A new study suggests that expanding lung cancer screening guidelines could help close persistent racial and gender disparities in healthcare. Researchers found that current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) criteria—originally set in 2013—often exclude women and Black individuals who are still at risk for lung cancer. The USPSTF had already revised its guidelines once, lowering the age from 55 to 50 and reducing the smoking history requirement from 30 to 20 pack-years. But disparities remain. “Women and Black people, in particular, often did not qualify for lung cancer screening despite still being susceptible to the disease,” the study noted.…
Author: Disparity Matters
Black women in the U.S. are entering menopause earlier, enduring more severe symptoms, and receiving less care than their white counterparts, according to a growing body of research. The disparities are not just biological—they’re systemic.The median age of natural menopause is 52.17 for Black women, nearly nine months earlier than for white women. But the difference goes beyond timing. Black women experience vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats for an average of 10.1 years—compared to 6.5 years for white women. They are also twice as likely to undergo surgical menopause and 50% less likely to use hormone therapy…
A new guide is challenging the status quo in dermatology by calling attention to how poorly traditional photography captures skin conditions in people with darker skin tones. The issue, experts say, is more than technical—it’s about equity, trust, and better care. “Traditional photographic technologies have typically been calibrated using lighter skin tones,” said Dr. Nada Elbuluk, co-author of the guide and director of the USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Program. This has led to inaccurate depictions of dermatologic conditions in patients with skin of color, contributing to diagnostic gaps and underrepresentation in medical education. The guide, published in…
Black Americans undergoing weight-loss surgery are experiencing significantly more minor complications than their White counterparts, according to new research presented at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s annual meeting. The study, led by Dr. Safraz Hamid of Yale University, analyzed data from over 1.1 million patients who had either laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass between 2016 and 2023.Each year, Black patients showed higher rates of Clavien-Dindo category 1 complications, rising from 10.2 percent in 2016 to 15.0 percent in 2023, compared to 7.6 to 12.1 percent among White patients. While more severe complications (CD2 through CD5)…
A new study from rural Alabama reveals how the weight of racial discrimination and early-life adversity may be contributing to high blood pressure among Black adults. Researchers found that both perceived racial discrimination and childhood adversity were significantly associated with self-reported hypertension in predominantly Black communities. The study, conducted in five rural Alabama towns, surveyed 184 adults using paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Ninety-two percent of participants identified as Black. Researchers measured perceived racial discrimination using a subscale of the African American Historical Trauma Questionnaire and assessed childhood adversity with the ACE Study Questionnaire. Older age and higher scores of perceived racial discrimination…
Gun-related suicides in the United States hit another record high in 2023, with disturbing surges among Black and Hispanic youth. According to a report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, gun suicides accounted for 58% of the nation’s 46,728 firearm deaths—one every 11 minutes. While overall gun homicides declined, suicides by firearm reached the highest levels ever recorded for the third year in a row.National data show a 245% increase in gun suicide rates among Black youth ages 10–19 since 2014, with an 81% rise since 2019. Hispanic youth in the same age group saw gun suicide…
A new study published in JAMA Network Open found that Black patients were 17.1% less likely and Hispanic patients 16.2% less likely than white patients to receive buprenorphine or naltrexone within six months of a substance use-related health event. “We’ve seen rising overdoses and rising overdose deaths in racial and ethnic minoritized communities, particularly Black Americans,” said Dr. Utsha Khatri, lead author and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She attributed much of the disparity to lack of access to effective medications. The study analyzed data from 176,000 health events across Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and…
A new study reveals that Florida’s mosquito control system may be reinforcing public health disparities, with wealthier areas receiving better protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, West Nile, and Zika.
Latino communities in Los Angeles are bearing the brunt of climate change and environmental neglect, according to new data from UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute. The Latino Climate and Health Dashboard reveals that Latino-majority neighborhoods experience 25 extreme heat days per year—more than triple the number in white-majority areas. “Extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s deadly,” said Irene Burga of Green Latinos. These neighborhoods often lack tree cover, have older housing without modern cooling systems, and are home to workers in heat-exposed jobs. Tree canopy covers just 4% of land in Latino neighborhoods, compared to 9% in white areas.…
A new study reveals that Florida’s mosquito control system may be reinforcing public health disparities, with wealthier areas receiving better protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, West Nile, and Zika.