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Examined the influence of educational desegregation on cognitive performance. Data from African American adults who had attended desegregated (DS) versus segregated (SS) schools indicated that DS adults had significantly higher mean cognitive scores than SS adults. After controlling for age, gender, years of education, and years in desegregated schools, results showed no differences between groups on measures of number concept, inductive reasoning, and general fluid and crystallized abilities. (SM)

A study that will examine whether measures of health status enhance the prediction performance on everyday problem solving in adult African Americans is presented. The results show that health indices contribute to the variability in everyday cognition in this understudied population.

The development and testing of explanatory hypotheses about the underlying mechanisms that create health disparities among ethnic minorities will be crucial in identifying solutions for reducing the current differentials. This paper addresses the potential for using genetic information as a useful and necessary addition to approaches to measures of the "environment" in the study of the origins of health disparities. Approaches and theoretical perspectives on the integration of social science and genetic findings are discussed.