A kidney function test that used race in its calculation caused thousands of Black patients to be denied kidney transplants, but hospitals are now working to fix this unfair practice. Jazmin Evans, a 29-year-old from Philadelphia, recently found out she should have been placed on the kidney transplant waiting list back in 2015 instead of 2019 because of this biased test. Over 14,000 other Black kidney patients have also had their waiting times adjusted, moving them up the priority list. The problem stems from a widely used test that made Black patients’ kidneys seem healthier than they really were by…
Author: Disparity Matters
America’s nursing workforce has become more diverse over the past 15 years, according to new federal data, but underrepresentation remains a problem in a field struggling with burnout and racism. A diverse nursing workforce can reduce health disparities, provide more culturally competent care and, in turn, improve patient outcomes. Black registered nurses made up 11% of the workforce in 2022, up from 8% in 2018 and about 5% in 2008, according to a survey of 50,000 nurses conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. 9% of RNs identified as Asian in 2022, up almost double from 5% in 2018. However, Black…
A statewide study in Michigan has uncovered significant variations in how emergency departments record patients’ race and ethnicity, potentially impacting efforts to address health care disparities. The research, conducted by a team from the University of Michigan, found that nearly 1 in 10 patients who visited multiple emergency departments within a year were categorized differently in terms of race or ethnicity across visits. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from over 5 million emergency department visits made by 2.5 million patients across Michigan in 2020. It revealed that 9.3% of patients who made multiple visits were assigned…
A recent University of Georgia study has shed light on the alarming prevalence of suicidal thoughts among Black men in rural America, with one in three reporting such experiences. The research, published in February, points to disproportionate racism and childhood trauma as significant contributing factors. The study followed over 500 African American men from their late teens to early 20s in rural Georgia, examining their childhood experiences. Researchers found that those who grew up with limited resources and faced racial discrimination were more likely to experience mistrust and isolation in social relationships, leading to suicidal thoughts. Michael Curtis, a co-author of the…
A recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has sparked a growing movement to disaggregate health data for Asian Americans, a diverse group often overlooked in discussions about racial and ethnic disparities. The report, published in October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed to provide an equitable framework for vaccine distribution but failed to mention Asian American communities. This omission highlighted the long-standing issue of treating Asian Americans as a monolithic group, masking significant health disparities among different Asian origins. Researchers and advocates argue that lumping together data from over 20 ethnicities with vastly different…
A new report reveals that Black Americans face unique challenges and perspectives when it comes to weight loss and body image in the era of popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic. The investigation, conducted by Word In Black and STAT, gathered insights from over a dozen Black individuals across the United States. The study found that many Black Americans struggle with societal pressure to lose weight while also grappling with centuries of oppression and discrimination related to their bodies. Several participants reported experiencing weight stigma from healthcare providers, family members, and society at large. Racial disparities in healthcare access and…
Eraka Bath improved mental-health services and justice-system support for foster-care and juvenile-justice-involved youth from marginalized communities
A new study reveals a troubling trend in adolescent suicide rates across the United States, with minority youth facing particularly stark increases. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed federal death certificate data from 1999 to 2020, uncovering a steady rise in suicide rates among 10- to 19-year-olds across all demographics. The study, led by Cameron Ormiston of the U.S. National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, found that over 47,000 adolescents lost their lives to suicide during this period. While the overall trend is concerning, the data show that Black, Hispanic, and Native American youth are especially vulnerable. Between…
Asian American communities were notably absent from critical COVID-19 vaccine distribution recommendations, highlighting a persistent gap in health data representation for this diverse population. In October 2020, as the pandemic continued to grip the nation, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a consensus report outlining a framework for equitable vaccine distribution across the United States. The report, aimed at addressing health disparities, emphasized the importance of prioritizing racial and ethnic groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic. It specifically mentioned American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic or Latinx, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities as…
Sharp increases in suicide rates among U.S. adolescents, particularly affecting girls and minority youth, have been reported in a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The analysis, led by Cameron Ormiston of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, examined federal death certificate data from 1999 to 2020. The study found that over 47,000 Americans aged 10 to 19 died by suicide during this period, with rates rising steadily across all demographics. However, minority adolescents experienced the most dramatic increases. From 2012 to 2020, firearm suicide rates jumped 14.5% annually among Black adolescents, with similar trends observed…