Revised lung cancer screening guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) have reduced disparities between Black and White individuals, but disparities among other racial and ethnic groups remain, according to a study led by Eunji Choi, PhD. The study, published in JAMA Oncology, examined the predictive performance of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Screening Trial 2012 (PLCOm2012) model and evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in screening performance. The study included 105,261 participants from five racial and ethnic groups: Black, Japanese American, Latino, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and White. The researchers found that 24% of the participants would have been…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new study reveals that women in low-income regions of the United States are experiencing an alarming increase in cervical cancer cases and deaths, despite an overall decline in the disease nationwide. This disparity is particularly troubling given the availability of an effective vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer. The research, published in the International Journal of Cancer, analyzed over 119,000 cases from the National Cancer Institute’s registry between 2000 and 2019. It found that cervical cancer incidence was highest among women in low-income areas, regardless of race or ethnicity, with Hispanic women showing the highest…
Filipino American children have a significantly higher prevalence of asthma compared to other Asian American subgroups, according to a new study that highlights health disparities among Asian ethnicities in the U.S. The research, published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, found that 21.5% of Filipino American children have asthma, compared to just 5.1% of Korean American children – the lowest rate among Asian subgroups studied. “We found that childhood lifetime asthma prevalence varied among Asian American ethnic groups, with lowest prevalence in Korean American children and the highest prevalence in Filipino American children,” said lead researcher Dr. Meng Cheng, clinical assistant…
A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has uncovered significant disparities in pregnancy outcomes among women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) across different racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The research, led by Dr. Riley Bove, a National MS Society Harry Weaver Scholar, examined medical records from nine MS centers, analyzing 294 pregnancies resulting in live births between 2010 and 2021. Key findings reveal that Black and Hispanic/Latinx women with MS tend to enter pregnancy at a younger age and with higher levels of disability compared to their white counterparts. The study also found…
Tuberculosis continues to disproportionately affect minority and immigrant populations in the United States, with approximately two-thirds of new cases occurring among non-U.S. born persons, according to recent data presented by Dr. Carmen Sierra at the DNPs of Color annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Despite efforts to eliminate the disease, 13 million Americans are living with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), with 8.9 million cases remaining untreated. While active TB infections have become rare among native-born Americans, rates are increasing, with 8,331 new cases reported in 2022. The disease shows significant racial disparities, affecting Asian (36% of new cases), Hispanic or Latino (31%), and…
Pregnant women in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” face significantly higher risks of premature births and low birth weight babies, a Human Rights Watch report reveals. The 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, home to about 200 petrochemical plants and refineries, has long been associated with elevated cancer rates. Now, research shows its impact extends to infant health. In the most polluted areas, low birth weight rates reach 27%, more than triple the national average of 8.5%. Preterm birth rates climb as high as 25.3%, compared to the U.S. average of 10.4%. “Our study reveals that pollution…
Despite cervical cancer being largely preventable, a troubling rise in cases has been observed among women in impoverished U.S. regions. Dr. Sarah Dilley, an assistant professor of gynecologic oncology at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, highlights that while economic status is a significant factor, it does not entirely explain the racial disparities seen in cervical cancer statistics. Black and Native American women face higher incidence and mortality rates, pointing to a complex interplay of socioeconomic and racial factors influencing health outcomes. The lack of data on Native women in the study underscores the ongoing issue of underrepresentation in medical research,…
People with multiple chronic conditions reported persistently high levels of anxiety and depression, and worse physical function, according to a new study from Northwestern Medicine. Compared to white study participants, those who identified as non-white experienced worse health-related quality of life as multiple chronic health conditions increased, the study found. “As people get older, it’s not just that they develop hypertension and that’s it. It’s that these conditions — which are often very manageable — start to accumulate, and, unfortunately, along with that come some negative quality-of-life side effects,” said corresponding study author Eileen Graham, associate professor of medical social…
A recent report published in The Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that while cancer deaths in the United States have decreased by one-third since 1991, significant racial disparities continue to exist.The study, which analyzed data from 2000 to 2020, found that Black Americans are still 12% more likely to die from cancer compared to white Americans, down from 26% in 2000. Dr. Tomi Akinyemiju (above), a co-author of the report and cancer epidemiologist at Duke Global Health Institute, attributes the overall decline to advancements in screening, prevention, and treatment strategies. However, she notes that these benefits are not…
A new analysis by the Urban Institute has revealed significant racial disparities in preventable hospitalizations among Medicaid patients. The study, published on Wednesday, found that Black Medicaid enrollees were more likely to be hospitalized for preventable conditions compared to their white counterparts. The analysis focused on preventable conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and heart failure. Among patients previously diagnosed with heart failure and eligible for Medicaid through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, 12.7 percent of Black patients experienced preventable hospitalizations. This rate was nearly double that of white enrollees, of whom only 7.2 percent faced…