Significant racial and ethnic disparities occur in drowning death rates in the United States, according to a new CDC report. The study found that from 2019 to 2022, drowning death rates increased for nearly all racial and ethnic groups, with the highest rates among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Black persons. According to lead author Tessa Clemens, PhD, of the CDC’s Division of Injury Prevention, drowning death rates for AI/AN persons were 2.5 times higher than those for White persons in 2022. Black persons had 1.6 times the rate of White persons. The study also noted that drowning…
Author: Disparity Matters
The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm on the tobacco industry’s predatory marketing tactics aimed at hooking the next generation of customers. In a recent report, the WHO reveals that an estimated 37 million youth aged 13-15 years worldwide are currently tobacco users. The report highlights the tobacco industry’s calculated strategy to target young people, fostering a new wave of addiction to secure long-term profits. Shockingly, in many countries, the use of e-cigarettes among children surpasses that of adults. While the report does not specifically address racial or ethnic disparities, it is crucial to acknowledge that marginalized communities…
Alcohol-related deaths in the United States have risen dramatically over the past decade, with a particularly sharp increase during the COVID-19 pandemic years, according to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). According to the KFF report, which analyzed data from the CDC’s WONDER database, the national alcohol death rate has surged by 70% between 2012 and 2022. In 2022 alone, alcohol claimed 51,191 lives, compared to 27,762 deaths in 2012. The pandemic period from 2019 to 2022 saw a staggering 30% rise in alcohol-related deaths. The report also highlights significant disparities across states and regions. New Mexico…
Black Americans are significantly underrepresented in residential care communities compared to their overall population, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The study, conducted by AP journalist Nicky Forster, revealed that while Black Americans make up around 13% of the U.S. population, they account for only 7% of people in residential care communities. Residential care communities, which include assisted living facilities and other group housing that provide support to older adults, are an important part of the long-term care system. However, the AP analysis suggests that Black Americans face barriers in accessing…
Training pharmacists to provide medication management and lifestyle counseling to Black patients with uncontrolled hypertension
Significant racial disparities in eligibility for lung cancer screening in the United States has been found in a new study. The research, led by Anand Narayan, MD, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, found that Black individuals are less likely to meet eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening compared to white individuals, despite having a higher risk of lung cancer. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System between 2017 and 2020. The researchers found that among individuals at high risk for lung cancer, only 14.6%…
Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately exposed to larger daily temperature variations compared to their white counterparts, a disparity that may have significant health implications, according to a new study. The research, conducted by Shengjie Liu and Emily Smith-Greenaway from the University of California, Berkeley, and published in PNAS Nexus, found that Black and Hispanic communities experience temperature swings up to 3 degrees Celsius larger than white populations at the census tract level. The study also identified a lesser disparity between low-income and high-income populations. Using monthly nighttime and daytime land surface temperature data from satellites, the researchers investigated inequality…
Significant barriers to diversity in respiratory medicine trials and diagnostic tools, which experts say contributes to health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, were highlighted in a recent panel discussion at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2023 Conference. The session, titled “Diversity in Pulmonary Function Testing and Clinical Trials,” featured Drs. Nirav Shah from Northwestern University and Neeta Thakur from the University of California, San Francisco. They noted that despite making up a large proportion of patients with respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD, racial and ethnic minorities are severely underrepresented in clinical trials for these…
Gallbladder cancer rates are increasing at an alarming pace in the Black community in the United States, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The report, led by Dr. Anita Johnson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), analyzed data from 2010 to 2022 and found that the incidence of gallbladder cancer among Black Americans has risen by 25% over the past decade. The study highlights significant disparities in gallbladder cancer rates between racial and ethnic groups. Black Americans are now twice as likely to develop gallbladder cancer compared to their…
Influenza and pneumonia mortality rates in the United States decreased by 54.4% from 1999 to 2020, according to a new study. However, the research, led by Dr. Nana Ama Kuffuor Owusu-Dabo from the University of Minnesota, also revealed persistent disparities among racial and ethnic groups. The study analyzed data from the CDC’s WONDER database and found that age-adjusted mortality rates declined across all racial and ethnic groups. Despite this overall improvement, Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations consistently experienced higher mortality rates compared to White and Asian or Pacific Islander populations. Dr. Owusu-Dabo and her colleagues emphasized the need…