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This study explores whether nativity differences in health care and sociodemographic factors help to account for nativity differences in low birth weight (LBW) when comparing US-born Black women (USBW) to Black Immigrant women (BIW).Bivariate analyses and multinomial nested logit (MNL) models were performed using the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) dataset.Statistically significant nativity differences between USBW and BIW were found across variables of LBW (p = .009), marital status (p .001), education level (p .001), receiving public assistance (p .001), health care coverage (p .001), age (p .001), and poverty level income (p .001). Results from the MNL models indicated that BIW were 91% less likely to have a LBW baby (p .001). When accounting for other sociodemographic and health care related variables differing by nativity, although a statistically significant, narrowing gap between BIW and USBW was observed (OR = .12, p .001), BIW were still less likely to have a LBW baby.Differences between USBW and BIW across sociodemographic variables and health care related factors related to adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed in this study. Controlling for the factors attenuated nativity differences but did not eliminate the differences on LBW. Future research should continue to explore this relationship.

The purpose of this paper is to (1) determine if there are racial differences between Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and NH White women in health ‘care’ factors associated with low birth weight (LBW), (2)...

The purpose of this paper is to explore 10-year trends in infant mortality rates (IMRs) from 2007 to 2016 for non-Hispanic (NH) blacks and NH whites by levels of sociodemographic characteristics such as maternal age, marital status, education, and access to prenatal care. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wonder Online database, descriptive statistics were performed, and a measure of disparity was calculated to illustrate racial differences in IMRs. Between 2007 and 2016, IMRs for NH blacks have declined at a faster rate (15.8%) compared to NH whites (13.5%). As for the selected sociodemographic indicators, reductions were observed for both racial groups for most age categories assessed, married and unmarried women, and for women with early or no access to prenatal care. For educational attainment levels, declines were observed for both racial groups for all levels except for high school graduate or GED and some college, in which increases were observed for NH white women. The measure of disparity illustrates the large racial gap in IMRs persists between NH blacks and NH whites. More structural and systemic mechanisms, including research and policies, are needed to address the disparities in IMRs.

COVID-19 was recognized as a pandemic in the United States in March 2020. Since the emergence, research has explored conditions associated with the illness; however, racial disparities remain underexplored. The purpose of this paper is to explore disparities in conditions associated with an increased severity risk of COVID-19 including race, personal factors, healthcare accessibility, and affordability. Using data from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), univariate and multivariate analysis were performed. More Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks (61.1%) and NH Whites (61.2%) had conditions associated with increased severity risk of COVID-19 compared to Hispanics (47.1%) (p

Background: Numerous studies have been conducted to seek a better understanding of disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes. The present study aimed to explore racial differences in influential socio-demographic, economic, and environmental factors in women who have had a low birth weight (LBW) infant (outcome variable). Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: This study used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: The obtained results pointed to statistical racial differences between Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and NH White women in the socio-demographic variable of marital status (P

Background Despite conflicting results in the literature concerning its efficacy in practice, racial matching has been identified as a component of culturally sensitive treatment. Methods This study examined the perceived importance and prevalence of racial matching by surveying a national sample of substance use disorder (SUD) centers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Results Using univariate statistical analysis, results for the prevalence of racial matching revealed that in 58% of the clinics, there was the potential to match a counselor with a racially similar client, while in 39% of the clinics, there was no potential to provide such a match. Among the agencies that displayed a potential for racial matching, 26% of the respondents indicated that they never racially matched clients and therapists, 71% reported that they sometimes practice racial matching, 15% indicated that they usually racially match, and only 7% purported to always racially match clients and therapists. Results for the perceived importance of racial matching revealed that in both situations where treatment centers had the potential for racial matching and did not have the potential for racial matching, supervisors reported that it was relatively important to provide culturally sensitive treatment but that it was not as important to match clients in SUD centers with racially/ethnically similar counselors. Conclusion The topic of racial matching can be very complex and has shown variation amongst SUD centers; however, this study emphasizes the importance of providing culturally sensitive treatment and an appreciation of differences among members within each racial group.

Community violence exposure is essential when considering African American male adult health outcomes. This integrative review of literature is guided by the research questions: (a) How has community violence been measured in African American male adults? and (b) What impact does community violence have on African America male health outcomes? This study synthesises eight current articles identified by the search terms-community violence, impact, African Americans, care, and men. Of the eight identified articles, there were quantitative (n = 5), qualitative (n = 1) and mixed methods (n = 2). Findings indicate a wide array of screening tools for violent experiences and highlight the potential negative impacts of violence in communities; however, literature regarding strategies for identification and treatment of psychosocial and physical health status of African American male adults experiencing direct and indirect community violence remains limited. Further work in clinical care and community health settings related to violence is warranted.

This paper explores racial disparities and risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Black and White pregnant women in the US. The study uses a cross-sectional approach to explore Black and White disparities using data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which collects interview data from approximately 70,000 randomly selected participants. We included several self-reported conditions that we categorised as individual and social stressors (e.g. measures of institutionalised racism, individual health behaviours, access to quality care and social context factors). We used descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate analyses in risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes between Black and White women. Black women who were pregnant had a lower socioeconomic status and experienced more measures of institutionalised racism compared to White women who were pregnant. More white women who were pregnant were married, had higher levels of educational attainment, higher income levels, and greater employment opportunities. White pregnant women also had higher levels of private health insurance and less dependency on government programmes for access to healthcare. Results from the regressions indicated that Black pregnant women were less likely to be married (OR = 0.01), less likely to have higher income levels (OR = 0.31) and less likely to be employed (OR = 0.52). However, Black pregnant women were more likely to be younger (OR = 1.82). For the health-eroding behaviours, Black pregnant women were less likely to smoke (OR = 0.53) and use alcohol (0.52). After assessing the SES Household-level stressors (access to healthcare), Black pregnant women were more likely to have Medicaid/CHIP (OR = 3.21) and health coverage through government assistant programmes (OR = 3.80); however, less likely to have private health insurance (OR = 0.38). There are differences in risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes between White and Black pregnant women based on measures of individual level/social stressors, institutionalised racism, health behaviours and access to care.

This paper describes racial disparities in low birthweight (LBW) risk between Black women and White women and examines the relationship between race and stressors such as socioeconomic factors, access to health care, and social and health characteristics. We analyzed data from the National Survey of Family Growth dataset collected in the USA between 2006 and 2010 (N = 1516). Multivariate logistic regression models were performed. Prevalence of LBW was 5.6 % for pregnancies among White women and 12.2 % among Black women. Black women who had a LBW baby had a lower socioeconomic status (e.g., received assistance to pay for delivery of the baby and public assistance in the prior year). Black women who had a LBW baby were more likely to have reported having good health compared with White women (67.8 vs. 45.1 %, p

Objective This study examines the role of stress in low birthweight (LBW) risk in Black and White women in the United States.

This study examines the role of stress in low birthweight (LBW) risk in Black and White women in the United States.Data from the 1998-2000 Fragile Family and Child Wellbeing Study were used (n = 3869). We included several self-reported conditions which we categorised as stressors (i.e. socio-economic conditions, health behaviours, access to quality care and cultural factors), then we used logistic regression models to analyse the role of stressors in explaining the health disparities in LBW.Most women were unmarried (59% for White women and 87% for Black women). Among unmarried White women, the only stressor associated with a higher likelihood of LBW was smoking (odds ratio (OR) = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.2, 3.3)). Among unmarried Black women, smoking (OR = 1.7, 95% CI (1.2, 2.3)), drug use (OR = 1.7, 95% CI (1.0, 2.6)), paying for the baby's birth with government resources (OR = 1.6, 95% CI (1.1, 2.4)) and religious affiliation (OR = 1.6, 95% CI (1.0, 2.5)) were associated with higher likelihood of LBW. Among married White women, older age (OR = 1.1, 95% CI (1.0, 1.2)), smoking (OR = 5.2, 95% CI (1.7, 15.5)), using governmental resources to pay for birth (OR = 3.6, 95% CI (1.0, 12.4)) and living in governmental housing (OR = 9.1, 95% CI (2.0, 41.1)) were associated with higher likelihood of LBW. No stressors were statistically significant for married Black women.We analysed a large number of stressors at the individual, household and societal levels and found differences on the stressors among Black and White women. However, the stressors included in the analyses did not fully explain the racial disparities in LBW.