Minority Health and Health Equity Archive

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21769

Welcome to the Minority Health and Health Equity Archive (MHHEA), an electronic archive for digital resource materials in the fields of minority health and health disparities research and policy. It is offered as a no-charge resource to the public, academic scholars and health science researchers interested in the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.African American women

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 22
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    Providers’ Perceptions and Practices Regarding BRCA1/2 Genetic Counseling and Testing in African American Women
    (2011) Graves, Kristi D.; Christopher, Juleen; Harrison, Toni Michelle; Peshkin, Beth N.; Isaacs, Claudine; Sheppard, Vanessa B.
    Abstract available at publisher's web site.
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    A Qualitative Evaluation of a Faith-Based Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Intervention for African American Women
    (2006) Matthews, A. K.; Berrios, N.; Darnell, J. S.; Calhoun, E.
    Abstract available at publisher's web site.
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    The "Rolling Store:" an economical and environmental approach to the prevention of weight gain in African American women.
    (2009) Kennedy, Betty M; Champagne, Catherine M; Ryan, Donna H; Newton, Robert; Conish, Beverly K; Harsha, David W; Levy, Erma J; Bogle, Margaret L
    The Rolling Store, at least on the small scale on which it was implemented, is a feasible approach to producing weight loss and improvements in healthy eating when combined with an educational program in a small community center.
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    African American Women's Coping with Health Care Prejudice
    (2005) Benkert, R.
    Abstract available at publisher's web site.
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    Social Stressors and Strengths as Predictors of Infant Birth Weight in Low-Income African American Women
    (2009) Dailey, Dawn E.
    BACKGROUND: Perinatal racial disparities remain an elusive problem in the United States. African American women experience the highest rate of low-birth-weight deliveries. Understanding the factors contributing to infant birth weight is crucial to unraveling existing perinatal racial disparities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to broaden knowledge of predictors of infant birth weight in African American people by examining stress and resource factors not explored routinely in perinatal research along with other known correlates of birth weight. METHODS: A total of 119 pregnant African American women participated in this prospective study. Social stressors included discrimination and trauma exposure. Personal resources included spirituality and social support. Data on socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and medical conditions were collected. RESULTS: On average, the infants weighed 3,194 +/- 660 g at birth. Overall, 14% were born with birth weights less than 2,500 g. Tobacco use, number of prenatal visits, and discrimination due to age and physical disability were significant predictors of infant birth weight (R2 = .25; p >or= .001). Factors such as spirituality and social support were not associated with birth weight. Other variables traditionally associated with birth weight did not contribute to the model in this sample. CONCLUSION: These findings provide further evidence that tobacco use, number of prenatal visits, and discrimination adversely affects birth outcomes. By continuing to explore the social and personal experiences of African American women, important insights can be gained on factors that contribute to the pervasive racial disparities in perinatal health and contribute to interventions to improve the quality of healthcare for all women.
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    Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Awards $1.5 Million in Grants to Help African American Women Fight Type 2 Diabetes
    (Business Wire, 2011) Egenolf, Frederick J.
    The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation today awarded five grants totaling $1.5 million to organizations that will empower African American women with type 2 diabetes to better manage their disease while also leveraging their standing as leaders in their families and communities to influence the health of those around them. The grants are part of Together on Diabetes(R) a five-year, $100 million initiative to improve health outcomes of people living with type 2 diabetes in the United States by strengthening patient self-management education, community-based supportive services and broad-based community mobilization. Consistent with the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's mission to reduce health disparities, the initiative targets adults disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes.
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    Breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and screening behaviors among African American women: the Black cosmetologists promoting health program
    (2007) Sadler, Georgia R; Ko, Celine M; Cohn, Jennifer A; White, Monique; Weldon, Rai-nesha; Wu, Phillis
    Background African American women have higher rates of breast cancer mortality than their white counterparts. Studies have suggested that this is partly caused by discovery of cancer at a later stage, highlighting the importance of encouraging early detection of breast cancer in this population. To guide the creation of a breast cancer education intervention and help focus other health educators' and clinicians' health promotion efforts, this study explored whether a cohort of African American women living in San Diego would demonstrate the possession of adequate baseline knowledge about breast cancer screening and adherence to widely recommended screening guidelines.Methods African American women (N = 1,055) from San Diego, California participated in a beauty salon-based survey about breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and screening practices. Women's ages ranged from 20 to 94 years, with average age of 42.20 (SD = 13.53) years. Thirty-four percent reported completing college and/or some graduate school training, and 52% reported having some college or post high school formal training. Seventy-five percent of the sample reported working outside their home. Participating cosmetologists and their salons were recruited to the study through word-of-mouth referral by highly respected African American community leaders.Results Salon clients reported low rates of adherence to recommended breast cancer screening guidelines. Of the 1,055 participants, 31% reporting performing breast self-exam every month. Of those participants 40 and older, 57% reported having had a clinical breast exam and 43% reported having had a mammogram in the past year. Knowledge of breast cancer was associated with adherence to screening guidelines. While women recognized the serious health threat that breast cancer poses and that early detection of breast cancer is important, only 30% of women reported feeling well informed about the disease. Many participants demonstrated a lack of basic knowledge about breast cancer. The Health Belief Model postulates that access to such information is an essential element in the progression toward engaging in screening behaviors.Conclusion Data from this study reflect a continuing need for increased breast cancer education for African American women. In light of the considerable mainstream information available related to breast cancer, these data reinforce the need for more breast cancer education programs that are clearly intended to attract the attention of African American women.
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    Maternal Nutrition and Infant Mortality in the Context of Relationality
    (Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 2007) Lu, Michael C.; Lu, Jessica S.
    Solutions to the problem of higher infant death rates among black families have eluded medical, health policy, and research communities for decades. African American women continue to face a disproportionately higher risk for delivering premature and low birthweight babies, many of whom die within their first year of life. Although infant mortality in the United States decreased among all races between 1980 and 2000, the overall black-white gap for infant mortality widened—and this pattern has continued. A 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis of infant mortality rates in 1995-1998 in the 60 largest U.S. cities revealed that the median infant mortality rate for blacks was 13.9 per 1,000 live births, compared to 6.4 and 5.9 for whites and Hispanics, respectively.
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    Community-based breast cancer intervention program for older African American women in beauty salons
    (1995) Forte, D.A.
    African American women are at high risk for morbidity and mortality from breast cancer. African American women ages 50 and older have been a difficult group to reach through conventional breast cancer intervention programs. Cultural and health beliefs that differ from mainstream society are reported to be factors contributing to the low rates of breast screening among this group. In addition to these attitudinal factors, older African American women are disproportionately represented among uninsured and under-insured Americans. As a result, cost becomes a barrier to mammography screening for many of these women. This project proposes to increase breast cancer screening awareness and provide a referral or free breast screening, or both, for African American women ages 50 and older. This information will be offered in the culturally familiar setting of local beauty salons. The culturally sensitive educational pamphlets developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and video developed by the NCI-funded project, Cancer Prevention Research Unit, will be used to promote mammography, clinical breast examinations, and breast self-examination. Providers staffing a mobile mammography van provided by Dr. Anitha Mitchell of the Association of Black Women Physicians through a grant from the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will perform mammograms for women on site during scheduled intervals. A followup telephone survey will be conducted.