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Background: For many years in the United States, there has been an active discussion about whether race concordance between care providers and patients contributes to better health outcomes. Although beneficial provider–patient communication effects have been associated with concordance, there is minimal evidence for concordance benefits to health outcomes. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted including 200 Black mothers who had given birth within the last 2 years asking about the perceived racial identity of their birth health provider, whether they preferred to have Black women providers, and the intersection between race and gender concordance on birth outcomes. In addition to race and gender concordance, other variables were tested for their impact on birth satisfaction including respect, trust for the care provider, perceived competence, care provider empathy, and inclusive communication. Results: Forty‐one percent of the mothers in this study were assisted in birth by a Black woman provider. Although patient–provider concordance did not result in measurable health outcomes, it is clear that compared to other studies of birth satisfaction among Black birthing persons, this study showed relatively higher levels of satisfaction, perceived trust, empathy, perceived provider competence, inclusive communication, and equal respect for both concordant and discordant care providers. Conclusions: Although many participants showed a preference for race concordance, participants equally valued respect, competence, and trust with their care providers. Further community‐based research needs to be conducted to examine whether race, gender, and cultural concordance results in other beneficial health outcomes. Keywords: Black mothers and providers,Black OB/GYNs,concordance andhealth outcomes,health outcomesrace concordance in birth [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respondents ( N = 224) read 1 of 4 scenarios: a heavy smoker, a moderate smoker, an occasional smoker, or a nonsmoker diagnosed with lung cancer. Results showed that smokers with lung cancer received more blame than did nonsmokers. Nonsmokers assigned more blame to tobacco companies and cigarette advertising and made more negative attributions about lung cancer victims. Respondents high in smoking-cessation efficacy assigned more blame and negative attributions to lung cancer victims. This study suggests that lung cancer is stigmatized because of the widely held belief that it is preventable. Interventions must encourage smokers to be vigilant about their lung health, to know the symptoms of lung cancer, and to see their doctor immediately if they experience lung problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated what information about brain death was available from Google searches for five major religions. A substantial body of supporting research examining online behaviors shows that information seekers use Google as their preferred search engine and usually limit their search to entries on the first page. For each of the five religions in this study, Google listings reveal ethical controversy about organ donation in the context of brain death. These results suggest that family members who go online to find information about organ donation in the context of brain death would find information about ethical controversy in the first page of Google listings. Organ procurement agencies claim that all major world religions approve of organ donation and do not address the ethical controversy about organ donation in the context of brain death that is readily available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the construct validity of two new measures: the Attitude Toward Conflict Scale and the Mediation Scale. Although both of these measures are still being developed, results of two studies (with 557 participants) suggest that these instruments are valid and reliable measures that might be of use to alternative dispute resolution administrators, other mediation practitioners, and university personnel who deal with conflict as a screening device to measure attitude toward conflict and the mediation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a three-dimensional model of self-construal (independent, collective interdependent, and relational interdependent self-construal), the present study investigated whether self-construal systematically related to exchange and communal orientation with data (357 participants) collected in Taiwan ( N = 178) and the USA ( N = 179). United States participants scored significantly higher on all scales except for relational interdependent self-construal. Females exhibited significantly higher scores for relational interdependent self-construal and communal orientation. As predicted, independent self-construal was related to exchange orientation and relational interdependent self-construal was related to communal orientation. However, in contrast to what was expected, collective interdependent self-construal was only marginally related to communal orientation. The findings for scales revised for validity were compared with scales including all items. This comparison disclosed differences for exchange orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]