Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Feasibility Of A Community-Based Sickle Cell Trait Testing And Counseling Program, Ashley Housten, Regina Abel, Terianne Lindsey, Allison King

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Sickle cell trait (SCT) screening is required at birth in the United States; however, adults rarely know their SCT status prior to having children.

Purpose: Assess feasibility of a community-based SCT education and testing intervention.

Methods: Participants were recruited from eight community sites to complete an educational program and offered a hemoglobin analysis. A genetic counselor met individually with participants to discuss lab results.

Results: Between July 14, 2010 and May 31, 2012, 637 participants completed the educational program. Five hundred seventy (89.5%) provided a blood sample, and 61 (10.9%) had SCT or other hemoglobinopathies. The genetic counselor met …

Blood Pressure Control For African American Parents And Children: Feasibility And Initial Outcomes Of A Faith-Based Intervention Pilot Study, Penny A. Ralston Ph.D., Tammye Farmer M.S., Iris Young-Clark Ph.D., Catherine Coccia Ph.D., R.D.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The overall purpose was to determine the feasibility and initial outcomes of a faith-based intervention to improve blood pressure (BP) control in African American (AA) parents/guardians and their children, using a pre/post without control group design. Sample included AA parents and children (n=17) from three churches in North Florida. Health behaviors (daily servings of fruits/vegetables [F/V], minutes of physical activity [PA]) and physical health (BMI, systolic BP and diastolic SB) were examined. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and correlations. Feasibility outcomes showed high attendance (91% children, 88% parents) and completion (100%) rates. F/V significantly increased at post-test …

Perceptions Of Renal Disease Risk Among African Americans: A Review Of The Literature, Casey L. Migliore, Julie Barroso, Allison Vorderstrasse

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

African Americans are disproportionately at risk for renal disease, especially those with type 2 diabetes (McDonough et al., 2011). Despite this disease disparity, the literature lacks research on renal disease awareness and risk perceptions among African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, a literature review guided by the Common Sense Model was conducted to review and synthesize the literature on African Americans’ awareness of renal disease and existing risk perceptions, capturing sociocultural factors in the African American community that could influence the development of those risk perceptions. The literature identified an overall lack of knowledge about renal disease risk factors, …

Social Support And Intimate Partnerships In African American Women With Breast Cancer, Tess Thompson

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study investigated social support in African American breast cancer patients in one Midwestern metropolitan area. The study includes a quantitative analysis of social support in 227 African American breast cancer patients participating in a quality of life study, as well as a qualitative component involving a subsample of 15 married participants. In the larger sample, growth curve models were used to assess factors contributing to initial levels of perceived social support and change in social support over time. Interviews with women in the qualitative study allowed an in-depth exploration of how breast cancer affected womens relationships with …

African Americans' Understanding Of The Provisions Of The Affordable Care Act, Ewang Theo Epie-Alobwede

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans as a group tend to have numerous health issues, and by the time they seek healthcare, the conditions often advance into more serious ailments. Researchers have shown that cultural distrust of the U.S. healthcare system coupled with some discriminatory practices has hindered African Americans seeking care and taking full advantage of the healthcare system. With the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is some confusion about the application of the law, resulting in many intended beneficiaries misinterpreting it, and not accessing quality healthcare. This interpretive phenomenological study explored how African Americans in the …