Health Annotations (by author)
Alegria, M., D. Perez, and S. Williams. "The Role of Public Policies in Reducing Mental Health Status Disparities for People of Color." Health Affairs . 22.5 (2003): 51-64.
This essay is directed at policymakers as a way of describing how public policies have the potential for addressing racial disparities in mental health outcomes for racial minority groups. The authors suggest that public policies eliminate the gaps in social conditions between minorities and Whites, which could reduce mental health disparities. They explain how Section 8 housing, which improves access to housing, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1994, which improves educational opportunities, and Earned Income Tax Credit, which reduces the impact of poverty have each shown great improvements in the experiences and mental health status of minorities. The authors conclude that the success of these programs in improving the social conditions of people of color could directly reduce the mental health disparities between racial minorities and Whites.
Anachebe, Ngozi F. and Madeline Sutton. (2003). " Racial Disparities in Reproductive Health Outcomes." American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology . 188(4): S37-42.
Assesses reasons for racial disparities in female reproductive outcomes, specifically, prenatal care, maternal and infant mortality, unintended pregnancies, teen pregnancy, and preventive care services by reviewing articles find on Ovid-Medline (1966-2002). In all the assessed outcomes, women of color are more likely than White women to have poor health outcomes. This article suggests potential social factors that cause these disparities including cultural insensitivity, insufficient health literacy, and limits to health care access. The authors address both policymakers and health care providers on a national level and make recommendations on methods to address the disparities. This article suggests a great need for future research to broaden the understanding of the causes of these racial disparities.
Apter, AJ., S. Reisine, G. Affleck, E. Barrows, and R. ZuWallack. "Adherence with Twice-daily Dosing of Inhaled Steroids." American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine . 157.6 1998: (1810-1817).
This article is aimed at policymakers and educators and analyzes the factors that affect adherence to twice a day steroid inhaler treatment. The socioeconomic factors that are predictors of poor adherence are less than high school education, minority status, poverty, and Spanish as primary language. They also find that non- adherence is correlated with poor patient-clinician communication and inadequate understanding of inhaled steroids.
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Bach, P., D. Schrag, O. Brawley, A. Galaznik, S. Yakren , and C. Begg. "Survival of Blacks and Whites After a Cancer Diagnosis." JAMA . 287.16 (2002): 2106-13.
This article is directed at policymakers. The researchers review existing literature to analyze the racial disparity in outcome after a cancer diagnosis. The researchers find that when Blacks and Whites receive comparable treatment, Blacks are 16% more likely to die compared to Whites. Overall Blacks are at significantly greater risks for death. The authors conclude that biological or genetic differences do not completely explain these differences. In addition, they find that in most cases the care provided to Blacks is inferior to that provided to Whites.
Bailey, Adrian J.; James Sargent, and Megan Blake. "A Tale of Two Counties: Childhood Lead Poisoning, Industrialization, and Abatement in New England ." Economic Geography . 74 (1998): 96-111.
This article is written for a very general audience. It compares the rates of childhood lead poisoning in Providence County , Rhode Island and Worcester County , Massachusetts based on industrialization, public policy intervention, and income, race, and geography. The authors conclude that differences between the two counties may be based on differences in industrialization, demographics, and public health intervention participation between the two counties. They recommend careful analysis of nativity, race, and ethnicity for understanding the differences in lead levels among seemingly similar groups.
Bernstein, J; E. Bernstein, A. Dave, E. Hardt, T. James, J. Linden, P. Mitchell, T. Oishi, and C. Safi. "Trained Medical Interpreters in the Emergency Department: Effects on Services, Subsequent Charges, and Follow-up." Journal of Immigrant Health. 4.4 (2002): 171-176.
The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of availability of interpreter services on intensity of Emergency Department services, utilization, and charges. This study shows that emergency room patients who have limited English proficiency are less able to communicate and as a result receive significantly fewer services than those with English proficiency. This trend is maintained even when those with limited English proficiency are compared to English proficient speakers of the same racial and ethnicity.
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Cohen, D., T. Farley, S. Taylor, D. Martin, and M. Schuster. "When and Where Do Youths Have Sex? The Potential Role of Adult Supervision." Pediatrics. 110.6 (2002): 1-6.
This article is directed at parents, school officials, and clinicians. The researchers survey teens involved in a STD screening program. The vast majority 98% of those surveyed are Black. They find that there is a very strong correlation between the number of hours without supervision and the sexual activity of youth. They also find that the lack of supervision and number of lifetime sexual partners are also related. Similarly older teens (seniors in high school) are more likely to be less supervised and more likely to have more sexual partners than younger teens (freshmen in high school). The authors suggest that increased adult supervision at home and not necessarily after school programs is important for reducing the opportunities for teens to engage in sexual activity.
Crosby, Richard, Ralph DiClemente, Gina Wingood, Eve Rose, and Delia Lang. "Correlates of Unplanned and Unwanted Pregnancy Among African-American Female Teens." American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 25.3 (2003): 255-258.
This study analyzes the effects of relationships with sex partners and parent/family involvement in the lives of unmarried, African-American adolescents on their unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. The study finds that perceiving little or no parental involvement in their lives is strongly correlated to perceiving a pregnancy as unplanned or unwanted. However, there is no significant relationship between having an unsatisfactory relationship with the father of the child and family involvement and the perception of the pregnancy. The researchers suggest that the absence of a correlation on these last two points show that perception of the pregnancy may not be affected by partner influences. They conclude that focusing research and interventions that target behavioral changes before and during pregnancy may be most beneficial to African-American adolescent females.
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Desai, Amar A., E. Latta, Anne Spaulding, Josiah Rich, and Timothy Flanigan. "The Importance of Routine HIV Testing in the Incarcerated Population: The Rhode Island Experience" AIDS Education and Prevention. 14 Supplement B. (2002): 45-52
This article aims to assess the significance of routine HIV testing in the sole Rhode Island correctional facility. The target audience for this article is Rhode Island policy makers. Since 1988 the state of Rhode Island has implemented a policy to routinely offer an HIV test to all individuals at the time they are incarcerated. The authors assess the significance of this practice and conclude that in order to address the HIV epidemic; the incarcerated population must be addressed. Similarly, the article states that HIV testing the correctional facility has been an important tool for diagnosing injection drug users, African-Americans, and younger individuals in Rhode Island . The report also suggests that routine testing is important in the correctional facility because it allows for the opportunity for providing treatment options for otherwise highly vulnerable populations.
Garcia Coll, Cynthia T. "Developmental Outcome of Minority Infants: A Process-oriented Look into Our Beginnings." Child Development. 61 (1990): 270-289.
This article suggests that cultural beliefs, care giving practices, health status, health care practices, family structure and characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and biological factors are the major influences upon the developmental outcomes of minority infants. The article is conducted with Brown University and Women and Infants' Hospital of Rhode Island which allows the author to focus on racial minority groups that are concentrated in Rhode Island . The information is directed at the general public and gives an overview of several studies that address the developmental outcomes of various racial minority infants. This article conducts an extensive literary review and addresses differences between ethnic minorities within racial groups and shows the problems of generalizing among subpopulations. The author shows that differences between minorities and Whites may lead to differential developmental outcomes and challenges the concept of "normal" development.
Gould, Jeffrey B., Ashima Madan, Cheng Qin, and Gilberto Chavez. "Perinatal Outcomes in Two Dissimilar Immigrant Populations in the United States : A Dual Epidemiologic Paradox." Pediatrics. 111.6 (2003): e676-682.
This article is written for policy makers and addresses a unique paradox in perinatal outcomes across different racial backgrounds. The study looks at the numerous socioeconomic advantages that Asian Indian mothers and infants have and yet they have low birth weight and infant mortality rates that are much worse than White women. The authors conclude that it is important to understand the unique factors in this epidemiological paradox in which women of color with high socioeconomic status still experience poor birthing outcomes.
Gregory, Kimberly and Lisa Korst. " Age and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Maternal, Fetal, and Placental Conditions in Laboring Patients." American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 188.6 (2003):1602-1608.
This highly in-depth study analyzes women of Black, White, Hispanic, and other racial/ethnic backgrounds to compare the morbidity experienced by each group. Of the 31 possible morbidities that are analyzed, including, asthma, diabetes, and hypertension, the authors find that older and Black women are at the greatest risk to have multiple morbidities during pregnancy. These results help explain the racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. There are several fairly complicated charts in the paper, but the explanations are extensive and delineate important aspects of research on disparities in maternal health outcomes.
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Haines, Michael R. "Ethnic Differences in Demographic Behavior in the United States Has there been Convergence?" Historical Methods . 36.4 (2003): 157-195.
The purpose of this article is to summarize trends in population, births, deaths, marriages, and divorces as captured by census data. The author analyzes historical and current trends in the tools used to collect data related to race and ethnicity. The author suggests that policymakers should look at areas of convergence and divergence between racial groups, especially the deterioration of mortality rates among African-Americans, in order to appropriately address the racial disparities in these rates.
Hammett, T., G. Norton, T. Mason, S. Langenbahn, K. Mayer, R. Robles, R. Feudo, and G. Seage. "Drug-involved Women as Potential Users of Vaginal Microbicides for HIV and STD Prevention: A Three-City Survey." Journal of Women's Health & Gender Based Medicine. 9.10 (2000):1071-80.
This study is conducted on women in Bridgeport , Connecticut , Providence , Rhode Island , and San Juan , Puerto Rico who are drug users or have partners that are drug users. Minority women are more likely to be interested in the use of vaginal microbicide, an ointment that contains virus killing chemicals, than are White women. They also find that Latinas are more likely than African American or Caucasian women to report that they would use microbicides with all of their partners. This article is directed at researchers and makes suggestions for developers of microbicide products.
Horn, Ivor B. and Anne C. Beal. “Child Health Disparities: Framing a Research Agenda.” Ambulatory Pediatrics. 4.4 (2004): 269-275.
This article explores the unique issues related to studying racial disparities among children. The authors list social inequalities, children’s dependency on others, language discrepancies, differing patterns of disease among children compared to adults, and demographic patterns as significant issues for identifying the nature of health disparities among children. Cultural bias, sociopolitical factors, and racism are identified as significant factors for understanding root causes of health disparities among children.
Hou, Su-I. "Correlates of Sexual Behaviors among White and Asian High School Students in the US." AEP. 12.7 (2002): 522.
This article is directed at program coordinators and policymakers. The study addresses the sex behaviors of Asian compared to White high school students. Researchers find that Whites are more likely to engage in sexual activity and Asians are less likely to receive information from their physicians regarding sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. However, the study find that among sexually active teenagers, there are very few differences between the two groups. Both groups had similar rates of life time partners, condom use, and pregnancy rates. The study also reveals that sexually active Asians are more likely to start having sex before age eleven compared to sexually active Whites. The researchers suggest that sex educational programs be developed to address the unique concerns of Asian teenagers. They recommend further research to understand the cultural values that affect which Asians become sexually active and which are less likely to be sexually active. They further recommend that intervention programs address the early age initiation of sexual activities as well as providing HIV/AIDS and STD information.
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Krieger, N., S. Zierler, J. Hogan, P. Waterman, J. Chen, K. Lemieux, and A. Gjelsvik. "Geocoding and Measurement of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Position: A U.S. Perspective." Neighborhoods and Health. Oxford University Press. 2003.
This book chapter shows how without a sufficient socioeconomic monitoring system, there is no way to properly assess the progress or failure of addressing disparities in health. It outlines the limits of vital statistics collection and discusses geocoding and area-based socioeconomic measures as potential solutions to the gaps in available data. The authors suggest that the geocoding project will collect and generate information on health outcomes, gender, age, and race that will be readily available to the public. The advantage of such a database will be the establishment of patterns of association between various socioeconomic data.
Krieger, N., J. Chen, P. Waterman, M. Soobader, S. Subramanian, and R. Carson. "Choosing Area Based Socioeconomic Measures to Monitor Social Inequalities in Low Birth Weight and Childhood Health Poisoning: The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project." Journal of Epidemiology in Community Health . 57 (2003): 186-199.
The purpose of this article is to identify which area based socioeconomic measures at which levels of geographic location will be best suited for monitoring socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes. The researchers focus on the low birth weight and childhood lead poisoning rates in Rhode Island and Massachusetts as collected for the Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project. They find that in matters of childhood health, area based measures of economic deprivations revealed larger socioeconomic differences than those for education, occupation, or wealth. They also find that track or block level analysis reveal more dramatic differences than arbitrary zip code measures.
Krieger, N., P. Waterman, J. Chen, M. Soobader, and S. Subramanian. "Monitoring Socioeconomic Inequalities in Sexually Transmitted Infections, Tuberculosis, and Violence: Geocoding and Choice of Area-Based Socioeconomic Measures - The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project (US)." Public Health Reports. 118. (2003): 240-258.
This study analyzes rates sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, and non-fatal weapons related injuries based on socioeconomic and geography measures in Rhode Island and Massachusetts . Varying degrees of access to economic resources are directly related to each of these health outcomes. For example, non-fatal weapons related injuries are 70 times greater among people in areas with the lowest economic resources. This study confirms the greater accuracy of track or block measures compared to zip code measures in showing inequalities.
Krieger, N., J. Chen, P. Waterman, D. Rehkopf, and S. Subramanian. "Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Monitoring Socioeconomic Gradients in Health: A Comparison of Area-Based Socioeconomic Measures - The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project." American Journal of Public Health. 93.10 (2003): 1655-1671.
This article reports the relationship between race, gender, and measures of socioeconomic differences based on geographic location. They find that in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island over half of Blacks and Hispanics live in areas with at least 20% poverty rates. They suggest that socioeconomic position has dramatic effects on health outcomes. This paper provides strong evidence for tract based analysis of measures of health outcomes between racial and gender groups in relation to socioeconomic status. The greatest differences are shown using measures of economic deprivation for socioeconomic gradients in health outcomes.
Krieger, N., J. Chen, P. Waterman, M. Soobader, S. Subramanian, and R. Carson. "Geocoding and Monitoring of US Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality and Cancer Incidence: Does the Choice of Area-based Measure and Geographic Level Matter?" American Journal of Epidemiology. 156.5 (2002): 471-482.
This paper is a report on the mortality rates and cancer incidence in Massachusetts and Rhode Island . The authors compare diverse area-based socioeconomic measures within and across geography to provide empirical evidence that measure and geography are important in establishing a baseline for monitoring inequalities in health. Authors suggest block or tract group measures will be best at capturing the inequalities. There is also a series of charts and tables that show various health outcomes organized by various socioeconomic variables and geographic variables.
Kruszon-Moran, D., G. McQuillan, and R. Kington. "Racial and Ethnic Differences Among Three Enteric Agents: The Third National Health and Nutrition Survey." AEP 12.7 (2002): 522.
This article is directed at future researchers. The researchers analyze responses from the National Health and Nutrition Survey III. The participants are tested for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, and Hepatitis A each of which are pathogens that affect the digestive tract. They find that compared to Whites, Blacks and Mexican-Americans more likely to be infected, though controlling for socio-demographic factors reduced the odds. In addition, they find that race and ethnicity had less impact on those in the highest risk categories compared to those in lower risk categories. Therefore the interesting finding of this report is that the greatest racial disparities in enteric pathogens exist among those who are socially advantaged compared to those who are less advantaged.
LaVeist, T., M. Arthur, A. Morgan, S. Plantholt, and M. Rubinstien. "Explaining Racial Differences in Receipt of Coronary Angiography: The Role of Physician Referral and Physician Specialty." Medical Care Research and Review. 60.4 (2003): 453-467.
This article is directed at physicians and researchers. The researchers use results from the Cardiac Access Longitudinal Study which is and ongoing study at hospitals in Maryland which studies White and African-American cardiac patients. They find that when patients are referred to a cardiologist the White patients experience a greater benefit from the consultation on coronary angiography (CA). They also indicate that African-Americans are less than half as likely as Whites to be referred to a cardiologist, which increases the disparity between African-Americans and Whites. They suggest that these two factors combine to decrease the odds of obtaining a CA among African-Americans. The authors suggest that disparities in referrals to specialists and in the quality of care must be eliminated to manage the disparities in cardiovascular disease management.
Lu, M. and N. Halfon. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Birth Outcomes: A Life-Course Perspective." Maternal and Child Health Journal . 7.1 (2003): 13-30.
This article addresses the differences in birth outcomes and explores how these outcomes have lifetime effects. The authors suggest a life-course perspective for studying the racial-ethnic disparities in birth outcomes compared to the "during pregnancy" model that is largely used in research. The authors also re-examine pregnancy risk factors within a life-course context and explore the implications of these long term risks on research, practice, and policy development. The authors suggest that socioeconomic status over a woman's lifetime, not just during her pregnancy, may expose her to risk factors that reflect a lower socioeconomic status than the one she experiences during her pregnancy. The author also suggest that temporary termination of risky behaviors during pregnancy or acute episodes of stress may be less influential on poor birth outcomes than lifetime behavioral norms and stress patterns. The article mentions how identical utilization of prenatal care may not indicate identical quality of care between White and Black women. The researchers also explore the presence of infection before conception and lifetime experiences with racism as life-course may also play large roles in disparities in birth outcomes. The authors make several suggestions for research, practice, and public policies to address these life-course risk factors which will eliminate the racial disparities in birth outcomes.
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Miller, C., R. Henry, and M. Rayens. "Disparities in Risk of and Survival from Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma" Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology & Endodontics. 95.5 (2003): 570-575.
This report is written for clinicians or other scientific researchers. This study looks at differences in outcomes of people diagnosed with mouth/throat cancer. This is a retrospective study which means that the subjects studied are inherently different from the population at large; however, the results are consistent with other studies. The study find that women and minorities are diagnosed at later stages of cancer. The study find that African Americans had the highest rates of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) (mouth/throat cancer). The researchers also find a strong correlation between smoking and alcohol consumption and OSCC.
Mudano, A., L. Casebeer, F. Patino, J. Allison, N. Weissman, C. Kiefe, S. Person, D. Gilbert, and K. Saag. "Racial Disparities in Osteoporosis Prevention in a Managed Care Population." Southern Medical Journal. 96.5 (2003): 445-51.
This study addresses the racial disparity in health outcomes for Black women with osteoporosis. This report is written for other researchers for further investigation. The researchers look at self reports of managed care enrollees and their treatment. Researchers find that Black women consistently report significantly lower use of prescription and nonprescription antiosteoporotic therapies and less bone mineral density testing compare to White women. The authors suggest that less frequent physician visits reported by Black women may contribute to the racial disparity in care received.
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NewsRx.com. "Report: New Hampshire Minorities Face Obstacles to Healthcare." Health & Medicine Week. (2004): 603.
This report shows that over a third of Blacks and almost two-thirds of Latinos do not have health insurance. And both groups report that they fell as if the care they receive is inferior because of their race. This study is directed toward researchers and policymakers as a prompt to find ways to address the health insurance access gap experienced by Blacks and Latinos in New Hampshire .
NewsRx.com. " Rhode Island Doctor Found Guilty of Diluting Vaccines." AIDS Weekly. (2004): 34.
This news brief is directed at the general audience. The story explains how a Cranston doctor is found guilty of diluting vaccines that he administered to immigrant patients. He also falsified vaccine and lab test reports submitted to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. He diluted the vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox and tests for HIV and syphilis among his immigrant patients.
NewsRx.com. "Study: Low Income, Lack of Job-Based Insurance Contribute to Racial Disparities." Health & Medicine Week. (2004): 433-434.
This article is directed to the general public. This report explains the link between the high rates of people of color who work in low wage jobs and the effects of that rate on the racial disparities in health insurance coverage. However, the article also raises the issue that Hispanics that are employed full time, three fourths of those families are unemployed compared to half of Whites. This shows that the racial disparity, while related to low income is also related to other issues.
Rich, J., L. Strong, C. Towe, and M. McKenzie. "Obstacles to Needle Exchange Participation in Rhode Island." Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 21.5(1999):396-400.
This article addresses the barriers faced by participants in the Needle Exchange Program run by Brown University and Miriam Hospital . This article is directed at program coordinators and policymakers. The researchers find that non-Whites are less likely to know that the program exists than Whites. In addition, they find that Whites are more likely to participate than non-Whites.
Rothenberg, Barbara M., Thomas Pearson, Jack Zwanziger, and Dana Mukamel. “Explaining Disparities in Access to High-Quality Cardiac Surgeons.” Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 78 (2004): 18-25.
This research analyzes the relationship between patient’s race and the poorer quality provided by surgeon’s performing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The researchers find that compared to Whites African-Americans and Asians are treated by surgeons with higher risk-adjusted mortality rates. The authors conclude the quality of care obtained by racial minorities must be improved to eliminate health disparities.
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Saftlas, Audrey F., LisaKoonin, and HaniAtrash. "Racial Disparity in Pregnancy-related Mortality Associated with Livebirth: Can Established Risk Factors Explain it?" American Journal of Epidemiology. 152.5(2000): 413-419.
The authors examine the role of established risk factors, specifically, older maternal age, high parity, low educational attainment, and no prenatal care, in the racial disparity in pregnancy-related mortality. The authors review both hospital discharge records and other studies to better understand the causes of the high maternal mortality rate among African-American women. The major findings provide evidence that Black women are more three times more likely to die from pregnancy related complications, are less likely to start prenatal care early in their pregnancy, are more likely to have advanced morbidities by the time they seek care. They suggest the necessity of future research to analyze why the largest disparity exists among women who appear to be at lowest risk. This paper is fairly technical and targets researchers by providing important future goals for research on this topic. The paper focuses exclusively on the Black-White racial disparity.
Shone, L., A. Dick, C. Brach, K. Kimminau, B. LaClair, E. Shenkman, E., J. Col, V. Schaffer, F. Mulvihill, P. Szilagyi, J. Klein, K. VanLandeghem, and J. Bronstein. " The Role of Race and Ethnicity in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in Four States: Are There Baseline Disparities, and What Do They Mean for SCHIP?" Pediatrics. 112.6.2 (2003): e521.
This article is directed at policymakers and explores the ability of SCHIP to addres racial disparities in access to health care coverage and health care. The report describes the SCHIP program and its role in monitoring and addressing racial disparities in access to health care. The researchers conduct phone interviews across SCHIP enrollees in Florida , Kansas , and New York and in Alabama surveys are completed via mail. The study find that there are myriad sociodemographic factors that affect eligibility, but compared to White children, Blacks and Latinos are consistently poorer, less educated, had poorer health status, and poorer access to health insurance prior to SCHIP. Based on SCHIP records there are differences across states and there large disparities in health that minorities experience. This shows that the program is efficient in maintaining records. Therefore, because of the large number of racial minorities that are enrolled SCHIP and the effective record keeping for the program, it could be a valuable tool for assessing and eliminating disparities.
Spear, Hila and Sharon Lock. "Qualitative Research on Adolescent Pregnancy: A Descriptive Review and Analysis." Journal of Pediatric Nursing . 18.6 (2003): 397-408.
This study examines qualitative works on adolescent pregnancies, analyzes initial findings, defines common themes, and makes recommendations for future research. The researchers conduct a literature review of several databases and find over twenty articles that pertain to the issue. The research focuses on many of the reports involving African-American females. The researchers look at how articles address various factors influencing pregnancy, pregnancy resolution, meaning of pregnancy and life transitions, and parenting and motherhood. The articles use different methodologies, types of subjects, and had significantly different objectives. Each article raises significant factors involved in individual, family, and social attitudes toward teen pregnancy and their effects on pregnancy perception and outcomes. The authors conclude that there need to be more research involving Asian teens, males, and comparing Whites to minority groups.
Stevenson, Lori A., Peter Gergen, Donald R. Hoover, David Rosenstreich, David Mannino, and Thomas Matte. (2001). "Sociodemographic Correlates of Indoor Allergen Sensitivity Among United States Children." Journal of Allergy Clinical Immunology. 108:747-52.
This study addresses the sensitivity of White non-Hispanic, Black non-Hispanic, and Mexican-American children, previously identified as asthmatic on the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ( NHANES III), to common household allergens to determine the potential relationship between race and allergen sensitivity. The results show Mexican-American and African-American children are significantly more likely than White children to be sensitive to the allergens. The authors suggest a link between living conditions and increased sensitization of Mexican-American and African-American children. The authors target policymakers to encourage changes in public health and housing to improve the asthma morbidities of children of color. The study overlooks all other racial minority groups including other Hispanic ethnicities which overall weakens the argument.