Black/African American Health Resources

Cutting-edge approaches, such as genomewide association studies, admixture mapping, and phylogenetic analyses, offer new opportunities for dissecting the genetic basis for asthma in populations of African descent.

Although asthma affects all ethnic groups, the burden from this disease is disproportionately shared by certain minority groups and the economically disadvantaged. The prevalence of childhood asthma among Puerto Ricans (19.2%) or non-Hispanic blacks (12.7%) is higher than among non-Hispanic whites (8%) or Mexican Americans (6.4%) (2). Ethnic disparities in asthma morbidity and mortality are even more pronounced (3). Asthma mortality rates in children and adults are nearly eightfold and threefold higher, respectively, in non-Hispanic blacks than in non-Hispanic whites.

The SEM-based equity frameworks proposed provide the first multidisciplinary strategies dedicated to increase engagement of Black males in PCA GT, which are critical to reduce disparities in PCA-mortality through informing tailored screening, targeted therapy, and cascade testing in families.

“Our findings demonstrate that multiple, interacting factors contribute to disparities in breast cancer survival between Black and white women,” said senior author Erica Warner, ScD, MPH, a cancer epidemiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “To achieve equity, intervention is necessary at multiple levels—from community to healthcare systems and individual healthcare providers, to patients themselves learning about their disease and what their expectations should be for their care.”

PSA testing was associated with a reduced risk of PCSM in both NHB and NHW men diagnosed with PCa. Additionally, the positive impact of the screening rate seemed to be independent of race.

Diabetes care disparities are evident among cancer survivors and salient among non-cancer controls. Strategies to promote health equity should target specific care indices among survivors and emphasize equitable DCQ strategies among Black and Hispanic communities.

After decreasing death rates associated with CVD and PCa from 1999 to 2015, a reversal in the trend was observed from 2015 to 2019. Addressing this increase in death rates, especially among the vulnerable population, requires focused attention and targeted strategies to implement necessary safeguards in the upcoming years.

“The beginnings of a solution, he said, might be education. It needs to be culturally relevant and "delivered by individuals that have relatable backgrounds and experiences."”

“We suggest health care professionals create culturally tailored interventions that aid individuals in educating others, advocating for themselves, or recognizing situations outside one’s control and detaching from responsibility, rather than internalizing experiences of discrimination or engaging in strong responses that upon reflection are detrimental to one’s health.”

Statistics from the Office of Minority Health focusing on diabetes in the African American community.

People in racial and ethnic minority communities are most affected by diabetes because they are more likely to live in under-resourced neighborhoods. Factors called "social determinants of health" like poverty, lack of access to healthy food, restrictions on safe physical activity, inadequate employment and limited educational opportunities can result in negative health outcomes in such communities.”

“A study found that biological risk factors—including weight and fat around the abdomen—are primarily responsible for higher rates of diabetes for black Americans compared with white Americans. The study suggests that making positive changes in known risk factors, like losing excess weight, can help reduce the racial health disparity for developing diabetes.”

How high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, and diabetes “affect Black people and some tips on how to lower your risk.”

“In this article, cardiovascular disease in African Americans is used as an example to highlight the successes achieved during the last half-century in reducing mortality rates, the persisting challenge of suboptimal adoption of evidence-based practices to promote community health and prevent disease, and the still widespread and pervasive health disparities. The article concludes with a call for the scientific community to embrace implementation research in strategic partnership with community stakeholders to stem the tide of cardiovascular disease and reduce related cardiovascular health disparities.”

Statistics from the Office of Minority Health focusing on heart disease in the African American community.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. But racial and ethnic minority groups carry a heavier burden. Heart disease risk factors and diagnoses are more common among ethnic minorities. Social factors, known as social determinants of health, drive these health disparities.”

The Black–White difference in CVD mortality diminished after adjustment for behavioral and metabolic risk factors and completely dissipated with adjustment for social determinants of health in the U.S. population.

6 things to know about heart health.

“Now, a new study from Tulane University published in Annals of Internal Medicine has found that this racial disparity can be attributed to social factors such as unemployment, low income, and lack of a partner rather than known factors such as hypertension and obesity.”