Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Racial Disparities In Breast Cancer Survival: The Mediating Effects Of Macro-Social Context And Social Network Factors, Ganga Vijayasiri, Yamile Molina, Ifeanyi B. Chukwudozie, Silvia Tejeda, Heather Pauls, Garth Rauscher, Richard T. Campbell, Richard B. Warnecke

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

ABSTRACT

This study attempts to clarify the associations between macro-social and social network factors and continuing racial disparities in breast cancer survival. The study improves on prior methodologies by using a neighborhood disadvantage measure that assesses both economic and social disadvantage and an ego-network measurement tool that assesses key social network characteristics. Our population-based sample included 786 breast cancer patients (nHWhite=388; nHBlack=398) diagnosed during 2005-2008 in Chicago, IL. The data included census-derived macro-social context, self-reported social network, self-reported demographic and medically abstracted health measures. Mortality data from the National Death Index (NDI) were used to determine 5-year survival.

Based on …

Exploring H.Pylori Seropositivity As A Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes, Virginia Chaidez, Yumou Qiu

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: In the US, the percentage of adults with diagnosed diabetes are higher in members of racial and ethnic minority groups compared to non-Latino Whites. Understanding why such disparities exist has been less forthcoming.

Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 cross-sectional data.

Results: H.pylori seropositivity was highest in Mexican Americans (43.7%), lowest in non-Hispanic Whites (18.1%). Diabetes was highest in non-Hispanic Blacks (5.9%); lowest in non-Hispanic whites (4.3%). H.pylori seropositivity was associated with greater likelihood of having type 2 diabetes (1.927, 95% CI 1.142, 3.257) compared to H.pylori negative in …

Human Papillomavirus Infections In The Southern And Other United States Regions, Dudith Pierre-Victor, Mary Jo Trepka, Dionne Stephens, Tan Li, Timothy Page, Purnima Madhivanan

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and has been linked to several cancers, including cervical cancer. In the United States, the Southern region has a disproportionate burden of cervical cancer, and research about the epidemiology of HPV in the region is scarce. This study estimates the prevalence and correlates of HPV infection among 14–59 year-old females.

Data from 4,250 females aged 14–59 years collected during the 2007–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used. We estimated the prevalence of HPV infection for the South and the rest of the country. We performed …

Graduating Into Lower Risk: Chlamydia And Trichomonas Prevalance Among Community College Students And Graduates, Janet E. Rosenbaum

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Community colleges enable youth from economically disadvantaged and minority populations to access college and may enable social mobility including improved health outcomes. However, educational health disparities studies rarely assess the health outcomes for community college graduates.

Methods: Chlamydia and trichomonas prevalence were assessed with nucleic acid based tests in a nationally representative sample of 6233 high school graduates (ages 18–25) from five educational levels: young adults without post-secondary credentials who were not enrolled in college, community college students, 4-year college students, associate’s degree, and bachelor’s degree. To reduce confounding between educational attainment and STI status, we used full matching …

Effectiveness Of A Federal Healthy Start Program In Reducing Infant Mortality, Ronee E. Wilson, Hamisu M. Salihu, Jason L. Salemi, Priyanshi Patel, Rana Daas, Estrellita "Lo" Berry

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: Infant mortality is an important indicator of the health status of a community. In this analysis, we aimed to evaluate temporal changes in infant mortality rates (IMR) in the Central Hillsborough Healthy Start (CHHS) program service area in Tampa, Florida compared to rates in the rest of Hillsborough County and the state.

Method: We conducted a five-year (2010-2014) trends analysis using birth and infant death data extracted from the Florida Community Health Assessment Resource Tool Set (CHARTS). The number of infant deaths and live births were used to calculate and compare IMRs in the CHHS catchment area to those …

Race And “Hotspots” Of Preventable Hospitalizations, Caryn N. Bell, Janice V. Bowie, Roland J. Thorpe Jr.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Abstract

Preventable hospitalizations (PHs) are those for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions that indicate insufficiencies in local primary healthcare. PH rates tend to be higher among African Americans, in urban centers, rural areas and areas with more African American residents. The objective of this study is to determine geographic clusters of high PH rates (“spatial clusters”) by race. Data from Maryland hospitals were utilized to determine the rates of PHs in zip code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) by race in 2010. Geographic clusters of ZCTAs with higher than expected PH rates were identified using Scan Statistic and Anselin’s Local Moran’s I. 10 PH …

Persistence With Mammography Screening And Stage At Breast Cancer Diagnosis Among Elderly Appalachia-West Virginia Women, Ami Vyas, Suresh Madhavan, Usha Sambamoorthi

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between persistence with mammography screening and stage at breast cancer diagnosis in elderly Appalachia-West Virginia women diagnosed with first incident breast cancer. The study utilized West Virginia Cancer Registry-Medicare linked database to identify women age 70 and above diagnosed with first incident breast cancer in 2007. Persistence to mammography screening was defined as having had at least three mammography screenings before breast cancer diagnosis. A multiple logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between persistence with mammography screening and stage at breast cancer diagnosis in these women. Of the …