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PURPOSE: The authors compared approaches to participants and methods of collecting buccal cell samples by mail in the Black Women's Health Study, a follow-up study of geographically dispersed African-American women. Outcomes of interest were within group participation rates, yield of DNA, and PCR success. METHODS: Six hundred fifty six participants were randomized to four groups: Groups 1 and 2 used the cheek swab method and Groups 3 and 4 used the mouthwash swish method. Groups 1 and 3 were mailed collection kits together with consent forms, whereas Groups 2 and 4 were mailed a kit only after returning a signed consent. RESULTS: Participation rates were similar regardless of the method used for sample collection or mailing of the kits: samples were returned by 40% of Group 1, 37% of Group 2, 36% of Group 3, and 35% of Group 4. The median DNA yield was 3693 ng/sample for the swab method and 10,077 ng/sample for the mouthwash swish method (p<0.001). PCR analyses were successful in 98% of mouthwash samples and 94% of swab samples. CONCLUSION: Because of its higher yield of DNA, the mouthwash swish method is preferable for collection of buccal cell samples by mail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Racial disparities in oral health are well-documented. Stress has been associated with both perceived racism and oral health, yet little research has directly investigated the association between perceived racism and oral health., Methods: We used data from the Black Women's Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study that includes a geographically diverse sample of Black women across the United States. Perceived exposure to racism was assessed via two scales, one assessing lifetime exposure and one everyday exposure. Self-rated oral health was subsequently assessed over multiple time points. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate adjusted incidence rate ratios estimating the association between higher levels of perceived racism and incident "fair" or "poor" oral health, and explored potential effect measure modification using stratified models., Results: The adjusted incidence rate ratios (n = 27,008) relating perceived racism to incident fair or poor oral health were 1.50 (95% confidence interval 1.35, 1.66) comparing the highest quartile of everyday racism to the lowest and 1.45 (95% confidence interval 1.31, 1.61) for the highest score of lifetime racism compared to the lowest. We did not see evidence of effect modification., Conclusions: Higher levels of perceived racism documented in 2009 were associated with declines in self-rated oral health from 2011 to 2019., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Telomere length is considered a biomarker of human aging and premature morbidity and mortality which has been associated with chronic stress., Methods: We assessed the relation between perceived racism and telomere length in the Black Women's Health Study, a follow-up study of U.S. black women begun in 1995. Participants were asked about frequency of "everyday racism" (e.g., "people act as if they think you are not intelligent") and "institutional racism" (e.g., "ever treated unfairly due to race by police"). Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay, relative telomere lengths (RTL) were measured as the copy number ratio of telomere repeat to a single control gene in 997 participants. Associations of racism variables with log-RTL were estimated by multivariable linear regression, with adjustment for age at blood draw and potential confounders., Results: Participants were aged 40-70 years (mean = 55.6 years), and mean telomere length was 0.77 (range 0.21-1.38). In stratified analyses, there was an inverse association between everyday racism and log-RTL among women who did not discuss their experiences of racism with others (β = -0.1104; 95% CI = -0.2140 to -0.0067; P = .045)., Conclusions: Everyday racism was associated with shorter telomere length among women who reported not discussing those experiences with others., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Obesity is more common in black women than in white women. Racial discrimination is a form of chronic stress that may influence weight., Methods: We assessed the association of perceived racism with weight change between 1997 and 2005 in 43,103 women from the Black Women's Health Study, a prospective follow-up of U.S. black women aged 21-69 years at entry in 1995. Eight questions about perceptions and experiences of racism were asked in 1997 from which two summary variables were created: everyday racism (e.g., how often do people act "as if you are not intelligent?"), and lifetime racism (e.g., unfair treatment due to race "on the job"). Mixed linear regression models were used to calculate the multivariate adjusted means for changes in body weight across categories of perceived racism., Results: Weight gain increased as levels of everyday and lifetime racism increased. The mean multivariable-adjusted difference in weight change between the highest and the lowest quartile of everyday racism was 0.56 kg. The mean difference comparing the highest category of lifetime racism to the lowest was 0.48 kg., Conclusion: These prospective data suggest that experiences of racism may contribute to the excess burden of obesity in U.S. black women.

Purpose: In the past decade, we have witnessed increasing numbers of individuals entering the field of epidemiology. With the increase also has come a diversity of training and paths by which individuals entered the field. The purpose of this survey was characterization of the epidemiology workforce, its job diversity, and continuing education needs., Methods: The Minority Affairs and Membership committees of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) prepared and administered a workforce survey to identify racial/ethnic diversity, demographic background, workplace type, credentials, income, subspecialties, and continuing education needs of epidemiologists. The survey was self-administered to attendees of the Second North American Congress of Epidemiology in June 2006., Results: A sample of 397 respondents of the 1348 registered for the Congress was captured (29.5% response). Epidemiologists who participated were from 36 states and 18 countries; 54.6% were trained at the doctoral level; 19.1% earned $120,001 or more a year. A wide range of epidemiology subspecialties and continuing education needs were identified., Conclusions: This preliminary snapshot of epidemiologists indicates a wide range of training mechanisms, workplace sites, and subspecialties. Results indicate a need for examination of the core graduate training needs of epidemiologist as well as responding to desired professional development needs through the provision of continuing education efforts.