Minority Health

Research Findings

Research Activities, October 2012:
Black patients are negatively affected by clinicians' attitudes about race
Physicians' implicit racial attitudes influence prescribing of opioids for black children
Blacks treated at community health centers are less likely than Hispanics or whites to have controlled blood pressure
Elderly blacks less likely than elderly whites to receive a depression diagnosis or treatment
Videonovela for Hispanics on managing diabetes uses family drama to educate patients and families

Research Activities, September 2012:
Despite more widespread prescribing of antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, disparities remain
Minority-serving hospitals have problems with quality of care and patient satisfaction
Radionovela promotes awareness and knowledge of cervical cancer vaccine among Hispanic parents

Research Activities, July 2012:
Black male prisoners in North Carolina have considerably lower mortality rates than black residents of that State
Study identifies demographic and clinical factors related to fractures among older Americans
Hard-of-hearing individuals more likely to report difficulties in accessing care
Tool assesses the readiness of black churches to engage in health disparities research
Web videonovela series helps Spanish-speaking patients compare treatments for diabetes

Research Activities, June 2012:
Disparities Report highlights health care challenges for minorities, underscores importance of Affordable Care Act
Vulnerable populations with heart failure less likely to receive early physician followup after discharge

Research Activities, May 2012:
Sex-related health differences associated with income and marital status
Modeling inequalities helps to develop cervical cancer screening strategies that can improve outcomes and reduce disparities
Increased child hospitalizations are associated with the mother's mental state and confidence in parenting

Research Activities, April 2012:
Majority of conditions treated in emergency departments are treatable in primary care clinics
Lower flu vaccination rates for black nursing home residents a cause for concern
Six in 10 obese adults have joint pain

Research Activities, March 2012:
Watching patient stories on DVDs improves blood pressure control among blacks
Study identifies attributes of surgeons more willing to provide charity care
Health literacy issues less of a problem for patients with dental versus medical conditions

Research Activities, February 2012:
Tough questions get answers through health IT
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with elevated hemoglobin A1c levels in low-income blacks with diabetes
Being foreign-born affects access to care

Research Activities, January 2012:
Many Texas residents cross Mexican border to obtain health care services
Communications between patients with HIV and their providers differ along racial and substance use lines
New AHRQ campaign encourages Hispanics to work with their doctors to make the best treatment decisions

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Research Activities, December 2011:
Enrollment in Medicare Advantage managed care plans reduces racial/ethnic disparities in primary care quality in some States
Deaf patients who use American Sign Language receive more preventive care if their clinician also uses sign language

Research Activities, November 2011:
Blacks and patients at hospitals with a high percentage of black patients more likely to suffer adverse events
Among patients with diabetes, racial/ethnic discrimination by health care providers is uncommon
Blacks have higher rates of pituitary adenoma
Hospital readmissions for COPD highest among black patients

Research Activities, October 2011:
Physician recommendations for defibrillator therapy not influenced by race or gender

Research Activities, September 2011:
Blacks who receive heart transplants have poorer survival than other racial groups
Minority status has no effect on patient outcomes in the intensive care unit
Minority patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer are less likely to receive hospice services than whites
Diagnosing and treating depression gets better in nursing homes but some disparities remain

Research Activities, August 2011:
Studies examine possible disparities surrounding implantable cardioverter defibrillators
Having a usual source of care as well as insurance reduces unmet health needs

Research Activities, July 2011:
Health care quality gaps and disparities persist in every State
Americans, especially blacks, spend substantial periods of time uninsured
Language barriers related to increased hospital readmissions for Chinese- and Spanish-speaking patients
Foreign-born patients are more likely to have a form of tuberculosis that resists a common drug used in treatment
U.S.-born Mexican women who have adopted U.S. culture may be more at risk for cervical cancer
AHRQ, Ad Council launch Conozca las preguntas campaign

Research Activities, June 2011:
Community hubs ensure better care for the most vulnerable
Treatment by physicians with same race and language as the patient may improve medication adherence
Different attitudes among blacks and whites affect their preference for same-race physicians
Hispanics with HIV have different communication styles with their health care providers than whites
Immigrants to the United States and Canada have worse access to care than native-born counterparts
Patient gender does not influence the management or diagnosis of acute abdominal pain in the elderly, but affects outcome
Patients with sickle cell disease employ various strategies to control their pain
Obesity among South Carolina children differs by age, gender, and race

Research Activities, May 2011:
Studies examine black mothers' choices for infant sleep position and location
Diabetes testing plummets among poor, minority, and inner-city adults
Low health literacy linked to higher risk of death and more emergency room visits and hospitalizations

Research Activities, April 2011:
Health care quality still improving slowly, but disparities and gaps in access to care persist
Regional poverty boosts adults' chances of having unmet health care needs
Blacks less likely than whites to use either statins or aspirin in the prevention of cardiovascular disease
Korean Americans with high blood pressure who are confident they can achieve blood pressure control are more likely to do so
Perceived lower social standing linked to unplanned pregnancies
One in four U.S. adults reported having high blood pressure in 2008

Research Activities, March 2011:
Asthma project helps resident physicians improve care for minority patients
Blacks have worse colorectal cancer survival rates than whites
Medicare-insured patients with head or neck cancer differ little in mortality risk because of race or ethnicity
Perception of racial discrimination among blacks linked to socioeconomic position
Even with universal health insurance, the homeless in Canada encounter barriers to obtaining health care
Expert workshop discusses disparities in health care quality and role of health IT in underresourced settings
One-fifth of the U.S. population has no doctor or other usual source of medical care

Research Activities, February 2011:
Poorer patients less likely to receive specific treatment for head and neck cancer
Regular home blood pressure measurement raises the likelihood of blood pressure control among Korean Americans
Gender trumps religiosity in older Mexican Americans' views on physician-assisted suicide

Research Activities, January 2011:
Black Medicare patients less likely than whites to follow their doctor's instructions on taking medicines
Black mothers skeptical of relationship between infant sleep position and SIDS

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Research Activities, December 2010:
Race/ethnic origin of mother and father influence whether the mother develops gestational diabetes
Men and blacks less likely to be aware of cancer screening benefits
Blacks have longer PSA screening intervals than whites
Telephone counseling helps Korean Americans who speak little English improve hypertension management

Research Activities, November 2010:
Black and Hispanic Medicare patients with hip fracture wait longer for surgery than white patients
Prostate cancer deaths drop, but blacks still most likely to die

Research Activities, September 2010:
Blacks with lung cancer have higher mortality rates than whites
Geographic information system reveals primary care needs of Hispanics
Minority pediatricians are more likely to care for minority children
Requiring proof of citizenship cuts participation in Oregon's Medicaid family planning program
Use of physical restraint in nursing homes cut by half in 8 years
Blacks hospitalized for high blood pressure five times more often than whites

Research Activities, August 2010:
Consider local health care systems when designing services for the uninsured
Minority patients are less likely to have surgery performed by high-volume surgeons and hospitals
Rate of extrapulmonary TB highest among blacks
More stress means worse asthma in inner-city adults
Men shy away from routine medical appointments
Deaths from hospital complications drop, disparities remain

Research Activities, July 2010:
Community health center collaboratives improve care quality but have little impact on disparities
Hospitalization rates have declined over 5 years for patients with HIV infection, but disparities still exist
Disparities widen in the use of asthma medications

Research Activities, June 2010:
Annual quality and disparities reports include data on health care-associated infections, obesity, and health insurance
Socioeconomically disadvantaged blacks have the worst long-term outcomes from work-related low back pain
Disadvantages in housing, food, and health care all predict health declines in older Americans
Study reveals high rates of rehospitalizations and emergency pain treatment for sickle cell disease
Black children are more likely to be hospitalized for a ruptured appendix than white children

Research Activities, May 2010:
Racial and ethnic minority groups are less aware than whites of genetic testing for cancer risk

Research Activities, April 2010:
Women's lack of knowledge and mistrust play a role in underuse of breast cancer adjuvant therapy
Nearly two-thirds of mothers with depression do not receive adequate care for their condition
Rotavirus was culprit in one-fourth of children's diarrhea-related emergency department visits prior to vaccine
Veterans who use pharmacy services at VA facilities tend to be sicker, poorer, and have no alternative insurance
Older black women with breast cancer do not receive beneficial chemotherapy as often as white women
Many minority patients do not receive or complete colorectal cancer screening tests in urban, primary care settings
Homeless recent immigrants are healthier than other homeless individuals

Research Activities, March 2010:
Poverty, race, and gender are all factors in the epidemic of severely obese children
Lower socioeconomic status in childhood linked to racial differences in disability during adulthood
Creating networks to provide social support for the homeless may improve health outcomes
Inner-city minority adults with chronic asthma are more likely to take inhaled medicine if they believe in its benefits
Increasing the number of coronary angiography facilities led to a reduction in racial disparities in New Jersey
Neighborhood demographics play a role in access to health care for immigrant and U.S.-born Mexican Americans
Advantage of high survival rates among low-weight black infants has waned over time

Research Activities, February 2010:
Blacks express more concerns about telemedicine than Hispanics
Immigrant labor negatively affects natives' health insurance coverage
Demographic and health factors influence the type of prostate cancer screening received by men over age 40
Only one-third of adolescents are screened for emotional health during routine physicals

Research Activities, January 2010:
Black physicians are less likely to have implicit preferences for blacks or whites
Most Mexican patients prefer their rheumatologist to make treatment decisions for them
Youths initially diagnosed with ADHD receive an array of medications

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Research Activities, December 2009:
High blood pressure control is often elusive for blacks and Mexican Americans, despite adherence to treatment and lifestyle changes
Mysterious skin infection is linked to World War II bomb craters

Research Activities, November 2009:
Older black women with breast cancer do not receive beneficial chemotherapy as often as white women

Research Activities, October 2009:
Factors other than gender are associated with poor growth in urban children
Self-management support results in better diabetes outcomes
Blacks are less likely than whites to receive lung cancer treatments
Lack of insurance among full-time, low-income workers jumped in the past decade

Research Activities, September 2009:
Community health workers can help poor and minority groups access some cancer screening services
Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to receive outpatient rehabilitation after hip fractures
Perceived racism among blacks boosts the odds of getting tested for HIV
No race and ethnic differences seen in pain severity among patients with long-bone fractures
Disparities persist in primary care referrals to cardiologists for cardiovascular disease
AHRQ launches monthly health advice column and enhanced Web site in Spanish

Research Activities, August 2009:
Individuals living in predominantly white, wealthy, and educated neighborhoods have better melanoma prognosis
Economically disadvantaged patients may have trouble with patient-provider communication

Research Activities, July 2009:
Underresourced clinics with more challenging patients may underlie poor chronic disease outcomes of minorities
Disparities in outpatient care and expenditures have widened for Hispanics, but not for blacks
Inner-city Hispanic adults with limited English proficiency have poorer asthma control and quality of life
Better short-term survival of blacks with heart failure is linked to less severe illness at hospital admission
The time spent in office visits with psychiatrists has equalized among blacks and whites in recent years
Studies explore survival and treatment disparities among black and white elderly patients with cancer
More comprehensive American Indian and Alaska Native diabetes education programs are linked to better diabetes care
Minorities and the poor find communicating with doctors more difficult

Research Activities, June 2009:
Reports show few health care disparities eliminated, persistent variations in care, and slow pace of improvement
Weekly telephone calls help patients with limited English proficiency and literacy self-manage diabetes
Nurse-led disease management of heart failure is cost-effective in ethnically diverse urban communities
Minority children from disadvantaged families use more urgent care and less preventive care for their asthma
Caregiving is especially challenging for Korean Americans
Race and gender affect the likelihood that elderly patients will take their antihypertensive medications

Research Activities, May 2009:
Lack of self-efficacy keeps inner-city primary care providers from following national asthma management guidelines
Sociodemographic factors influence early discontinuation of antiretroviral medication for HIV infection

Research Activities, April 2009:
More black than white women receive mammograms in St. Louis

Research Activities, March 2009:
Blacks report greater difficulty in affording prescription medications than whites

Research Activities, February 2009:
Care quality and treatment differences may underlie greater functional disability among older blacks and Latinos
Whites with poor mental health are more likely to seek treatment than blacks and Hispanics
Minority children with asthma frequently use emergency departments for care
Older black women do not receive chemotherapy as often as white women after ovarian cancer surgery
Women and blacks are less likely to receive preventive care to prevent further strokes

Research Activities, January 2009:
New Spanish-language guide explains safe and effective use of the blood clot prevention drug, Coumadin®/warfarin

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