Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities最新文献

Background: Despite the widespread recognition of numerous health benefits associated with breastfeeding to both mothers and children, three quarters of children (CDC, 2025; especially children of Black mothers) do not receive six months of exclusive breastfeeding as recommended by the World Health Organization (2003), the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (2022).

Methods: Drawing data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a national study that focuses on higher-risk populations, this study seeks to investigate the role of prenatal care in racial gaps in breastfeeding behaviors by (1) examining the racial disparities in breastfeeding practices with an at-risk sample; and (2) studying how the timing of the first prenatal care visits play a role in the disparities in breastfeeding practices.

Results: After accounting for the gaps in socioeconomic background, health-related behaviors, and employment-related factors, we found that Black mothers in our sample had lower breastfeeding initiation rates than White mothers. Among mothers who initiated breastfeeding, the duration was not different among mothers identified as non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, or other races/ethnicities. For women of color only, but not non-Hispanic White mothers, we found late prenatal care visits were associated with a lower likelihood of breastfeeding initiation: mothers identified as non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Other races/ethnicities were less likely to initiate breastfeeding when they experienced a delay in prenatal care attendance; the same pattern was not observed for non-Hispanic White mothers.

Conclusions: These findings contributed to the understanding of the role of prenatal care in the racial disparities in breastfeeding practices.

Background: Despite the well-recognized relationship between dietary behavior and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, there is limited research on this association among African immigrants in the United States. This study aimed to address this gap by assessing relationships between dietary behaviors and CVD risk factors among West African immigrants living in Chicago, IL.

Methods: In 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Chicago, IL among 309 West African immigrants. Survey data were collected in-person and online, and the survey included several validated screeners including the Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ). Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess associations between dietary behaviors (e.g., fruit and vegetable intake, whole grain consumption, etc.) and three CVD risk factors: obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.

Results: Findings indicated that 28.8% of participants were obese, 15.5% self-reported having hypertension, and 5.2% self-reported having type 2 diabetes. The study revealed no significant associations between dietary behaviors and obesity status among participants. Participants with high vegetable intake had lower odds of diagnosed hypertension, although this association was not significant after adjusting for socio-demographic variables. High whole grain consumption was significantly associated with lower odds of diagnosed type 2 diabetes after adjusting for covariates (OR: 0.22: CI: 0.07-0.65, p = 0.01).

Conclusion: While some dietary behaviors showed associations with type 2 diabetes among West African immigrants in Chicago, IL, significant associations were not identified between dietary behaviors and diagnosed obesity or hypertension. Additional studies are recommended to better describe the impact of dietary behavior on CVD risk among West African immigrants.

Background: Social determinants of health (SDOH) barriers and perceived racial discrimination (PRD) tend to cluster in minoritized communities due to structural racism. The relationship between SDOH and PRD among Black and Hispanic stroke survivors is unclear, however. Understanding this relationship has implications for stroke disparities interventions.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of SDOH barriers and PRD and their relationship among Black and Hispanic stroke survivors.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 67 stroke survivors, categorized as Black (N=38), Hispanic (N=17), or White (N=12), from an urban tertiary care center. We hypothesized that PRD differs across minoritized race-ethnic groups, independently of SDOH. Perceived discrimination was assessed using an adapted PhenX tool, and SDOH were evaluated using a modified PhenX survey covering five domains: education, economic stability, healthcare access, neighborhood, and social support. Statistical analyses included ANOVA and multivariable linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, stroke severity, and neighborhood disadvantage.

Results: The prevalence of ≥3 SDOH barriers was similar between Black and Hispanic participants and lower in White participants. However, Black participants reported the highest PRD scores (mean=10.4, SD=10.00), compared to Hispanic (mean=4.4, SD=7.01) and White participants (mean-3.3, SD=4.38). Multivariable analysis revealed that Black participants had significantly higher PRD scores than both Hispanic (Beta estimate=-6.90, 95% CI:=-12.38 to -1.42, P=0.0144) and White participants (Beta estimate=-7.72, 95% CI: -13.43 to -1.42, P=0.0089). No significant differences between SDOH domains were found except for neighborhood disadvantage, which was more prevalent among Hispanic participants (P=0.0202).

Conclusions: A significant dissociation between PRD and SDOH burden was found among minoritized stroke survivors. Black participants in our study reported the highest PRD, which was more than twice the levels of PRD observed among Hispanic participants despite a similar SDOH burden. White participants had the lowest PRD and SDOH burden. Addressing PRD independently of SDOH may be an important component of interventions designed to reduce race-ethnic disparities in stroke outcomes.