scholarly journals Health disparities, race, and the global pandemic of COVID‐19: The demise of Black Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (170) ◽  
pp. 55-65
Author(s):  
Lilian H. Hill ◽  
Rebecca Holland
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Global Pandemic

scholarly journals Evidence for neuropsychological health disparities in Black Americans with HIV disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Thompson ◽  
Ilex Beltran-Najera ◽  
Briana Johnson ◽  
Yenifer Morales ◽  
Steven Paul Woods
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Hiv Disease

Black-White Racial Health Disparities in Inflammation and Physical Health: Cumulative Stress, Social Isolation, and Health Behaviors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliette McClendon ◽  
Katharine Chang ◽  
Michael J. Boudreaux ◽  
Thomas Oltmanns ◽  
Ryan Bogdan
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Stress Factor ◽  
Racial Health Disparities ◽  
Cumulative Stress

Black Americans have vastly increased odds and earlier onsets of stress- and age-related disease compared to White Americans. However, what contributes to these racial health disparities remains poorly understood. Using a sample of 1,577 older adults (32.7% Black; ages 55 to 65 at baseline), we examined whether stress, health behaviors, social isolation, and inflammation are associated with racial disparities in self-reported physical health. A latent cumulative stress factor and unique stress-domain specific factors were modeled by applying bifactor confirmatory analysis to assessments across the lifespan (i.e., childhood maltreatment, trauma exposure, discrimination, stressful life events, and indices of socioeconomic status). Physical health, health behavior and social isolation were assessed using self-report; interleukin-6 (IL-6) was assayed from morning fasting serum samples. A parallel serial mediational model tested whether Race (i.e., Black/White) is indirectly associated with health through the following 2 pathways: 1) cumulative stress. health behaviors, inflammation, and 2) cumulative stress, social isolation, and inflammation. There were significant indirect between race and self-reported physical health through cumulative stress, social isolation, and IL-6 (b = -.009, 95% CI: -.027, -.001) and cumulative stress, health behaviors, and IL-6 (b = -.018, 95% CI: -.044, -.005). Specifically, Black Americans were exposed to greater cumulative stress, which was associated with more social isolation as well as reduced preventive health behaviors; these in turn, were each independently associated with greater IL-6 and reduced physical health. Similar to the cumulative latent stress factor, a unique SES factor also indirectly linked race to physical health through these same two pathways (both bs < -.008, both 95% CI within: -.056, -.002). Cumulative stress exposure and socioeconomic status are indirectly associated with Black-White racial health disparities through behavioral (i.e., health behavior, social isolation) and biological (i.e., inflammation) factors. Currently, culturally responsive evidence-based interventions that enhance healthy stress coping and increased social connection are needed to directly confront health disparities. Ultimately, large scale anti-racist public policies (i.e., those which produce equitable outcomes) that reduce cumulative stress burden (e.g., a living wage, universal healthcare) may best attenuate racial health disparities.

Neurocognitive Performance Differences Between Black and White Individuals with HIV Disease are Mediated by Health Literacy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilex Beltran-Najera ◽  
Jennifer L. Thompson ◽  
Anastasia Matchanova ◽  
Kelli L. Sullivan ◽  
Michelle A. Babicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Adult Literacy ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv Disease ◽  
Neurocognitive Performance ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Significant Mediator

Objective: Brain health disparities have been reported for Black Americans with HIV disease, who are disproportionally affected by the epidemic in the United States. The current study investigated whether the neurocognitive disparities experienced by Black Americans with HIV disease may be at least partly attributable to health literacy. Method: Participants were 61 White and 25 Black participants (ages 27-70) with HIV disease enrolled in studies at an urban academic center in Southern California. Neurocognitive function was assessed by an age-adjusted global score from the Cogstate battery. Health literacy was measured by a composite score derived from the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, Newest Vital Sign, and 3-Brief. Results: Bootstrap confidence interval mediation analyses showed that health literacy was a significant mediator of the hypothesized relationship between race and neurocognition; that is, there were no direct ethnoracial differences in neurocognition after accounting for health literacy. A follow-up inverted model to confirm the directionality of this association demonstrated that neurocognition was not a significant mediator of the relationship between race and health literacy. Conclusions: Low health literacy may help explain the observed neurocognitive health disparities for Black Americans with HIV disease. Future studies might examine the possible mechanism of this mediating relationship (e.g., access to health information, health behaviors, socioeconomics) and determine whether culturally tailored interventions that improve health literacy also confer brain health benefits for Black Americans with HIV disease.

scholarly journals Health Disparities in COVID-19: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 197-197
Author(s):  
Chivon Mingo ◽  
Ronica Rooks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Rapid Transmission ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The rapid transmission of COVID-19 has resulted in more than 100 million confirmed cases in over 200 countries and continues to have wide-community spread. Consistently, it has been reported that older adults are at a greater risk for requiring hospitalization or dying from the virus compared to younger adults and children. In fact, compared to those age 18-29, age 65-74 are five times more likely to be hospitalized and 90 times more likely to experience death. The risk increases exponentially with age. Individuals 85 and older are 13 times more likely to require hospitalization and 630 times more likely to die from the disease. The physical health-age correlation has permeated the media and many discussions concerning the pandemic. However, fewer discussions have centered on the interaction of age and social variables that further exacerbate COVID-19 related burden or mortality such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and limited access to healthcare. Therefore, this symposium will bring direct attention to COVID-19 related health disparities that compromise public health, discuss implications on future research, policy, and practice, and discuss opportunities to reduce the burden and mitigate health inequities. The symposium presenters will specifically address the impact of social support during COVID-19, disparities in the effects of social distancing on health status, the economic impact on health, cognitive decline among low-income older adults navigating a global pandemic, and factors associated with higher rates of hospitalizations among racial/ethnic diverse older adults.

scholarly journals The role of feature-based discrimination in driving health disparities among Black Americans

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-176
Author(s):  
Randl B. Dent ◽  
Nao Hagiwara ◽  
Elena V. Stepanova ◽  
Tiffany L. Green
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Feature Based

scholarly journals Critical reflections and reflexivity on responding to the needs of LGBTQ+ youth in a global pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 479-486
Author(s):  
Gio Iacono ◽  
Shelley L Craig ◽  
Rachael Pascoe
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Lgbtq Youth ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Critical Reflexivity

The global community has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. LGBTQ+ (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc.) youth may face increased stressors amidst the pandemic given their significant mental and sexual health disparities, pervasive rejection — including quarantining in homes with heightened risk of abuse and victimization, and a lack of access to essential resources. Responsive supports are needed at this time for vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth, particularly tailored mental health supports. This critical reflexive paper will highlight, as qualitative social work researchers and practitioners, the swift response to the needs of vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth across Canada during this pandemic. We provide a transparent account of how we have utilized critical reflexivity, cultivated through qualitative research, to support LGBTQ+ youth. This article will elucidate the importance of critical reflexivity in effectively transitioning essential offline mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth to a technology-mediated mental health affirmative intervention. The aim of this paper is to provide qualitative researchers and practitioners practical direction through important insights gleaned by supporting marginalized LGBTQ+ youth during particularly trying times such as a global pandemic.

The Modified-Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality: Examination of Construct Validity in Older Black Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 77E-101E
Author(s):  
Melissa J. Mokel ◽  
Juliette M. Shellman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Multidimensional Measure ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Study Participants

Background and Purpose: Sociocultural explanatory frameworks are increasingly being considered to address causes of health disparities, and attention has been focused on religion among Black Americans and its subsequent influence on health. The purpose of this study was to examine a multidimensional measure of religiousness and spirituality (Modified-Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality [M-FMMRS]) in a sample of Black older adults. Methods: The M-FMMRS was administered to 130 study participants, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Results: Findings did not support the hypothesized factor structure. Conclusions: Overall, the M-FMMRS is a reliable survey, but the validity needs to be further addressed. Historical documentation, review of data, and participant feedback are used to examine findings.

scholarly journals Stereotype threat, trait perseveration, and vagal activity: evidence for mechanisms underpinning health disparities in Black Americans

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 909-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
DeWayne P. Williams ◽  
Nicholas Joseph ◽  
LaBarron K. Hill ◽  
John J. Sollers ◽  
Michael W. Vasey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Vagal Activity
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