substantially within this African American population and is driven mainly by psychosocial factors such as spirituality and interpersonal support. Understanding these complex relationships may inform strategies by which to intervene in the stress process to mitigate the effects of stress on health and to identify vulnerable subgroups of African Americans that might need targeted interventions to reduce exposure to stressors and improve coping capacities.

A High-Density Admixture Map for Disease Gene Discovery in African Americans

PubMed Central

Smith, Michael W. ; Patterson, Nick ; Lautenberger, James A. ; Truelove, Ann L. ; McDonald, Gavin J. ; Waliszewska, Alicja ; Kessing, Bailey D. ; Malasky, Michael J. ; Scafe, Charles ; Le, Ernest ; De Jager, Philip L. ; Mignault, Andre A. ; Yi, Zeng ; de Thé, Guy ; Essex, Myron ; Sankalé, Jean-Louis ; Moore, Jason H. ; Poku, Kwabena ; Phair, John P. ; Goedert, James J. ; Vlahov, David ; Williams, Scott M. ; Tishkoff, Sarah A. ; Winkler, Cheryl A. ; De La Vega, Francisco M. ; Woodage, Trevor ; Sninsky, John J. ; Hafler, David A. ; Altshuler, David ; Gilbert, Dennis A. ; O’Brien, Stephen J. ; Reich, David 

2004-01-01

Admixture mapping (also known as “mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium,” or MALD) provides a way of localizing genes that cause disease, in admixed ethnic groups such as African Americans, with ∼100 times fewer markers than are required for whole-genome haplotype scans. However, it has not been possible to perform powerful scans with admixture mapping because the method requires a dense map of validated markers known to have large frequency differences between Europeans and Africans. To create such a map, we screened through databases containing ∼450,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for which frequencies had been estimated in African and European population samples. We experimentally confirmed the frequencies of the most promising SNPs in a multiethnic panel of unrelated samples and identified 3,011 as a MALD map (1.2 cM average spacing). We estimate that this map is ∼70% informative in differentiating African versus European origins of chromosomal segments. This map provides a practical and powerful tool, which is freely available without restriction, for screening for disease genes in African American patient cohorts. The map is especially appropriate for those diseases that differ in incidence between the parental African and European populations. PMID:15088270

Differences in the Manifest Dream Content of Anglo-American, Mexican-American, and African-American College Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Connie M.

1994-01-01

Compares African Americans' manifest dream content with dreams of Anglo-American and Mexican American peers. Some dream elements that were examined included emotions, environmental press, achievement outcomes, and social interactions. Comparisons indicate that African Americans perceive themselves more strongly as victims of their fate rather than…

Lactose intolerance and health disparities among African Americans and Hispanic Americans: an updated consensus statement.

PubMed

Bailey, Rahn K; Fileti, Cecelia Pozo; Keith, Jeanette; Tropez-Sims, Susanne; Price, Winston; Allison-Ottey, Sharon Denise

2013-01-01

Dairy foods contribute nine essential nutrients to the diet including calcium, potassium and vitamin D; nutrients identified by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as being "of public health concern" within the U.S. population. Milk and milk product intake is associated with better diet quality and has been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases or conditions including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes and osteoporosis. Some research also indicates dairy food intake may be linked to reduced body fat, when accompanied by energy-restriction. On average, both African Americans and Hispanic Americans consume less than the recommended levels of dairy foods, and perceived or actual lactose intolerance can be a primary reason for limiting or avoiding dairy intake. True lactose intolerance prevalence is not known because healthcare providers do not routinely measure for it, and no standardized assessment method exists. Avoiding dairy may lead to shortfalls of essential nutrients and increased susceptibility to chronic disease. This updated Consensus Statement aims to provide the most current information about lactose intolerance and health, with specific relevance to the African American and Hispanic American communities. Topics covered include diagnostic considerations, actual and recommended dairy food intake and levels of consumption of key dairy nutrients among African Americans and Hispanic Americans; prevalence of self-reported lactose intolerance among various racial/ethnic groups; the association between dairy food intake, lactose intolerance and chronic disease; and research-based management recommendations for those with lactose intolerance.

African-American wildland memories

Treesearch

Cassandra Y. Johnson; J. Michael Bowker

2004-01-01

Collective memory can be used conceptually to examine African-American perceptions of wildlands and black interaction with such places. The middle--American view of wildlands frames these terrains as refuges--pure and simple, sanctified places distinct from the profanity of human modification. However, wild, primitive areas do not exist in the minds of all Americans as...

Counseling Preferences of African American Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Jacqueline R.; Wermeling, Linda

2007-01-01

African American women hold the greatest need for mental health services among ethnic groups but receive effective counseling least often. This study investigated their preferences of counseling services. Results revealed that the type of service delivery might not be as salient to African American women as counselor-client racial similarity.

Experiences of African American College Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Aundria Chephan

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons that African-American alumni from a historically Black university (HBCU) and a predominantly White university (PWI) chose to attend, remain in, and graduate from college. The central research question was how do African Americans describe their college experiences? The secondary research…

HIV Risk Behaviors among African American Women with at-Risk Male Partners

PubMed Central

Paxton, Keisha C.; Williams, John K.; Bolden, Sherica; Guzman, Yesenia; Harawa, Nina T.

2014-01-01

Background HIV continues to impact African American women at alarming rates. Yet, few researchers have examined the relationship factors promoting unprotected sex within African American communities, especially instances in which women are aware that their male partners are engaging in high risk behaviors. This qualitative study explored the sexual behaviors, relationship characteristics, and HIV prevention strategies utilized by African American women in relationships with African American men at-risk for HIV. Method To understand the issues that should be addressed in a sexual risk-reduction intervention, data were collected from three, two-hour focus group discussions (n=24) comprised primarily of low-income African American women with histories of at-risk male sex partners. At-risk partners included specifically men who had sex with other men or with transgender individuals, used crack cocaine or injection drugs, had lengthy incarceration periods, or an unknown sexual history. Discussion questions examined external factors affecting sexual risk behaviors such as societal pressures, peer norms, and financial vulnerability. Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using a consensual qualitative research approach. Results Five themes, including self-esteem, social influences on behavior, relationship fidelity, sexual risk behavior, and partners' sexual behaviors, were identified as placing women at increased risk for HIV. Reasons for inconsistent condom use included concern for maintaining the relationship and substance use before and during sex. African American women also believed that men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) were dishonest about their sexuality due to stigma towards homosexuality/bisexuality. Despite these challenges, participants indicated that African American women have a strong sense of pride that can positively impact behaviors in relationships. Conclusion The findings of this study support that social and contextual factor

Variant Discovery and Fine Mapping of Genetic Loci Associated with Blood Pressure Traits in Hispanics and African Americans.

PubMed

Franceschini, Nora; Carty, Cara L; Lu, Yingchang; Tao, Ran; Sung, Yun Ju; Manichaikul, Ani; Haessler, Jeff; Fornage, Myriam; Schwander, Karen; Zubair, Niha; Bien, Stephanie; Hindorff, Lucia A; Guo, Xiuqing; Bielinski, Suzette J; Ehret, Georg; Kaufman, Joel D; Rich, Stephen S; Carlson, Christopher S; Bottinger, Erwin P; North, Kari E; Rao, D C; Chakravarti, Aravinda; Barrett, Paula Q; Loos, Ruth J F; Buyske, Steven; Kooperberg, Charles

2016-01-01

Despite the substantial burden of hypertension in US minority populations, few genetic studies of blood pressure have been conducted in Hispanics and African Americans, and it is unclear whether many of the established loci identified in European-descent populations contribute to blood pressure variation in non-European descent populations. Using the Metabochip array, we sought to characterize the genetic architecture of previously identified blood pressure loci, and identify novel cardiometabolic variants related to systolic and diastolic blood pressure in a multi-ethnic US population including Hispanics (n = 19,706) and African Americans (n = 18,744). Several known blood pressure loci replicated in African Americans and Hispanics. Fourteen variants in three loci (KCNK3, FGF5, ATXN2-SH2B3) were significantly associated with blood pressure in Hispanics. The most significant diastolic blood pressure variant identified in our analysis, rs2586886/KCNK3 (P = 5.2 x 10-9), also replicated in independent Hispanic and European-descent samples. African American and trans-ethnic meta-analysis data identified novel variants in the FGF5, ULK4 and HOXA-EVX1 loci, which have not been previously associated with blood pressure traits. Our identification and independent replication of variants in KCNK3, a gene implicated in primary hyperaldosteronism, as well as a variant in HOTTIP (HOXA-EVX1) suggest that further work to clarify the roles of these genes may be warranted. Overall, our findings suggest that loci identified in European descent populations also contribute to blood pressure variation in diverse populations including Hispanics and African Americans-populations that are understudied for hypertension genetic risk factors.

African-American college student attitudes toward physics and their effect on achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, Carl Timothy

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the attitudes that African-American college students have towards introductory college physics. The population targeted for this study consisted of African-American males and females enrolled in introductory college physics classes at an urban public historical black college or university (HBCU) located in the southeastern United States. Nine of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales, modified for physics, were used to analyze the attitudes of the 135 participants enrolled in an introductory college physics class. The nine scales used to measure the students' attitudes were Attitude Toward Success in Physics Scale (AS), The Physics as a Male Domain Scale (MD), The Mother Scale (M), The Father Scale (F), The Teacher Scale (T), The Confidence in Learning Physics Scale (C), The Physics Anxiety Scale (A), The Effectance Motivation Scale in Physics (E), and The Physics Usefulness Scale (U). Hypothesis I states that there is a significant difference in the domain scores of African-American college students in the Fennema-Sherman Math Attitudes Scales adapted for physics. It was found using a repeated measures ANOVA that there was a significant difference between the attitudes of African-Americans on the nine attitude scales of the Fennema-Sherman Math Attitude Scales, F(8,992) = 43.09, p < .001. Hypothesis II states that there is a statistically significant difference in domain scores between African-American males and African-American females in the Fennema-Sherman Attitude Scales. It was found using a MANOVA that there was not a significant difference between the domain scores of African-American males and African-American females, F(8, 116) = .38, p > .05. Hypothesis III states that there is a statistically significant relationship between attitude towards physics and achievement for African-American students. The students with good attitudes toward physics would have a higher level of achievement

Creating a segregated medical profession: African American physicians and organized medicine, 1846-1910.

PubMed

Baker, Robert B; Washington, Harriet A; Olakanmi, Ololade; Savitt, Todd L; Jacobs, Elizabeth A; Hoover, Eddie; Wynia, Matthew K; Blanchard, Janice; Boulware, L Ebony; Braddock, Clarence; Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Crawley, LaVera; LaVeist, Thomas A; Maxey, Randall; Mills, Charles; Moseley, Kathryn L; Williams, David R

2009-06-01

An independent panel of experts, convened by the American Medical Association (AMA) Institute for Ethics, analyzed the roots of the racial divide within American medical organizations. In this, the first of a 2-part report, we describe 2 watershed moments that helped institutionalize the racial divide. The first occurred in the 1870s, when 2 medical societies from Washington, DC, sent rival delegations to the AMA's national meetings: an all-white delegation from a medical society that the US courts and Congress had formally censured for discriminating against black physicians; and an integrated delegation from a medical society led by physicians from Howard University. Through parliamentary maneuvers and variable enforcement of credentialing standards, the integrated delegation was twice excluded from the AMA's meetings, while the all-white society's delegations were admitted. AMA leaders then voted to devolve the power to select delegates to state societies, thereby accepting segregation in constituent societies and forcing African American physicians to create their own, separate organizations. A second watershed involved AMA-promoted educational reforms, including the 1910 Flexner report. Straightforwardly applied, the report's population-based criterion for determining the need for phySicians would have recommended increased training of African American physicians to serve the approximately 9 million African Americans in the segregated south. Instead, the report recommended closing all but 2 African American medical schools, helping to cement in place an African American educational system that was separate, unequal, and destined to be insufficient to the needs of African Americans nationwide.

Physical Activity Interventions With African American or Latino Men: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Griffith, Derek M; Bergner, Erin M; Cornish, Emily K; McQueen, Chelsea M

2018-07-01

Relatively little is known about what helps increase physical activity in African American men, and even less is known about promoting physical activity among Latino men. This systematic review aimed to address the key questions: (a) what is the state of the evidence on health-related behavior change interventions targeting physical activity among African American or Latino men? and (b) What factors facilitate physical activity for these men? For this review, nine electronic databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2011-2017 that reported interventions to promote physical activity among African American or Latino men. Following PRISMA guidelines, nine articles representing seven studies that met our criteria were identified: six published studies that provided data for African American men, and one published study provided data for Latino men. Consistent with previous reviews, more research is needed to better understand how gender can be incorporated in physical activity interventions for African American and Latino men. Future interventions should explore how being an adult male and a man of color shapes motivations, attitudes, and preferences to be physically active. Studies should consider how race and ethnicity intersect with notions of masculinity, manhood and Machismo to enhance the effectiveness of physical activity interventions for these populations. Despite the health benefits of physical activity, rates of these behaviors remain low among African American and Latino men. It is essential to determine how best to increase the motivation and salience for these men to overcome the obesogenic environments and contexts in which they often live.

Ophthalmic presentation of giant cell arteritis in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Garrity, S T; Pistilli, M; Vaphiades, M S; Richards, N Q; Subramanian, P S; Rosa, P R; Lam, B L; Osborne, B J; Liu, G T; Duncan, K E; Shin, R K; Volpe, N J; Shindler, K S; Lee, M S; Moster, M L; Tracey, E H; Cuprill-Nilson, S E; Tamhankar, M A

2017-01-01

Purpose To determine the differences in the presentation of ophthalmic giant cell arteritis between African-Americans and Caucasians. Methods This was a multicenter retrospective case series comparing African-American patients with ophthalmic GCA to a previously published Caucasian cohort. Neuro-ophthalmic centers across the United States were contacted to provide data on African-American patients with biopsy-proven ophthalmic giant cell arteritis. The differences between African-American and Caucasian patients with respect to multiple variables, including age, sex, systemic and ophthalmic signs and symptoms, ocular ischemic lesions, and laboratory results were studied. Results The Caucasian cohort was slightly older (mean=76.1 years) than the African-American cohort (mean=72.6 years, P=0.03), and there was no difference in sex distribution between the two cohorts. Headache, neck pain, and anemia were more frequent, while jaw claudication was less frequent in African-Americans (P<0.01, <0.001, 0.02, and 0.03 respectively). Acute vision loss was the most common presentation of giant cell arteritis in both groups, though it was less common in African-Americans (78 vs 98% of Caucasians, P<0.001). Eye pain was more common in African-Americans (28 vs 8% of Caucasians, P<0.01). Conclusions The presenting features of ophthalmic giant cell arteritis in African-Americans and Caucasians are not markedly different, although a few significant differences exist, including higher rates of headache, neck pain, anemia, and eye pain, and lower rates of jaw claudication and acute vision loss in African-Americans. Persons presenting with suspicious signs and symptoms should undergo evaluation for giant cell arteritis regardless of race. PMID:27636230

Tobacco Withdrawal Amongst African American, Hispanic, and White Smokers.

PubMed

Bello, Mariel S; Pang, Raina D; Cropsey, Karen L; Zvolensky, Michael J; Reitzel, Lorraine R; Huh, Jimi; Leventhal, Adam M

2016-06-01

Persistent tobacco use among racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States is a critical public health concern. Yet, potential sources of racial/ethnic disparities in tobacco use remain unclear. The present study examined racial/ethnic differences in tobacco withdrawal-a clinically-relevant underpinning of tobacco use that has received sparse attention in the disparities literature-utilizing a controlled laboratory design. Daily smokers (non-Hispanic African American [n = 178], non-Hispanic white [n = 118], and Hispanic [n = 28]) attended two counterbalanced sessions (non-abstinent vs. 16-hour abstinent). At both sessions, self-report measures of urge, nicotine withdrawal, and affect were administered and performance on an objective behavioral task that assessed motivation to reinstate smoking was recorded. Abstinence-induced changes (abstinent scores vs. non-abstinent scores) were analyzed as a function of race/ethnicity. Non-Hispanic African American smokers reported greater abstinence-induced declines in several positive affect states in comparison to other racial/ethnic groups. Relative to Hispanic smokers, non-Hispanic African American and non-Hispanic white smokers displayed larger abstinence-provoked increases in urges to smoke. No racial/ethnic differences were detected for a composite measure of nicotine withdrawal symptomatology, negative affect states, and motivation to reinstate smoking behavior. These results suggest qualitative differences in the expression of some components of tobacco withdrawal across three racial/ethnic groups. This research helps shed light on bio-behavioral sources of tobacco-related health disparities, informs the application of smoking cessation interventions across racial/ethnic groups, and may ultimately aid the overall effort towards reducing the public health burden of tobacco addiction in minority populations. The current study provides some initial evidence that there may be qualitative differences in the

African American patients with gout: efficacy and safety of febuxostat vs allopurinol

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

treatment groups regardless of renal function were comparable between African American and Caucasian subjects, as were AE rates. Conclusions In African American subjects with significant comorbidities, febuxostat 80 mg is significantly more efficacious than either febuxostat 40 mg or allopurinol 200/300 mg. Febuxostat was well tolerated in this African American population. Please see related article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/15 PMID:22316106

African American Males: Leaving the Nightmare.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Wali

The plight of African American males has become a problem of alarming proportions in the United States. This paper reports serious disadvantage and risk for this group in terms of education, employment, poverty levels, family disintegration, criminal status, health, and death rates. The paper contends that the crisis for African American males…

CYP2A6 reduced activity gene variants confer reduction in lung cancer risk in African American smokers--findings from two independent populations.

PubMed

Wassenaar, Catherine A; Ye, Yuanqing; Cai, Qiuyin; Aldrich, Melinda C; Knight, Joanne; Spitz, Margaret R; Wu, Xifeng; Blot, William J; Tyndale, Rachel F

2015-01-01

We investigated genetic variation in CYP2A6 in relation to lung cancer risk among African American smokers, a high-risk population. Previously, we found that CYP2A6, a nicotine/nitrosamine metabolism gene, was associated with lung cancer risk in European Americans, but smoking habits, lung cancer risk and CYP2A6 gene variants differ significantly between European and African ancestry populations. Herein, African American ever-smokers, drawn from two independent lung cancer case-control studies, were genotyped for reduced activity CYP2A6 alleles and grouped by predicted metabolic activity. Lung cancer risk in the Southern Community Cohort Study (n = 494) was lower among CYP2A6 reduced versus normal metabolizers, as estimated by multivariate conditional logistic regression [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.26-0.73] and by unconditional logistic regression (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.41-0.94). The association was replicated in an independent study from MD Anderson Cancer Center (n = 407) (OR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.42-0.98), and pooling the studies yielded an OR of 0.64 (95% CI = 0.48-0.86). Exploratory analyses revealed a significant interaction between CYP2A6 genotype and sex on the risk for lung cancer (Southern Community Cohort Study: P = 0.04; MD Anderson: P = 0.03; Pooled studies: P = 0.002) with a CYP2A6 effect in men only. These findings support a contribution of genetic variation in CYP2A6 to lung cancer risk among African American smokers, particularly men, whereby CYP2A6 genotypes associated with reduced metabolic activity confer a lower risk of developing lung cancer. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

CYP2A6 reduced activity gene variants confer reduction in lung cancer risk in African American smokers—findings from two independent populations

PubMed Central

Wassenaar, Catherine A.; Ye, Yuanqing; Cai, Qiuyin; Aldrich, Melinda C.; Knight, Joanne; Spitz, Margaret R.; Wu, Xifeng; Blot, William J.; Tyndale, Rachel F.

2015-01-01

We investigated genetic variation in CYP2A6 in relation to lung cancer risk among African American smokers, a high-risk population. Previously, we found that CYP2A6, a nicotine/nitrosamine metabolism gene, was associated with lung cancer risk in European Americans, but smoking habits, lung cancer risk and CYP2A6 gene variants differ significantly between European and African ancestry populations. Herein, African American ever-smokers, drawn from two independent lung cancer case–control studies, were genotyped for reduced activity CYP2A6 alleles and grouped by predicted metabolic activity. Lung cancer risk in the Southern Community Cohort Study (n = 494) was lower among CYP2A6 reduced versus normal metabolizers, as estimated by multivariate conditional logistic regression [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.26–0.73] and by unconditional logistic regression (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.41–0.94). The association was replicated in an independent study from MD Anderson Cancer Center (n = 407) (OR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.42–0.98), and pooling the studies yielded an OR of 0.64 (95% CI = 0.48–0.86). Exploratory analyses revealed a significant interaction between CYP2A6 genotype and sex on the risk for lung cancer (Southern Community Cohort Study: P = 0.04; MD Anderson: P = 0.03; Pooled studies: P = 0.002) with a CYP2A6 effect in men only. These findings support a contribution of genetic variation in CYP2A6 to lung cancer risk among African American smokers, particularly men, whereby CYP2A6 genotypes associated with reduced metabolic activity confer a lower risk of developing lung cancer. PMID:25416559

Disease management to promote blood pressure control among African Americans.

PubMed

Brennan, Troyen; Spettell, Claire; Villagra, Victor; Ofili, Elizabeth; McMahill-Walraven, Cheryl; Lowy, Elizabeth J; Daniels, Pamela; Quarshie, Alexander; Mayberry, Robert

2010-04-01

African Americans have a higher prevalence of hypertension and poorer cardiovascular and renal outcomes than white Americans. The objective of this study was to determine whether a telephonic nurse disease management (DM) program designed for African Americans is more effective than a home monitoring program alone to increase blood pressure (BP) control among African Americans enrolled in a national health plan. A prospective randomized controlled study (March 2006-December 2007) was conducted, with 12 months of follow-up on each subject. A total of 5932 health plan members were randomly selected from the population of self-identified African Americans, age 23 and older, in health maintenance organization plans, with hypertension; 954 accepted, 638 completed initial assessment, and 485 completed follow-up assessment. The intervention consisted of telephonic nurse DM (intervention group) including educational materials, lifestyle and diet counseling, and home BP monitor vs. home BP monitor alone (control group). Measurements included proportion with BP < 120/80, mean systolic BP, mean diastolic BP, and frequency of BP self-monitoring. Results revealed that systolic BP was lower in the intervention group (adjusted means 123.6 vs. 126.7 mm Hg, P = 0.03); there was no difference for diastolic BP. The intervention group was 50% more likely to have BP in control (odds ratio [OR] = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.997-2.27, P = 0.052) and 46% more likely to monitor BP at least weekly (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.07-2.00, P = 0.02) than the control group. A nurse DM program tailored for African Americans was effective at decreasing systolic BP and increasing the frequency of self-monitoring of BP to a greater extent than home monitoring alone. Recruitment and program completion rates could be improved for maximal impact.

Conceptualizing the African American Mathematics Teacher as a Key Figure in the African American Education Historical Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Lawrence M.; Jones Frank, Toya; Davis, Julius

2013-01-01

Background/Context: Historians and researchers have documented and explored the work and role of African American teachers in the U.S. educational system, yet there has been limited attention to the specific work, role, and experiences of African American mathematics teachers. To meaningfully and responsibly conceptualize the role of African…

Genome-wide association study confirms lung cancer susceptibility loci on chromosomes 5p15 and 15q25 in an African-American population.

PubMed

Zanetti, Krista A; Wang, Zhaoming; Aldrich, Melinda; Amos, Christopher I; Blot, William J; Bowman, Elise D; Burdette, Laurie; Cai, Qiuyin; Caporaso, Neil; Chung, Charles C; Gillanders, Elizabeth M; Haiman, Christopher A; Hansen, Helen M; Henderson, Brian E; Kolonel, Laurence N; Marchand, Loic Le; Li, Shengchao; McNeill, Lorna Haughton; Ryan, Bríd M; Schwartz, Ann G; Sison, Jennette D; Spitz, Margaret R; Tucker, Margaret; Wenzlaff, Angela S; Wiencke, John K; Wilkens, Lynne; Wrensch, Margaret R; Wu, Xifeng; Zheng, Wei; Zhou, Weiyin; Christiani, David; Palmer, Julie R; Penning, Trevor M; Rieber, Alyssa G; Rosenberg, Lynn; Ruiz-Narvaez, Edward A; Su, Li; Vachani, Anil; Wei, Yongyue; Whitehead, Alexander S; Chanock, Stephen J; Harris, Curtis C

2016-08-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of lung cancer have identified regions of common genetic variation with lung cancer risk in Europeans who smoke and never-smoking Asian women. This study aimed to conduct a GWAS in African Americans, who have higher rates of lung cancer despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day when compared with Caucasians. This population provides a different genetic architecture based on underlying African ancestry allowing the identification of new regions and exploration of known regions for finer mapping. We genotyped 1,024,001 SNPs in 1737 cases and 3602 controls in stage 1, followed by a replication phase of 20 SNPs (p<1.51×10(-5)) in an independent set of 866 cases and 796 controls in stage 2. In the combined analysis, we confirmed two loci to be associated with lung cancer that achieved the threshold of genome-wide significance: 15q25.1 marked by rs2036527 (p=1.3×10(-9); OR=1.32; 95% CI=1.20-1.44) near CHRNA5, and 5p15.33 marked by rs2853677 (p=2.8×10(-9); OR=1.28; 95% CI=1.18-1.39) near TERT. The association with rs2853677 is driven by the adenocarcinoma subtype of lung cancer (p=1.3×10(-8); OR=1.37; 95% CI=1.23-1.54). No SNPs reached genome-wide significance for either of the main effect models examining smoking - cigarettes per day and current or former smoker. Our study was powered to identify strong risk loci for lung cancer in African Americans; we confirmed results previously reported in African Americans and other populations for two loci near plausible candidate genes, CHRNA5 and TERT, on 15q25.1 and 5p15.33 respectively, are associated with lung cancer. Additional work is required to map and understand the biological underpinnings of the strong association of these loci with lung cancer risk in African Americans. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

African American Participation in Oncology Clinical Trials--Focus on Prostate Cancer: Implications, Barriers, and Potential Solutions.

PubMed

Ahaghotu, Chiledum; Tyler, Robert; Sartor, Oliver

2016-04-01

In the United States, the incidence and mortality rates of many cancers, especially prostate cancer, are disproportionately high among African American men compared with Caucasian men. Recently, mortality rates for prostate cancer have declined more rapidly in African American versus Caucasian men, but prostate cancer is still the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in African American men in the United States. Compared with Caucasian men, prostate cancer occurs at younger ages, has a higher stage at diagnosis, and is more likely to progress after definitive treatments in African American men. Reasons for racial discrepancies in cancer are multifactorial and potentially include socioeconomic, cultural, nutritional, and biologic elements. In addition to improving access to novel therapies, clinical trial participation is essential to adequately establish the risks and benefits of treatments in African American populations. Considering the disproportionately high mortality rates noted in these groups, our understanding of the natural history and responses to therapies is limited. This review will explore African American underrepresentation in clinical trials with a focus on prostate cancer, and potentially effective strategies to engage African American communities in prostate cancer research. Solutions targeting physicians, investigators, the community, and health care systems are identified. Improvement of African American participation in prostate cancer clinical trials will benefit all stakeholders. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Health and mental health policies' role in better understanding and closing African American-White American disparities in treatment access and quality of care.

PubMed

Snowden, Lonnie R

2012-10-01

Since publication of the U.S. Surgeon General's report Mental Health: Culture, Race and Ethnicity--A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001), several federal initiatives signal a sustained focus on addressing African American-White American disparities in mental health treatment access and quality and open the way to unprecedented disparity reduction. These initiatives include institutional commitments to (a) research by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities; (b) disparities monitoring by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; (c) new epidemiologic and service delivery information on African American populations from the National Survey of American Life sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health; as well as (d) opportunities inherent in the World Health Organization's interest in disease burden for making it possible to view African Americans' likely greater disease burden from mental illness as a legitimate source of concern. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act affords unprecedented opportunities for increasing African Americans' treatment access and quality of care nationwide. By familiarizing themselves with these initiatives, and taking advantage of possibilities they offer, those committed to reducing African American-White American disparities in mental illness, and treatment access and quality, can make inroads toward improving African Americans' mental health and facilitating their successful functioning in all spheres of community living.

Persistence among African American Males in the Honors College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson Goins, Johnell Roxann

2014-01-01

Retaining African American students, specifically African American males, is an issue that plagues the American higher education system. Research shows that African American male students are the lowest represented group in the gifted studies programs (Ford, 2010). Lockie and Burke (1999); Chen and DeJardins (2010) and Bell (2010a) found that…

Correlates of strength training in older rural African American and Caucasian women.

PubMed

Bopp, Melissa; Wilcox, Sara; Oberrecht, Larissa; Kammermann, Sandra; McElmurray, Charles T

2004-01-01

This study examined factors influencing strength training (ST) in two convenience samples of older rural women. Focus group (FG) participants were 23 Caucasian and 16 African American women aged 67.5 +/- 9.2 years. Survey participants were 60 Caucasian and 42 African American women, aged 70.59 +/- 9.21 years. FG participants answered questions about the risks, benefits, and barriers to ST. Survey participants completed measures of demographics, physical activity (including ST), depression and stress, decisional balance for exercise (DBE), barriers to PA, and social support (SS). Regression modeling examined correlates of ST. FG participants identified physical health gains and improved appearance as ST benefits. African American women also included mental health benefits and "feeling good". Both Caucasian and African American groups named physical health problems as risks of ST. Caucasian women identified time constraints, lack of ST knowledge, physical health problems, lack of exercise facilities, and the cost of ST as barriers. African American women cited being "too tired", physical health problems, lack of support, and other family and work responsibilities. The linear regression model explained 23.2% of the variance in hours per week of ST; DBE and family SS were independent positive correlates. This study identified correlates to participation in ST in older rural women and provides a basis for developing ST interventions in this population.

Primordial prevention of cardiovascular disease among African-Americans: a social epidemiological perspective.

PubMed

James, S A

1999-12-01

The primordial prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African-Americans represents a formidable challenge for public health. This paper discusses the nature of this challenge, highlighting the role that economic and cultural factors play in shaping the distributions of major CVD risk factors among African-Americans. The paper concludes with specific suggestions for research. Data from recent national health surveys on black/white differences in major CVD risk factors like hypertension, obesity, cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and physical inactivity were reviewed for the purpose of identifying promising avenues for primordial prevention research among African-Americans. Cigarette smoking has a delayed onset among African-Americans compared to whites. Black/white differences in "vigorous" leisure-time physical activity (e.g., social dancing and team sports) are not apparent until around age 40. These findings have relevance for primordial prevention work in black communities since they suggest the existence of broad-based, health-relevant cultural norms which could support primordial prevention programs, such as regular physical activity, across the life cycle. CVD primordial prevention programs among African-Americans must be grounded in an understanding of how cultural values as well as economic conditions shape CVD risk factor distributions in this population. Ultimate success will depend on the strength of the partnerships that public health researchers, primary care providers, and community residents are able to build.

Lifestyle determinants of 5alpha-reductase metabolites in older African-American, white, and Asian-American men.

PubMed

Wu, A H; Whittemore, A S; Kolonel, L N; Stanczyk, F Z; John, E M; Gallagher, R P; West, D W

2001-05-01

Men with higher endogenous 5alpha-reductase activity may have higher prostate cancer risk. This hypothesis raises two questions: (a) Could racial differences in 5alpha-reductase activity explain the observed racial differences in prostate cancer risk? and (b) Could a man reduce his activity level by modifying his lifestyle? To address these questions, we measured two hormonal indices of 5alpha-reductase activity [serum levels of androstane-3alpha-17beta-diol glucuronide (3alpha-diol G) and androsterone glucuronide (AG)] in healthy, older African-American, white, and Asian-American men, who are at high, intermediate, and low prostate cancer risk, respectively. We also examined associations between these metabolite levels and such lifestyle characteristics as body size and physical activity as well as select aspects of medical history and family history of prostate cancer. Men included in this cross-sectional analysis (n = 1054) had served as control subjects in a population-based case-control study of prostate cancer we conducted in California, Hawaii, and Vancouver, Canada and provided information on certain personal attributes and donated blood between March 1990 and March 1992. In this study, concentrations of 3alpha-diol G declined significantly with age and increased significantly with body mass index. Mean levels of 3alpha-diol G, adjusted for age and body mass index, were 6.1 ng/ml in African-Americans, 6.9 ng/ml in whites and 4.8 ng/ml in Asian-Americans. These differences were statistically significant (African-Americans versus whites: P < 0.01; whites versus Asian-Americans: P < 0.001). Concentrations of AG decreased significantly with age, but only in whites, and were unrelated to any of the reported personal attributes. Mean levels of AG, adjusted for age, were 44.1 ng/ml in African-Americans, 44.9 ng/ml in whites, and 37.5 ng/ml in Asian-Americans (Asian-Americans versus whites, P < 0.001). In conclusion, older African-American and white men have

Engaging African American Faith-Based Organizations in Adolescent HIV Prevention.

PubMed

Woods-Jaeger, Briana A; Carlson, Mamie; Taggart, Tamara; Riggins, Linda; Lightfoot, Alexandra F; Jackson, Melvin R

2015-08-01

To reduce current HIV disparities among African American youth, it is imperative to find effective ways to extend the reach of evidence-based HIV prevention. One promising community resource to support this effort is faith-based organizations (FBOs), a credible and respected resource in the African American community. This paper describes the experiences, perceptions, and challenges that African American FBOs and faith leaders face in engaging in adolescent HIV prevention and highlights facilitators and barriers to implementing HIV prevention in African American FBOs. The findings suggest that African American FBOs and faith-based leaders are uniquely positioned to be instrumental resources in reducing African American youth HIV disparities.

Osteoporotic fragility fractures in African Americans: under-recognized and undertreated.

PubMed Central

Alam, Neelofar M.; Archer, Juanita A.; Lee, Euni

2004-01-01

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of diagnosing and treating osteoporosis in patients with fragility fractures. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective review of medical records from January 1992 to December 2002 at Howard University Hospital, an urban tertiary care teaching hospital with a predominantly African-American population. Men 50 years old and women 45 years old with fractures caused by low impact falls (fragility fractures) were included. The diagnosis of osteoporosis was based on history, x-rays and pathology reports as indicated by ICD-9 codes (733.00-733.09) and review of medical records. MAIN FINDINGS: Of 58,841 patients who were admitted during the study period, 1,248 patients (2.1%) had fractures. There were 323 patients (65%) who had fractures secondary to low-impact falls. However, only 29 (8.9%) of these had a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Of these, only five (19%) patients were discharged on antiosteoporotic medications, and only one patient was discharged with a bisphosphonate therapy. No patient had DXA scans. CONCLUSIONS: In the population studied, osteoporosis was missed in the majority of the patients as an underlying cause for fragility fractures in African Americans. These results strongly suggest that physicians should be more aware of osteoporosis as an essential cause of fragility fractures. Early recognition and treatment in African Americans and other ethnic groups can significantly decrease the morbidity, mortality and the healthcare costs. PMID:15624249

Improved survival with HPV among African Americans with oropharyngeal cancer.

PubMed

Worsham, Maria J; Stephen, Josena K; Chen, Kang Mei; Mahan, Meredith; Schweitzer, Vanessa; Havard, Shaleta; Divine, George

2013-05-01

A major limitation of studies reporting a lower prevalence rate of human papilloma virus (HPV) in African American patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC) than Caucasian Americans, with corresponding worse outcomes, was adequate representation of HPV-positive African American patients. This study examined survival outcomes in HPV-positive and HPV-negative African Americans with OPSCC. The study cohort of 121 patients with primary OPSCC had 42% African Americans. Variables of interest included age, race, gender, HPV status, stage, marital status, smoking, treatment, and date of diagnosis. Caucasian Americans are more likely to be HPV positive (OR = 3.28; P = 0.035), as are younger age (age < 50 OR = 7.14; P = 0.023 compared with age > 65) or being married (OR = 3.44; P = 0.016). HPV positivity and being unmarried were associated with being late stage (OR = 3.10; P = 0.047 and OR = 3.23; P = 0.038, respectively). HPV-negative patients had 2.7 times the risk of death as HPV-positive patients (P = 0.004). Overall, the HPV-race groups differed (log-rank P < 0.001), with significantly worse survival for HPV-negative African Americans versus (i) HPV-positive African Americans (HR = 3.44; P = 0.0012); (ii) HPV-positive Caucasian Americans (HR = 3.11; P = < 0.049); and (iii) HPV-negative Caucasian Americans (HR = 2.21; P = 0.049). HPV has a substantial impact on overall survival in African American patients with OPSCC. Among African American patients with OPSCC, HPV-positive patients had better survival than HPV negative. HPV-negative African Americans also did worse than both HPV-positive Caucasian Americans and HPV-negative Caucasian Americans. This study adds to the mounting evidence of HPV as a racially linked sexual behavior life style risk factor impacting survival outcomes for both African American and Caucasian American patients with OPSCC. ©2013 AACR.

Regional variation in smoking among African Americans.

PubMed

King, G; Polednak, A P; Bendel, R

1999-08-01

The impact of geographic region and metropolitan residence on smoking prevalence among African Americans has not been adequately examined. This study analyzed 5 years of data from the National Health Interview Survey (1990-1994) on current smoking and regional variation among 16,738 African Americans. Results. Respondents in the West had the lowest unadjusted smoking prevalence rates and Midwest residents had the highest. Current smoking was lower among African Americans living in non-central cities than in central cities even after adjusting for several sociodemographic covariates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that black women in the South were significantly less likely to be smokers compared with any other gender/region group. These findings suggest the significance of gender and regional factors such as the social history of migration, social stress and racism, exposure to tobacco advertisement, variations in cultural influences, community structures, and coping strategies in under standing African American smoking behavior. Copyright 1999 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

Development of a Barbershop-Based HIV/STI Risk Reduction Intervention for Young Heterosexual African American Men.

PubMed

Jemmott, Loretta Sweet; Jemmott, John B; Lanier, Yzette; Thompson, Ciarra; Baker, Jillian Lucas

2016-08-12

Young, heterosexual African American men ages 18 to 24 years continue to be at high risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. However, few interventions have been designed to meet the needs of this "forgotten" population. The article describes the systematic development of a theory-based, culturally-tailored, gender-specific, barbershop-based HIV risk reduction intervention for heterosexual African American men ages 18 to 24. The process included developing a community advisory board, selecting a guiding theoretical framework, incorporating community-based participatory research principles, and conducting formative research with African American males, barbers, and barbershop owners. The result was Shape Up: Barbers Building Better Brothers, a 2-day, HIV risk reduction intervention focused on increasing HIV knowledge and condom use and reducing the number of sexual partners. Intervention sessions were facilitated by barbers who used iPads to deliver the content. As a high-risk population, this intervention has great public health significance for the health of African American men and their sexual partners. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

Research Needs to Improve Hypertension Treatment and Control in African Americans

PubMed Central

Whelton, Paul K.; Einhorn, Paula T.; Muntner, Paul; Appel, Lawrence J.; Cushman, William C.; Diez Roux, Ana V.; Ferdinand, Keith C.; Rahman, Mahboob; Taylor, Herman A.; Ard, Jamy; Arnett, Donna K.; Carter, Barry L.; Davis, Barry R.; Freedman, Barry I.; Cooper, Lisa A.; Cooper, Richard; Desvigne-Nickens, Patrice; Gavini, Nara; Go, Alan S.; Hyman, David J.; Kimmel, Paul L.; Margolis, Karen L.; Miller, Edgar R.; Mills, Katherine T.; Mensah, George A.; Navar, Ann M.; Ogedegbe, Gbenga; Rakotz, Michael K.; Thomas, George; Tobin, Jonathan N.; Wright, Jackson T.; Yoon, Sung Sug (Sarah); Cutler, Jeffrey A.

2016-01-01

Summary Additional targeted research and customized training programs could spearhead strategies for elimination of the disparities in prevalence and control of high BP between African Americans and the remainder of the US general population. PMID:27620388

Developing spiritually framed breast cancer screening messages in consultation with African American women.

PubMed

Best, Alicia L; Spencer, Mindi; Hall, Ingrid J; Friedman, Daniela B; Billings, Deborah

2015-01-01

Despite efforts to increase breast cancer screening (BCS) among African American women, disparities in breast cancer mortality persist. Culturally framed health communication may provide a useful strategy to address this issue. Spirituality not only represents an integral aspect of African American culture, but it has also been identified as a potential barrier to BCS among this population. Rather than continuing to focus on spirituality as a barrier, there is an opportunity to develop promotional messages that tap into the protective properties of spirituality among this population. The goals of this study were to engage a group of African American women to identify important spiritual elements to be included in health communication materials, and to subsequently develop a spiritually framed BCS message in response to their feedback. Three nominal group sessions were conducted with 15 African American women. Results revealed three important spiritual elements that can be incorporated into BCS health messages: (a) the body as a temple; (b) going to the doctor does not make you faithless; and (c) God did not give us the spirit of fear. These elements were used to draft a spiritually framed BCS message. Next, 20 face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted to help finalize the spiritually framed BCS message for use in a future study on culturally framed health communication.

Prevalence of colorectal neoplasia among young African Americans and Hispanic Americans

PubMed Central

Ashktorab, Hassan; Paydar, Mansour; Namin, Hassan Hassanzadeh; Sanderson, Andrew; Begum, Rehana; Brim, Hassan; Panchal, Heena; Lee, Edward; Kibreab, Angesom; Nouraie, Mehdi; Laiyemo, Adeyinka O.

2014-01-01

Background The disproportionately higher incidence of, and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC) among African Americans (AA) led the American College of Gastroenterology to recommend screening starting at age 45 in 2005. Aim To determine the prevalence of colorectal neoplasia among 40–49 years old inner city African Americans (AA) and Hispanic Americans (HA). Methods We reviewed the medical records of 2435 inner city AA and HA who underwent colonoscopy regardless of indication and compared the prevalence of colorectal neoplasia between AA and HA patients. We used logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results There were 2,163 AA and 272 HA. There were 57% women in both groups. A total of 158 (7%) AA and 9 (3%) HA (P = 0.014) underwent the procedures for CRC screening. When compared to HA, AA had higher prevalence of any polyp (35% versus 18%, OR = 2.53; 95% CI: 1.82–3.52). Overall, AA had higher prevalence of colorectal neoplasia (adenoma and cancer) when compared to HA (16% versus 10%; OR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.10–2.56). Conclusion We observed a higher frequency of colorectal neoplasia among 40–49 year-old AA as compared to HA suggesting an increased susceptibility to CRC risk in this population. PMID:24193352

The prevention of psychopathology in African Americans: an epidemiologic perspective.

PubMed

Neighbors, H W

1990-04-01

Although improving the mental health status of African Americans is an important goal, it is not clear that this can be accomplished by increasing access to professional services. Many have argued that stressful social conditions are the major cause of mental disorder in blacks and thus, psychopathology can be prevented by eliminating racism, oppression and poor economic conditions. This review argues that while the notion of primary prevention with African Americans should be taken seriously, there is still a need for more and better epidemiologic research. Three bodies of knowledge relevant to black mental health are addressed: 1) the need for an epidemiologic knowledge base for prevention; 2) coping capacity and vulnerability to stress; 3) risk factor identification. Findings from a national survey of adult African Americans are presented as an example of risk factor identification for the purpose of specifying targets for preventive interventions. The paper concludes that before the prevention of psychopathology in black populations can be achieved, a number of measurement, theoretical and policy issues must be addressed. Specific directions for future research are outlined.