Health Disparities News and Research

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Health disparities (also called healthcare inequality in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups.

Genetic variants impact outcome in dilated cardiomyopathy patients of African ancestry

Genetic testing is a powerful diagnostic tool that is increasingly being used for the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart becomes enlarged, making it difficult to pump blood. Cardiomyopathy affects more than 3.5 million people in the United States.

22 Aug 2018

American College of Rheumatology receives grants to support development of lupus clinical trials

The American College of Rheumatology today announced the receipt of two, two-year grants from the Office of Minority Health to support the development of programs that aim to increase the recruitment and enrollment in lupus clinical trials of minority populations affected by lupus.

14 Aug 2018

Lower rates of Medicare preventive care visits found in racial, ethnic minority older adults

Medicare patients nationwide have low rates of preventive care visits – with the lowest rates found in older adults of minority race/ethnicity, reports a study in the September issue of Medical Care. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

14 Aug 2018

Penn study suggests method to measure and operationalize inclusion in heath care organizations

The importance of an inclusive workforce culture in health care is key to advancing scientific inquiry, improving the quality of care, and optimizing patient satisfaction.

3 Aug 2018

Death toll from Hurricane Maria estimated to be higher than previously thought

The number of people who died as a result of Hurricane Maria -- which hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017 -- may be as high as 1,139, surpassing the official death count of 64, according to researchers.

3 Aug 2018

Study: Women's brains more vulnerable than men's to injury from soccer heading

Women's brains are much more vulnerable than men's to injury from repeated soccer heading, according to a new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore.

31 Jul 2018

Promoting health equity by understanding cancer risk and outcomes

Aiming to reduce cancer risk, improve the understanding of cancer outcomes, and promote cancer health equity in our most vulnerable populations at the community level, the Rutgers School of Public Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey have recruited Anita Y. Kinney, PhD, as Director of the Center of Cancer Health Disparities at the Rutgers School of Public Health and Associate Director of Cancer Health Equity and Engagement at Rutgers Cancer Institute.

11 Jul 2018

Male couples experience as much domestic violence as heterosexual couples

Nearly half of all men in a new study about intimate partner violence in male couples report being victims of abuse.

10 Jul 2018

GW introduces new summer program to advance cancer research

The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in partnership with the GW Cancer Center, has launched a new summer program to advance cancer research through enhancing diversity in the field.

26 Jun 2018

Scientists discover secret to success of antiviral gene

It's been known for years that humans and other mammals possess an antiviral gene called RSAD2 that prevents a remarkable range of viruses from multiplying.

25 Jun 2018

$1.9 million grant aims to enhance behavioral health services in community-based settings

Graduate students in the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago will receive specialized training to help individuals with mental health issues in Chicago's marginalized communities.

19 Jun 2018

People with severe mental illness more likely to have Type 2 diabetes, shows study

People with severe mental illness are more than twice as likely to have Type 2 diabetes, with even higher risks among patients who are African American or Hispanic, according to a new study led by UCSF.

14 Jun 2018

Adolescents who consume high-saturated fat diet may have harder time coping with stress as adults

A new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity shows that adolescent rats who consume a diet high in saturated fats have a harder time coping with stress as adults.

13 Jun 2018

Researcher points out need for examining systemic racism related to health

Although the discipline of public health has recently recognized racism as a social determinant of health, little research examines the issue related to systems and structures.

8 Jun 2018

HIV diagnoses continue to increase among African-Americans

African-Americans are still much more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white Americans. A new paper on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African-American community shows that despite recent drops in HIV diagnoses across every population in the US, there are still great disparities between ethnic groups.

5 Jun 2018

Study sheds light on how medical providers use SO/GI data to treat patients

Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity, or "SO/GI," data has valuable public health benefits and potential clinical benefits for an individual patient, but medical providers must continue to collect information about patient experiences and behaviors, where clinically appropriate, and avoid making assumptions based on SO/GI data alone, according to a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

4 Jun 2018

Low-sodium cooking materials can reduce salt levels in Chinese take-out meals

While Chinese dishes are known to have one of the highest salt contents of all food categories, new research finds that a cooking training for Chinese take-out chefs and restaurant owners can result in substantial reductions in sodium in the foods they serve with no substantial loss of taste. This study was published today in Public Health Reports.

30 May 2018

Latinos and African Americans more likely to experience serious depression than Whites

A new study published in the May 2018 issue of Preventive Medicine shows that African Americans and Latinos are significantly more likely to experience serious depression than Whites, but chronic stress does not seem to explain these differences.

25 May 2018

Study finds fewer than 5% of low-income, urban mothers use prenatal vitamins before pregnancy

A study of more than 7,000 low-income, urban mothers enrolled in the Boston Birth Cohort found that fewer than 5 percent of them started folic acid supplementation and used it almost daily before pregnancy, a widely recommended public health measure designed to prevent potentially crippling birth defects.

24 May 2018

Study: Many gay and bisexual teenage boys use adult hookup apps to connect with friends, partners

Although hookup apps require users to be 18 or older, a new Northwestern Medicine study found that more than 50 percent of sexually active gay and bisexual boys ages 14 to 17 met male sexual partners on apps such as Grindr and Scruff.

18 May 2018