A transdisciplinary approach to understand the epigenetic basis of race/ethnicity health disparities

Epigenomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas A Salas ◽  
Lauren C Peres ◽  
Zaneta M Thayer ◽  
Rick WA Smith ◽  
Yichen Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cancer Research ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Biological Anthropology ◽  
Transdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Health disparities correspond to differences in disease burden and mortality among socially defined population groups. Such disparities may emerge according to race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and a variety of other social contexts, and are documented for a wide range of diseases. Here, we provide a transdisciplinary perspective on the contribution of epigenetics to the understanding of health disparities, with a special emphasis on disparities across socially defined racial/ethnic groups. Scientists in the fields of biological anthropology, bioinformatics and molecular epidemiology provide a summary of theoretical, statistical and practical considerations for conducting epigenetic health disparities research, and provide examples of successful applications from cancer research using this approach.

CAN'T BUY ME WHITENESS

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay A. Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Socioeconomic Status And Health

AbstractA basic tenet of public health is that there is a robust relationship between socioeconomic status and health. Researchers widely accept that persons at average or median levels of socioeconomic status have better health compared to those at lower levels—with a detectable, if diminishing, gradient at even higher levels of socioeconomic status. The research on which this tenet is based, however, focuses largely on Whites, especially on White men. Yet according to the full range of extant findings, the magnitude and in some cases the direction of this relationship vary considerably for other demographic groups.I argue that the failure to clearly qualify study conclusions when they are restricted to the study of Whites impedes our understanding of the varying relationship between socioeconomic status and health for different demographic groups. Such an impediment is particularly harmful when considering health inequalities among populations defined by race and ethnicity. Frameworks and models based on traditional socioeconomic measures may mask heterogeneity, overestimate the benefits of material resources, underestimate psychosocial and physical health costs of resource acquisition for some groups, and overlook the value of alternative sociocultural orientations. These missed opportunities have grave consequences: large racial/ethnic health disparities persist while the health disadvantages of Black Americans continue to grow in key aspects. A new knowledge base is needed if racial/ethnic health disparities are to be eliminated, including new guiding theoretical frameworks, reinterpretations of existing research, and new empirical research. This article aims to initiate discussion on all three dimensions.

scholarly journals The Health Disparities of Same-sex Cohabitors at the Intersection of Race-ethnicity and Gender

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 620-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Liu ◽  
Corinne Reczek ◽  
Samuel C. H. Mindes ◽  
Shannon Shen
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Health ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Ethnicity And Gender ◽  
Sexual Minority Health

We work from a minority stress perspective to theorize health disparities across union status at the intersection of sexual minority status, race-ethnicity, and gender. We use pooled data from the Integrated National Health Interview Surveys (1997–2014) to assess a wide range of health outcomes, including self-rated physical health, psychological distress, and health behaviors. Results suggest that same-sex cohabitors face substantial health disadvantages relative to different-sex married individuals, with little variation by race-ethnicity and gender. Fewer health differences are found for same-sex cohabitors in comparison with both different-sex cohabitors and unpartnered singles, although greater variation by gender and race-ethnicity is found across these comparisons. This study highlights the importance of integrating intersectionality and minority stress theories to guide future research examining sexual minority health disparities. Results suggest that the sexual minority health disadvantage, as well as the potential health boost of same-sex marriage, may depend on the intersection of race-ethnicity and gender.

scholarly journals Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samia Tasmim ◽  
Sarah Collins
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Racial And Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Fundamental Cause ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Unequal Opportunities ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Racial and ethnic disparities in health stem from the historical legacy and continued patterns of unequal resources and treatment on the basis of race/ethnicity in society (Hummer and Hamilton 2019; Williams and Sternthal 2010). Health disparities encompass differences in physical health, mental health, all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk, activity limitations, healthcare access and utilization, and other metrics of well-being. Researchers have identified a variety of explanations for racial/ethnic health disparities, including socioeconomic inequality, institutional- and individual-level discrimination, residential segregation, early-life circumstances, and health behaviors, among others. However, unequal opportunities on the basis of race/ethnicity remain the fundamental cause of health disparities (Hummer 1996; Phelan and Link 2015).

scholarly journals Trends in medical and surgical admission length of stay by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status: a time series analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnab K Ghosh ◽  
Orysya Soroka ◽  
Mark A Unruh ◽  
Martin Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Median Income ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Fourth Quartile ◽  
Zip Code ◽  
Surgical Admission

Length of stay, a metric of hospital efficiency, differs by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). Longer LOS is associated with adverse health outcomes. We assessed differences in average adjusted length of stay (aALOS) over time by race/ethnicity, and SES stratified by discharge destination (home or non-home). Using the 2009-2014 State Inpatient Datasets from three states, we examined trends in aALOS differences by race/ethnicity, and SES (defined first vs fourth quartile of median income by zip code) controlling for patient, disease and hospital characteristics. For those discharged home, racial/ethnic and SES aALOS differences remained stable. Notably, for those discharged to non-home destinations, Black vs White, and low vs high SES aALOS differences increased significantly from 2009 to 2013, more sharply after Q3 2011, the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Further research to understand the impact of the ACA on hospital efficiencies, and relationship to racial/ethnic and SES differences in LOS is warranted.

scholarly journals Variation in early childhood parental investment in a US birth cohort: The effects of race, socioeconomic status and place.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Sparks
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Birth Order ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Residential Location ◽  
Rural Residence ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Parental investment can take many forms. This often takes the form of embodied capital. The ability to invest in a child may be compromised by the socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and residential location of the parents. In addition, differential investment by sex may also play a role. This analysis uses data from a survey of children to examine disparities in parental investment by SES, race/ethnicity and residential location. Results indicate that after controlling for parental SES, children of certain racial/ethnic groups face a disparity in parental investment. This disparity is exacerbated by low parental SES, rural residence, sex and birth order.

scholarly journals Rural–urban health disparities for mood disorders and obesity in a midwestern community

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 408-415
Author(s):  
Christi A. Patten ◽  
Young J. Juhn ◽  
Euijung Ryu ◽  
Chung-Il Wi ◽  
Katherine S. King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Mood Disorder ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Urban Health ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Study Cohort ◽  
Obesity Prevalence ◽  
Cross Sectional

AbstractIntroduction:Prior studies indicate greater disease burden for obesity among rural compared with urban residents but no differences for mood disorder based on geographic location. Recent attention has focused on the need to examine regional rural–urban disparities in disease burden. We focused on mood disorders and obesity prevalence within three southeastern Minnesota counties served by the Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Award, in Rochester, Minnesota, as these were top priorities identified in community health needs assessments.Methods:Cross-sectional study to assess the association of rural–urban locality on 5-year (2009–2014) prevalence of mood disorder and obesity obtained using the Rochester Epidemiological Project medical records linkage system, among subjects residing in three mixed rural–urban counties on April 1, 2014. Multivariable analyses adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status using an individual housing-based measure, and counties.Results:The study cohort (percent rural location) included 91,202 (15%) for Olmsted, 10,197 (51%) in Dodge, and 10,184 (57%) in Wabasha counties. On multivariate analysis, 5-year prevalence of mood disorders and obesity was significantly greater for urban compared with rural residents, after adjusting for confounders; odds ratios (95% confidence intervals): 1.21 (1.17–1.26), P < 0.001, and 1.05 (1.01–1.10), P = 0.016, respectively. Observed effects were not modified in additional models adjusted for health care utilization (HCU; ≥1 general medical examination visit and flu vaccination).Conclusions:Rural–urban health disparities for burden of mood disorders and obesity are independent of socioeconomic status and HCU in a Midwestern community. It is important to assess potential regional heterogeneity of rural–urban disparities on health outcomes.

Seasonal Dynamics of Academic Achievement Inequality by Socioeconomic Status and Race/Ethnicity

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 443-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Quinn ◽  
North Cooc ◽  
Joe McIntyre ◽  
Celia J. Gomez
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Test Score ◽  
School Year ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Test Score Gaps ◽  
Kindergarten Class

Early studies examining seasonal variation in academic achievement inequality generally concluded that socioeconomic test score gaps grew more over the summer than the school year, suggesting schools served as “equalizers.” In this study, we analyze seasonal trends in socioeconomic status (SES) and racial/ethnic test score gaps using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (ECLS-K:2011), which includes more school-year and summer rounds than previous national studies. We further examine how inequality dynamics are influenced by the operationalization of inequality. Findings are consistent with a story in which schools initially accelerate relatively lower-achieving groups’ learning more so than higher-achieving groups; however, this school-year equalizing is not consistently maintained and sometimes reverses. When operationalizing inequality as changes in relative position, the reversal of school-year equalizing is more pronounced.

scholarly journals Racial-Ethnic Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life among Adults and Children with Glomerular Disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Jill R. Krissberg ◽  
Margaret E. Helmuth ◽  
Salem Almaani ◽  
Yi Cai ◽  
Daniel Cattran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Glomerular Disease ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Racial Ethnic

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Disparities in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) have been inadequately studied in patients with glomerular disease. The aim of this study was to identify relationships among race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disease severity, and HRQOL in an ethnically and racially diverse cohort of patients with glomerular disease. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CureGN) is a multinational cohort study of patients with biopsy-proven glomerular disease. Associations between race/ethnicity and HRQOL were determined by the following: (1) missed school or work due to kidney disease and (2) responses to Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires. We adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status, and disease characteristics using multivariable logistic and linear regression. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Black and Hispanic participants had worse socioeconomic status and more severe glomerular disease than white or Asian participants. Black adults missed work or school most frequently due to kidney disease (30 vs. 16–23% in the other 3 groups, <i>p</i> = 0.04), and had the worst self-reported global physical health (median score 44.1 vs. 48.0–48.2, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and fatigue (53.8 vs. 48.5–51.1, <i>p</i> = 0.002), compared to other racial/ethnic groups. However, these findings were not statistically significant with adjustment for socioeconomic status and disease severity, both of which were strongly associated with HRQOL in adults. Among children, disease severity but not race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status was associated with HRQOL. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Among patients with glomerular disease enrolled in CureGN, the worse HRQOL reported by black adults was attributable to lower socioeconomic status and more severe glomerular disease. No racial/ethnic differences in HRQOL were observed in children.

scholarly journals Trends in Medical and Surgical Admission Length of Stay by Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status: A Time Series Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 233339282110355
Author(s):  
Arnab K. Ghosh ◽  
Mark A. Unruh ◽  
Orysya Soroka ◽  
Martin Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Median Income ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Fourth Quartile ◽  
Surgical Admission

Background: Length of stay (LOS), a metric of hospital efficiency, differs by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) and longer LOS is associated with adverse health outcomes. Historically, projects to improve LOS efficiency have yielded LOS reductions by 0.3 to 0.7 days per admission. Objective: To assess differences in average adjusted length of stay (aALOS) over time by race/ethnicity, and SES stratified by discharge destination (home or non-home). Method: Data were obtained from 2009-2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Datasets for New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Multivariate generalized linear models were used to examine trends in aALOS differences by race/ethnicity, and by high vs low SES patients (defined first vs fourth quartile of median income by zip code) controlling for patient, disease and hospital characteristics. Results: For those discharged home, racial/ethnic and SES aALOS differences remained stable from 2009 to 2014. However, among those discharged to non-home destinations, Black vs White aALOS differences increased from 0.21 days in Q1 2009, (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13 to 0.30) to 0.32 days in Q3 2013, (95% CI: 0.23 to 0.40), and for low vs high SES patients from 0.03 days in Q1 2009 (95% CI: -0.04 to 0.1) to 0.26 days, (95% CI: 0.19 to 0.34). Notably, for patients not discharged home, racial/ethnic and SES aALOS differences increased and persisted after Q3 2011, coinciding with the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Conclusion: Further research to understand the ACA’s policy impact on hospital efficiencies, and relationship to racial/ethnic and SES differences in LOS is warranted.

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