Health Disparities

Global Health News Wire: Dr. Amira Roess comments on her new study about breastfeeding and African Americans and Black immigrants enrolled in the Washington, DC WIC supplemental nutrition program

eander6 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:14:12 +0000

Global Health News Wire: Dr. Amira Roess comments on her new study about breastfeeding and African Americans and Black immigrants enrolled in the Washington, DC WIC supplemental nutrition program eander6 Thu, 03/31/2022 - 15:14

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

Combining black racial groups hides health disparities in breastfeeding.

Topics

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

Combining Black Racial Groups Hides Health Disparities in Breastfeeding

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 15:19:30 +0000

Combining Black Racial Groups Hides Health Disparities in Breastfeeding John Brandon C… Wed, 03/23/2022 - 11:19

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

A new study from Amira Roess in the Department of Global and Community Health highlights the differences in breastfeeding initiation between African Americans and Black immigrants enrolled in the Washington, D.C. WIC supplemental nutrition program.

Illnesses such as sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, and obesity disproportionally affect African American populations, and researchers have long underscored that lower breastfeeding among African Americans is a reason why. A goal of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is to address this disparity in breastfeeding rates. However, the current way data are reported hides important differences among Black American subgroups and biases data. To understand the potential differences in breastfeeding initiation within this population, a group of researchers are comparing patterns in breastfeeding initiation between two Black subgroups, African Americans and Black immigrants, for clues.

A new study from Amira Roess, professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, showed that breastfeeding rates are significantly lower for African Americans compared to Black Immigrants and other race/ethnic groups.

“By looking more carefully at African Americans and Black immigrants we can see that combining the two can hide important health disparities since Black immigrant populations tend to have higher breastfeeding rates,” said Roess. “Without detailed breastfeeding initiation data by more nuanced race/ethnicity definitions, the potential for poorly targeted interventions and policies exists, and opportunities to improve breastfeeding may be missed.”

This research gathered data from participants in Washington, DC’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) from 2007-19. The Centers for Disease Control’s Healthy People 2020 provided 10-year objectives (ending in 2020) to increase American’s health, and one goal was to increase the number of infants who were breastfed. This goal was met nationally (81.9%), but not met for all racial subgroups. People in the non-Hispanic Black demographic had the lowest reported breastfeeding initiation (73.7%), which fell well below the Healthy People 2020’s goals. Roess’s study further dissected the non-Hispanic Black demographic into subgroups and found that African Americans have a lower breastfeeding rate (39.9%) than Black immigrants (69.6%). Overall, breastfeeding initiation for both groups increased over time in the study population, which mirrored the national trend, but at lower rates.

The paper titled “Disparities in Breastfeeding Initiation Among African American and Black Immigrant WIC Recipients in the District of Columbia, 2007–2019” was published online in March 2022 in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study defined African Americans as those self-reporting as African American, not Hispanic, and speaking English only. Black immigrants were defined as those self-reporting as African American and speaking a language other than English. Researchers acknowledged this definition may underestimate the Black immigrant population, especially because some may come from English-language countries.

The research team included Rebecca C. Robert from the Conway School of Nursing, Catholic University of America; Doris Kuehn, Emily Woody, Swathi Vinjamuri, and Paulette Thompson from the DC Department of Health, District of Columbia Women Infant Child State Agency; and Nwanneamaka Ume and Brianna Ericson from Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University. Ume was supported by a fellowship from the Clara Schiffer Project on Women’s Health.

Topics

African American/Black

Center for Health Equity

Hong Finds Disparities in Clinical Trial Participation in America

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 20:43:37 +0000

Hong Finds Disparities in Clinical Trial Participation in America John Brandon C… Tue, 02/01/2022 - 15:43

Clinical trial participation in America remains low and improving equity in clinical trials is essential to reducing health disparities

Public participation in clinical trials are the foundation of clinical research and the cornerstone for the discovery of new treatments. Even though most Americans view clinical trials favorably, the rate of participation remains low and significant gaps exist. For example, minorities and people of low socioeconomic status are less likely to participate in clinical trials. In addition, over the past two decades the internet has reshaped how people seek health information, but it is unknown if clinical trial participation has changed with the rise of the eHealth movement, which has led people to use more telehealth and online health communications.

Data from a national representative survey, led by Dr. Alicia Hong, professor of Health Administration and Policy at ��AV, suggest that American participation in clinical trials remains low and a significant disparity exists. People who have used eHealth tools are more likely to participate in clinical trials, and doctors who practice patient-centered communication can facilitate such participation.

The study is one of the first to report American participation in clinical trials using a large survey. Hong found that about 5% of American adults have ever participated in a clinical trial. Participation is associated with being female, white, and having a higher level of education. Data showed that health disparities in clinical trial participation remain persistent.

“Those who are more engaged in eHealth, for example, searching health information online, communicating with doctors via patient portals, using apps, or wearable devices to track health, are more likely to participate in clinical trials,” Hong said.

“We also found that if people feel their doctors or health care providers practice patient-centered communication, or when patients and providers have trusting relationships, the effect of eHealth engagement in clinical trial participation is amplified.”

“Given that significant disparities exist in American participation in clinical trials,” Hong commented, “We advocate for more targeted interventions in underserved communities. In the current context of eHealth movement, it’s critical to address the digital divide, and to enhance patient-provider communication.”

The study was partially supported by Alzheimer's and Related Diseases Research Award Fund of Virginia Center for Aging.

Clinical trial participation in America: The roles of eHealth engagement and patient–provider communication - Shaohai Jiang, Y. Alicia Hong, 2021 (sagepub.com)

Topics

Center for Health Equity

Jeah Jung Joins the Department of Health Administration and Policy

John Brandon Cantrell — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:30:20 +0000

Jeah Jung Joins the Department of Health Administration and Policy John Brandon C… Fri, 01/07/2022 - 11:30

In This Story

Jeah Jung

Jung brings research expertise in health economics, health policy, and health disparities.

Jeah (Kyoungrae) Jung joins Mason’s Department of Health Administration and Policy in the College of Health and Human Services as a tenured professor on January 10, 2022.

Jung’s research analyzes health policy issues using approaches to infer causal relations from observational data. Her recent focus has been on provider incentives, prescription drug policies, Medicare Advantage, and health disparities. She has been the principal investigator of several R01 grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Her work appears in health economics and health services research journals, including Health Services Research, Health Economics, and Journal of Health Economics.

“Dr. Jung is a highly-regarded health services researcher in the fields of health economics, health policy, Medicare, and health care systems,” says P.J. Maddox, chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy. “We are thrilled to have her join us in the Department to share her knowledge with the Mason community and continue her impactful research.”

Currently, she is principal investigator on a study, funded by the NIA, researching the resource use and quality of care in Medicare Advantage. She is also involved in a study of disparities in cancer screening use among patients who have dementia, funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities via the University of California, Irvine with principal investigator Sunmin Lee.

She currently serves on a National Institutes of Health study section as a standing member. She also teaches a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services workshop on how to use Medicare Part D data for health research. Before coming to Mason, Jung was a faculty member in the Department of Health Policy and Administration at the Pennsylvania State University.

Jung holds a PhD in Health Services Research and Policy with a concentration in Health Economics from the University of Minnesota, as well as a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and a BS in Pharmacy, both from Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea.

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African American Breast Cancer Survivor Cardiovascular Disease Risk High but Knowledge Low

dhawkin — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 14:45:20 +0000

African American Breast Cancer Survivor Cardiovascular Disease Risk High but Knowledge Low dhawkin Fri, 03/05/2021 - 09:45

In This Story

Michelle S. Williams, PhD, MSPH

New research led by ��AV’s College of Health and Human Services faculty Dr. Michelle Williams found that although African American breast cancer survivors have a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors, their knowledge about CVD is low.

African American breast cancer survivors are four times more likely to die from breast cancer than women of all other races and ethnicities, and they have a disproportionately high rate of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

New research led by ��AV’s College of Health and Human Services faculty Dr. Michelle Williams assessed African American breast cancer survivors’ risk factors and knowledge about CVD in the Deep South, where health disparities between African American women and women of other races is even larger. They found that although African American breast cancer survivors have a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors, their knowledge about CVD is low.

The study was published in the Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice in February.

Specifically, participants scored low on knowledge about heart attack symptoms and CVD-related medical information. Participants with healthier diets and higher levels of education had higher levels of CVD knowledge.

“We know that several CVD risk factors, such as hypertension and obesity, can be modified through lifestyle behavior changes,” adds Williams. “This is promising, but breast cancer survivors must be better informed about CVD risk by their health care providers.”

Their study included surveys of 70 breast cancer survivors who identified as African American or Black in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Georgia.

“Our findings highlight the importance of informing African American breast cancer survivors about their increased risk for co-morbidities such as CVD and providing them with access to culturally appropriate CVD risk reduction interventions aimed at a variety of education levels,” explains Williams.

Williams and colleagues are currently conducting the next phase of the study, which will provide more in-depth information about CVD risk factors among African American breast cancer survivors.

This research was supported by a grant from the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (Grant Number U54 GM115428).

About ��AV

��AV is Virginia's largest and most diverse public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. For more information, visit https://www2.gmu.edu/.

About the College of Health and Human Services

��AV's College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. George Mason is the fastest-growing Research I institution in the country. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,370 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including: 5 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 7 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college of public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

Topics

Breast Cancer

cardiovascular disease

Health Disparities

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

CHHS Research

CHHS News

Center for Health Equity

Mason’s College of Health and Human Services Joins Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network

dhawkin — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 14:04:05 +0000

Mason’s College of Health and Human Services Joins Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network dhawkin Tue, 03/02/2021 - 09:04

Mason joins university and health care system collaboration to conduct translational research to improve health outcomes.

��AV’s College of Health and Human Services (the College) has recently joined the John Hopkins Clinical Research Network (JHCRN). This collaboration between regional health care systems and research institutions will have a direct impact on health care delivery throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.

The JHCRN is a translational research organization dedicated to facilitating collaboration between diverse, community-based health care delivery systems and researchers. Translational research focuses on applying knowledge to address the needs of health care systems; it is specifically designed to improve health outcomes.

The JHCRN specializes in clinical trials across a variety of disciplines including oncology, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal conditions, neurological disorders and genomics. Sites within the network also collaborate with Johns Hopkins physicians. Some of the topics the College plans to explore with JHCRN include health disparities, social determinants of health, and health care costs.

“As part of the JHCRN, we look forward to improving the flow of scientific information and bringing a collaborative approach to clinical and translational research,” said Dr. Rosemary Higgins, associate dean of research for the College.

Collaborations between regional health care systems are an important part of the College’s dedication to making a positive impact on local communities in the surrounding areas. The College will join a number of other regional sites within the network including the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Luminis Health, TidalHealth and Reading Hospital, an affiliate of Tower Health.

“We are proud to join this highly-respected network of health care delivery organizations to bring research discoveries into clinical practice in a timely manner to improve the health of those we serve,” says Dr. Germaine Louis, Dean of the College. “It is only through partnerships such as these that we can improve health equity and make health visible and accessible for all people.”

About ��AV

About the College of Health and Human Services

Topics

CHHS Research

Social Determinants of Health

Health Disparities

health care

Health Care Finance

College of Health and Human Services

CHHS News

College Faculty Awarded Summer Impact Grant to Study COVID-19's Impact on Underrepresented/Under-Resourced Students

dhawkin — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 20:32:00 +0000

College Faculty Awarded Summer Impact Grant to Study COVID-19's Impact on Underrepresented/Under-Resourced Students dhawkin Wed, 02/17/2021 - 15:32

In This Story

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD

Alison Evans Cuellar, PhD, MBA

Early studies have shown that students of low socioeconomic status, underrepresented races or ethnicities, and students identifying as female face even greater challenges and hardships brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic(McCormick, 2020).

CHHS faculty Drs. Lawrence J. Cheskin, Alison Cuellar, and Matthew Rossheim have received a Mason Summer Impact Grant to study COVID-19's impact on underrepresented/under-resourced ��AV undergraduate students and their peers. The researchers will ascertain the social, behavioral, and psychological implications of the pandemic on students by conducting virtual semi-structured interviews and focus groups amongst 155 18–24-year-old Mason undergraduate students.

Students will answer questions about ethnicity, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and challenges they have faced before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The students will also be asked about the impact these challenges have had on their personal goals, family, education, and health.

Findings will then be compared to those of students with financial stability and privileged settings.

Cheskin, Cuellar, and Rossheim bring extensive experience mentoring students and have unique professional backgrounds, offering a necessary multidisciplinary approach to the project. The team will include eight undergraduate and two graduate students who will conduct the participant interviews and present their findings at the Summer Celebration of Student Scholarship.

The study serves as a useful tool for Mason, and other universities, when creating online classes in the future and understanding how the community can better serve its underrepresented and under-resourced students. The public health impact of the study will allow for further implementation of interventions aimed at providing resources for students impacted by the pandemic, and, to this degree, several follow-up grant proposals are currently in progress. The team has applied for an ECMC Foundation grant to secure funding for a large-scale intervention.

Topics

Health Disparities

coronavirus; covid-19

Public Health

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

faculty spotlight

CHHS News