African Americans have the highest risk of in-hospital mortality with atrial fibrillation related hospitalizations among all racial/ethnic groups: A nationwide analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of cigarette prices on adult smoking for four US racial/ethnic groups: whites, African–Americans, Asians and Hispanics.MethodsWe analysed pooled cross-sectional data from the 2006/2007 and 2010/2011 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (n=339 921 adults aged 18+) and cigarette price data from the Tax Burden on Tobacco. Using a two-part econometric model of cigarette demand that controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, state-level antismoking sentiment, local-level smoke-free air laws and monthly indicator, we estimated for each racial/ethnic group the price elasticities of smoking participation, smoking intensity and total demand for cigarettes.ResultsSmoking prevalence for whites, African–Americans, Asians and Hispanics during the study period was 18.3%, 16.1%, 8.2% and 11.3%, respectively. The price elasticity of smoking participation was statistically significant for whites, African–Americans, Asians and Hispanics at −0.26, –0.10, −0.42 and −0.11, respectively. The price elasticity of smoking intensity was statistically significant among whites (−0.22) and African–Americans (−0.17). Overall, the total price elasticity of cigarette demand was statistically significant for all racial/ethnic groups: 0.48 for whites, −0.27 for African–Americans, −0.22 for Asians and −0.15 for Hispanics.ConclusionsOur results suggest that raising cigarette prices, such as via tobacco tax increases, would result in reduced cigarette consumption for all racial/ethnic groups. The magnitude of the effect and the impact on cessation and reduced smoking intensity differ across these groups.

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Ethnic Differences in Perceptions of Mental Illness: Examining Intergroup Relations

10.31234/osf.io/wcfg9 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Sara Aringer ◽

Jimmy Calanchini

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Asian Americans ◽

Mentally Ill ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Exploratory Factor Analyses ◽

Race Ethnicity ◽

Racial Ethnic

People with mental illness are often stereotyped as dangerous, unstable, or unreliable, and these stereotypes perpetuate prejudice against those who are already vulnerable. However, many of these stereotypes are Eurocentric due to a lack of diversity within psychology. The present, preregistered research investigates whether depictions of mental illness are idiosyncratic to various racial/ethnic groups, or if these perceptions generalize across groups. Participants reported their endorsement of a series of mental illness descriptions (e.g., “This person spontaneously explodes in outbursts of anger”) as they apply to African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic/Latinxs, Caucasians, as well as to individuals with unspecified race/ethnicity. Exploratory factor analyses of these descriptions revealed three factors that describe mentally ill people -- ashamed, self-destructive, irresponsible -- and participants’ perceptions of mental illness on these three factors varied by racial/ethnic groups. Participants rated Asian Americans as more ashamed, but less self-destructive and irresponsible than other racial/ethnic groups. Conversely, participants rated Caucasians as less ashamed, but more self-destructive and irresponsible than other racial/ethnic groups. Perceptions of mental illness did not differ between Hispanic/Latinxs and African Americans. Additional analyses indicate that, compared to Caucasian participants, non-Caucasian participants rated mentally ill members of their ingroup as more ashamed but less self-destructive and irresponsible. This research indicates that participants from different racial/ethnic groups vary in the extent to which they ascribe different facets of mental illness to their ingroup versus outgroups. Implications for Eurocentric versus more diverse perceptions of mental illness are discussed.

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African-American Multiple Myeloma Patients Exhibit Less Bone Disease Compared to Other Racial/Ethnic Groups

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v116.21.4994.4994 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 116 (21) ◽

pp. 4994-4994

Author(s):

Eric W. Dean ◽

Elad Ziv

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

African American ◽

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Bone Disease ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Compression Fractures ◽

Lytic Lesions ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Racial Ethnic

Abstract Abstract 4994 Background: Bone destruction remains one of the major complications in Multiple Myeloma (MM) leading to morbidity and mortality. African-Americans have a higher incidence of MM but exhibit longer survivals compared to Caucasians. We analyzed bone involvement in a cohort of patients with MM to determine if non African American (non AA) vs. African American (AA) race predicts the presence and severity of bone disease at presentation. Methods: Clinical data was gathered on 197 (176 non AA and 21 AA) MM patients at the University of California, San Francisco. Each patient had a skeletal survey at diagnosis and identified as having 0 lytic lesions, 1–2 lytic lesions or 3 or more lytic lesions. The presence of compression fractures was also documented for each patient as was age and sex. Results: The presence of compression fractures strongly correlated with the number of lytic lesions in both the non AA and AA groups, with no compression fractures observed in the patients with zero lytic lesions (p<0.001). Among the AA group, there were fewer (6 of 15) patients with compression fractures compared with patients from the non AA group (92 of 161) (p=0.02). There was also a trend towards fewer lytic lesions among the AA group (p=0.053). No significant difference was observed between the extent of bone disease and age or sex between the two groups. Conclusions: Within this cohort of patients, there is a significantly lower rate of compression fractures among African-Americans. These data supports the idea that African-American patients present with less bone disease which confers a survival advantage compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Trends in Nutrition and Exercise Counseling among Adolescents in the Health Care Environment

Journal of Environmental and Public Health ◽

10.1155/2012/949303 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Tasha Peart ◽

Patricia B. Crawford

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Low Cost ◽

Nutrition Counseling ◽

Health Care Environment ◽

Care Environment ◽

Exercise Counseling ◽

Race Ethnicity ◽

Racial Ethnic

Purpose. Obesity is a serious health threat, particularly among racial/ethnic minorities and those who are uninsured, yet little is known about the implementation of nutrition or exercise counseling or the combination of both among these groups. Trends in counseling by race/ethnicity and types of insurance were examined.Methods. Trend analyses were conducted with the California Health Interview Surveys among those ages 12–17 for the period 2003–2009.Results.Race/Ethnicity: Receipt of both counseling methods declined from 2003–2009 for all racial/ethnic groups, except Hispanics and Whites, for whom increases in counseling began after 2007. Hispanics and African Americans generally reported higher levels of nutrition than exercise counseling, while Whites generally reported higher levels of exercise than nutrition counseling for the study period.Insurance Type: Receipt of both counseling methods appeared to decline from 2003–2009 among all insurance types, although after 2007, a slight increase was observed for the low-cost/free insurance group. Those with private health insurance generally received more exercise counseling than nutrition counseling over the study period.Conclusions. Counseling among all racial/ethnic groups and insurance types is warranted, but particularly needed for African Americans, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and the uninsured as they are at highest risk for developing obesity. Institutional and policy changes in the health care environment will be beneficial in helping to promote obesity-related counseling.

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The Pandemic within a Pandemic: Testing a Sequential Mediation Model to Better Understand Racial/Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Preventive Behavior

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9020230 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 230

Author(s):

James A. Roberts ◽

Meredith E. David

Keyword(s):

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Mediation Model ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Preventive Behaviors ◽

Perceived Knowledge ◽

Health Seeking Behavior ◽

Seeking Behavior ◽

Racial Ethnic

Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data reveal that COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality rates are higher for certain racial/ethnic groups. Labeled as the “pandemic within a pandemic”, African Americans and Hispanics are bearing more of the brunt of the disease compared to Caucasians. Testing a new sequential mediation model on a sample of 483 US African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic adults, the present study investigates the role of fear of COVID-19, information receptivity, perceived knowledge, and self-efficacy to explain disparities in preventive behaviors. Study contributions include the specification of a new predictive model that improves upon the long-used Health Belief Model (HBM). The Sequential Mediation Model appears to have greater explanatory capacity than the HBM. Study results also provide important insights into racial/ethnic differences in health-seeking behavior related to the coronavirus. Findings show that African Americans reported higher levels of preventive behaviors and self-efficacy than Caucasians. It is possible that SES, rather than race per se, is more important in explaining differences in COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Certain “cues to action” (precipitating factors) also help explain this somewhat surprising result. Additionally, significant differences were found across the three racial/ethnic groups for all the new model’s variables except perceived knowledge. The new model was supported across all three racial/ethnic groups with notable differences across each group. Given the severity of implications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic (physical, mental, and economic), it is critical that an improved understanding of what drives individual health-seeking behavior be achieved. Study limitations and future research suggestions are discussed.

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Differences in Diet Quality among Multiple US Racial/Ethnic Groups from the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.1093/jn/nxaa050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 150 (6) ◽

pp. 1509-1515 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luis A Rodriguez ◽

Yichen Jin ◽

Sameera A Talegawkar ◽

Marcia C de Oliveira Otto ◽

Namratha R Kandula ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

South Asian ◽

Diet Quality ◽

South Asians ◽

Chinese Americans ◽

The United States ◽

Ethnic Study ◽

Racial Ethnic

ABSTRACT Background Diet quality is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Little is known about the diet quality of South Asians in the United States, a group with higher rates of T2D and CVD compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Objective This study determined whether diet quality differs between South Asian adults in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) Study and whites, Chinese Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Methods Cross-sectional data from 3926 participants free of CVD from MESA visit 5 (2010–2011) and 889 South Asian participants from MASALA visit 1 (2010–2013) were pooled. Diet quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010) derived using FFQs. Multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and total energy intake were used to compare mean differences in diet quality between the racial/ethnic groups. Results MESA participants were, on average, 14 y older than MASALA participants. The adjusted mean (95% CI) scores for the AHEI-2010 were 70.2 (69.5, 70.9) among South Asians, 66.2 (66.3, 68.2) among Chinese Americans, 61.1 (60.7, 61.6) among whites, 59.0 (58.4, 59.7) among Hispanics, and 57.5 (56.9, 58.1) among African Americans. The mean AHEI scores among South Asians were 3.1 (1.8, 4.3), 9.2 (8.3, 10.1), 11.2 (10.2, 12.3), and 12.8 (11.8, 13.7) points higher compared with Chinese Americans, whites, Hispanics, and African Americans, respectively. Conclusions South Asian adults in the United States have a higher diet quality compared with other racial/ethnic groups. This paradoxical finding is not consistent with the observed higher rates of T2D and CVD compared with other groups. This is further evidence of the importance of studying the South Asian population to better understand the causes of chronic disease not explained by diet quality.

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Race/Ethnicity, Smoking Status, and Self-Generated Expected Outcomes from Smoking among Adolescents

Cancer Control ◽

10.1177/1073274805012004s08 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 12 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 51-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jennifer Irvin Vidrine ◽

Cheryl B. Anderson ◽

Kathryn I. Poliak ◽

David W. Wetter

Keyword(s):

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Ethnic Differences ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Smoking Initiation ◽

Outcome Expectancies ◽

Current Smoking ◽

Race Ethnicity ◽

Racial Ethnic ◽

Expected Outcomes

Racial/ethnic differences in adolescent smoking suggest that different factors may motivate smoking among various racial/ethnic groups. This study examined relations among race/ethnicity, self-generated smoking outcome expectancies, and smoking status. Our findings noted that current smoking was highest among Hispanics, whereas African Americans and Asians were least likely to ever smoke. African Americans were most likely to experiment but least likely to smoke currently. Five expectancies differed significantly by race/ethnicity: reduce tension, image, negative aesthetics, addiction, and cost. However, none were significant mediators or moderators. Racial/ethnic groups most susceptible to smoking initiation and with the highest rates of current smoking should be targeted for prevention and cessation. Research is needed to examine more thoroughly racial/ethnic differences in expectancies.

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The Impacts of Residential Segregation on Obesity

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2017-0352 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 834-839 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Chia-Yuan Yu ◽

Ayoung Woo ◽

Christopher Hawkins ◽

Sara Iman

Keyword(s):

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Residential Segregation ◽

Fast Food ◽

Weight Status ◽

The United States ◽

Behavioral Risk ◽

Contextual Influence ◽

Level Data ◽

Racial Ethnic

Background: This study examined the association between residential segregation and obesity for Whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. This study considered 3 dimensions of residential segregation, isolation, dissimilarity, and concentration. Methods: By combining individual-level data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and county-level data from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, the total sample size was 204,610 respondents (160,213 Whites, 21,865 African Americans, 18,027 Hispanics, and 4505 Asians) from 205 counties in the United States. Two-level logistic regression models were performed. Results: African Americans and Hispanics in counties with high levels of isolation, dissimilarity, and concentration were more likely to be obese; these relationships did not hold true for Whites and Asians. Counties with a higher percentage of populations with the income below the poverty line and a higher percentage of fast food restaurants in the county were associated with a higher likelihood of obesity for all racial/ethnic groups. African Americans and Hispanics with low levels of education and income were more likely to be obese. Conclusions: Residential segregation had a contextual influence on weight status, and the context of counties influenced racial/ethnic groups differently. Obesity reduction programs should consider the contextual influence on minority populations and target subgroups living in highly segregated areas.

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Racial and Ethnic Patterns in the Utilization of Prehospital Emergency Transport Services in the United States

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x00027680 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 28-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Charles E. McConnel ◽

Rosemary W. Wilson

Keyword(s):

African Americans ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Age Groups ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Transport Services ◽

Emergency Medical ◽

Emergency Transport ◽

Prehospital Emergency ◽

And Gender ◽

Racial Ethnic

AbstractIntroduction:This descriptive research used a large, urban population-based data set for prehospital emergency medical transports to examine racial/ethnic patterns of access and utilization for several broad categories of emergency medical transport services.Methods:Fire department files of approximately 39,000 reports on service provision were used to establish rates of transport utilization per 1,000 population in 1990, the most recent year for which reliable citylevel census data were available. Data were categorized by three age groups (< 25 years 25–64years,≥ 65years), three racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, Hispanics), and gender. Transport rates were computed for total utilization, trauma incidents, and incidents due to medical conditions. Racial/ethnic rates were analyzed for each age and gender group and age- and gender-standardized rates were analyzed and presented in a graphical comparison. Statistical analyses of racial/ethnic differences were conducted using Tukey-type tests of multiple comparisons of proportions, with significant differences evaluated at the p = 0.001 level of significance.Results:Significant differences between racial/ethnic groups in the utilization of emergency transport services existed for all pair-wise comparisons including comparisons by each of the three age groups and gender. For total utilization, unadjusted rates are highest for African-Americans (65.9/1,000) and lowest for Hispanics (25.8/1.000). Likewise, African-American rates were substantially higher for both gender groups and across all age groups. Categorized by gender and age group under age ≥ 65 years, non-Hispanic whites are observed to have the lowest rates for both males and females under the age 65 years, while Hispanics have the lowest rates in the group 65 years old However, when rates are age- and gender- standardized, compared to African-Americans and Hispanics, rates for non-Hispanic whites are significantly lower for total transports and for trauma and medically related transports (p = 0.001).Conclusion:Age- and gender- standardized rates for emergency medical transport were found to be lowest for non-Hispanic whites, moderately higher for Hispanics, and subsantially higher for African-Americans, who experienced transport rates nearly three times higher than were the rates for non-Hispanic whites. Further research is required to establish the extent to which racial/ethnic differences observed in this geographically restricted study reflect variations between racial/ethnic groups in the underlying need for services.

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Reported condom use and condom use difficulties in street outreach samples of men of four racial and ethnic backgrounds

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1258/095646205774763135 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. 739-743 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

E James Essien ◽

Michael W Ross ◽

Maria Eugenia Fernández-Esquer ◽

Mark L Williams

Keyword(s):

African Americans ◽

Condom Use ◽

Sexual Identity ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

The United States ◽

Bisexual Men ◽

Hispanic Men ◽

Race Ethnicity ◽

And Bisexual ◽

Racial Ethnic

The epidemiology of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States has focused research attention on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities as well as on racial and ethnic minorities. Much of that attention has, however, been focused on specific racial and ethnic groups, and specific sexual minorities. We report on the results of a study that examined the association between condom use and partnership types among men from four major racial/ethnic groups. Self-reported data on sexual identity (homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual) and condom use in the past three months were collected from 806 African Americans, Hispanic, Asian, and white men intercepted in public places in Houston, TX. Data indicated that condom use was lowest in African Americans and Hispanic men, bisexual men reported the highest levels of use, with heterosexual men reporting the lowest use. African Americans and Hispanic men reported generally that it was very difficult to use a condom during sexual contact, although the patterns for self-identified homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual men varied across race/ethnicity. Homosexual African American men reported the least difficulty, and white homosexual men the most difficulty compared with heterosexual and bisexual peers. For homosexually identified men, there were considerable differences across race/ethnicity in the proportion of partners who never or rarely disagreed to use condoms, with Asians disagreeing least, and African Americans most. Within racial/ethnic groups, the levels of condom use and difficulty were similar for male and female partners, suggesting that it is sexual identity, rather than partner gender, that has impacted condom-use messages. These data suggest that racial/ethnic targeting of condom use is likely to be most efficacious in increasing condom use in men.

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