Racial Disparities in the Utilization and Outcomes of Structural Heart Disease Interventions in the United States

In 1996, a series of articles and news stories about cancer mortality in the United States proclaimed a “turning point in the 25-year war on cancer.” While these articles and stories pointed to a recent decline in overall cancer mortality, they missed some important points about increases in specific types. They also ignored the politics behind the emphasis on smoking and diet as the main contributors to the cancer rates and the racial disparities in the U.S. data. In addition, recent articles on the decline in cancer mortality fail to note the much sharper decline in heart disease mortality. Continued efforts to reduce carcinogenic exposures at work and in the environment are needed to truly reduce the cancer burden.

Download Full-text

Heart disease, cancer, and trauma injury top the list of the 15 most costly medical conditions in the United States

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e556482006-014 ◽

2003 ◽

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Heart Disease ◽

The United States ◽

Medical Conditions ◽

Trauma Injury

Download Full-text

Racial disparities in routine health checkup and adherence to cancer screening guidelines among women in the United States of America

Cancer Causes & Control ◽

10.1007/s10552-021-01475-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amarachukwu F. Orji ◽

Takashi Yamashita

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Racial Disparities ◽

United States Of America ◽

The United States ◽

Health Checkup ◽

Screening Guidelines

Download Full-text

Current knowledge of Chagas-related heart disease among pediatric cardiologists in the United States

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12872-021-01924-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sanchi Malhotra ◽

Imran Masood ◽

Noberto Giglio ◽

Jay D. Pruetz ◽

Pia S. Pannaraj

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Chagas Disease ◽

Latin American ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

The United States ◽

Cardiac Complications ◽

The U.S

Abstract Background Chagas disease is a pathogenic parasitic infection with approximately 8 million cases worldwide and greater than 300,000 cases in the United States (U.S.). Chagas disease can lead to chronic cardiomyopathy and cardiac complications, with variable cardiac presentations in pediatrics making it difficult to recognize. The purpose of our study is to better understand current knowledge and experience with Chagas related heart disease among pediatric cardiologists in the U.S. Methods We prospectively disseminated a 19-question survey to pediatric cardiologists via 3 pediatric cardiology listservs. The survey included questions about demographics, Chagas disease presentation and experience. Results Of 139 responses, 119 cardiologists treat pediatric patients in the U.S. and were included. Most providers (87%) had not seen a case of Chagas disease in their practice; however, 72% also had never tested for it. The majority of knowledge-based questions about Chagas disease cardiac presentations were answered incorrectly, and 85% of providers expressed discomfort with recognizing cardiac presentations in children. Most respondents selected that they would not include Chagas disease on their differential diagnosis for presentations such as conduction anomalies, myocarditis and/or apical aneurysms, but would be more likely to include it if found in a Latin American immigrant. Of respondents, 87% agreed that they would be likely to attend a Chagas disease-related lecture. Conclusions Pediatric cardiologists in the U.S. have seen very few cases of Chagas disease, albeit most have not sent testing or included it in their differential diagnosis. Most individuals agreed that education on Chagas disease would be worth-while.

Download Full-text

Americans Misperceive Racial Disparities in Economic Mobility

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin ◽

10.1177/01461672211024115 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014616722110241

Author(s):

Shai Davidai ◽

Jesse Walker

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Racial Disparities ◽

American Dream ◽

Black Americans ◽

The United States ◽

Economic Mobility ◽

Systemic Racism ◽

Economic Disparities ◽

Lay Beliefs ◽

Socioeconomic System

What do people know about racial disparities in “The American Dream”? Across six studies ( N = 1,761), we find that American participants consistently underestimate the Black–White disparity in economic mobility, believing that poor Black Americans are significantly more likely to move up the economic ladder than they actually are. We find that misperceptions about economic mobility are common among both White and Black respondents, and that this undue optimism about the prospect of mobility for Black Americans results from a narrow focus on the progress toward equality that has already been made. Consequently, making economic racial disparities salient, or merely reflecting on the unique hardships that Black Americans face in the United States, calibrates beliefs about economic mobility. We discuss the importance of these findings for understanding lay beliefs about the socioeconomic system, the denial of systemic racism in society, and support for policies aimed at reducing racial economic disparities.

Download Full-text

Are There Racial Disparities in Psychotropic Drug Use and Expenditures in a Nationally Representative Sample of Men in the United States? Evidence From the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

American Journal of Men s Health ◽

10.1177/1557988313496564 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 82-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Geraldine Pierre ◽

Roland J. Thorpe ◽

Gniesha Y. Dinwiddie ◽

Darrell J. Gaskin

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Drug Use ◽

Racial Disparities ◽

Psychotropic Drug ◽

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Medical Expenditure ◽

Panel Survey ◽

Psychotropic Drug Use ◽

Nationally Representative

This article sought to determine whether racial disparities exist in psychotropic drug use and expenditures in a nationally representative sample of men in the United States. Data were extracted from the 2000-2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a longitudinal survey that covers the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Full-Year Consolidated, Medical Conditions, and Prescribed Medicines data files were merged across 10 years of data. The sample of interest was limited to adult males aged 18 to 64 years, who reported their race as White, Black, Hispanic, or Asian. This study employed a pooled cross-sectional design and a two-part probit generalized linear model for analyses. Minority men reported a lower probability of psychotropic drug use (Black = −4.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [−5.5, −3.0]; Hispanic = −3.8%, 95% CI = [−5.1, −2.6]; Asian = −4.5%, 95% CI = [−6.2, −2.7]) compared with White men. After controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and health status variables, there were no statistically significant race differences in drug expenditures. Consistent with previous literature, racial and ethnic disparities in the use of psychotropic drugs present problems of access to mental health care and services.

Download Full-text