scholarly journals How do older people describe others with cognitive impairment? A multiethnic study in the United States

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
SARAH B. LADITKA ◽  
JAMES N. LADITKA ◽  
RUI LIU ◽  
ANNA E. PRICE ◽  
DANIELA B. FRIEDMAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Older People ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Chinese Americans ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vietnamese Americans ◽  
Cognitive Health

ABSTRACTWe studied how older people describe others with cognitive impairment. Forty-two focus groups represented African Americans, American Indians, Chinese Americans, Latinos, Vietnamese Americans, and Whites other than Latinos (Whites) (N = 396, ages 50+), in nine locations in the United States of America. Axial coding connected categories and identified themes. The constant comparison method compared themes across ethnic groups. African Americans, American Indians and Whites emphasised memory loss. African Americans, American Indians, Latinos and Whites stressed withdrawal, isolation and repetitive speech. African Americans, American Indians, Vietnamese Americans and Whites emphasised ‘slow thinking’. Only Whites described mood swings and personality changes. Many participants attributed dementia to stress. Terms describing others with dementia included ‘Alzheimer's’, ‘dementia’, ‘senile’ and ‘crazy’. Euphemisms were common (‘senior moment’, ‘old timer's disease’). Responses focused on memory, with limited mention of other cognitive functions. Differences among ethnic groups in descriptions of cognitive health and cognitive impairment underscore the need to tailor public health messages about cognitive health to ways that people construe its loss, and to their interest in maintaining it, so that messages and terms used are familiar, understandable and relevant to the groups for which they are designed. Health promotion efforts should develop ethnically sensitive ways to address the widely held misperception that even serious cognitive impairment is a normal characteristic of ageing and also to address stigma associated with cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals Older adults' concerns about cognitive health: commonalities and differences among six United States ethnic groups

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1202-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES N. LADITKA ◽  
SARAH B. LADITKA ◽  
RUI LIU ◽  
ANNA E. PRICE ◽  
BEI WU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Chinese Americans ◽  
Vietnamese Americans ◽  
Cognitive Health

ABSTRACTWe studied concerns about cognitive health among ethnically diverse groups of older adults. The study was grounded in theories of health behaviour and the representation of health and illness. We conducted 42 focus groups (N=396, ages 50+) in four languages, with African Americans, American Indians, Chinese Americans, Latinos, Whites other than Latinos (hereafter, Whites) and Vietnamese Americans, in nine United States locations. Participants discussed concerns about keeping their memory or ability to think as they age. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim. Constant comparison methods identified themes. In findings, all ethnic groups expressed concern and fear about memory loss, losing independence, and becoming ‘a burden’. Knowing someone with Alzheimer's disease increased concern. American Indians, Chinese Americans, Latinos and Vietnamese Americans expected memory loss. American Indians, Chinese Americans and Vietnamese Americans were concerned about stigma associated with Alzheimer's disease. Only African Americans, Chinese and Whites expressed concern about genetic risks. Only African Americans and Whites expressed concern about behaviour changes. Although we asked participants for their thoughts about their ability to think as they age, they focused almost exclusively on memory. This suggests that health education promoting cognitive health should focus on memory, but should also educate the public about the importance of maintaining all aspects of cognitive health.

scholarly journals 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)

2020 ◽  
Vol 150 (6) ◽  
pp. 1509-1515 ◽  
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.

Prevalence of Venous Thromboembolism Across Ethnic Groups in the United States.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 2492-2492
Author(s):  
Steven B Deitelzweig ◽  
Jay Lin ◽  
Barbara H Johnson ◽  
Kathy L. Schulman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Prevalence Rate ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Burden Of Illness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hispanic Males ◽  
Thomson Reuters ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Abstract 2492 Poster Board II-469 Objective: Understanding the overall prevalence of VTE is paramount in estimating the burden of illness associated with this disease. This study aims to assess the number of VTE cases in the United States across ethnic groups based on recent data. Methods: Data from the Marketscan® Medicaid database from Thomson Reuters (Jan 2002–Dec 2005) were extracted for patients aged ≥18 years. Patients were evaluated for VTE in each year, defined by the presence of a VTE diagnosis on an inpatient claim or on ≥1 outpatient claim with evidence of anticoagulant administration. Age-, sex- and race-specific VTE prevalence rates were derived by dividing the number of VTE cases identified by the number of individuals in the underlying MarketScan populations during that time. These rates were then multiplied by 100,000 to obtain a VTE prevalence rate per 100,000. Results: In 2002, there were 276 individuals with evidence of VTE per 100,000 plan enrollees. In 2005, that number grew to 358, a 30% increase. African American males had the highest overall observed prevalence rate of 584 per 100,000 enrollees in 2002, growing to 785 in 2005 (Table). Caucasian males had the next highest observed prevalence at 457 per 100,000 enrollees in 2002, growing to 643 per 100,000 in 2005. Females generally had lower observed prevalence of VTE than males, although Hispanic females had similar prevalence's to Hispanic males (94 vs 93 in 2002, 149 vs 154 in 2005). Following multivariate adjustment for comorbidities and conditions known to be strong risk factors associated with developing VTE, African Americans were at significantly increased risk for VTE than Caucasians (Odds Ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.07, p<0.05). Conclusions: VTE prevalence increased during the study period for the overall US Medicaid population. African Americans had the highest rate of VTE, followed by Caucasians and Hispanics. There is a need for improved VTE awareness and prevention across all ethnic groups. Disclosures: Deitelzweig: sanofi-aventis: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau, The authors received editorial/writing support in the preparation of this abstract funded by sanofi-aventis U.S., Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Scios: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Speakers Bureau. Lin:sanofi-aventis: Employment. Johnson:sanofi-aventis: Research Funding. Schulman:sanofi-aventis: Research Funding.

Racial disparities in outcome among head and neck cancer patients in the United States: An analysis using SEER-Medicare linked database.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6051-6051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikumi Suzuki ◽  
Kevin J. Cullen ◽  
Ranee Mehra ◽  
Søren Bentzen ◽  
Olga G. Goloubeva
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Overall Survival ◽  
Head And Neck Cancer ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Neck Cancer ◽  
The United States

6051 Background: Despite overall decline in cancer mortality, African Americans suffer from higher mortality in most cancer types including cancers of the head and neck. These differences likely result from a complex interplay of clinical and non-clinical factors. We aim to estimate disparities in overall survival across racial groups in HNSCC in the United States. Methods: This study used SEER-Medicare linked database. We identified all patients aged 66 years or older diagnosed with HNSCC as their first cancer from 1992 to 2011. We excluded those in HMO, diagnosed by death certificate or autopsy, non-SCC, unknown race, and missing month and/or year of diagnosis. Further exclusions included metastatic disease, salivary gland cancers, receiving no treatment in the first 180 days, and unknown stage. Analytic data set included oropharynx, oral cavity, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. Primary treatment was defined as any treatment modality received within 180 days after diagnosis. Overall survival (OS) parameters were estimated across ethnic groups by the Cox regression model stratified by site and stage of cancer at diagnosis, adjusted for clinical and demographic characteristics, and propensity score weighted. Results: Our study population included 15, 547 patients. Median OS was 3.5 years (95% CI: 3.4-3.7) across all ethnic groups. African Americans (AA) had inferior outcome with median OS of 2.0 years (95% CI: 1.9-2.3) compared to 3.7 years (95% CI: 3.6-3.8) for Caucasian Americans (CA) (p < 0.0001). This difference was seen despite AA patients receiving comparable treatments and presenting at similar stage of disease, except for cancers of the oral cavity where AA were more likely to present with advanced disease (67% versus 47%; P < 0.001). The difference was most pronounced in the oropharynx where median OS was 1.9 years (95% CI: 1.7-2.1) for AA and 3.8 years (95% CI: 3.5-4.1) in CA (P < 0.0001). AA also had consistently worse OS over time from 1992 to 2011. This study clearly demonstrated AA have inferior outcomes despite similar treatments, comorbidities, age at diagnosis, stage at presentation, tumor location, year of diagnosis and sex. Conclusions: The current study demonstrates inferior overall survival for African American head and neck cancer patients independent of primary site and treatment modalities.

LINKING BLACKNESS OR ETHNIC OTHERING?

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shayla C. Nunnally
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Racial Discrimination ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Racial Socialization ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
The United States ◽  
West Indians ◽  
Linked Fate ◽  
Major Predictor

AbstractDawson (1994) submits Black linked fate is a major predictor of Black political behavior. This theory conjectures that the experiences of African Americans with race and racial discrimination in the United States unify their personal interests under a rubric of interests that are best for the Black racial group. With increasing Black ethnic diversity in the United States, however, it becomes important to ascertain how African Americans perceive linkages across Black ethnic groups. This study examines African Americans' linkages with West Indian and African peoples in the United States, referred to here as diasporic linked fate. The study tests the influence of parent-child, intra-racial socialization messages on these linkages. Results suggest that, while a majority of African Americans acknowledge Black linked fate, they distinguish these linkages based on ethnicity and have more tenuous linkages with West Indians and Africans in the United States. While intra-racial socialization messages offer some import in explaining perceived differences in Black ethnic groups' living experiences, more frequent experiences with racial discrimination, and membership in a Black organization offer more import in explaining diasporic linked fate.

III. Afterword: Mark Twain and the Sense of Racism

Prospects ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 151-158
Author(s):  
Louis J. Budd
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Human Subject ◽  
Mark Twain ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Self ◽  
Social Injustice ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Concrete Reality

Literary historians or biographers who stay interested in a particular author drift in opposite directions. Some, jaded or disillusioned, fixate on that author's personal and even artistic flaws, eventually sounding as if they could have done the primary works better themselves. Others keep getting more and more tolerant toward their vulnerably human subject, often ending up as protective. I would be delighted if pinpoint scholarship could prove that Mark Twain was an avatar of antiracism. But I hope for too much. Throughout his career Twain could aim some stereotyping invective and belittling humor at several groups, most notably the Chinese, the Irish, and American Indians while, like his educated contemporaries, applying labels of race and nationality both casually and interchangeably. So, to narrow down, I would be delighted if Twain emerged – intellectually, emotionally, and politically – as a champion of African Americans or, better still, as a humanist who essentially considered them his peers by birth rather than pitiable victims of bias and social injustice. Not incidentally, I may be making two unforgivable mistakes by narrowing down to Twain's attitudes about African Americans. First, any posing of the matter in that binary way accepts race as a scientifically definable entity in effect or, to use currentspeak, reifies race as a concrete reality. Second, posing the matter in terms of black versus white forgets the much broader process in the United States during much of Twain's lifetime when the privileging label of white was often denied to many nationalities from Eastern Europe and the Middle East and – most egregiously – to the Japanese and Chinese. We ponder too little the fact that Samuel L. Clemens was made inescapably conscious that his determinable ancestors on both sides rated clearly as Anglo-Saxon, the self-proclaimed highest, only unimpeachable level of whiteness.

scholarly journals Racial/Ethnic Disparities Across Indicators of Cigarette Smoking in the Era of Increased Tobacco Control, 1992–2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari-Lyn K Sakuma ◽  
John P Pierce ◽  
Pebbles Fagan ◽  
France T Nguyen-Grozavu ◽  
Eric C Leas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Abstract Introduction This study compared tobacco use and cessation for African Americans (AA), Asians/Pacific Islanders (API), Hispanics/Latinos (H/L), American Indian/Alaskan Natives (AI/AN), and non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) in the United States to California (CA), the state with the longest continually funded tobacco control program. The purpose of this study was to identify tobacco use disparities across racial/ethnic groups across time. Methods Cigarette use prevalence (uptake and current use), consumption (mean number of cigarettes smoked per day [CPD]), and quit ratios were calculated across survey years, and trends were examined within each race/ethnic group and comparing between CA and the United States, utilizing the 1992–2019 Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Survey. Results Prevalence decreased for all race/ethnic groups. Current use among CA NHW showed significant decline compared with US counterparts, whereas US H/L showed greater decline than CA counterparts. CPD decreased by approximately 30% across race/ethnic groups, with CA groups having lower numbers. The greatest decrease occurred among AA in CA (average 10.3 CPD [95% confidence interval (CI): 10.3, 12.6] in 1992/1993 to 3 CPD [95% CI: 2.4, 3.7] in 2018/2019). Quit ratios increased from 1992/1993 to 2018/2019 for CA H/L 52.4% (95% CI: 49.8, 53.0) to 59.3 (95% CI: 55.8, 62.5) and CA NHWs 61.5% (95% CI: 60.7, 61.9) to 63.8% (95% CI: 63.9, 66.9). Conclusions Although overall prevalence decreased over time for each racial/ethnic group, declines in CA outpaced the United States only for NHWs. Reductions in CPD were encouraging but the quit ratio points to the need to increase tobacco control efforts toward cessation. Implications The successes in reduced cigarette use uptake and prevalence across time for both California and the rest of the United States were observed largely among non-Hispanic White populations. Although reductions in the number of cigarettes smoked per day are a notable success, particularly among the Californian African Americans, efforts to support quitting across racial/ethnic groups, especially marginalized groups, need to be prioritized.

Citizenship and the Right of Entry into the Public Sphere

Eco-ethica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 31-45
Author(s):  
Robert Bernasconi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Native Americans ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
Chinese Americans ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The Right

The emergence of citizenship out of subjecthood at the end of the eighteenth century presented a series of problems for which the United States, among other countries, seems to have been unprepared: it was unclear who qualified for citizenship, what privileges it afforded, and what duties it demanded. Nevertheless, this uncertainty could be manipulated pragmatically to take advantage of any given situation without regard for consistency or future implications. By examining the obstacles placed on the path to citizenship of Native Americans, African Americans, women, and Chinese Americans, this article shows how the (non-)category of the non-citizen was weaponized. Indeed the mistreatment of non-citizens becomes the best indication of the value of citizenship.

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