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African Americans

University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

The Dietary Context Of Nut Intake Among Overweight And Obese African-American Women Living In The Rural South: An Exploratory Study, Samara Sterling Jan 2017

The Dietary Context Of Nut Intake Among Overweight And Obese African-American Women Living In The Rural South: An Exploratory Study, Samara Sterling

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Obesity has become a national epidemic over the last few decades, and lays its heaviest burden on certain populations (eg, rural residents, African-Americans, and African-American women in the Southeast). Obesity increases medical costs substantially, and is a significant risk factor for various chronic conditions, including certain cancers. There is a need to identify specific dietary behaviors that may contribute to obesity and obesity-related cancers among African-American women in the rural South, and to recommend dietary modifications that may alleviate those risks. Previous research has shown that nuts offer numerous health benefits, including weight loss and cancer protection. More research is …


Admixture Mapping Of Subclinical And Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Among African Americans, Aditi Shendre Jan 2016

Admixture Mapping Of Subclinical And Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Among African Americans, Aditi Shendre

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The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the association of local European ancestry (LEA) with subclinical and clinical cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) among African Americans in three prospective cohorts from the United States. CVD burden is higher among African Americans compared to other racial/ethnic groups and prevention efforts have led to the evaluation of subclinical measures of CVD such as carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), and risk factors including the underlying genetic component of the disease. Admixed populations such as African Americans may have increased risk of disease as a result of the increased prevalence of a disease among …


Serum Vitamin D And C-Reactive Protein: Predictors Of Glucose Control In African-Americans With Type 2 Diabetes?, Mary Luree Garvin-Surpris Jan 2016

Serum Vitamin D And C-Reactive Protein: Predictors Of Glucose Control In African-Americans With Type 2 Diabetes?, Mary Luree Garvin-Surpris

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Introduction African-Americans experience more years of life lost as a result of complications from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than any other racial or ethnic group. Evidence suggests that serum 25(OH)D (serum vitamin D), generally low in African-Americans, may play a role in glucose control. In addition, elevated levels of chronic low-grade inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein (CRP), may also relate to glucose control. The purposes of this study were to determine whether serum 25(OH)D and CRP are independent predictors of glucose control in adult African-Americans with T2DM, after controlling for other factors associated with glucose control, and to examine …


Understanding The Predictors Of Patient Trust And Its Role In Utilization And Outcomes, Sheikilya Lewis Thomas Jan 2013

Understanding The Predictors Of Patient Trust And Its Role In Utilization And Outcomes, Sheikilya Lewis Thomas

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The purpose of this dissertation is to examine patient-related factors that predict trust in one's physician, and subsequently identify the role of patient trust in health care utilization and clinical outcomes among African Americans with hypertension. Three separate studies are conducted using an adapted version of the Interaction Model for Client Health Behavior (IMCHB). The first paper is a three-step review of quantitative studies investigating the (a) patient characteristics that influence trust; (b) impact of trust on health care utilization; and (c) impact of trust on outcomes. Based on the predictors identified, the second study examines the significance of these …


Association Between Cc Chemokine Ligand 3-Like-1 (Ccl3l1) Gene Copy Number And Rheumatoid Arthritis In African Americans, Mawuli Kwame Nyaku Jan 2012

Association Between Cc Chemokine Ligand 3-Like-1 (Ccl3l1) Gene Copy Number And Rheumatoid Arthritis In African Americans, Mawuli Kwame Nyaku

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Gene copy number of the CC Chemokine ligand 3-Like-1 (CCL3L1) located on chromosome 17 position q12 varies between ethnicities. Previously, gene copy number of CCL3L1 greater than the ethnic median copy has been associated with an increased risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Three later studies found no association between CCL3L1 and RA. All studies were conducted in non-African Americans and an objective of this study was to determine this association in an African American cohort. CCL3L1 shares significant homology with three other genes within the same cluster; CC Chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3), CC Chemokine ligand 3-Like-2 (CCL3L2) and CC Chemokine ligand …