A transition to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy could prevent millions of childhood asthma attacks and save hundreds of infant lives by 2050, according to a new study from the American Lung Association (ALA). The report, which builds on the ALA’s 2022 “Zeroing in on Healthy Air” study, specifically examined how children would benefit from a shift to zero-emission vehicles. Researchers found that if all new passenger vehicles sold are zero-emission by 2035 and all trucks by 2040, coupled with a transition to a clean electric grid by 2035, children would experience significant health benefits. “Air pollution harms children’s…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) found that expanding Medicaid coverage to include the period before and after birth significantly improved detection and treatment of mental health conditions among low-income immigrant mothers. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, highlight disparities in maternal mental health care access for this underserved population. Maria Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at OHSU School of Medicine and director of the OHSU Center for Reproductive Health Equity, emphasized that poor perinatal mental health contributes to the maternal health crisis in the U.S., with immigrants facing unique…
Dr. Uche Blackstock, a prominent advocate for health equity, recently shared a personal experience that starkly illustrates the ongoing racial disparities in healthcare. Despite being a Harvard-educated emergency physician, Blackstock found herself on the receiving end of subpar medical care, highlighting how even medical professionals can fall victim to systemic biases. Blackstock recounts a harrowing experience of being misdiagnosed with sciatica while suffering from a potentially life-threatening condition. Her symptoms, including severe lower back pain radiating down her leg, were initially dismissed. It wasn’t until she advocated for herself and insisted on further testing that doctors discovered she had a…
A study by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) researchers found that expanded Medicaid benefits covering prenatal and postpartum care significantly increased detection and treatment of mental health conditions among low-income immigrant mothers. The study, published in JAMA Network Open and led by Dr. Maria Rodriguez (above), director of the OHSU Center for Reproductive Health Equity, analyzed data from nearly 44,000 births to Medicaid recipients in Oregon and South Carolina. Oregon provides emergency Medicaid coverage for prenatal care, while South Carolina only covers emergencies and hospitalizations. Researchers found that immigrant mothers in Oregon had higher rates of diagnosed mental health…
Living in historically redlined areas is associated with increased odds of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer in non-Hispanic Black women and late-stage diagnosis in non-Hispanic white women, a new study reveals. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, also found that persistent mortgage discrimination is tied to higher breast cancer mortality in non-Hispanic white women. Dr. Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz and colleagues from Emory University analyzed data from 1,764 non-Hispanic Black and white women in Georgia diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2017. They discovered that Black women living in redlined areas had 62% higher odds of ER-negative breast cancer, while white…
In the ongoing struggle for reproductive health equity, women of color in the United States continue to face significant challenges. Recent developments in abortion legislation and potential changes to the Affordable Care Act are poised to exacerbate existing disparities, particularly for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous women. These demographic groups, representing over a third of women of reproductive age in the country, are at increased risk of unintended pregnancies and preterm births. The situation is further complicated by the looming threat of restrictions on mifepristone, a crucial medication used in abortions for more than two decades. Lupe M. Rodríguez, executive director of…
A comprehensive analysis by Monticciolo and colleagues, utilizing the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) 2023 median estimates, underscores the life-saving potential of initiating annual breast cancer screenings at age 40. This study, pivotal in the ongoing debate over breast cancer screening guidelines, compared the outcomes of various screening scenarios, including the previous U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation of biennial screenings for women aged 50-74. The findings advocate for annual screenings from ages 40 to 74, highlighting significant benefits such as mortality reduction and increased life years, while also considering the risks of benign biopsies and recall…
Seattle’s history of racial housing segregation continues to impact health outcomes for communities of color today, according to a recent article in Real Change News. For much of the 20th century, Seattle enforced a system of racial apartheid through policies like racially restrictive covenants and redlining, which confined people of color to specific neighborhoods. The effects of this segregation are still visible in stark health disparities. The Washington Department of Health’s environmental health disparities map shows formerly redlined areas like the Central Area rank 9 or 10 out of 10 for health disparity risks. In contrast, nearby historically exclusionary neighborhoods like…
Black adults have 10% lower access to living donor kidney transplants compared to white candidates, according to a new study highlighting how residential and transplant center segregation contributes to racial disparities in healthcare. The research, conducted by Yiting Li and colleagues at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, analyzed data from 162,587 adult Black and white first-time living kidney transplant candidates between 1995 and 2021. The study found that candidates from neighborhoods with 30% or fewer white residents had 17% lower access to transplants. “Live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) remains the preferred method of kidney replacement therapy,” Li wrote. However, segregation…
Diabetic amputations are climbing at alarming rates in the United States, especially affecting Black and Latino patients, according to new reporting from ABC News. More than 154,000 diabetics lose toes, arms, legs, or feet each year, and Black and Latino diabetics are four times more likely to undergo amputation compared to other ethnic groups. Many patients describe fearful avoidance of medical visits, often due to the dread of hearing, “We have to take your leg.” Physicians highlight peripheral artery disease as a silent driver; reduced blood flow leads to non-healing wounds and ultimately limb loss.Health experts say most amputations are…