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"The NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health provides summaries of publications like this. You can sign up to receive the NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health by email. This paper studies racial/ethnic disparities in awareness of chronic diseases using biomarker data from the 2006 HRS. We estimate a 3-step sequential probit model which accounts for selection into: (1) participating in biomarker collection; (2) having illness (hypertension or diabetes); (3) being aware of illness. Contrary to studies reporting that African-Americans are more aware of having hypertension than non-Latino whites, we do not find this conclusion holds after self-selection and severity are considered. Likewise, African-Americans and Latinos are less aware of having diabetes compared to non-Latino whites. Disparities in unawareness are exacerbated when we limit the sample to untreated respondents"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site

Background: Potentially preventable complications are monitored as part of the Maryland Hospital Acquired Conditions Program and are used to adjust hospital reimbursement. Few studies have evaluated racial-ethnic disparities in potentially preventable complications. Our study objective was to explore whether racial-ethnic disparities in potentially preventable complications after Cesarean delivery exist in Maryland. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational cohort study using data from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database. All patients having Cesarean delivery, who had race-ethnicity data between fiscal years 2016 and 2020 were included. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to estimate risk-adjusted odds of having a potentially preventable complication in patients of different race-ethnicity. Results: There were 101,608 patients who had Cesarean delivery in 33 hospitals during the study period and met study inclusion criteria. Among them, 1,772 patients (1.7%), experienced at least one potentially preventable complication. Patients who had a potentially preventable complication were older, had higher admission severity of illness, and had more government insurance. They also had more chronic hypertension and pre-eclampsia (both P<0.001). Median length of hospital stay was longer in patients who had a potentially preventable complications (4 days vs. 3 days, P<0.001) and median hospital charges were approximately $4,600 dollars higher, (P<0.001). The odds of having a potential preventable complication differed significantly by race-ethnicity group (P=0.05). Hispanic patients and Non-Hispanic Black patients had higher risk-adjusted odds of having a potentially preventable complication compared to Non-Hispanic White patients, OR=1.26 (95% CI=1.05 to 1.52) and OR=1.17 (95% CI=1.03 to 1.33) respectively. Conclusions: In Maryland a small percentage of patients undergoing Cesarean delivery experienced a potentially preventable complication with Hispanic and ...

BACKGROUND: Obesity prevention has become a major focus of public health efforts in the United States. The Federal Government set forth national nutrition and physical activity recommendations to prevent obesity and promote well-being among children. A succinct message developed through a program in Maine "Let's Go! 5-2-1-0" summarizes these obesity prevention behaviors including ≥5 fruit and vegetables, ≤2 hours of screen time, ≥1 hour of physical activity, and 0 sugar sweetened beverages daily. The study evaluates racial/ethnic disparities among adolescents meeting the 5-2-1-0 targets in a nationally representative sample. METHODS: The 2011-2012 NHANES dataset was used to conduct a cross sectional analysis of Hispanic (n=287), non-Hispanic Black (n=321), Asian (n=145) and non-Hispanic White (n=234) adolescents 12-19 years old. The 5-2-1-0 targets were evaluated using dietary recalls, Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, and questions about sedentary activities. Differences in the proportion of racial/ethnic groups meeting the 5-2-1-0 targets were compared using chi-square tests. Logistic models accounting for the complex sampling design were used to evaluate racial/ethnic disparities in meeting the 5-2-1-0 targets. RESULTS: There were no adolescents that met all four 5-2-1-0 targets. Meeting individual targets and meeting none of the targets differed by racial/ethnic group. The study found 28% of White, 39% of Hispanic, 44% of Black and 35% of Asian adolescents met zero 5-2-1-0 targets. Adolescents from different racial/ethnic groups had increased odds of meeting no 5-2-1-0 targets compared to their White peers (adjusted odds ratio [95% Confidence Interval] – Hispanic: 1.76 [1.04-2.98], Black: 1.82[1.04-3.17], Asian: 1.48[1.08-2.04]). CONCLUSION: Understanding the uptake of national nutrition and physical activity recommendations is necessary to reduce future obesity and health consequences in adulthood. Despite national initiatives, adolescents in the United States are far from meeting the 5-2-1-0 targets and there are racial/ethnic disparities in meeting the recommendations.

Abstract Introduction Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the U.S. Although routine screening via mammogram has been shown to increase survival through early detection and treatment of breast cancer, only 3 out of 5 women age ?40 are compliant with annual mammogram within the U.S. and the state of Florida. A breadth of literature exists on racial/ethnic disparities in compliance with mammogram; however, few such studies include data on individual Black subgroups, such as Haitians. This study assessed the association between race/ethnicity and annual mammogram compliance among randomly selected households residing in the largely Haitian community of Little Haiti, Miami-Dade County (MDC), Florida. Methods This study used cross-sectional, health data from a random-sample, population-based survey conducted within households residing in Little Haiti between November 2011 and December 2012 (n = 951). Mammogram compliance was defined as completion of mammogram by all female household members within the 12 months prior to the survey. The association between mammogram compliance and race/ethnicity was assessed using binary logistic regression models. Potential confounders were identified as factors that were conservatively associated with both compliance and race/ethnicity (P???0.20). Analyses were restricted to households containing at least 1 female member age ?40 (n = 697). Results Overall compliance with annual mammogram was 62%. Race/ethnicity was significantly associated with mammogram compliance (P = 0.030). Compliance was highest among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) households (75%), followed by Hispanic (62%), Haitian (59%), and non-Hispanic White (NHW) households (51%). After controlling for educational level, marital status, employment status, the presence of young children within the household, health insurance status, and regular doctor visits, a borderline significant disparity in mammogram compliance was observed between Haitian and NHB households (adjusted odds ratio = 1.63, P = 0.11). No other racial/ethnic disparities were observed. Discussion Compliance with annual mammogram was low among the surveyed households in Little Haiti. Haitian households underutilized screening by means of annual mammogram compared with NHB households, although this disparity was not significant. Compliance rates could be enhanced by conducting individualized, mammogram screening-based studies to identify the reasons behind low rate of compliance among households in this underserved, minority population.

OBJECTIVES: Racial/ethnic disparities in health in the U.S. have been well described. The field of "cultural competence" has emerged as one strategy to address these disparities. Based on a review of the relevant literature, the authors develop a definition of cultural competence, identify key components for intervention, and describe a practical framework for implementation of measures to address racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. METHODS: The authors conducted a literature review of academic, foundation, and government publications focusing on sociocultural barriers to care, the level of the health care system at which a given barrier occurs, and cultural competence efforts that address these barriers. RESULTS: Sociocultural barriers to care were identified at the organizational (leadership/workforce), structural (processes of care), and clinical (provider-patient encounter) levels. A framework of cultural competence interventions--including minority recruitment into the health professions, development of interpreter services and language-appropriate health educational materials, and provider education on cross-cultural issues--emerged to categorize strategies to address racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic changes anticipated over the next decade magnify the importance of addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. A framework of organizational, structural, and clinical cultural competence interventions can facilitate the elimination of these disparities and improve care for all Americans.

The core of evidenced-based maternal and child health is about using the best research about the safety and effectiveness of specific tests, treatments, and other interventions to help guide MCH decisions. Females of child-bearing age especially need to be informed about the best strategies to ensure and protect their health. Evidenced-Based Maternal and Child Health: Reproductive and Perinatal Health takes several key topics on reproductive outcomes and approaches them from a population-based standpoint. Chapters include sexually transmitted infections (STIs), infertility, pregnancy and birth

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to assess racial/ethnic trends in surveillance data in four states--California, New York, Florida and Texas, identify structural barriers to and facilitators of access to HIV pharmaceuticals by individuals in Medicaid and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), and identify treatment education and outreach efforts responding to the needs of ethnic minority HIV patients. METHODS: State surveillance and claims data were used to assess trends by race/ethnicity in AIDS cases and mortality as well as participation rates in Medicaid and ADAP. Key informant interviews with state program administrators and local clinic-based benefit eligibility workers were used to identify social and policy barriers to and facilitators of access to HIV drugs and state strategies for overcoming racial/ethnic disparities. RESULTS: Racial/ethnic disparities in the reduction of AIDS-related mortality were identified in three of the four states studied. Policy barriers included Medicaid requirements for legal immigration status and residency, limits on Medicaid eligibility based on disability requirements, and state-imposed income and benefit limits on ADAP. Social barriers to accessing AIDS medications included lack of information, distrust of government, and HIV-related stigma. State strategies for overcoming disparities included contracting with community-based organizations for treatment education and outreach, the use of regional minority coordinators, and public information campaigns. CONCLUSIONS: State policies play a significant role in determining access to HIV drugs, and state policies can be used to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in pharmaceutical access. Overall, eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in access to HIV pharmaceuticals appears to be an achievable goal.

New York State (NYS) passed legislation authorizing pharmacists to administer immunizations in 2008. Racial/socioeconomic disparities persist in vaccination rates and vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza. Many NYS pharmacies participate in the Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP), which allows provision of non-prescription syringes to help prevent transmission of HIV, and are uniquely positioned to offer vaccination services to low-income communities. To understand individual and neighborhood characteristics of pharmacy staff support for in-pharmacy vaccination, we combined census tract data with baseline pharmacy data from the Pharmacies as Resources Making Links to Community Services (PHARM-Link) study among ESAP-registered pharmacies. The sample consists of 437 pharmacists, non-pharmacist owners, and technicians enrolled from 103 eligible New York City pharmacies. Using multilevel analysis, pharmacy staff who expressed support of in-pharmacy vaccination services were 69% more likely to support in-pharmacy HIV testing services (OR, 1.69; 95% CI 1.39–2.04). While pharmacy staff who worked in neighborhoods with a high percent of minority residents were less likely to express support of in-pharmacy vaccination, those in neighborhoods with a high percent of foreign-born residents were marginally more likely to express support of in-pharmacy vaccination. While educational campaigns around the importance of vaccination access may be needed among some pharmacy staff and minority community residents, we have provided evidence supporting scale-up of vaccination efforts in pharmacies located in foreign-born/immigrant communities which has potential to reduce disparities in vaccination rates and preventable influenza-related mortality.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review highlights the available data describing racial and ethnic health disparities among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the United States from an epidemiological, disease activity and wider socioeconomic standpoint. RECENT FINDINGS: Despite centralized government initiatives to include more under-representative minority populations into research, many of the studies that examined RA still fail to include sizeable cohorts of races or ethnic groups other than Caucasian. Evidence is slowly mounting that individual, provider and system level barriers exist and contribute to unequal care that leads to poorer outcomes amongst patients with RA. As RA is a progressive disease, early treatment is crucial to delay functional decline – a narrow window for many minority patients who are disproportionality affected by disability. SUMMARY: In order to combat the inequality that exists amongst RA patients we must focus on why discrepancies exist on every level, system, physician, patient, and illness. Further research is needed to tease the complex interplay between race, SES, medical access and outcomes to explain the disparities found in RA.

FrontMatter -- Contents -- Summary -- 1 Introduction and Literature Review -- 2 The Healthcare Environment and Its Relation to Disparities -- 3 Assessing Potential Sources of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Care: Patient- and System-Level Factors -- 4 Assessing Potential Sources of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Care: The Clinical Encounter -- 5 Interventions: Systemic Strategies -- 6 Interventions: Cross-Cultural Education in the Health Professions -- 7 Data Collection and Monitoring -- 8 Needed Research -- References -- Appendixes -- A Data Sources and Methods -- B Literature Review -- C Federal-Level and Other Initiatives to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare -- D Racial Disparities in Healthcare: Highlights from Focus Group Findings -- E Committee and Staff Biographies -- Paper Contributions -- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review of the Evidence and a Consideration of Causes-H. Jack Geiger -- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare: A Background and History-W. Michael Byrd and Linda A. Clayton -- The Rationing of Healthcare and Health Disparity for the American Indians/Alaska Natives-Jennie R. Joe -- Patient-Provider Communication: The Effect of Race and Ethnicity on Process and Outcomes of Healthcare-Lisa A. Cooper and Debra L. Roter -- The Culture of Medicine and Racial, Ethnic, and Class Disparities in Healthcare-Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, Cara James, Byron J. Good, and Anne E. Becker -- The Civil Rights Dimension of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Status-Thomas E. Perez -- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare: Issues in the Design, Structure, and Administration of Federal Healthcare Financing Programs Supported Through Direct Public Funding-Sara Rosenbaum

People of color are overrepresented in our criminal justice system. One in three African American men born today will be incarcerated in his lifetime. In some cities, African Americans are ten times more likely to be arrested when stopped by police. With the national debate national focused on race, crime, and punishment, criminal justice experts are examining how to reduce racial disparities in our prisons and jails, which often serve as initial entry points for those who become entangled in the criminal justice system.This report, which relies on input from 25 criminal justice leaders, pinpoints the drivers of racial disparities in our jails, lays out common sense reforms to reduce this disparity, including increasing public defense representation for misdemeanor offenses, encouraging prosecutors to prioritize serious and violent offenses, limiting the use of pretrial detention, and requiring training to reduce racial bias for all those involved in running our justice system.

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and political actions gained prominence and public support before, during, and after the 2016 presidential election. This anti-immigrant political environment threatens to increase health disparities among undocumented persons, immigrant groups, and people of color. I discuss the mechanisms by which anti-immigrant stigma exacerbates racial/ethnic health disparities through increasing multilevel discrimination and stress, deportation and detention, and policies that limit health resources. I argue that the anti-immigrant sociopolitical context is a social determinant of health that affects mostly communities of color, both immigrants and nonimmigrants. Public health has a moral obligation to consider how immigration policy is health policy and to be prepared to respond to worsening health disparities as a result of anti-immigrant racism.

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and political actions gained prominence and public support before, during, and after the 2016 presidential election. This anti-immigrant political environment threatens to increase health disparities among undocumented persons, immigrant groups, and people of color. I discuss the mechanisms by which anti-immigrant stigma exacerbates racial/ethnic health disparities through increasing multilevel discrimination and stress, deportation and detention, and policies that limit health resources. I argue that the anti-immigrant sociopolitical context is a social determinant of health that affects mostly communities of color, both immigrants and nonimmigrants. Public health has a moral obligation to consider how immigration policy is health policy and to be prepared to respond to worsening health disparities as a result of anti-immigrant racism.

Health disparities research often focuses on the social patterning of health outcomes. Increasingly, there has been an emphasis on understanding the mechanisms perpetuating disparities, even after issues of patient access to health services are addressed. The following study utilizes a novel dataset of electronic medical records (EMR), radiology records, and U.S. Census data to investigate the racial/ethnic patterning of provider-patient communication among patients diagnosed with incidental medical findings requiring follow-up. My results indicate that racial/ethnic disparities in follow-up adherence stem from initial disparities in provider-patient communication. These communication disparities persist even after accounting for multiple socioeconomic, health, and provider characteristics, indicating a bias in medicine, whereby providers are less likely to communicate information about incidental medical findings to patients of color relative to White patients. This paper has important clinical implications, as it sheds new light on why we might see low adherence to medical advice among patients of color. Findings also have social, political, and policy relevance, as they suggest an important mechanism through which health inequalities persist. To finally eliminate racial/ethnic health inequalities in the United States, racial bias and discrimination within medical and public health infrastructures must be eliminated.