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Introduction: In the United States, sickle cell disease (SCD)-the homozygous inheritance of a point mutation within the beta-globin chain of hemoglobin-affects between 80,000 and 100,000 people. Adequate nutrition can influence the pathophysiology of SCD, and individuals with SCD who are undernourished are more likely to have impaired immune function and disease exacerbation. Undernourishment is often caused by food insecurity (FI), which is defined as "a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food" by the USDA. FI disproportionately affects African Americans, a population disproportionately affected by SCD in the United States., Objectives: We performed a scoping review to better understand the relationship between FI and SCD severity., Methods: A comprehensive search for peer-reviewed research articles and meeting abstracts was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Selected studies were reviewed for descriptive analysis by three independent reviewers., Results: In total, 72 studies were identified, 62 were excluded for meeting inclusion criteria. The remaining 10 studies, 5 of which were meeting abstracts, were reviewed. Although limited evidence is available, the results of this scoping review suggest a bidirectional relationship between SCD and FI. Seven key themes were identified to help elucidate this relationship: 1) prevalence of FI among individuals with SCD, 2) child versus caregiver experiences of FI, 3) psychosocial factors, 4) food assistance benefits, 5) dietary intake, 6) external spending, 7) healthcare utilization., Conclusion: Findings from this scoping review suggest how SCD and FI work in tandem to exacerbate each other. Furthermore, the findings illustrate current gaps in the literature and opportunities for actions to address FI among individuals living with SCD., Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist., (© Faeben Wossenseged et al., 2024; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Purpose: Although the body of research investigating research participants' opinions on the return of actionable secondary genomic findings grows, there has been limited study of individuals with genetic conditions, such as sickle cell disease (SCD). It is imperative that the views of diverse research participants on return of results (RoR) be investigated and rooted in the context of advancing health equity in genomics research., Methods: We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 30 adults living with SCD with differing insurance coverages and utilized a directed content analysis to derive themes., Results: Study findings show that living with SCD is a key influence on views of RoR. Participants were in favor of RoR while expressing concern regarding the burden RoR would place on their SCD management. Respondents also expressed an expectation for researchers to devote resources toward seeking ancillary care downstream and discussed how barriers faced when navigating SCD would inform their access to ancillary care., Conclusion: Research participants living with chronic genetic conditions such as SCD are generally in favor of RoR but anticipate experiencing barriers to care similar to those faced navigating their SCD. Understanding the views of diverse cohorts on RoR will help researchers better understand downstream barriers participants may face., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The diversity of the U.S. population is currently not reflected in the genomic workforce and across the greater scientific enterprise. Although diversity and inclusion efforts have focused on increasing the number of individuals from underrepresented groups across scientific fields, structural racism remains. Thus, the cultivation and adoption of diversity as an ethos requires shifting our focus to being intentional about an institution's character, culture, and climate. One way for this ethos to be sustained is by facilitating an intentional anti-racism approach within the field. Adopting a new perspective on diversity utilizing an anti-racism approach will support genomics researchers as we build supportive, collaborative research environments. We seek to expand critical thought in the framing of diversity in the research enterprise and propose an anti-racism approach that informs deliberate actions required to address structural racism., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.