NIMHD staff advance the science of minority health and health disparities through collaborative, integrative, multidisciplinary, and multi-collaborative research. This page highlights recent staff publications.
July 2023
As the focus has grown in recent years on both engaged research and dissemination and implementation (D&I) research, so too has federal funding to support these areas. This analysis provides an overall perspective about the range of practices and approaches being used to engage partners in D&I research, with special attention to disparities-relevant research, and to identify gaps and opportunities in research funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Read the full article.
Author: Aubrey Villalobos, Dara Blachman-Demner, Antoinette Percy Laurry*, Deshiree Belis, and Manami Bhattacharya
Journal: Implementation Science Communications, July 12
Knowledge about the respiratory health consequences of adolescents' use of tobacco products with cannabis remains limited. Researchers studied whether e-cigarettes, combustible cigarettes, and cannabis were independently associated with asthma in a population-based sample of 150,634 public high school students (10th and 12th graders), drawn in a two-stage design to be representative of the state of California in 2019-2020. Read the full article.
Author: Rebecca J. Williams, Thomas A. Wills, Kelvin Choi*, and Ian Pagano
Journal: Addictive Behaviors, July 12
This cross-sectional study examined national trends in mortality rates due to external causes from 1999 to 2020 by intent (homicide, suicide, unintentional, and undetermined) and demographic characteristics. External causes were defined as poisonings (eg, drug overdose), firearms, and all other injuries, including motor vehicle injuries and falls. Given the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, US death rates for 2019 and 2020 were also compared. Read the full article.
Author: Wayne R. Lawrence, Neal D. Freedman, Jennifer K. McGee-Avila, Amy Berrington de González, Yingxi Chen, MD, Marc A. Emerson, Gilbert C. Gee, Emily A. Haozous, Anika T. Haque, Maki Inoue-Choi, Sarah S. Jackson, Brittany Lord, Anna M. Nápoles*, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Jacqueline B. Vo, Faustine Williams* and Meredith S. Shiels
Journal: JAMA Internal Medicine, July 3
June 2023
Studies have reported increases in psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to estimate associations between race-ethnicity and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic among nationally representative samples of all major racial-ethnic groups in the United States. Read the full article.
Author: Anna María Nápoles*, Anita L. Stewart, Paula D. Strassle*, Alia Alhomsi*, Stephanie Quintero*, Stephanie Ponce*, Miciah Wilkerson*, Jackie Bonilla*
Journal: Health Equity, June 15
The excess mortality burden due to violent fatal injuries is an urgent public health issue for adolescents and young adults, especially those from racial and ethnic minority populations. This study examined the research portfolio of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) related to violent fatal injuries between 2009 and 2019 to focus on adolescents and young adults from NIH-designated populations experiencing health disparities and to identify trends and research gaps. It also analyzed funded projects by populations covered, geographic location of the study population, type of research (etiology, intervention, methodology), type of determinants, and publications generated. Read the full article
Author: Maria-Isabel Roldós, Tilda Farhat*, Marcia M. Gómez*
Journal: Journal of Public Health Policy, June 13
This study tested the effectiveness of a culturally specific tobacco cessation video intervention among African American quitline enrollees. African American adults were recruited from the North Carolina tobacco quitline and data were collected between 2017 and 2020. Read the full article.
Author: Monica Webb Hooper*, Kelly M. Carpenter, Erica E. Salmon, Ken Resnicow
Journal: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, June 10
Exploring young adults' beliefs about cigar smoking by susceptibility: A belief elicitation study
Young adults are at risk for cigar smoking, which is associated with cancers and pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Little is known about young adults' beliefs about smoking cigarillos, little filtered cigars, and large cigars, and how these beliefs may vary across cigar types and by cigar susceptibility. In this study, researchers assessed participants' susceptibility to using different cigar types. Participants were randomly assigned to open-ended questions about one of the three cigar types to elicit behavioral, normative, and control beliefs. Read the full article
Author: Lilianna Phan*, Christen Seyl, Julia Chen-Sankey, Jeff Niederdeppe, Mignonne C. Guy, Kymberle L. Sterling, Kelvin Choi*
Journal: Nicotine & Tobacco Research, June 9
In the United States (US), the health and financial consequences of COVID-19 have disproportionately impacted women and minoritized racial-ethnic groups. Yet, few US studies have investigated financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and sleep health disparities. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between financial hardship and sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic by gender and race and ethnicity in the United States. Read the full article
Author: Symielle A. Gaston, Paula D. Strassle*, Dana M. Alhasan, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Anna M. Nápoles*, Chandra L. Jackson*
Journal: Sleep Health, June 4
May 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant disruptions to household food security with as many as 10.5 % of US households experiencing food insecurity during 2020. Food insecurity is associated with psychological distress including depression and anxiety. This study assessed the physical and psychosocial effects of social and physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship between place of birth and food security status and anxiety as well as the associations between food security and poor mental health among US- and foreign-born populations. Read the full article
Author: Charlotte J. Talham, Faustine Williams*
Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders, May 25
The Economic Burden of Racial, Ethnic, and Educational Health Inequities in the US
This new research shows that the economic burden of health disparities in the United States remains unacceptably high. The study, funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health, revealed that in 2018, racial and ethnic health disparities cost the U.S. economy $451 billion, a 41% increase from the previous estimate of $320 billion in 2014. The study also finds that the total burden of education-related health disparities for persons with less than a college degree in 2018 reached $978 billion, about two times greater than the annual growth rate of the U.S. economy in 2018. Read the full article
Author: Thomas A. LaVeist, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Patrick Richard, Andrew Anderson, Lydia A. Isaac, Riley Santiago, Celine Okoh, Nancy Breen*, Tilda Farhat*, Assen Assenov*,Darrell J. Gaskin
Journal: JAMA, May 16, 2023
Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and individual-level socioeconomic status are associated with dopamine-mediated changes to monocyte subset CCR2 expression via a cAMP-dependent pathway
Social determinants of health (SDoH) include socioeconomic, environmental, and psychological factors that impact health. Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation (NSD) and low individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) are SDoH that associate with incident heart failure, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality, but the underlying biological mechanisms are not well understood. Previous research has demonstrated an association between NSD, in particular, and key components of the neural-hematopoietic-axis including amygdala activity as a marker of chronic stress, bone marrow activity, and arterial inflammation. This study further characterizes the role of NSD and SES as potential sources of chronic stress related to downstream immunological factors in this stress-associated biologic pathway. Read the full article
Author: Yvonne Baumer, Mario A. Pita, Briana S. Turner, Andrew S. Baez, Lola R. Ortiz-Whittingham, Cristhian A. Gutierrez-Huerta, Sam J. Neally, Nicole Farmer, Valerie M. Mitchell, Billy S. Collins, Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley*
Journal: Brain, Behavior & Immunity, May 14
COVID-related discrimination towards historically marginalized racial-ethnic groups in the United States has been well-documented; however, its impact on psychological distress and sleep (overall and within specific racial-ethnic groups) is largely unknown. In this study, researchers used data from a nationally representative, online survey of 5,500 American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino, White, and multiracial adults, conducted from 12/2020-2/2021. Read the full article
Author: Paula D. Strassle*, Miciah J. Wilkerson*, Anita L. Stewart, Allana T. Forde*, Chandra L. Jackson*, Rupsha Singh*, Anna María Nápoles*
Journal: Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, May 1
April 2023
This article is a commentary on the publication titled, Strategic Directions in Prevention Intervention Research to Advance Health Equity, by R. C. Boyd et al. Read the full article
Author: Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Erik J. Rodriquez*
Journal: Prevention Science, April 21
This paper describes the aims/objectives and data collection of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and its ancillary studies to date and highlights the critical and sizable contributions made by the study to understanding the prevalence of and changes in CVD risk/protective factors and the burden of CVD and related chronic conditions among adults of diverse Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. The continued follow-up of this cohort will allow in-depth investigations on cardiovascular and pulmonary outcomes in this population, and data from the ongoing ancillary studies will facilitate generation of new hypotheses and study questions. Read the full article
Author: Amber Pirzada, Jianwen Cai, Gerardo Heiss, Daniela Sotres-Alvarez, Linda C. Gallo, Marston E. Youngblood, M Larissa Avilés-Santa*, Hector M González, Carmen R. Isasi, Robert Kaplan, John Kunz, James P. Lash, David J. Lee, Maria M. Llabre, Frank J. Penedo, Carlos J. Rodriguez, Neil Schneiderman, Tamar Sofer, Gregory A. Talavera, Bharat Thyagarajan, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Martha L. Daviglus
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, April 18
Midcareer research faculty are a vital part of the advancement of science in U.S. medical schools, but there are troubling trends in recruitment, retention, and burnout rates.The primary sampling frame for this online survey was recipients of a single R01 or equivalent and/or K-award from 2013 to 2019. Inclusion criteria were 3–14 years at a U.S. medical school and rank of associate professor or two or more years as assistant professor. Forty physician investigators and Ph.D. scientists volunteered for a faculty development program, and 106 were propensity-matched controls. Survey items covered self-efficacy in career, research, work-life; vitality/burnout; relationships, inclusion, trust; diversity; and intention to leave academic medicine. Read the full article.
Author: Linda H. Pololi, Arthur T. Evans, Janet T. Civian, Lisa A. Cooper, Brian K. Gibbs,
Kacy Ninteau, Rada K. Dagher*, Kimberly Bloom-Feshbach and Robert T. Brennan
Journal: Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, April 13
Chronic stress affects immune function and hormonal signaling and has been hypothesized to be associated with breast cancer, although results from the few prior studies are mixed and have not examined potential differences by estrogen receptor (ER) status. Using the Women's Health Initiative study, researchers included 76,951 postmenopausal women followed for events for a median of 16.7 years to investigate the association between baseline self-reported stressful life events and incident breast cancer by ER status and whether the association was modified by social support. Read the full article
Author: Wayne R. Lawrence, Jasmine A. McDonald, Faustine Williams*, Meredith S. Shiels, Neal D. Freedman, Ziqiang Lin, Jared W. Magnani
Journal: Cancer Prevention Research, April 13
Although telehealth access and utilization have increased during the pandemic, rural and low-income disparities persist. In this study, researchers sought to assess whether access or willingness to use telehealth differed between rural and non-rural and low-income and non-low-income adults and measure the prevalence of perceived barriers. Read the full article
Author: Jamie S. Ko*, Sherine El-Toukhy*, Stephanie M. Quintero*, Miciah J. Wilkerson*, Anna M Nápoles*, Anita L. Stewart, Paula D. Strassle*
Journal: The Journal of Rural Health, April 12
This study which examined the association between light at night (LAN) and multiple sleep health dimensions found that sleeping with a TV on was associated with poor sleep health among U.S. women, and non-Hispanic Black women may be disproportionately burdened. Read the full article
Author: Marina R. Sweeney, Hazel B. Nichols, Rena R. Jones, Andrew F. Olshan, Alexander P. Keil, Lawrence S. Engel, Peter James, Dale P. Sandler, Alexandra J. White, Chandra L. Jackson*
Journal: Sleep, April 5
Epidemiologic studies have documented the associations between experiences of discrimination and adverse health outcomes. However, the relationship between discrimination and mortality, and the factors that may moderate this relationship are not well understood. This study examined whether lifetime and everyday discrimination were associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and whether these associations differed by race and ethnicity, gender, and racial and ethnic residential segregation. Read the full article
Author: Wayne R. Lawrence, Gieira S. Jones, Jarrett A. Johnson*, Koya P. Ferrell*, Jacquita N. Johnson*, Meredith S. Shiels, Ana V. Diez Roux, Allana T. Forde*
Journal: Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, April 5
Exposure to cigarette discount coupons is associated with short-term increase in cigarette smoking; however, long-term impact is unclear. This study examined associations of cumulative exposure to cigarette coupons with trajectories of cigarette smoking in US adults. Read the full article
Author: Kristen R. Hamilton-Moseley*, Timothy S. McNeel, Kelvin Choi*
Journal: Tobacco Control, April 3
March 2023
The lawsuit that led to the U.S. Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) exposed the cigarette industry's deceptive marketing practices, which changed population perceptions about the cigarette industry and helped prevent cigarette smoking. Given that the MSA occurred in previous decades, many millennial and generation Z young adults may not know about the MSA and the cigarette industry's marketing practices. In this study, researchers examined the relationships between awareness of the MSA and cigarette industry practices with e-cigarette industry and e-cigarette health risk perceptions using multivariable linear regressions, adjusted for demographic characteristics. Read the full article
Author: Lilianna Phan* and Kelvin Choi*
Journal: BMC Public Health, March 31
Among Latina breast cancer survivors, researchers explored associations between rural/urban residence and health-related quality of life (HRQL), and whether associations were moderated by financial strain and low neighborhood cohesion. Read the full article
Author: Jasmine Santoyo-Olsson, Anita L. Stewart, and Anna María Nápoles*
Journal: Journal of Cancer Survivorship, March 29
This commentary highlights the key takeaways from the first of its kind virtual workshop, entitled: “Latin America: Synergizing Health Research Across the Hemisphere.” The workshop hosted by NIMHD, was held on November 1–2, 2022, and brought together 36 expert panelists from academia, government agencies, and health care leaders from Latin America, the U.S., and Europe. Read the full article
Author: Michelle Doose*, M. Constanza Camargo, Ligia Artiles*, Jarrett A. Johnson*, Rina Das*, Simrann K. Sidhu*, Carolina Solís-Sanabria*, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, M. Larissa Avilés-Santa*
Journal: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, March 29
The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), an ongoing multicenter study of Hispanic/Latino adults, collected information about COVID-19 illness and psychosocial and economic distress that occurred during the pandemic. Almost half of the households reported job losses and a third reported economic hardship during the first year of the pandemic. Pandemic-related household job losses and economic hardship were more pronounced among noncitizens who are likely to be undocumented. Read the full article
Author: Carmen R. Isasi, Linda C. Gallo, Jianwen Cai, Marc D. Gellman, Wenyi Xie, Gerardo Heiss, Robert C. Kaplan, Gregory A. Talavera, Martha L. Daviglus, Amber Pirzada, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Maria M. Llabre, Marston E. Youngblood, Neil Schneiderman, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Anna M. Napoles*, and Krista M. Perreira
Journal: Health Equity, March 27
A PhenX (consensus measures for Phenotypes and eXposures) Working Group (WG) of SDoH experts was convened from October 2018 to May 2020 and followed a well-established consensus process to identify and recommend SDoH measurement protocols. In this study, researchers concluded that promoting adoption of well-established SDoH protocols can enable consistent data collection and facilitate comparing and combining studies, with the potential to increase their scientific impact. Read the full article
Author: Nancy L. Jones*, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Nancy Breen*, et al
Journal: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, March 17
Biobank projects are generating genomic data for many thousands of individuals. Computational methods are needed to handle these massive data sets, including genetic ancestry (GA) inference tools. Current methods for GA inference do not scale to biobank-size genomic datasets. This study introduces Rye-a new algorithm for GA inference at biobank scale. Researchers compared the accuracy and runtime performance of Rye to the widely used RFMix, ADMIXTURE and iAdmix programs and applied it to a dataset of 488221 genome-wide variant samples from the UK Biobank. Read the full article
Author: Andrew B. Conley*, Lavanya Rishishwar*, Maria Ahmad*, Shivam Sharma*, Emily T. Norris*, I. King Jordan, and Leonardo Mariño-Ramírez*
Journal: Nucleic Acids Research, March 17
Despite evidence of the impact of breastfeeding information on breastfeeding rates, it is unknown if information sources and impact vary by race/ethnicity, thus this study assessed race/ethnicity-specific associations between breastfeeding information sources and breastfeeding. Read the full article
Author: Stephanie M. Quintero*, Paula D. Strassle*, Amalia Londoño Tobón*, Stephanie Ponce*, Alia Alhomsi*, Ana I. Maldonado*, Jamie S. Ko*, Miciah J. Wilkerson*, and Anna María Nápoles*
Journal: BMC Public Health, March 17
The purpose of this study was to assess differences in COVID-19 vaccine willingness and uptake between rural and nonrural adults, and within rural racial and ethnic groups. Read the full article
Author: Paula D. Strassle*, Alexis L. Green*, Caleb A. Colbert*, Anita L. Stewart, and Anna M. Nápoles*
Journal: The Journal of Rural Health, March 2
February 2023
Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006, this study assessed the relationship between asthma and sedentary time using objectively measured and self-reported measures of sedentary time, in 6-19 years-old subjects with available accelerometry data. Read the full article
Author: Jacob Hartz, Emily Bucholz, Wanda Phipatanakul, Sarah de Ferranti, Tiffany Powell-Wiley*
Journal: Pediatric Pulmonology, February 24
This study investigated mortality disparities and their associated risk factors for the three largest ethnic groups in the United Kingdom: Asian, Black, and White. Study participants were sampled from the UK Biobank (UKB), a prospective cohort enrolled between 2006 and 2010. Genetics, biological samples, and health information and outcomes data of UKB participants were downloaded and data-fields were prioritized based on participants with death registry records. Read the full article
Author: Kara Keun Lee, Emily T. Norris, Lavanya Rishishwar, Andrew B. Conley, Leonardo Mariño-Ramírez*, John F. McDonald, I. King Jordan
Journal: PLOS Global Public Health, February 23
This study aimed to design a web-based survey to assess the social distancing and isolation issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic to describe substance use as a coping behavior by comparing substance use changes before and during the pandemic. Read the full article
Author: Francisco Alejandro Montiel Ishino*, Kevin Villalobos*, and Faustine Williams*
Journal: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, February 17
Leaders from NIH and partner organizations outline NIH’s COVID-19 research response in a policy forum. Dr. Francis Collins, NIMHD Director Dr. Pérez-Stable, and other NIH leaders explore how building on decades of basic and applied research and collaborating across sectors allowed the biomedical research community to quickly develop vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The authors also reflect on crucial lessons learned that will inform the public health research response to future pandemics. Read the full article
Author: Francis Collins, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, et al
Journal: Science, February 2
Recent studies, including a meta-analysis of 88 trials, have shown higher than expected rates of recurrence and death in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. These new findings suggest a need to re-evaluate the use of risk-reducing medication to avoid invasive breast cancer and breast cancer death in high-risk women. In this study, researchers adapted an established Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network model to evaluate the lifetime benefits and harms of risk-reducing medication in women with a ≥ 3% 5-year risk of developing breast cancer according to the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium risk calculator. Read the full article
Author: Jinani Jayasekera, Amy Zhao, Clyde Schechter, Kathryn Lowry, Jennifer M. Yeh, Marc D. Schwartz, Suzanne O'Neill, Karen J. Wernli, Natasha Stout, Jeanne Mandelblatt, Allison W. Kurian, Claudine Isaacs
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology, February 1
Childhood adversity has been associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes risk in adulthood. However, studies have yet to investigate traumatic childhood experiences (TCEs) beyond abuse and neglect (e.g., natural disaster) while considering potential racial/ethnic differences. To investigate race/ethnicity as a potential modifier of the association between TCEs, MetS, and type 2 diabetes, researchers used prospectively collected data from 42,173 eligible non-Hispanic White, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latina Sister Study participants (aged 35-74 years) enrolled from 2003 to 2009. Read the full article
Author: Symielle A. Gaston, Nyree M. Riley, Christine G. Parks, Jennifer M. P. Woo, Dale P. Sandler, Chandra L. Jackson
Journal: Diabetes Care, February 1
January 2023
This prospective cohort study looked at whether rurality is associated with increased risk of HF, independent of cardiovascular (CV) disease and socioeconomic status (SES), and whether rurality-associated HF risk varies by race and sex. Read the full article
Author: Sarah E Turecamo, Meng Xu, Debra Dixon, Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, Michael T. Mumma, Jungnam Joo, Deepak K. Gupta, Loren Lipworth, and Véronique L. Roger
Journal: JAMA Cardiology, January 25
Little is known about awareness, beliefs, and use of nicotine pouches (NPs). In 2021, data from 1583 U.S. adult (age ≥ 21 years) current tobacco users were collected. Respondents self-reported NP awareness, beliefs, use, and susceptibility as well as current tobacco product use and socio-demographics and researchers used weighted logistic and multinomial regression models to explore the associations between these variables. Read the full article
Author: Lindsey S. Sparrock, Lilianna Phan*, Julia Chen-Sankey, Kiana Hacker*, Aniruddh Ajith, Bambi Jewett*, and Kelvin Choi*
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, January 22
Heated tobacco products: Awareness, beliefs, use and susceptibility among US adult current tobacco users, 2021
Limited data exist on the awareness, beliefs, and use of heated tobacco products (HTPs). Data from 1583 U.S. adult (age ≥ 21 years) current tobacco users were collected in 2021. Participants self-reported HTP awareness, beliefs, use, and susceptibility, as well as current tobacco product use and sociodemographics. In this study, researchers used weighted logistic and multinomial regression models to explore their associations. Read the full article
Author: Lindsey S. Sparrock, Lilianna Phan, Julia Chen-Sankey, Kiana Hacker, Aniruddh Ajith, Bambi Jewett, and Kelvin Choi
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, January 21
This cross-sectional study explored social determinants of health (SDoH)-mediated stressors during COVID-19 and risks for mental health problems among caregivers of children with prenatal Zika virus exposure. Twenty-five Hispanic caregivers completed surveys assessing SDoH vulnerabilities, COVID-exposures and impact, post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology, and provided a hair sample for cortisol concentration (HCC). Read the full article
Author: Mary Rodríguez-Rabassa, Estefanía Torres-Marrero, Pablo López, Kamalich Muniz-Rodriguez, Marilyn Borges-Rodríguez, Allison A. Appleton, Larissa Avilés-Santa, and Luisa I. Alvarado-Domenech
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, January 19
The CDC recently reported that firearm homicide rates in the United States increased in 2020, particularly among Black/African American individuals and men 25-44 years old. It is unclear whether firearm hospitalizations also increased, and more importantly, what impact the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-related policies had. Using the North Carolina Trauma Registry, a statewide registry of trauma admissions to eighteen North Carolina hospitals, this study calculated weekly GSW hospitalization rates from 1/2019 to 12/2020, overall and stratified by race-ethnicity, age, and sex. Read the full article
Author: Paula D Strassle, Jamie S. Ko, Madison Ponder, Anna María Nápoles, Alan C. Kinlaw, and Sharon E Schiro
Journal: Injury Epidemiology, January 9
This editorial encourages researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to directly engage with stakeholders and members of all Hispanic/Latina/o immigrant heritage groups, generational status, and intersectional identity and work together to help prevent the harmful long-lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of the fastest growing immigrant subpopulations in the United States. Read the full article
Author: Cameron K. Ormiston, Jolyna Chiangong, and Faustine Williams
Journal: Health Equity, January 9
COVID-19-related health perceptions may differentially impact college students' stress, and in turn, their mental and physical health. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in college students' underlying perceptions of COVID-19 threat, healthcare discrimination, and U.S. healthcare system inequities and their associations with self-rated mental and physical health. Read the full article
Author: Jessica R. Fernandez, Juliana S. Sherchan, Yong Ju Cho, Judy Nanaw, Nataria T. Joseph, and Allana T. Forde
Journal: Frontiers in Public Health, January 6
December 2022
This study identified latent classes of perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination, examined whether latent classes were associated with COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions, and assessed whether latent class membership varied across racial/ethnic groups. Read the full article
Author: Juliana S. Sherchan, Jessica R. Fernandez, Shan Qiao, Arie W. Kruglanski, and Allana T. Forde
Journal: BMC Public Health, December 31
Although studies have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 on mental health, few studies have attempted to compare the prevalence of depression/anxiety symptoms among U.S. adults before and after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. Researchers examined the prevalence and association between depression/anxiety symptoms and COVID-19 pandemic declaration among U.S. adult population and subgroups. Read the full article
Author: David Adzrago, Saanie Sulley, Ishmael Tagoe, Emmanuel Odame, Lohuwa Mamudu, Faustine Williams
Journal: PloS One, December 30
Military-connected students in public schools face a unique set of stressors that may impact their wellbeing and academic functioning. This study used Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to explore the interplay and combination of specific stressors related to relocation and deployment experiences among adolescents, and to determine key factors associated with maladaptive outcomes. Read the full article
Author: Tamika D. Gilreath, Francisco A. Montiel Ishino, Kathrine S. Sullivan, Titilayo A Okoror
Journal: Frontiers in Psychology, December 19
Recent studies, including a meta-analysis of 88 trials, have shown higher than expected rates of recurrence and death in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. For this study, researchers adapted an established Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network model to evaluate the lifetime benefits and harms of risk-reducing medication in women with a ≥ 3% 5-year risk of developing breast cancer according to the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium risk calculator. Read the full article
Author: Jinani Jayasekera, Amy Zhao, Clyde Schechter, Kathryn Lowry, Jennifer M. Yeh, Marc D. Schwartz, Suzanne O'Neill, Karen J. Wernli, Natasha Stout, Jeanne Mandelblatt, Allison W. Kurian, Claudine Isaacs
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology, December 1
November 2022
This commentary by NIH leaders was part of a recently published supplement highlighting NIH’s RADx-UP initiative. Read the full article
Author: Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Richard J. Hodes, Tara A. Schwetz
Journal: American Journal of Public Health, November 29
In this editorial, NIH leaders share their perspective on the rapid development and implementation of the RADx-UP initiative focused on underserved and vulnerable populations. Read the full article
Author: Monica Webb Hooper*, Wilson M. Compton, Elizabeth R. Walsh, Richard J. Hodes, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*
Journal: American Journal of Public Health, November 29
To combat the coronavirus pandemic, states implemented several public health policies to reduce infection and transmission. Increasing evidence suggests that these prevention strategies also have had a profound impact on non-COVID healthcare utilization. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of a statewide Stay-at-Home order and other COVID-related policies on trauma hospitalizations, stratified by race/ethnicity, age, and sex. Read the full article
Author: Paula D. Strassle*, Alan C. Kinlaw, Jamie S. Ko*, Stephanie M. Quintero*, Jackie Bonilla*, Madison Ponder, Anna María Nápoles*, Sharon E. Schiro
Journal: Injury Epidemiology, November 21
Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes (GDM) disproportionately affect those of Hispanic/Latino heritage. This study examined the association between GDM and prevalent and incident diabetes in a community-based study of Hispanic/Latina women living in the USA. Read the full article
Author: Sarah S. Casagrande, Larissa Avilés-Santa*, Daniela Sotres-Alvarez, Linda Gallo, Melissa Simon, Michelle Kominiarek, Gregory Talavera, Alison M. Stuebe, JoNell Potter, Marisa Judith Perera, Carmen Isasi, Jeffrey S. Gonzalez, Keith Rust, Catherine Cowie
Journal: BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, November 14
Future-oriented emotions are associated with consequential health decision-making, including genomic testing decisions. However, little is known about the relative role of various future-oriented emotions in such decisions. Moreover, most research on predictors of decision making regarding genomic testing is conducted with white participants. This study examined the role of future-oriented emotions in decisions to receive genomic testing results in U.S. individuals of African descent. Read the full article
Author: Arielle S. Gillman*, Irina A Iles, William M. P. Klein, Barbara B. Biesecker, Katie L. Lewis, Leslie G. Biesecker, Rebecca A. Ferrer
Journal: Annals of Behavioral Medicine, November 10
Leaders from the National Institutes of Health discuss the agency’s plan to address the risk to human health posed by a changing climate in a commentary published in The Lancet. As floods, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, and heat waves become more extreme, the risk to human health grows, exacerbating existing health threats and creating new public health challenges around the world. Read the full article
Author: Richard P. Woychik, Diana W. Bianchi, Gary H. Gibbons, Roger I. Glass, Joshua A. Gordon, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable*, Shannon N. Zenk
Journal: The Lancet, November 4
Studies evaluating the effects of cancer treatments are prone to immortal time bias that, if unaddressed, can lead to treatments appearing more beneficial than they are. To demonstrate the impact of immortal time bias, this study compared results across several analytic approaches (dichotomous exposure, dichotomous exposure excluding immortal time, time-varying exposure, landmark analysis, clone-censor-weight method), using surgical resection among women with metastatic breast cancer as an example. All adult women diagnosed with incident metastatic breast cancer from 2013-2016 in the National Cancer Database were included. Read the full article
Author: Emilie D Duchesneau, Bradford E Jackson, Michael Webster-Clark, Jennifer L Lund, Katherine E Reeder-Hayes, Anna M Nápoles*, Paula D Strassle*
Journal: Cancer Epidemiological, Biomarkers & Prevention, November 2
The field of digital health is evolving rapidly and encompasses a wide range of complex and changing technologies used to support individual and population health. In this commentary, researchers outlined five recommendations for behavioral and social science researchers that are critical to promoting digital health equity. Read the full article
Author: Beth K. Jaworski, Monica Webb Hooper*, Will M. Aklin, Beda Jean-Francois, William N. Elwood, Deshirée Belis, William T. Riley, Christine M. Hunter
Journal: Translational Behavioral Medicine, November 1
October 2022
Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure causes diseases and death in adults and children. Evidence indicates that most SHS exposures occur at home and in workplace. Therefore, home is a major place where adults and children can be effectively protected from SHS. This study examined the magnitude of SHS exposure at home and associated factors in eight sub-Saharan African countries. Read the full article
Author: Lazarous Mbulo, Krishna Palipudi, Tenecia Smith, Daniel Owusu, Faustine Williams*, Anna K. Dean, Hadii M. Mamudu
Journal: Nicotine & Tobacco Research, October 22
There are limited studies on the perceived likelihood of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine among the general US population and its subpopulations. Researchers examined the association between the perceived likelihood of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine with the self-reported likelihood of contracting COVID-19, social-distancing stress, COVID-19 diagnosis status, mental health disorders, and sociodemographic characteristics. Read the full article
Author: David Adzrago, Saanie Sulley, Cameron K. Ormiston*, Lohuwa Mamudu, Faustine Williams*
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, October 22
In this brief report researchers examined whether the implementation of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) policies at the state level (e-cigarette-inclusive smoke-free (ESF) policies, excise taxes on e-cigarettes and raising tobacco legal purchasing age to 21 years (T21)) affected recent upward trends in youth e-cigarette use. Read the full article
Author: Kelvin Choi*, Toluwa Omole, Thomas Wills, Ashley L Merianos
Journal: Tobacco Control, October 20
This paper is intended to provide an overview of important frameworks and to guide future efforts to both identify and eliminate bias within healthcare delivery systems and health professions training with a particular focus on the intersection of structural racism and ageism. Read the full article
Author: Timothy W. Farrell, William W. Hung, Kathleen T. Unroe, Teneille R. Brown, Christian D. Furman, Jane Jih, Reena Karani, Paul Mulhausen, Anna María Nápoles*, Joseph O. Nnodim, Gina Upchurch, Chanel F. Whittaker, Anna Kim, Nancy E. Lundebjerg, Ramona L. Rhodes
Journal: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, October 19
Hair products may contain hazardous chemicals with endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic properties. In this study, researchers examined associations between hair product use and incident uterine cancer among 33 947 Sister Study participants aged 35-74 years who had a uterus at enrollment (2003-2009). Read the full article
Author: Che-Jung Chang, Katie M. O'Brien, Alexander P. Keil, Symielle A. Gaston, Chandra L. Jackson*, Dale P. Sandler and Alexandra J. White
Journal: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, October 17
Despite its overall decline in the U.S., trends in cigarette smoking could vary by intersection with demographic characteristics. In this study, researchers explored trends in education-related disparities in current smoking among U.S. adults by race (Black/African American and White), sex, and U.S. census region. Read the full article
Author: Kelvin Choi*, Jamal T Jones, Andrea L Ruybal, Timothy McNeel, Danielle A Duarte and Monica Webb Hooper*
Journal: Nicotine & Tobacco Research, October 14
Limited evidence exists on the association between electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and chronic respiratory disorders. This study examined the association of combustible tobacco and ENDS use with chronic respiratory disorders among US adults. Public-use data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 (2013-2014), Wave 2 (2014-2015), Wave 3 (2015-2016), and Wave 4 (2016-2018) were pooled. Read the full article
Author: Jamie Cordova, Ruth M. Pfeiffer, Kelvin Choi*, Rachel Grana Mayne, Laura Baker, Jacqueline Bachand, Kristen Constantine, Sean Altekruse, Carolyn Reyes-Guzman
Journal: Preventive Medicine Reports, October 12
Abnormal-glucose tolerance (Abnl-GT) is due to an imbalance between β-cell function and insulin resistance (IR) and is a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease (CVD). In sub-Saharan Africa, β-cell failure is emerging as an important cause of Abnl-GT (Abnl-GT-β-cell-failure). In this paper, 450 African-born Blacks, living in America were analyzed to: (1) determine Abnl-GT prevalence and etiology; (2) assess by Abnl-GT etiology, associations between four understudied subclinical CVD risk factors in Africans. Read the full article
Author: Annemarie Wentzel, M Grace Duhuze Karera, Arielle C. Patterson, Zoe C. Waldman, Blayne R. Schenk, Lilian S. Mabundo, Christopher W. DuBose, Margrethe F. Horlyck-Romanovsky, Anne E Sumner*
Journal: Scientific Reports, October 10
Among individuals with chronic respiratory conditions, transitions between patterns of tobacco product use are not well understood. This study examines how transitions, including quitting altogether, differ over time between those who do and do not have chronic respiratory conditions. Read the full article
Author: Margaret Mayer, Yei Eun Shin, Laura Baker, Jamie Cordova, Rachel Grana Mayne, Carolyn M Reyes-Guzman, Ruth M Pfeiffer and Kelvin Choi*
Journal: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, October 8
Coordination of quality care for the growing population of cancer survivors with comorbidities remains poorly understood, especially among health disparity populations who are more likely to have comorbidities at the time of cancer diagnosis. This systematic review synthesized the literature from 2000 to 2022 on team-based care for cancer survivors with comorbidities and assessed team-based care conceptualization, teamwork processes, and outcomes. Researchers identified 1,821 articles of which 13 met the inclusion criteria. Despite team-based care being a cornerstone of quality cancer care, studies that simultaneously assessed care delivery and outcomes for cancer and comorbidities were largely absent. Read the full article
Author: Michelle Doose, Ph.D, et al
Journal: Journal for Healthcare Quality, September/October 2022
September 2022
This manuscript raises awareness of Asian American concerns in the federal workforce and how current employment and workforce analytic practices in this domain might contribute to the sentiment that Asian Americans often feel invisible or forgotten in the discourse of structural racism and organizational inequities. Read the full article
Author: Caroline Goon, Tamara A. Bruce, Janetta Lun, Gabriel Y. Lai, Serena Chu, Phuong-Tu Le*
Journal: Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, September '22
Hispanic/Latino populations may experience significant neighborhood disadvantage, but limited research has explored whether these factors affect their health behaviors. Associations between perceived neighborhood factors at Visit 1 and health behaviors and related outcomes at Visit 2 in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos were evaluated in this paper. Read the full article
Author: Jennifer E. Bayly, M.D., Eliseo Pérez-Stable, M.D., et al
Journal: Preventive Medicine, September 20
The aim of this study was to consider how the apportionment of pharmacogenomic variation within and between racial and ethnic groups relates to risk disparities for adverse drug reactions. Read the full article
Author: I. King Jordan, Shivam Sharma, Shashwat Deepali Nagar, Leonardo Mariño-Ramírez*
Journal: Medical Research Archives, September 20
In this study, researchers examined associations between perceived neighborhood social environment (PNSE) and sleep, mediated by physical activity (PA) and psychosocial stressors. Read the full article
Author: Kosuke Tamura*, Dayna A.Johnson, Sam J. Neally, Mario Sims, Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley*
Journal: Sleep Advances, September 15
This portfolio analysis synthesized and described National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported social risk research focused on assessing food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation-related barriers among individuals diagnosed with cancer. Findings highlight opportunities for future cancer care delivery research, including community and health system-level approaches that integrate social and clinical care to address social risks and social needs. Read the full article
Author: Michelle Doose, Ph.D, et al
Journal: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, September 8
In this study, researchers provide a detailed guide to genetic ancestry inference using genome-wide genetic variant datasets, with an emphasis on two widely used techniques: principal components analysis (PCA) and ADMIXTURE analysis. Read the full article
Author: Leonardo Mariño-Ramírez Ph.D., MPH, et al
Journal: Methods in Molecular Biology, September 7
Higher rates of black mortality compared to whites in the United States are longstanding and well documented. Wide variation across racial and socioeconomic groups suggests that many deaths may be preventable. In this study, researchers hypothesize that higher mortality for African Americans is due to the fundamental causes of structural racism and poverty. Using a new index, the Racial Isolation of Poverty (RIP), they examined how the race/class nexus of disadvantage is associated with higher rates of mortality for African Americans. Read the full article
Author: Nancy Breen, Johan Andres, Mark Fossett, Marcia M. Gomez, Ernest Moy
Journal: Review of Black Political Economy, September 4
This study examined the effects of tobacco use and smoke exposure on mean telomere length to identify critical age periods by race/ethnicity. Researchers used time-varying effect modeling on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for continuous years 1999-2002 to observe the effects of active tobacco use and environmental tobacco smoke-measured through serum cotinine-and mean telomere length for adults 19 to 85 and older. Read the full article
Author: Francisco A. Montiel Ishino, B.S., Kevin Villalobos, B.S., Faustine Williams, Ph.D., MPH, et al
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, September 4
August 2022
Results from this study suggest that there are distinct patterns of general and alcohol-related social media (SM) use during the college transition associated with risky drinking that can inform interventions combating SM-related alcohol risks. These findings illustrate the importance of investigating SM use holistically and suggests studying alcohol-related SM behaviors may reveal differences in individuals' alcohol risk that general SM behaviors might not capture. Read the full article
Author: Francisco A. Montiel Ishino, B.S., et al
Journal: Addictive Behaviors, August 28
Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (2011-2019) for Latinos living in the U.S. overall (immigration status was not available), researchers compared the average number of self-reported perceived poor mental and physical health days/month, and general health status (single-item measures) before (January 2011-June 2013) and after implementation (July 2015-December 2019) of immigrant-inclusive license policies using interrupted time-series analyses and segmented linear regression, and a control group of states in which such policies were not implemented. Read the full article
Author: Cristian Escalera, B.S., Paula D. Strassle, Ph.D., Stephanie M. Quintero, B.S., Ana I. Maldonado, Diana Withrow, Ph.D., Alia Alhomsi, B.A., Jackie Bonilla, B.S., Veronica Santana-Ufret, B.S., Anna María Nápoles, Ph.D., MPH
Journal: BMC Public Health, August 24
This study examined Asian and Asian American vs. White differences in concern about COVID-19 discrimination and associations of this concern with changes in cigarette smoking behaviors before and during the pandemic. Read the full article
Author: Tina Liu, Lilianna Phan, Ph.D., MPH, Kiana Hacker, B.S., Bambi Jewett, RN, BSN, Kelvin Choi, Ph.D., MPH, et al
Journal: Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, August 22
The increasing prevalence of smartphone apps to help people find different services raises the question of whether apps to help people find physical activity (PA) locations would help better prevent and control having overweight or obesity. The aim of this paper was to determine and quantify the potential impact of a digital health intervention for African American women prior to allocating financial resources toward implementation. Read the full article
Author: Kosuke Tamura, Ph.D., et al
Journal: Journal of Medical Internet Research, August 22
Researchers examined associations of coping resources for psychological distress among newly diagnosed Spanish-speaking Latina women with breast cancer (LWBC). Read the full article
Author: Anna Maria Nápoles , Ph.D., MPH et al
Journal: Oncology Nursing Forum, August 18