Pediatricians May Apply Bias in Abuse Assessment, Study Finds
August 23, 2010
Black children are more likely to be evaluated for abuse than white children with comparable injuries, according to a new study from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, raising concerns some children are being subjected to unnecessary testing while other cases of abuse go undiagnosed.
The study, which appears online today in the journal Pediatrics, looked at 3,063 infants admitted to 39 different pediatric hospitals with traumatic brain injuries not related to car accidents. The researchers compared the race and economic status of families with the subsequent diagnosis of child abuse after traumatic brain injury. Black families and families with governmental insurance were more likely to come under scrutiny than white families and families with private insurance.
Can Michelle Obama End Obesity? 5 Key Steps
August 19, 2010
When Michelle Obama promised in January to attack childhood obesity, she declared, “We have everything we need right now—we have the information, we have the ideas, and we have the desire to start solving America’s childhood obesity problem. The only question is whether we have the will.” So conquering the nation’s weight problem should be relatively easy, right?
Popularity of Cosmetic Surgery Growing Among Minorities
August 13, 2010
In a survey released today by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, more than half of respondents said they think the popularity of cosmetic surgery has grown among members of their racial/ethnic group in the last five years.
Among racial/ethnic groups, Asians reported that cosmetic surgery is most popular (31.4 percent of respondents). They were followed by Hispanics (27.4 percent) and African Americans (18.8 percent) in cosmetic surgery popularity. About one quarter of respondents surveyed indicated they knew someone of the same racial/ethnic background who has gotten cosmetic surgery.
“Cosmetic surgery is en vogue no matter who you are,” said Mark Berman, MD, President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. “Feeling better about yourself and making improvements to your looks is thankfully not limited to a specific race or culture Read more
Panel to study elderly black adults’ views on mental health
August 9, 2010
People’s attitudes about mental health are often shaped by their ethnicity and culture, which in turn affect how and whether they seek treatment for mental health problems.
An Aug. 19 panel discussion in Rochester is aimed at professionals who work with elders and will explore views about mental health among black older adults.
Health is a top concern for African-Americans
August 9, 2010
It may take an Oprah-like TV personality to get people to turn away from bad eating and other habits to set the U.S. population on a healthier course.
The data for obesity, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and heart disease don’t look good — particularly for African-Americans. The death rate for them is among the highest, with no sign of changes to prevent a premature demise.
UnitedHealthcare, U.S. Surgeon General and the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show Launch Fashion-Friendly Fitness Initiative for African American Women
August 9, 2010
UnitedHealthcare today launched an innovative collaboration with the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show to enroll 60,000 stylist attendees in the fight against obesity. Recognizing that data show many African American women avoid certain fitness activities in order to maintain their hairstyle, the initiative will feature the first-ever exercise-friendly hair competition, designed to remove hairstyle-related barriers to physical activity for women.
Older African-Americans With Cognitive Impairment Live Longer Than Whites
July 24, 2010
Racially and ethnically diverse older adults are one of the fastest growing population segments in the United States and new research presented today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease 2010 (AAICAD 2010) in Honolulu reveals that older African-Americans and Latinos with significant cognitive impairment have a lower likelihood of nursing home placement and longer survival than White older adults in the study.
Obama details national HIV plan
July 20, 2010
President Obama acknowledged an uncomfortable reality as he announced the nation’s first comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy at a White House ceremony. While the United States has made tremendous gains treating people infected with the virus, efforts to prevent the spread of the disease have continued to lag.
Adults Working With Youths Say Minority Children Face More Obstacles to Health and Success than White Counterparts
July 10, 2010
Minority children and teenagers have fewer opportunities than white counterparts to be healthy, obtain a quality education and achieve economic success, according to a national survey of adults whose jobs involve children’s education, health and economic well-being. The groundbreaking poll was released yesterday by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, which sought to gauge the level of disparities affecting children of color.
50 Million Pound Challenge Guide available at all CVS stores
July 8, 2010
As part of their ongoing partnership to help Americans improve their health and curb the onset of chronic diseases like diabetes, CVS/pharmacy and the 50 Million Pound Challenge announced today the availability of the 32-page 50 Million Pound Challenge Guide in all CVS/pharmacy retail locations.
New Research Shows Neighborhoods Have a Major Influence on the Health of African-American Men
July 5, 2010
New research funded by The California Endowment finds that African-American and Latino boys and young men are much more likely to experience poor health outcomes than white boys and young men. Most of these differences in health are directly related to the neighborhoods where they grow up.
To improve health outcomes for boys and young men, researchers suggest the need for systems-based solutions that are implemented at the community level.
“It’s not just that there’s a higher incidence of African-American and Latino children living in poverty,” said Susan Eaton, Research Director at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute at Harvard Law School. “It’s that poverty is generally harsher for African-American and Latino children.”
Minority Medical Students Receive Support to Pursue Hematology Research
June 24, 2010
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) announces the selection of 14 participants for its 2010 Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP), which encourages minority medical students to purse an interest in hematology research. Award recipients will each receive the support of a research mentor and a career-development mentor, travel stipends to attend the ASH annual meeting, and a subscription to the scientific journal Blood, the official journal of ASH.
“This award helps encourage the top students from traditionally underrepresented groups to pursue careers in hematology research,” said ASH President Hal Broxmeyer, PhD. “Since its introduction in 2004, the MMSAP has benefited both the recipients and the field of hematology as a whole.”
Anthony Anderson Joins the ‘Cast’ of Lilly’s F.A.C.E. Diabetes Initiative
June 22, 2010
Teaming up with Eli Lilly and Company, actor and comedian Anthony Anderson is stepping into the spotlight as the newest face of F.A.C.E. Diabetes – the national Fearless African-Americans Connected and Empowered initiative – to help motivate African-Americans with diabetes to take control of their disease. With the F.A.C.E. Diabetes initiative, Anderson will travel to various cities throughout the year, starting with the Real Men Cook Father’s Day Event in New York City.
Anderson, familiar to TV viewers as Detective Kevin Bernard of Law & Order and to movie-goers in the recent film The Back-up Plan, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about seven years ago. “At first, I felt completely confident that I could beat the disease,” says Anderson, “but it wasn’t until recently that I experienced a wake-up call and actually started making changes to my lifestyle to actively manage my diabetes.” Anderson presently works with a medical team to properly control his diabetes: he maintains a healthier diet, exercises regularly, and takes his medication as directed.
HIV Tests Can Do More Harm Than Good
June 10, 2010
The idea of early detection and cure is appealing. But if the test is unreliable, and the treatment itself harmful, universal testing can do more harm than good.
The availability of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) for AIDS is leading to calls for universal testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can progress to AIDS, and for early use of this expensive drug cocktail.
While HIV testing is said to be highly reliable, Professor Henry Bauer points out that in a population at low risk for AIDS, a positive test is nonetheless quite likely to be a false positive. Moreover, many people with genuinely positive tests never get AIDS.
Black Men at Greater Risk of Aggressive Prostate Tumors: Study
June 4, 2010
Black men are already known to be at higher risk of developing prostate cancer than white men, but now a new study reports that they also appear to be more likely to develop aggressive forms of the disease.
Researchers analyzed biopsies from 131 men — 67 blacks and 64 whites — whose prostates were removed at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Carolina. The investigators found signs that the black men had more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
The findings are scheduled to be released Wednesday at American Urological Association annual meeting in San Francisco.
