Author: Disparity Matters

A recent analysis has found that social determinants of health (SDH), including poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to healthcare, significantly increase an individual’s risk of cancer mortality over time, with Black Americans experiencing greater cancer mortality compared to White Americans. According to the article, Black adults in the U.S. have double the poverty and unemployment rates as White adults, both of which independently raise the risk of cancer mortality. Limited access to healthcare also leads to later stage cancer diagnoses, further contributing to survival disparities. The REGARDS study revealed that a greater number of SDH in the same individual…

Social determinants of health such as food insecurity, low household income and a lack of health insurance has been linked to youth-onset of prediabetes—higher-than-normal blood sugar—in adolescents, independent of race and ethnicity according to a new study published today in JAMA Open Network. The research, by investigators at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), suggests that these findings can help identify youth at risk and could eventually lead to early medical intervention to help prevent the conditions from progressing to type 2 diabetes. See “Youth-Onset of Prediabetes Linked with Social Determinants of Health” (June 11, 2024)

Focusing on skin, hair, nail conditions more common in diverse communities

Redistributing wealth more equitably in the United States could increase population-level longevity by up to 2.2 years, according to a new study. The research highlights the significant impact of wealth inequality on survival rates and suggests that policies aimed at reducing this gap could substantially improve overall life expectancy. The study analyzed data from 35,164 US adults aged 50 and older who participated in the Health and Retirement Study between 1992 and 2018. Researchers found a stark contrast in survival rates between the wealthiest and poorest segments of the population, with those in the highest wealth decile having a…

Fewer than 1 in 5 eligible Americans are up to date on lung cancer screening, with rates particularly low in Southern states and among racial minorities, according to a new nationwide study. Researchers found only 18.1% of eligible individuals reported being current with lung cancer screening in 2022. Rates varied widely by state, ranging from 9.7% to 31%, with Southern states that have high lung cancer mortality showing lower screening rates. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, revealed significant disparities in screening rates. While 78.4% of respondents were white, only 8.1% were Black and 6.7% were Hispanic, suggesting underrepresentation…

Racial weathering, a term coined by public health researcher Arline T. Geronimus, is taking a toll on generations of Black Americans, contributing to higher rates of chronic diseases and premature death. The concept describes how repeated exposure to racism and other stressors leads to poor health outcomes. Bonnie Steele’s story illustrates the impact of racial weathering. After years of living in a high-stress environment in Minneapolis, where gun violence was commonplace, Steele discovered her blood pressure had skyrocketed to dangerous levels. “Stressful doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Steele said about her experiences. The roots of racial weathering trace back to America’s…

he prevalence of up-to-date lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) remains low — especially in U.S. states that tend to have higher mortality rates of the disease, American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers have reported. A team led by Priti Bandi, PhD, of the ACS in Atlanta, GA, found that overall, in 2022 only 18.1% of men and women eligible for lung cancer screening underwent it, despite a 2021 expansion of the pool of eligible individuals. It also found that lung cancer screening uptake varied across states, with a range of 9.7% to 31%. The study results were published June…

A significant association between exposure to high temperatures and air pollution and increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight, with communities of color disproportionately affected, a new review of 57 studies has found. The findings, co-authored by Rupa Basu of the California Environmental Protection Agency, build on her groundbreaking 2010 study that first identified the link between heat and premature births. Basu analyzed 60,000 summertime births in California from 1999 to 2006 and discovered higher preterm birth rates during periods of elevated temperatures. Scientists have now observed this association in every developed nation studied, as well as the…

Hispanics are less likely to be diagnosed with the four most common types of cancer (lung, colon, breast and prostate), but they are more prone to contracting liver, stomach and cervical cancer. These have in common that they are related to infections, such as the human papillomavirus,” says Dr. Lynne Padgett, from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Many Latina women who need cancer treatment lack health insurance. Among people ages 18 to 64, 26% of Hispanics were uninsured during 2017-2018 compared to 9% of non-Hispanic whites, according to the American Cancer Society. Regarding the genetic factor, if Latinos…

Adverse social determinants of health are strongly linked to treatment-resistant hypertension in Black Americans, according to a new study from the Jackson Heart Study. The research, which analyzed data from 2,198 Black adults with hypertension, found that individuals exposed to multiple adverse social conditions were significantly more likely to develop treatment-resistant hypertension. Participants facing three or more adverse social determinants had a 2.7-fold higher risk compared to those with no exposure. Key social factors identified include low education levels, low income, poor neighborhood quality, and experiences of discrimination. These findings highlight the persistent racial disparities in hypertension outcomes, with Black Americans disproportionately…