Browsing by Author "Thomas, Stephen B."
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Item A comparison of the frequencies of risk factors for depression in older black and white participants in a study of indicated prevention(2010) Sriwattanakomen, Roy; McPherron, Jesse; Chatman, Jamie; Morse, Jennifer Q.; Martire, Lynn M.; Karp, Jordan F.; Houck, Patricia R.; Bensasi, Salem; Houle, Jill; Stack, Jacqueline A.; Woods, Mattie; Block, Bruce; Thomas, Stephen B.; Quinn, Sandra; Reynolds, Charles F.BACKGROUND: To compare the frequencies of risk factors, we describe risks for depression as a function of race among consecutively admitted participants in a randomized clinical trial of indicated depression prevention in later life. METHODS: Seventy-two black and 143 white participants were screened for risk factors for depression. RESULTS: Black participants were more likely to have fewer years of education and lower household income. They were more likely to be obese, live alone, experience functional disability, have a history of alcohol and drug abuse, and have lower scores on the Mini-mental State Examination and the Executive Interview (EXIT). White participants were not found to have greater prevalence or higher mean score on any risk factor. On average, black participants experienced approximately one more risk factor than white participants (t(213) = 3.32, p = 0.0011). CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, black participants had higher frequencies of eight risk factors for depression and a greater mean number of risk factors compared to white participants.Item A Plan to Facilitate the Early Career Development of Minority Scholars in the Health Sciences(2010) Berget, Rachael J.; Reynolds, Charles F.; Ricci, Edmund M.; Quinn, Sandra C.; Mawson, Anthony R.; Payton, Marinelle; Thomas, Stephen B.Item Advancing Equitable Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine in Communities of Color: Shedding light on the long shadow of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study(YouTube, 2021-02-25) Thomas, Stephen B.Item African Americans' views on research and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study(2001) Freimuth, Vicki S.; Quinn, Sandra Crouse; Thomas, Stephen B.; Cole, Galen; Zook, Eric; Duncan, TedThe participation of African Americans in clinical and public health research is essential. However, for a multitude of reasons, participation is low in many research studies. This article reviews the literature that substantiates barriers to participation and the legacy of past abuses of human subjects through research. The article then reports the results of seven focus groups with 60 African Americans in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Atlanta during the winter of 1997. In order to improve recruitment and retention in research, the focus group study examined knowledge of and attitudes toward medical research, knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and reactions to the Home Box Office production, Miss Evers' Boys, a fictionalized version of the Tuskegee Study, that premiered in February, 1997. The study found that accurate knowledge about research was limited; lack of understanding and trust of informed consent procedures was problematic; and distrust of researchers posed a substantial barrier to recruitment. Additionally, the study found that, in general, participants believed that research was important, but they clearly distinguished between types of research they would be willing to consider participating in and their motivations for doing so.Item Attitudes and Beliefs of African-Americans Toward Genetics, Genetic Testing, and Sickle Cell Disease Education and Awareness(2011) Long, Katie A.; Thomas, Stephen B.; Grubs, Robin E.; Gettig, Elizabeth A.; Krishnamurti, LakshmananResearch among African-Americans indicates this population perceives sickle cell (SCD) to be a serious disease and sickle cell trait (SCT) screening an important intervention. However, studies have consistently demonstrated a lower than desired uptake of SCD education, inadequate knowledge regarding personal and family trait status, and a low perceived susceptibility of giving birth to a child with the disease. We examined general attitudes and beliefs regarding genetics and genetic testing including prenatal testing and newborn screening; we used this information as the foundation to more specifically assess attitudes and beliefs regarding SCD and perceived barriers to SCD education and awareness. Thirty-five African-American adult men and women participated in one of four focus groups. Thematic analysis identified that both prenatal testing and newborn screening are acceptable forms of genetic testing. Based largely on their personal experiences, participants possessed an understanding of the natural progression of SCD but had a limited understanding of the inheritance and probable risk of giving birth to a child with the disease. Barriers to education and greater awareness of SCD were classified as personal, familial, and societal. Community based interventions focused on sharing the stories of individuals with first-hand experiences with SCD should be considered.Item Attributes of researchers and their strategies to recruit minority populations: Results of a national survey(2012) Quinn, Sandra Crouse; Butler, James; Fryer, Craig S.; Garza, Mary A.; Kim, Kevin H.; Ryan, Christopher; Thomas, Stephen B.Despite NIH mandates for inclusion, recruiting minorities is challenging for biomedical and public health researchers. Little is known about how attributes of researchers affect their choice of recruitment strategies. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by examining how use of recruitment strategies relates to other researcher characteristics. To do this, we conducted an online survey from May to August 2010 with researchers (principal investigators, research staff, and IRB members) in which we measured the number and types of recruitment strategies utilized, along with other characteristics of the researchers and their research. We identified two clusters of researchers: comprehensive researchers who utilized a greater number and more diverse and active recruitment strategies, and traditional researchers, who utilized fewer and more passive strategies. Additional characteristics that distinguished the two groups were that comprehensive researchers were more likely than traditional researchers to 1) report racial and ethnic differences as one of their specific aims or hypotheses, 2) receive federal (CDC and NIH) funding, 3) conduct behavioral or epidemiological research, and 4) have received training in conducting research with and recruiting minorities. Traditional researchers, on the other hand, were more likely to conduct clinical research and a greater (though non-significant) percentage received funding from pharmaceutical sources. This study provides a novel description of how researcher attributes are related to their recruitment strategies and raises a number of future research questions to further examine the implications of this relationship.Item Back to School, Back to Work: A Community Conversation about Protecting Ourselves and Our Loved Ones(Facebook, 2021-09-01) Thomas, Stephen B.Item BCHS 2524 Overview of Minority Health and Health Disparities in the US: Course Syllabus (FALL: 2006-2007 School Year)(2006) Thomas, Stephen B.BCHS 2524 Overview of Minority Health and Health Disparities in the US: Course Syllabus (FALL: 2006-2007 School Year)Item Breaking The Cycle of Violence Among Youth Living in Metropolitan Atlanta: A Case History of Kids Alive and Loved(1998) Thomas, Stephen B.; Leite, Bernadette; Duncan, TedMore teenagers in the United States die from gunshot wounds than from all natural causes of disease combined. Firearm-related mortality accounts for almost half of all deaths among African American teens. Residents of central cities have the highest probability of experiencing violent crimes. This article describes an innovative community-based intervention designed to break the cycle of violence among youth in metropolitan Atlanta. The intervention, Kids Alive and Loved (KAL), emerged from the African American community as one mother's response to the violent death of her 17-year-old son. The authors describe how her response to tragedy gave birth to a culturally appropriate intervention for youth exposed to violence. This article delineates the evolution of KAL, the role of community partners in the design of the intervention, and how diffusion of innovation theory has implications for understanding the KAL approach to breaking the cycle of violence.Item Carrying Equity in COVID-19 Vaccination Forward: Guidance Informed by Communities of Color(Vimeo, 2021-07-15) Brunson, Emily K.; Schoch-Spana, Monica; Thomas, Stephen B.Item Colors of COVID Town Hall(YouTube, 2021-04-29) Thomas, Stephen B.; Neal, Omar; Duron, YsabelItem Colors of COVID-19 Barbershop and Salon Talk on Radio 1(YouTube, 2021-03-26) Quicksilva; Thomas, Stephen B.; Neal, OmarItem CommuniVax Report Back Webinar(YouTube, 2021-09-28) Thomas, Stephen B.Item COVID-19 Vaccines: A Primer on Vaccine Trials and the Emergency Use Authorization Process for Health Care Providers(YouTube, 2020-12-09) Thomas, Stephen B.Item Engaging Communities of Color for Flu Vaccine Uptake by Breaking Through COVID-19 Misinformation(YouTube, 2020-10-28) Thomas, Stephen B.; Aparicio-Blackwell, Gloria; Neal, OmarItem Faith, Science, and Trust African American Clergy and Community Conversation on COVID-19(Facebook, 2021-01-22) Thomas, Stephen B.Item Gender Differences in Mental Health Outcomes before, during, and after the Great Recession(PLOS (Public Library of Science), 2015-05-13) Dagher, Rada K.; Chen, Jie; Thomas, Stephen B.We examined gender differences in mental health outcomes during and post-recession versus pre-recession. We utilized 2005-2006, 2008-2009, and 2010-2011 data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Females had lower odds of depression diagnoses during and post-recession and better mental health during the recession, but higher odds of anxiety diagnoses post-recession. Males had lower odds of depression diagnoses and better mental health during and post-recession and lower Kessler 6 scores post-recession. We conducted stratified analyses, which confirmed that the aforementioned findings were consistent across the four different regions of the U.S., by employment status, income and health care utilization. Importantly, we found that the higher odds of anxiety diagnoses among females after the recession were mainly prominent among specific subgroups of females: those who lived in the Northeast or the Midwest, the unemployed, and those with low household income. Gender differences in mental health in association with the economic recession highlight the importance of policymakers taking these differences into consideration when designing economic and social policies to address economic downturns. Future research should examine the reasons behind the decreased depression diagnoses among both genders, and whether they signify decreased mental healthcare utilization or increased social support and more time for exercise and leisure activities.Item Health Disparities: The Importance of Culture and Health Communication(2004) Thomas, Stephen B.; Fine, Michael J.; Ibrahim, Said A.The root causes of health disparities are numerous and relate to individual behaviors, provider knowledge and attitudes, organization of the health care system, and societal and cultural values. Disparities have been well documented,even in systems that provide unencumbered access to health care, such as the VA Healthcare System, suggesting that factors other than access to care (e.g., culture and health communication) are responsible. Efforts to eliminate health disparities must be informed by the influence of culture on the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of not only minority populations but also public health policymakers and the health professionals responsible for the delivery of medical services and public health interventions designed to close the health gap. There is credible evidence suggesting that cultural norms within Western societies contribute to lifestyles and behaviors associated with risk factors for chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes and cardiovascular disease). This is the context in which smoking cessation, increased physical activity, and dietary regulation are prime targets for intervention.Item Historical and Current Policy Efforts to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in the US. Future Opportunities for Public Health Education Research(2006) Thomas, Stephen B.; Benjamin, Georges C.; Almario, Donna; Lathan, Monica J.In the summer of 2005, the Society for Public Health Education convened a meeting, Health Disparities and Social Inequities, with the task of setting the minority health disparities research agenda for public health educators. The article provides a history of minority health efforts beginning with the Negro Health Improvement Week in 1915 and an overview of National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) current 5-year strategic research plan to eliminate health disparities. The plan’s goals represent a significant investment in minority health research and the emergence of NIH as the leading federal agency funding health disparity research. Understanding the history of minority health efforts and current health disparity research offers a perspective that will help guide public health educators in reaching the Healthy People 2010 goal of eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities.Item Light on the Shadow of the Syphilis Study at Tuskegee(2000) Thomas, Stephen B.; Quinn, Sandra CrouseIn the 1940s, with the disclosure that Nazi doctors had conducted experiments on humans, the term research crime appeared for the first time. Most Americans believed such abuses could never happen here. On a hot day in July 1972, however, the national front-page news described an experiment sponsored by the U.S. government. In Macon County, Alabama, a large group of Black men had gone untreated for syphilis. Over 4 decades, as some of them died, the U.S. government went to great lengths to ensure that the men in the Tuskegee Study were denied treatment, even after penicillin had become the standard of care in the mid-1940s