Search

This study's objective was to assess which caring recruitment behaviors correlate with the successful recruitment of older African-American adults—a two-step cross-sectional design employing a vignette-based survey methodology. Kristen Swanson's middle-range theory of caring was used to guide the examination of African-American adults' (65 years of age and older) perceptions of research-study-recruiter recruitment behaviors. This study's main findings are twofold: Step 1: Seven of ten invited experts identified major revisions of the two core vignettes, written at an eighth-grade reading level and high school comprehension. Step 2: A 51% response rate yielded findings that this methodology successfully captured older African-American adults' perception of research study recruiters' behavioral characteristics during the recruitment process. Older African-Americans who received the hypothetical caring vignette were twice as likely to indicate their willingness to enroll in a research study with a high commitment (i.e., brain donation) compared to their counterparts who received the hypothetical uncaring recruitment scenario. Vignette-based survey methodology holds promise as a tool for informing the recruitment of older African-American adults and other minorities into federally funded health-related research studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on papers presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback including the impact of neurofeedback training on the intensity of epileptiform discharges in autistic children, the role of neurofeedback, and the use of neurofeedback for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Temporary social networks may have long-term impacts on economic outcomes. This paper focuses on social networks formed during the American Civil War (1861–1865) among African American veterans. I find that wartime social networks (veterans from the same company) persistently affected veterans' location choices in the post-Civil War period. By estimating discrete choice migration models, I show that veterans were more likely to move to a county where men from their military war company lived. By focusing on heterogeneous military companies and using the instrument of "weak" social networks, I rule out the competing explanation that the effect is driven by veterans having similar location preferences. The paper finds long-term benefits of living together as well. Veterans earned higher incomes after the war if they ended up living in the same county with wartime friends who had higher incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several abstracts of research studies presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback held in April 2009 in are presented, including "Novel Approach to Adolescent Physical Activity: Mood-Booster Acute Exercise," "Wellness Programming for First Year Medical Students" and "Repetitive TMS Affects EEG Gamma and ERP During Perceptual Processing in Autism."

The current paper serves as an introduction to this special issue, Advancing Health Equity among Black Communities, in which we provide an overview of the papers included. Specifically, we summarize the papers covered in the special issue and highlight some of the common themes. The impetus for this special issue originated from a culmination of the COVID-19 pandemic, continued murders of Black people by police officers, and an unsettling political climate (e.g., Galea & Abdalla, 2020). While the impact of individual racism has been studied extensively, the insidious and pervasive impact of structural racism is less understood. Structural racism is a system in which embedded values, practices and policies facilitate and perpetrate the continued differential treatment of people based on race and becomes an almost hidden influence on the way an institution functions. For this special issue, prevention scientists were invited to submit conceptual and empirical research reflecting their understandings of structural racism as it operates in U.S. systems (e.g., education, justice, housing, workforce) and contributes to health inequities in the lives of Black Americans. The submissions also demonstrate how prevention scientists can leverage translational science to impact policies, practices, and procedures to promote equitable and sustainable change for Black communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many inequities exist in serving and supporting Black survivors of violent crime. A key question in reducing inequities in care after victimization is whether police first responders and other formal system providers identify the victim as an "offender" and/or someone who is "undeserving" of supports. These labels and associated biases can directly reduce access to supports through a variety of mechanisms that include police withholding information about one's rights as a victim, among other direct and indirect barriers to social and health services. Unaddressed financial, mental, and physical health consequences of victimization contribute to poorer health outcomes later in life. This paper seeks to bring together the extant research on help-seeking, discrimination in criminal legal system functioning, and barriers to victim services by synthesizing these discrete threads into a theoretically and empirically informed conceptual model that captures the range of factors that shape Black Americans' decision to report their victimization to the police and subsequent help-seeking. Qualitative and quantitative data from a purposive sample of 91 Black victims of community violence is used to ground the developing model. The conceptual model can help lay the foundation for research that seeks to remedy the marked mismatch between the prevalence of violent victimization and help-seeking among Black Americans. Research findings can be applied to guide policies and programming to reduce inequities in care for victims of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to the consideration of the relationship between the Republican Party and the black population of the United States. The paper analyzes the historical reasons that influenced the sharp weakening of the position of the Republicans in the African American community. Exploring the characteristics of the electoral behavior of the black population of the country, this article focuses on how groups of voters are traditionally attributed to Republican supporters, for example, by age or income level, behave differently in the case of African Americans. In this regard, the paper examines in detail the specific features inherent in black Republicans, which distinguish them from the majority of the representatives of the African American community who support the Democrats. The study analyzes various measures that the Republican Party currently continues to take in an attempt to increase support among the black population. Particular attention is paid to the problem of interracial relations, as one of the most important factors preventing the Republicans from changing their image in the eyes of the majority of African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A growing gap in exclusive breastfeeding across racial/ethnic groups in the United States includes a very low proportion of African American/Black women, with only 17.4% breastfeeding exclusively in 2015. While many quantitative studies examine these disparities, few qualitative studies have examined the overall experience of breastfeeding for Black women. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the existing qualitative literature on experiences of African American/Black women who breastfeed to gain insight on barriers and facilitators unique to this population. Methods: This scoping review included studies that had a focus on any qualitative study design. Evidence was identified by searching electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychINFO). Results: Thirteen papers met the inclusion criteria for this review. Each study was summarized and then analyzed for content to produce a synthesis. Seven themes that influence Black women's experience with breastfeeding were identified: influence of interpersonal relationship on intention to and sustained breastfeeding experiences, influence of institutional systems on initiating and sustaining infant feeding decision, influence of personal beliefs on breastfeeding decisions and experience, material barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding experience, traditional stigma of breastfeeding, historical stigma of breastfeeding influences feeding choice in Black women, and negative impacts of body image. Conclusion: The breastfeeding experience for Black women is unique and poses additional areas for intervention based on cultural and historical stigma. Incorporating the identified factors into intervention design is key to creating more effective policies for improving breastfeeding rates in the Black women and closing the gap across racial/ethnic demographics in the United States. Still, more qualitative research with culturally relevant theories needs to be done to investigate the full scope and complexities of breastfeeding as a Black woman to develop messaging to encourage the behavior. Significance: What is Already Known on this Subject? Many barriers hinder women from breastfeeding, and disproportionately impact Black women, leading to growing disparities in breastfeeding rates. What does this study add? This scoping review synthesizes the findings from prior qualitative studies on the breastfeeding experiences of Black women, exploring the presence of current well-documented themes across studies, with additional attention to themes that may be unique for Black women to further investigate Black women's experiences with breastfeeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health challenges have been recognized as one of the most prevalent issues impacting children and families within the United States. Children and families of color are disproportionately affected by this due to lack of access to preventative and ongoing supports, and programs that can help address their overall well-being. These issues are even more severe for those that are at risk or interact with the child welfare system. Social workers use various clinical modalities to assess and support them. In the recent years, child welfare agencies have turned to Evidence based programs (EBPs) as a best practice to meet the needs of children and families. The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, established by the Administration of Children and Families is a landmark effort to review and promote such EBP's that prevents foster care placements, including mental health programs. While the Clearinghouse has reviewed 141 programs and services, out of which 71 have been rated as promising, supported, or well-supported, there is a dearth of culturally responsive programs that have met the Clearinghouse criteria. Given the overrepresentation of African American and Native American Families in the child welfare system, and the critical role of the Clearinghouse in reviewing and promoting EBPs, this paper highlights the philosophical, administrative, cultural and logistical barriers for culturally relevant programs to be accepted into the Clearinghouse. It also provides specific recommendations on how the Clearinghouse and researchers can build EBPs that account for the intersection between mental health, social location and cultural identities of the children and families that social workers serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to the collection of papers presented in this special issue on positive adaptations to aging in various cultural contexts. The concept of positive adjustment as one ages is not just an issue of personal adaptation or `successful aging' but can be understood more fully in light of the community context within which the individual lives out his/her life. Two of the papers focus on the aging experiences of African Americans in the United States. Another paper discusses the phenomenon of retirement in American society. The fourth paper provides a sophisticated analysis of the perception of old age activities among the contemporary Guatemalan Maya. The final paper explores the experiences of childless older adults in rural Wales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This forum paper dialogues with Sheron Mark’s A bit of both science and economics: a non-traditional STEM identity narrative. In her paper, she discusses the development of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) identity by a young African American male during an informal STEM for Social Justice Program. Here, the discussion focuses on Black masculinities, identity formation, and the role of science educators in making STEM fields a welcoming place for young Black men. Drawing from Mark’s data and discussion, this paper is a dialogue between science identity possibilities in the United States and in Brazil when we look at the intersections of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Using the shared colonial past of both countries a connection is established to address race relations within science education. The main argument in this paper is that racism can no longer be denied and dismissed by the science education community worldwide and that intersectional approaches are needed to face this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is part of a larger NSF funded research project that situates the lived experiences and narratives of African Americans and Black heritage in the K-12 science curriculum. This work contributes to research on the science capital, and on positive and empowering identity construction for the African Diaspora. This study takes the position that K-12 science curricula, content, and standards do not support nor do they adequately facilitate an integrated inclusion of Black heritage, narratives, and lived experiences from a position of strength. This study uses the research literature and archives that reflect the social, cultural, and historical narratives and underpinnings of early African Americans, Africans, and Black heritage that can be used to learn science. In this research, well established frameworks vetted by scientists and science educators were used to extract from Black narratives and literature data. It is important to note that these well-respected frameworks do not specifically point to the inclusion of Black people nor do they highlight the cultural resources of African Americans or Black heritage. The Next Generation Science Standards were used to explore and explain the data. The results show that sociocultural and historical data that reflect the science experiences and the political and economic underpinnings of the African American experience and Black heritage can be used to understand the three dimensions of STEM in the Next Generation Science Standards—namely the Disciplinary Core Ideas, Nature of Science, and Crosscutting Concepts. Emergent concepts implicate adaptations of early African Americans. Implications for understandings about science that benefit all and that promote insights into the science of environmental sustainability and culture are indicated. Sample modifications and inclusions in the science standards are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critiques black citizenship in America. Using the "warring ideals" of W.E.B DuBois, it posits that African American citizenship is a complex interplay between the universality of citizenship, i.e., the ideals of the western liberal tradition, and the lived realities of citizenship. Highlighting the paradox of race, the article underscores that black citizenship has never been a guarantee in American society. "Warring ideals" encompass a struggle between aspirational ideals of what American citizenship is supposed to be and what it actually is—especially for those who are marginalized. Lived realities of citizenship often mean coming to terms with daily encounters with racism and structural discrimination which affirm and reaffirm citizenship boundaries. The manuscript also evaluates how watershed movements such as the civil rights, black power, and Black Lives Matter movements have attempted to reconcile the ideals and the realities of American citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

America recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the desegregation of the military, and while some might boast that the Black population within the military (around 17%) is more representative than the Black population in America (around 12%), there is still more that should be done to promote equity in armed service in the USA. Of course, such representation is positive, but it does not tell the whole story of how well Black service members are surviving and thriving. This paper will link manifestations of thriving and surviving over time to present-day recruiting shortfalls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) can play an important role in improving health outcomes. Lay community health advisors (CHAs) are integral to these efforts. This paper assesses the sustainability of a CHA training program for congregants in African-American and Latino FBOs and subsequent implementation of educational workshops. The program is unique in that a health care chaplain in an academic medical center was central to the program's development and implementation. Forty-eight CHAs in 11 FBOs were trained to teach workshops on cardiovascular health, mental health, diabetes, and smoking cessation. Two thousand four hundred and forty-four participants attended 70 workshops. This program has the potential to be a model to educate individuals and to address health inequities in underserved communities. Health care chaplains in other medical centers may use this as a model for enhancing community engagement and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of research on the intersection of incarceration and psychological distress among men who have sex with men including African American (AAMSM) and Latino MSM (LMSM), populations which bear a large burden of HIV in the U.S. Recent incarceration is an important context to examine psychological distress given the critical implications it has on health outcomes. Using baseline data from the Latino and African American Men's Project (LAAMP), a multi-site randomized HIV behavioral intervention trial, this paper examined the association between previous incarceration within the past three months (i.e., recent incarceration) and psychological distress in the past four weeks, assessed by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Among 1482 AAMSM and LMSM (AAMSM: 911, LMSM: 571), we found 768 (52%) were previously incarcerated, but not in past three months and 138 (9.3%) had been recently incarcerated. After adjusting for race, education, access to resources, current living arrangement, HIV status, and substance use, participants who had been recently incarcerated were more likely to have mild psychological distress i.e., K10 score 20–24 (aRRR:1.43, 95% CI 1.20, 1.71) or severe psychological distress, i.e., K10 score > 30 (aRRR: 1.89, 95% CI 1.22, 2.93) in the past four weeks than those never incarcerated and those previously incarcerated, but not in past three months. Our findings have implications for mental health and HIV prevention services for AAMSM and LMSM with previous incarceration within the past three months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that African American consciousness is extant as a unitary form of knowledge and is predicted primarily upon denied will in its greater or lesser gradation within the unequal society. Thus, this paper is an approach to African American consciousness seen as a particular type of consciousness, an approach that examines the dynamic link between will and consciousness and which seeks to reanimate a procedure of recentering African American subject particularly with reference to cultural processes, including the literary texts of African American writers - e.g., DuBois, Douglass, Hurston, Wright, Angelou, Walker, and Morrison. A consciousness that has been historically conditioned by oppression and discrimination; an African American consciousness latticed with struggle and endurance and which is presented here for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While all cancer patients face a bewildering array of treatments, side effects, and emotions, several researchers have shown that African American women with breast cancer experience greater stress and burdens because of unmet supportive needs associated with psychological distress, financial distress, and lower physical/functional well-being. Social support has been shown to improve health outcomes for African American breast cancer patients. The purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning of social support among African American women diagnosed with breast cancer. A total of 47 African American women with breast cancer participated in the in-depth qualitative interviews. Key findings indicate that social support was received in the context of the stability of the extended family network. Moreover, social support was received in the context of distributing the social support received among many members in their personal networks and that social support was only received on patient's own terms. The findings of this paper provide an understanding to the inter-relational and cultural meanings of receiving support by diverse cancer patients. In addition, the findings of this paper have implications for health care professionals working with African American breast cancer patients in understanding how social support can be received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will explore the concept of Stowe's work as a living text—that is, as a work of literature which transcends the bounds of periodization and continues to influence other literary movements, and even popular culture to this day. Scholars, with a propensity for consolidation and categorization, assign works of literature to narrow cultural and historical movements. Still, much of the scholarship concerning Uncle Tom's Cabin serves as a cautionary tale for such an approach. Too often, Stowe's work is analyzed primarily to illuminate societal and political ills of the nineteenth century. By doing so, Stowe's' work is understood as emblematic of the nineteenth century and is subsequently analyzed based upon modern day political and societal values. Specifically, this paper will examine how a fictionalized and living text is used to continuously create a script for the identity of black women, and how these narratives influence both past and current readings of black female identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older African Americans are at greater risk of dying from cancer compared to other groups. More research is needed to understand and eliminate these disparities. However, survey data is usually collected using an individual pen / paper approach and surveys are often read to participants individually. This study compared the amount of missing data, time needed to complete the survey, and experiences of using an Audience Response Technology System ( n = 50) and those completing surveys using a pen / paper method ( n = 30) among an African American population. Findings suggest that it is possible to collect data from larger numbers of people in a shorter amount of time using the ARTS, to eliminate data entry errors by direct transfer of electronic data to the data base, and to engage older African Americans to use computer technology. A major problem identified was the increased amount of missing data among participants using the ARTS compared to the traditional pen / paper group. Strategies such as smaller group sizes and more sample questions may decrease the amount of missing data. More research is needed to support the benefits of this innovative use of this technology to collect survey data among older African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the history of racism in the American presidency and the implications that it has had for Black residents of this country. The paper begins with a discussion of President Trump's racist rhetoric towards Blacks but notes that a history of racism is woven into the US presidency. We employ critical race theory as a theoretical framework to demonstrate why institutional racism has always been pervasive in the American presidency. Using a case study analysis, the authors conduct a comparative study of the history of racism of American presidents with the presidency of former president Donald J. Trump. The authors conclude that for most of the nation's history, racism and indifference to African Americans permeated the US presidency. It has only been since the advent of the second half of the twentieth century, for the most part, that there have been meaningful efforts by US presidents to address the concerns of African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enhancing patient-centered care and shared decision making (SDM) has become a national priority as a means of engaging patients in their care, improving treatment adherence, and enhancing health outcomes. Relatively little is known about the healthcare experiences or shared decision making among racial/ethnic minorities who also identify as being LGBT. The purpose of this paper is to understand how race, sexual orientation and gender identity can simultaneously influence SDM among African-American LGBT persons, and to propose a model of SDM between such patients and their healthcare providers.Methods: We reviewed key constructs necessary for understanding SDM among African-American LGBT persons, which guided our systematic literature review. Eligible studies for the review included English-language studies of adults (≥ 19 y/o) in North America, with a focus on LGBT persons who were African-American/black (i.e., > 50 % of the study population) or included sub-analyses by sexual orientation/gender identity and race. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases using MESH terms and keywords related to shared decision making, communication quality (e.g., trust, bias), African-Americans, and LGBT persons. Additional references were identified by manual reviews of peer-reviewed journals' tables of contents and key papers' references.Results: We identified 2298 abstracts, three of which met the inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, one was cross-sectional and two were qualitative; one study involved transgender women (91 % minorities, 65 % of whom were African-Americans), and two involved African-American men who have sex with men (MSM). All of the studies focused on HIV infection. Sexual orientation and gender identity were patient-reported factors that negatively impacted patient/provider relationships and SDM. Engaging in SDM helped some patients overcome normative beliefs about clinical encounters. In this paper, we present a conceptual model for understanding SDM in African-American LGBT persons, wherein multiple systems of social stratification (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation) influence patient and provider perceptions, behaviors, and shared decision making.Discussion: Few studies exist that explore SDM among African-American LGBT persons, and no interventions were identified in our systematic review. Thus, we are unable to draw conclusions about the effect size of SDM among this population on health outcomes. Qualitative work suggests that race, sexual orientation and gender work collectively to enhance perceptions of discrimination and decrease SDM among African-American LGBT persons. More research is needed to obtain a comprehensive understanding of shared decision making and subsequent health outcomes among African-Americans along the entire spectrum of gender and sexual orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This volume is a special issue commemorating Black History Month in the United States. The five papers contained in the volume address a wide variety of issues in the area of race, crime, and justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In public health research, tracking folk racial categories (in disease risk, etc.) is a double-edged tool. On the one hand, tracking folk racial categories is dangerous because it reinforces a problematic but fairly common belief in biological race essentialism. On the other hand, ignoring racial categories also runs the risk of ignoring very real biological phenomena in which marginalized communities, likely in virtue of their marginalization, are sicker and in need of improved resources. Much of the conversation among epidemiologists and philosophers of medicine concerning the issue of tracking folk racial categories in public health research springs forth from largely black/white binarized health inequities. While health inequities between black and white Americans are certainly a very important topic, I am interested in investigating the complications to this conversation about the potential harms of tracking folk racial categories in public health research generated by the consideration of Indigenous identities in the US—groups whose health inequities are typically tracked based on the folk racial category of "Native American" or "American Indian," but whose unique identity categories and community membership problematize the current spectrum of approaches to tracking folk racial categories in epidemiologic research. This paper will draw on scholarship by and about Indigenous people in the US context to address an undertheorized facet of the conversations concerning the potential harms of tracking folk racial categories in public health research, including the potential undermining of American Indian sovereignty and Indigenous epistemologies. I will end on some methodological considerations inspired by the inclusion of Indigenous identities in the US in the conversation about tracking folk racial categories in epidemiologic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African American youth have responded with hope and action to protect their well-being in violent political, economic, and social conditions, through organizing. While contemporary organizing frameworks prioritize self-care to promote sustainability, there is little research on the meaning and definition of self-care for African American youth organizers, in their own words. In this paper, findings from interviews with 20 Black youths in navigating organizing spaces in New York City will be presented, highlighting how they destabilize the narrowness of commonly defined self-care to embody "collective-self" care strategies. Implications for community practice, recovery from systemic violence, and historical trauma among African Americans will be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many adolescents are engaging in risky sexual behaviors, which can ultimately lead to adverse health outcomes, such as sexually transmitted infections and/or teen pregnancy. Research has shown that youth aged 15–24 account for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections acquired each year in the United States. This paper examined the effect of parental communication on African American adolescent sexual behaviors. A narrative literature review was completed in order to identify common themes across articles. Analyses indicated parental communication is associated with increased safe sex practices. More specifically, breadth of content, and open parental communication style were shown to be associated with safer sex practices. However, frequency/timing of parental teen sexual communication (PTSC) was not examined within the selected articles. Additionally, results indicated significant differences in PTSC topics discussed between male and female adolescents. Researchers and health educators alike should consider parental involvement in community and school-based sex education programs to help increase adolescent safe sex practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The places that people go and interact with others, along with the characteristics of those places, determine degrees of sexual health risk and concomitant prevention opportunities for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). The objective of this paper is to use syndemic theory to guide analyses of 20 in-depth interviews with African American and Hispanic/Latinx MSM living in Los Angeles. We describe the places in which African American and Latinx MSM interviewees live and socialize, and how these places influence sexual behavior, drug use, and access to health care. We find common spatial patterns in mobility, incongruence in residential and sexual places, and differing geographic patterns of sex by men who use geo-social hook-up apps. Significant instability in home life and varying forms of mobility and risk-taking were a response to cumulative disadvantage and intersecting structural forces including poverty, racism, and homophobia. Our results strongly suggest that geographic mobility is a syndemic factor for HIV risk among MSM in Los Angeles, as mobility amplified negative impacts of other syndemic factors. Innovative place-interventions to reduce HIV incidence and disparities in HIV need to acknowledge the synergistic factors that drive higher HIV incidence among AA and Latinx MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterosexual African American youth face substantial disparities in sexual health consequences such as HIV and STI. Based on the social ecological framework, the current paper provides a comprehensive, narrative review of the past 14 years of literature examining HIV/STI risk, including risky sexual behavior, among heterosexual African American youth and a conceptual model of risk among this population. The review found that individual psychological and biological factors are insufficient to explain the sexual health disparities faced by this group; instead, structural disadvantage, interpersonal risk, and community dysfunction contribute to the disparity in HIV/STI outcomes directly and indirectly through individual psychological factors. The conceptual model presented suggests that for African American youth, (1) HIV/STI risk commonly begins at the structural level and trickles down to the community, social, and individual levels, (2) risk works in a positive feedback system such that downstream effects compound the influence of structural risks, and (3) contextual and individual risk factors must be considered within the advanced stage of the epidemic facing this population. Despite advanced HIV and STI epidemics among heterosexual African American youth, multisystemic interventions that target structural risk factors and their downstream effects are posited to reduce the disparity among this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of privilege has received increased attention recently, particularly with regard to inequities in privilege in the United States costing Black Americans their lives at the hands of police officers. Despite a nearly two hundred year history, however, the concept of privilege has not been subjected to a behavioral analysis that focuses on the contextual conditions the inequities we call privilege involve. This paper is a first attempt at such a conceptual analysis, approaching privilege as a manipulable aspect of context, with inherent links to the behavioral repertoires of both privileged people and underprivileged people. Specifically, we propose that privilege involves a high proportion of appetitive to aversive stimulation in the learning environment, which subsequently impacts the relative sensitivity of the repertoire to appetitive and aversive learning opportunities. This approach is explicated, and further explored in terms of its implications, along with specific recommendations for extending the consideration of privilege beyond checking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research exists on the body mass index values of late 19th- and early 20th-century African-Americans. Using a new BMI data set and robust statistics, this paper demonstrates that darker complexioned black BMIs were greater than for mulattos, and a mulatto BMI advantage did not exist. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, black BMIs decreased across the BMI distribution, indicating that the 20th-century increase in black BMIs did not have its origin in the 19th century. During industrialization, black BMIs were lower in Kentucky, Missouri, and urban Philadelphia. Late 19th- and early 20th-century black BMIs were related to occupations, and farmers had heavier BMIs than workers in other occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of geographic information systems (GIS) in epidemiological population studies requires careful attention to the methods employed in accomplishing geocoding and creating a GIS. Studies have provided limited details, hampering the ability to assess validity of spatial data. The purpose of this paper is to describe the multiphase geocoding methods used to retrospectively create a GIS in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). We used baseline data from 5,302 participants enrolled in the JHS between 2000 and 2004 in a multiphase process to accomplish geocoding 2 years after participant enrollment. After initial deletion of ungeocodable addresses ( n = 52), 96% were geocoded using ArcGIS. An interactive method using data abstraction from participant records, use of additional maps and street reference files, and verification of existence of address, yielded successful geocoding of all but 13 addresses. Overall, nearly 99% ( n = 5,237) of the JHS cohort was geocoded retrospectively using the multiple strategies for improving and locating geocodable addresses. Geocoding validation procedures revealed highly accurate and reliable geographic data. Using the methods and protocol developed provided a reliable spatial database that can be used for further investigation of spatial epidemiology. Baseline results were used to describe participants by select geographic indicators, including residence in urban or rural areas, as well as to validate the effectiveness of the study’s sampling plan. Further, our results indicate that retrospectively developing a reliable GIS for a large, epidemiological study is feasible. This paper describes some of the challenges in retrospectively creating a GIS and provides practical tips that enhanced the success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Caucasian and Asian populations, evidence suggests that 24-h blood pressures (BP) are more predictive of long-term cardiovascular events than clinic BP. However, few long-term studies have evaluated the predictive value of 24-h BP phenotypes (24-h, daytime, nighttime) among African Americans (AA). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the added value of 24-h BP phenotypes compared to clinic BP in predicting the subsequent fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular/renal disease events in AA subjects. AA subjects (n = 270) were initially studied between 1994 and 2006 and standardized clinic BP measurements were obtained during screening procedures for a 3-day inpatient clinical study during which 24-h BP measurements were obtained. To assess the subsequent incidence of cardiovascular and renal disease events, follow-up information was obtained and confirmed by review of paper and electronic medical records between 2015 and 2017. During a mean follow-up of 14 ± 4 years, 50 subjects had one or more fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular/renal disease events. After adjustment for covariates, clinic systolic and diastolic BP were strongly associated with cardiovascular/renal disease events and all-cause mortality (p < 0.0001). Twenty-four-hour BP phenotypes conferred a small incremental advantage over clinic BP in predicting cardiovascular/renal events, which was limited to making a difference of one predicted event in 250–1,000 predictions depending on the 24-h BP phenotype. Nocturnal BP was no more predictive than the other 24-h BP phenotypes. In AA, 24-h BP monitoring provides limited added value as a predictor of cardiovascular/renal disease events. Larger studies are needed in AA to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Few articles have focused specifically on interpersonal violence (IPV) and interventions in college-attending African American women. As bystander interventions become more prevalent in IPV prevention, it is important to understand how empathy can be impactful in changing belief systems and perceptions of IPV. Capturing the nuances of violence and communal responsibility for prevention within communities of color (African American) provides the scope of this paper. The Violence Interruption Process (VIP) as a bystander intervention focused on sociocultural contexts in the African American community to interrupt patterns of violence. Methods: Didactic presentations were conducted at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to 406 students for a 2- to 4-week period with male and co-ed groups. Groups were facilitated for 1.5 h each for the time period, and facilitators guided bystander intervention role-plays and experiential activities. Results: Descriptive feedback indicated new insights and action by participants. Responses emphasized a better understanding of victims of violence in its varied forms, increased empathy toward others, and more sensitivity toward IPV as a general concept with a willingness to intervene. Conclusions: Attitude changes among male participants were particularly attributed to identifying ways in which persons had experienced violence in their lives. Participants reported that this helped them in empathic understanding. Further, they reported making connections between this understanding and intervening as an ally to victims in IPV situations. Making changes and stopping violence in the community as a community may be effective practice in violence intervention processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between hopelessness on chronic disease in a national sample of African Americans (3570) and Caribbean Blacks (1438) Using the National Survey of American Life. A multivariate negative binomial regression examined whether chronic disease is associated with hopelessness, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, 13.14% of the sample reported they were highly hopeless, and 31.5% indicated they were moderately hopeless. About 19% of respondents experienced chronic disease. Bivariate associations showed that those who have ever had chronic disease significantly differed from those who did not in regard to age, gender and spirituality. Multivariate results showed that respondents who ever have had chronic disease reported significantly higher hopelessness scores than those with no chronic disease. The study findings contribute to the current body of literature by supporting findings from smaller studies on the relationship between depression and hopelessness in African Americans and Caribbean Blacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programs that utilize Community Health Advisors (CHAs) to promote cancer screening are effective in community settings. However, predictors of CHA performance are not well understood. From 2016 to 2018, we partnered with 9 African American churches in South Los Angeles and trained 49 CHAs to promote cancer screening in an effort to build capacity for health promotion in a low-resource community. This paper examines CHA characteristics and training outcomes in African American faith-based settings and explores the relationship of these variables to successful recruitment of participants by CHAs. Pre- and post-tests showed statistically significant increases in knowledge of colorectal cancer screening guidelines (4 items) and human subjects protection rules (5 items) and CHAs' perceived self-efficacy to perform specific tasks for the study (13 items, Cronbach's alpha > 0.90). There were no significant differences between active CHAs who recruited at least 10 participants (N = 29) and inactive/less active CHAs (N = 20) with respect to demographic characteristics and training outcomes. We report challenges and facilitators to recruitment from CHA debriefings at 12 months follow-up. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for future studies to move this field forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis (QIMS) method is used to highlight the sociological concept of colorist privilege, which characteristics of White privilege and colorism intersect to influence biopsychosocial outcomes on the African American population. Colorist privilege is first theoretically defined in this paper, then demonstrated within the synthesized studies to capture the experiences of colorist privilege among 155 African American participants utilizing secondary data. Three themes emerged from the essence of the lived experiences of participants that illustrate the mechanisms through which colorist privilege exists among both inter-racial and intra-racial relationships for African American people. Implications for education, teaching, and research regarding African Americans are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite making notable gains at the local level, very few African Americans have been elected to the high-profile statewide offices of governor or U.S. senator. Previous research offers little systematic evidence on the role of racial prejudice in the campaigns of African Americans trying to reach these offices for the first time. In this paper, I introduce a new data set designed to test whether African American candidates for these offices are penalized due to their race. Comparing all 24 African American challengers (non-incumbents) from 2000 to 2014 to white challengers from the same party running in the same state for the same office around the same time, I find that white challengers are about three times more likely to win and receive about 13 percentage points more support among white voters. These estimates hold when controlling for a number of potential confounding factors and when employing several statistical matching estimators. The results conflict with earlier studies that focus on a single gubernatorial contest or elections at the U.S. House level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its long genetic evolutionary history, Africans exhibit more genetic variation than any other population in the world. Their genetic diversity further lends itself to subdivisions of Africans into groups of individuals with a genetic similarity of varying degrees of granularity. It remains challenging to detect fine-scale structure in a computationally efficient and meaningful way. In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept of a novel fine-scale population structure detection tool with Western African samples. These samples consist of 1396 individuals from 25 ethnic groups (two groups are African American descendants). The strategy is based on a recently developed tool called IPCAPS. IPCAPS, or Iterative Pruning to CApture Population Structure, is a genetic divisive clustering strategy that enhances iterative pruning PCA, is robust to outliers and does not require a priori computation of haplotypes. Our strategy identified in total 12 groups and 6 groups were revealed as fine-scale structure detected in the samples from Cameroon, Gambia, Mali, Southwest USA, and Barbados. Our finding helped to explain evolutionary processes in the analyzed West African samples and raise awareness for fine-scale structure resolution when conducting genome-wide association and interaction studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the challenges that African Americans face teaching predominantly white classes at the tertiary level, and argues that these challenges can be resolved by establishing strong ties between students and teachers. While it is largely black faculty who incur the costs of this relationship building, the paper notes that they probably are not the only beneficiaries. White students are likely to benefit as well, as is society at large. The paper’s analysis suggests that black faculty face work that is outside the scope of what white faculty must do. Such work can be viewed as another dimension of the burden of delivering a “hidden curriculum” for their predominately white institutions of employment (Brayboy, Journal of Black Studies 34: 72–86, 2003). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A large body of research exists on families and their impact on children's developmental outcomes. Fewer studies examine family processes within different family structures and their impact on adolescents. This study extends prior work by evaluating associations between family structure (two biological parents, single-parent—mother only, and blended families with a step parent), family functioning (communication, cohesion and flexibility) and adolescents' logic and reasoning skills and math performance. Methods: A convenience sample of 269 African American adolescents was recruited from a university-based summer enrichment program. The sample was mostly female (63%), with a mean age of 16.34 years. Data were derived from the baseline assessment during which participants completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES IV), a computer-administered test of cognitive skills, and a paper-based math performance test. Results: Families with different structures varied in their family functioning (Wilks' ʌ = 0.942, F(6, 496) = 2.486, p = 0.022, η2 = 0.835). Families differed on the dimensions of cohesion (F(2, 250) = 5.80, p = 0.003, η2 = 0.044), flexibility (F(2, 250) = 5.48, p = 0.005, η2 = 0.042) and communication (F(2, 250) = 5.80, p = 0.003, η2 = 0.047). Different dimensions of family functioning significantly predicted both logic and reasoning skills (F(7, 244) = 2.14, p = 0.040, R2 = 0.06) and math outcomes (F(7, 142) = 3.16, p = 0.004, R2 = 0.14). Conclusions: Families with different household structures differ in their functioning, including in their levels of cohesion, flexibility and communication. Family functioning is more important than family structure in predicting African American adolescents' reasoning skills and math performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper synthesizes the perspectives from behavioral science and medical anthropology to discuss factors affecting prostate cancer screenings among African American men. It argues that the hegemonic health behavior model historically used to frame prostate cancer screenings without considering the context in which African American men are embedded. By the same token, the sociocultural perspective tends to articulate the cultural meaning and social relationships experienced by patients; however, it may operate largely in its own field and becomes somewhat peripheral to the domain of traditional behavioral models. This paper accordingly suggests that through exploration of a synthetic approach combining behavioral science and anthropological perspectives, we can display the relationship between individual – (e.g., perceived threats) and sociocultural – related factors (e.g., intimate and family relationship, socioeconomic status, and sense of masculinity) and practices of prostate cancer screenings among African American men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on racial socialization of African Americans has focused on data drawn from young children, teens, and college students. The question of what mature adults recall as having been significant messages in their childhood about dealing with racism has been ignored, and so has the question of what the adult impact might be of childhood racial socialization. To explore these issues, we examined the autobiographies of 41 African Americans that included material on the parenting they received to deal with racism. Many of the lessons the autobiographers wrote about learning can be classified in three broad themes-be aware of and alert to white racism, get a good education, and have a strong racial identity. As evidence of the usefulness in adulthood of childhood racial socialization, some autobiographers wrote about how important certain socialization experiences were to them in adulthood. This paper adds to the literature on African American racial socialization by showing the durability of some memories of childhood racial socialization and also showing that there can be an impact in adulthood of childhood racial socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Americans are underrepresented members of the US accounting academy (Brown-Liburd and Joe 2020). By interviewing Black accounting faculty about their experiences during their doctoral education and institutional hiring and promotion processes, we discover stories of degradation, stereotyping, and exclusion (i.e., microaggressions) that participants report negatively impact their views of the academic accounting profession and increase their turnover intentions. Microaggressions committed against Black accounting faculty may contribute to underrepresentation that can be addressed through enlightenment, education, and interaction. Our findings are important as they fill gaps in related extant literature concerning the existence and impacts of microaggressions, and they may help improve diversity and equity in the accounting academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that solidarity between people of color (PoC) is triggered when a marginalized ingroup believes they are discriminated similarly to another outgroup. This evidence has primarily focused on Asian Americans, Latinos, and Middle Eastern people, who are systematically discriminated against as foreigners. Yet evidence remains absent on Black people, who are systematically discriminated against as inferior, but not as foreign. Using a pair of pre-registered experiments with Black and Latino adults (N = 2060), we manipulated a shared sense of discrimination as inferior ("second class citizenship"). This treatment measurably increased Black solidarity with PoC, which then significantly boosted their support for pro-Latino policies (e.g., less Border Patrol agents along US-Mexico border). This pattern was reciprocated by Latinos, whose heightened solidarity with PoC increased their support for pro-Black initiatives (e.g., endorsing #BlackLivesMatter). Sensitivity analyses further establish this pathway's viability. We discuss the implications for more effective coalition-building among racially minoritized groups in US politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the various patterns of political participation among Latinos, Blacks and Asians Americans. To assess these patterns of political participation among these three groups, I employ the Collaborative Multiracial Post-election Survey (CMPS) 2016. I use two key measures: one is the original measure of linked fate and the other is immigrant linked fate, both which are available in the CMPS. This allows for a comparison of two measures of linked fate on political participation across racial and ethnic groups. To test the impact of linked fate on political participation, I present several negative binomial regressions. The results show that the original measure of linked fate is a strong predictor for political participation for Latinos and Blacks but does not predict political participation for Asians. The measure for immigrant linked fate predicts political participation for Latinos and Blacks but not for Asians. The results suggest that participating in politics to represent the interests of their racial or ethnic group is very important for Latinos and Blacks. Additionally, participating in politics to represent the interests of immigrants is also strongly pronounced among Blacks and Latinos and shows a motivation for these two groups to engage in politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on working mothers from the United States and South Africa. This study sought to highlight both cross-cultural similarities and differences. American and South African working mothers took part in online interviews. Eighteen participants were included in the sample, ten participants lived in the United States, while eight participants currently resided in South Africa. The age range of the participants' children was from 0 to 21 years old. Each participant met individually with the researcher and answered a series of open-ended questions regarding their experiences of being a working mother during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers analyzed interviews using thematic analysis. Common themes emerged in the interviews with both American and South African working mothers. Mothers in the United States and South Africa both noted the need for flexible work schedules as well as expressed difficulty balancing roles as mothers and professionals during the pandemic. Increased motivation and resiliency as well as lack of representation of women leaders were themes specific to South African mothers in this study. Conversely, feelings of decreased interest in pursuing leadership opportunities was a theme specific to American mothers in this study. The current study adds to the growing body of literature documenting the effect of the pandemic on working mothers, and builds on this research by including a qualitative component to gain knowledge from working mothers themselves. The narratives collected in the current study highlight commonalities as well as differences in the experiences of working mothers in the United States and South Africa, which holds important implications for how workplaces and the broader community can best attend to the unique needs of working mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an essential early step in the identification process and inaccurate screening may lead to significant delays in the onset of treatment. Past research has highlighted discrepancies in the performance of ASD screening tools such as the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) among certain racial and ethnic groups. The current study explored the functioning of the SCQ among African American/Black and White respondents based on item level performance on the measure. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analyses showed that 16 (41%) items of the SCQ functioned differently for African American/Black respondents when compared to White respondents. Implications, such as the potential for delayed diagnosis and treatment, and the influence on downstream outcomes, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined hospitalizations in a large, all-payer, nationally representative sample of inpatient hospitalizations in the US and identified differences in rates of hospitalization for conditions by race and ethnicity in autistic adults. Conditions examined included mood disorders, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). Compared to white, non-Hispanic autistic adults, Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander (API), and autistic adults of another race had lower prevalence of admission for a principal diagnosis of a mood disorder. Conversely, Black, Hispanic, API, and autistic adults of another race had higher odds of admission for epilepsy than white autistic adults. Black and Hispanic autistic adults were more likely to have schizophrenia as a principal diagnosis compared to white autistic adults, but only Black autistic adults had increased odds for admission for an ACSCs compared to white autistic adults. Differences in diagnosis prevalence among hospitalized autistic adults may suggest differential access to comprehensive outpatient care that could prevent such hospitalizations, while also pointing to concerns of differential validity of diagnostic tools and treatment approaches. Insurance policy and programs should prioritize optimizing outpatient care to ensure access to care and emphasize the need for equitable treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research has established that minority banks and depository institutions are concentrated in minority-populated areas, tend to serve the interests, and ensure the economic viability of the minority populations, primarily through cultural affinity. However, this research has mostly focused on African American banks. In this paper, we attempt to understand the characteristics of Asian American Owned Banks (AAOBs) and how they differ from mainstream banks. Our results show that AAOBs generally tend to perform better than mainstream banks. A closer look at the ethnic breakdown of AAOBs reveals that Indian American banks perform better as they tend to serve a financially better off Indian American population. On the other hand, Korean American banks tend to take on more risk. Overall, AAOBs are more risk averse than mainstream banks. These unique characteristics of AAOBs have regulatory and governance implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]