Iniquidades interseccionais no atendimento obstétrico às mulheres negras de comunidade quilombola / Intersectional inequities in obstetric care for black women in quilombola community / Inequidades interseccionales en el servicio obstétrico a las mujeres negras de comunidad quilombola

Introdução:A conjuntura socioeconômica e cultural da mulher negra a coloca em tripla vulnerabilidade, que se explica pelo fato de que ela é vítima do racismo, do preconceito de classe e da discriminação de gênero, e essa interação de diferentes tipos de opressão é explicada pela teoria da interseccionalidade. Esse negligenciamento precariza-se ainda mais quando se reporta para a atenção àsaúde. Objetivo:Compreender como o contexto social da interseccionalidade de raça, classe e gênero refletem no atendimento obstétrico em Saúde Pública de mulheres negras residentes em comunidade quilombola. Metodologia:Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa de caráter descritivo-exploratório, realizada com duas mulheres negras residentes em comunidade quilombola, localizada em município no interior do estado do Ceará. Como instrumento para coleta de dados, utilizou-se a entrevista semiestruturada, sendo os dados submetidos à análise do discurso. Resultados:Os sujeitos desta investigação conseguem, a partir de situações do quotidiano vivenciadas nos serviços de saúde públicos, identificar exemplos de racismo e/ou preconceito relacionados ao fato de serem mulheres negras e pobres. Assim, a vulnerabilidade interseccional (raça ­gênero ­classe social) implica em desigualdades no acesso aos serviços de saúde, o que se materializa em violência obstétrica, negligência em relação ao direito da mulher negra sobre o próprio corpo, além de negação da sua subjetividade, o que viola os pressupostos do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), particularmente os princípios da universalidade, equidade e integralidade da assistência. Conclusões:Constata-se, portanto, que as iniquidades quanto ao atendimento obstétrico, que afetam majoritariamente as mulheres negras e pobres, apresentam-se como problemática de gestão, denotando o déficit na efetivação de políticas públicas de saúde, ou a sua ausência. Há também a necessidade de que os profissionais de saúde, a partir de educação continuada, tenham um olhar mais holístico, a fim de produzir um atendimento equânime e integral (AU).

Introduction:Black women's socioeconomic and cultural conjuncture puts them into a three-fold vulnerability, which is explained by the fact that they are victims of racism, class prejudice and gender discrimination, and this interaction of different types of oppression is explained by the theory of intersectionality. Such negligence is even more precarious when it comes to healthcare. Objective:To understand how the social context of the intersectionality of race, class and gender reflects on the obstetric care in public healthcare provided to black women residing in quilombola communities. Methodology:This is a qualitative research work of a descriptive-exploratory nature, carried out with two black women residing in a quilombola community located in the a rural areain the state of Ceará. As a data collection instrument, we used semi-structured interviews, and the data was submitted to discourse analysis. Results:The subjects of this investigation can, from daily situations experienced in public healthcare services,identify examples of racism and/or prejudice related to the fact that they are poor black women. Therefore, intersectional vulnerability (race ­gender ­social class) leads to inequalities in the access to healthcare services, which materializes as obstetric violence, negligence to black women's right to their own bodies, as well as denial of their subjectivity, which violates the presuppositions of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), especially the principles of universality, equity, and integrality of care. Conclusions:It is therefore verified that the inequities of obstetric care, which mostly affect poor black women, present themselves as a management problem, denoting the deficit in the application of public healthcare policies, or their absence. There is also a need for healthcare providers, through continued education, to have a more holistic view in order to provide more equanimous and integral healthcare (AU).

Introducción:La coyuntura socioeconómica y cultural de la mujer negra la coloca en una triple vulnerabilidad, que se explica por el hecho de que es víctima del racismo, del prejuicio de clase y de la discriminación de género, y esa interacción de diferentes tipos de opresión es explicada por la teoría dela interseccionalidad. Esta negligencia se precariza mucho más cuando se trata de la atención médica. Objetivo:Comprender cómo el contexto social de la interseccionalidad de raza, clase y género se refleja en la atención obstétrica en la Salud Pública de mujeres negras que viven en una comunidad quilombola. Metodología:Investigación cualitativa de carácter descriptivo-exploratorio, realizada con dos mujeres negras residentes en comunidad quilombola, Ceará, Brazil. Para la recolección de datos, se utilizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas y los datos fueron sometidos a análisis del discurso. Resultados:Los sujetos son capaces, a partir de situaciones vividas en los servicios públicos de salud, de identificar ejemplos de racismo y/o prejuicios por el hecho de ser mujeres negras y pobres. Así, la vulnerabilidad interseccional (raza ­género ­clase social) implica en desigualdades en el acceso a los servicios de salud, que se materializan en violencia obstétrica, negligencia en relación a los derechos de las mujeres negras sobre sus propios cuerpos, además de la negación de su subjetividad, que viola los supuestos del Sistema Único de Salud, en particular los principios de universalidad, equidad e integralidad de la atención. Conclusiones: Se puede observar que las inequidades en la atención obstétrica, que afectanmayormente a mujeres negras y pobres, se presentan como un problema de gestión, denotando el déficit en la implementación de políticas públicas de salud, o su ausencia. También es necesario que los profesionales de la salud, basados en la educación continua, tengan una visión más holística, para producir una atención equitativa e integral (AU).

Mexican-origin women's individual and collective strategies to access and share health-promoting resources in the context of exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies.

BACKGROUND: A growing literature has documented the social, economic, and health impacts of exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies in the early 21st century for Latiné communities in the US, pointing to immigration and immigrant policies as forms of structural racism that affect individual, family, and community health and well-being. Furthermore, the past decade has seen an increase in bi-partisan exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies. Immigration enforcement has been a major topic during the 2024 Presidential election cycle, portending an augmentation of exclusionary policies towards immigrants. Within this context, scholars have called for research that highlights the ways in which Latiné communities navigate exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies, and implications for health. This study examines ways in which Mexican-origin women in a midwestern northern border community navigate restrictive immigration and immigrant policies to access health-promoting resources and care for their well-being. METHODS: We conducted a grounded theory analysis drawing on interviews with 48 Mexican-origin women in Detroit, Michigan, who identified as being in the first, 1.5, or second immigrant generation. Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish, depending on participants' preferences, and were conducted at community-based organizations or other locations convenient to participants in 2013-2014. RESULTS: Women reported encountering an interconnected web of institutional processes that used racializing markers to infer legal status and eligibility to access health-promoting resources. Our findings highlight women's use of both individual and collective action to navigate exclusionary policies and processes, working to: (1) maintain access to health-promoting resources; (2) limit labeling and stigmatization; and (3) mitigate adverse impacts of immigrant policing on health and well-being. The strategies women engaged were shaped by both the immigration processes and structures they confronted, and the resources to which they had access to within their social network. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a complex interplay of immigration-related policies and processes, social networks, and health-relevant resources. They highlight the importance of inclusive policies to promote health for immigrant communities. These findings illuminate women's agency in the context of structural violence facing immigrant women and are particularly salient in the face of anti-immigrant rhetoric and exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies.

Black-focused social prescribing: the importance of an Afrocentric approach. / Prescription sociale à l'intention des personnes noires : l'importance d'une approche afrocentrique.

The Black-Focused Social Prescribing (BFSP) project is a unique initiative by the Alliance for Healthier Communities that intertwines Afrocentric principles with social prescribing. Going beyond conventional social prescribing models, BFSP addresses specific health needs within Black communities. It is rooted in the Alliance Black Health Strategy, advocates for Black health, and is guided by Afrocentric principles. The evaluation framework prioritizes client voices, ensuring cultural safety and, by taking time for trust-building, underscores the importance of an inclusive approach. BFSP holds the potential to foster community trust and engagement, and enhance health outcomes in the Black community.

Social prescribing is a health care approach that connects social and clinical aspects of health. Ensuring access to services without discrimination is crucial for improving the health of Black people in Ontario. Tailored interventions are increasingly recognized as necessary to address challenges faced by diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Black-focused social prescribing, particularly the Afrocentric approach, aims to enhance the health outcomes of Black individuals. Evaluating a Black-focused social prescribing program requires time to create a framework and to consider its nuanced aspects.

La prescription sociale est une approche en matière de soins de santé qui met en relation les aspects sociaux et cliniques de la santé. Il est essentiel d'assurer un accès aux services sans discrimination pour améliorer la santé des personnes noires en Ontario. Les interventions adaptées sont de plus en plus reconnues comme nécessaires pour affronter les difficultés auxquelles font face divers groupes ethniques et culturels. La prescription sociale à l'intention des personnes noires, plus particulièrement l'approche afrocentrique, vise à améliorer les résultats en matière de santé des personnes noires. Pour évaluer un programme de prescription sociale à l'intention des personnes noires, il faut prendre le temps de créer un cadre et de prendre en compte ses aspects nuancés.

Racial inequalities in the development of multimorbidity of chronic conditions: results from a Brazilian prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of multimorbidity and its impacts have differentially affected population subgroups. Evidence on its incidence has mainly come from high-income regions, with limited exploration of racial disparities. This study investigated the association between racial groups and the development of multimorbidity and chronic conditions in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). METHODS: Data from self-reported white, brown (pardos or mixed-race), and black participants at baseline of ELSA-Brasil (2008-2010) who were at risk for multimorbidity were analysed. The development of chronic conditions was assessed through in-person visits and self-reported diagnosis via telephone until the third follow-up visit (2017-2019). Multimorbidity was defined when, at the follow-up visit, the participant had two or more morbidities. Cumulative incidences, incidence rates, and adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using Poisson models. RESULTS: Over an 8.3-year follow-up, compared to white participants: browns had a 27% greater incidence of hypertension and obesity; and blacks had a 62% and 45% greater incidence, respectively. Blacks also had 58% more diabetes. The cancer incidence was greater among whites. Multimorbidity affected 41% of the participants, with a crude incidence rate of 57.5 cases per 1000 person-years (ranging from 56.3 for whites to 63.9 for blacks). Adjusted estimates showed a 20% higher incidence of multimorbidity in black participants compared to white participants (IRR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05-1.38). CONCLUSIONS: Significant racial disparities in the risk of chronic conditions and multimorbidity were observed. Many associations revealed a gradient increase in illness risk according to darker skin tones. Addressing fundamental causes such as racism and racial discrimination, alongside considering social determinants of health, is vital for comprehensive multimorbidity care. Intersectoral, equitable policies are essential for ensuring health rights for historically marginalized groups.

Development of Neighborhood Trajectories Employing Historic Redlining and the Area Deprivation Index.

The role of historic residential redlining on health inequities is intertwined with policy changes made before and after the 1930s that influence current neighborhood characteristics and shape ongoing structural racism in the United States (U.S.). We developed Neighborhood Trajectories which combine historic redlining data and the current neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics as a novel approach to studying structural racism. Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) neighborhoods for the entire U.S. were used to map the HOLC grades to the 2020 U.S. Census block group polygons based on the percentage of HOLC areas in each block group. Each block group was also assigned an Area Deprivation Index (ADI) from the Neighborhood Atlas®. To evaluate changes in neighborhoods from historic HOLC grades to present degree of deprivation, we aggregated block groups into "Neighborhood Trajectories" using historic HOLC grades and current ADI. The Neighborhood Trajectories are "Advantage Stable"; "Advantage Reduced"; "Disadvantage Reduced"; and "Disadvantage Stable." Neighborhood Trajectories were established for 13.3% (32,152) of the block groups in the U.S., encompassing 38,005,799 people. Overall, the Disadvantage-Reduced trajectory had the largest population (16,307,217 people). However, the largest percentage of non-Hispanic/Latino Black residents (34%) fell in the Advantage-Reduced trajectory, while the largest percentage of Non-Hispanic/Latino White residents (60%) fell in the Advantage-Stable trajectory. The development of the Neighborhood Trajectories affords a more nuanced mechanism to investigate dynamic processes from historic policy, socioeconomic development, and ongoing marginalization. This adaptable methodology may enable investigation of ongoing sociopolitical processes including gentrification of neighborhoods (Disadvantage-Reduced trajectory) and "White flight" (Advantage Reduced trajectory).

The "disproportionate costs" of immigrant policy on the health of Latinx and Asian immigrants.

There is growing evidence that Asian and Latinx immigrants' health and health care access is shaped by immigrant policies that determine their rights, protections, and access to resources and the extent to which they are targeted by policing or deportation based on citizenship/legal status and other immigration-related social categories. However, there is limited population-based evidence of how immigrants experience the direct consequences of policies, nor of the impact of such consequences on their health. Between 2018 and 2020, we conducted the Research on Immigrant Health and State Policy (RIGHTS) Study, developing a population-based survey of Asian and Latinx immigrants in California (n = 2010) that measured 23 exclusionary experiences under health care and social services, education, labor/employment, and immigration enforcement policies. Applying Ruth Wilson Gilmore's concept of "disproportionate costs," we conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) and regression models of the RIGHTS data to 1) describe patterns of immigrant policy exclusion experienced by Asian and Latinx immigrants and 2) test relationships between patterns of policy exclusion and health care access and health status. LCA analyses identified 6 classes of distinct combinations of policy exclusions. In regression analyses, respondents in the class with cumulative exclusions across all policy sectors had the worst health care access and highest level of psychological distress, but the best self-rated health; while those in the class with employment and enforcement exclusions also had poor health care access. Respondents in the other 3 classes experienced combinations of health and social services exclusions, but these alone were not associated with worse outcomes. Findings show that the consequences of immigrant policies harm health through both cumulative exposure to and intersections of exclusions across policy sectors. Labor/employment and immigration enforcement policies, specifically, likely drive health inequities within immigrant populations. The RIGHTS study highlights the need to measure the cumulative and intersecting "disproportionate costs" of immigrant policy within diverse immigrant populations.

Barriers to and opportunities for advancing racial equity in cervical cancer screening in the United States.

BACKGROUND: In the United States (U.S.), racially minoritized people have higher rates of cervical cancer morbidity and mortality compared to white individuals as a result of racialized structural, social, economic, and health care inequities. However, cervical cancer screening guidelines are based on studies of predominately white individuals and do not substantially discuss or address racialized cervical cancer inequities and their social determinants, including racism. METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews with health care providers (N = 30) and key informants with expertise in health equity (N = 18). We utilized semi-structured interview guides that addressed providers' views and experiences delivering cervical cancer screening to racially minoritized individuals and key informants' recommendations for advancing racial equity in the development and implementation of cervical cancer screening guidelines. Interviews were analyzed using a template style thematic analysis approach involving deductive and inductive coding, memo writing, and matrix analysis for theme development. RESULTS: Most health care providers adopted a universal, one-size-fits-all approach to cervical cancer screening with the stated goal of ensuring racial equality. Despite frequently acknowledging the existence of racialized cervical cancer inequities, few providers recognized the role of social inequities in influencing them, and none discussed the impact of racism. In contrast, key informants overwhelmingly recommended that providers adopt an approach to cervical cancer screening and follow-up care that recognizes the role of racism in shaping racialized cervical cancer and related social inequities, is developed in partnership with racially minoritized communities, and involves person-centered, structurally-competent, and trauma-informed practices that address racially minoritized peoples' unique lived experiences in historical and social context. This racism-conscious approach is not to be confused with race-based medicine, which is an essentialist and racist approach to health care that treats race as a biological variable rather than as a social and political construct. CONCLUSIONS: Developers and implementers of cervical cancer screening guidelines should explicitly recognize and address the impact of racism on cervical cancer screening, follow-up care, and outcomes, meaningfully incorporate racially minoritized communities' perspectives and experiences, and facilitate provider- and institutional-level practices that foster racial equity in cervical cancer.

Exploring racial disparities and inequalities among children and youth with acquired brain injury: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Racial minoritized children and youth with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience multiple forms of discrimination. The purpose of this systematic review was to understand the racial disparities in health care among children and youth with ABI and their caregivers. METHOD: Six international databases (Ovid Medline, Embase, Healthstar, Psychinfo, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles. Studies were screened by two researchers who also conducted the data extraction and quality appraisal. A narrative synthesis approach was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Of the 8081 studies identified in the search, 34 met the inclusion criteria, which involved 838,052 children and youth with brain injuries (or caregivers representing them) across two countries. The following themes were noted in the studies in our review: (1) racial disparities in accessing care (i.e., diagnosis, hospital admission, length of stay, rehabilitation treatment); (2) racial disparities in ABI-related health outcomes (i.e., functional outcomes and mortality rates); and (3) factors affecting racial disparities (i.e., sources in injury, insurance and expenditures, and intersectionality). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal the concerning racial disparities among children and youth with ABI. Further research should explore solutions for addressing such racial disparities and solutions to address them.

Racial minoritized youth with acquired brain injury experience many barriers and inequalities in accessing care and health care leaders should help to address such gaps and disparities in the health system.Clinicians should familiarize themselves with the common factors affecting racial disparities in acquired brain injury outcomes including sources of injury, types of insurance and cultural factors.Additional training in working with patients from racially diverse backgrounds and in providing culturally appropriate care among healthcare providers is needed.More efforts are needed to address racial disparities at the individual and structural levels that continue to exist in rehabilitation services for children and youth with acquired brain injury.

Historical Inequities in Medical Education - Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity, and Equity at the University of Hawai'i School of Medicine.

Medical education in the US has contributed to institutionalized racism through historically exclusionary practices, which has led to health disparities and inequities in health care today. The 1910 Flexner report, which favored schools with greater resources, led to the closure of nearly half of medical schools in the Us, which were mostly small schools located in rural communities that served economically disadvantaged, ethnic minority, and female populations. Closing these schools ultimately limited the availability of physicians willing to serve disadvantaged and minority populations in impoverished and underserved communities. In order to transform medical education to be more equitable, medical schools must be proactive in opportunity, diversity, and equity efforts. This not only includes efforts in admissions and faculty hiring, but also curricula related to social and health disparities, interracial interactions between students and faculty, and service learning activities that engage and work with marginalized communities. The University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine has a longstanding commitment to diversity, which is integral to the school's mission. Providing opportunities to underserved populations has been a priority since establishment of the school. As one of the most diverse univeristies in the US, the school of medicine continues to focus on opportunity, diversity, and equity priorities in both its strategic planning and overall mission.

A moral economy of care: How clinical discourses perpetuate Indigenous-specific discrimination and racism in western Canadian emergency departments.

Recent research has unveiled the pervasiveness with which Indigenous patients are subjected to racialized stereotypes within the Canadian health system. Because discrimination in health care is associated with poor health outcomes and undertreated illness, there is a need to better understand how racism is perpetuated systemically in order to rectify the policies, practices, and attitudes that enable it. This article outlines a moral economy of care in emergency departments in western Canada by exploring the discourses that medical professionals employ when discussing cases of medical racism. While these discourses respond to the everyday realities of working in hospitals, they are also rooted in the colonial genealogy of health care in Canada and perpetuated by neoliberal shifts in health care services. By exploring the moral economy of care, this article sheds light on the way pervasive discourses contribute to reproducing and circulating Indigenous-specific racism and its role in decision-making.

Ethno-racial disparities in psychosis-like experiences among students in higher education: Findings from the Healthy Minds Study 2020-2021.

BACKGROUND: Ethno-racial variations of psychosis-like experiences exist in the general population; however, it is unknown whether this variation exists among emerging adults in higher education, and whether there are differences across ethnic groups within racial categories. METHODS: Using the Health Minds Study data from 2020 to 2021, we used multivariable logistic regression models to examine race/ethnicity and psychosis-like experiences, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, international student status). We then adjusted for food insecurity, parental education, and social belonging. RESULTS: Black, Hispanic/Latinx, multiracial, and American Indian/Alaska Native students had greater odds of 12-month psychosis-like experiences when compared with White students. These associations attenuated and were no longer statistically significant for Black and Hispanic/Latinx students after adjusting for food insecurity and parental education. Multiracial and American Indian/Alaska Native students still had greater odds of psychosis-like experiences after further adjusting for sense of belonging. When looking at ethnic subgroups, Filipinx and multi-ethnic Asian students had significantly greater odds than East Asian students, and multi-ethnic Black students had greater odds than African Americans. CONCLUSION: Odds of psychosis-like experiences vary across and within ethno-racial categories among emerging adults in higher education. Future research may explore psychosis as a disparity impacting Native American/Alaska Native and multiracial/multi-ethnic populations.

Equity and justice in health.

BACKGROUND: While justice is promised to all U.S. citizens, the truth is that the pathway to equity and justice in health is riddled with obstacles for many marginalized and minoritized groups. The United States ranks lower on crucial health measures than its high-income peer countries, reflecting differences in health outcomes for marginalized and minoritized populations. PURPOSE: Promoting equity and justice in health is vital as health shapes the daily experiences of individuals and communities, specifically those from marginalized and minoritized backgrounds. METHOD: This paper highlights the health care system and sociopolitical factors contributing to the longstanding structural barriers that impede health and the need for structural competence, advocacy, and activism in the nursing workforce. DISCUSSION: Understanding systemic issues underlying health inequities provides an opportunity to develop targeted strategies to eliminate practices perpetuating inequities and pave the way for everyone to have a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. CONCLUSION: Specific education, practice, research, and policy recommendations can advance equity and justice in health.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks: Exploring the causal effects of segregation on infant health.

Prior research has found that a high level of residential racial segregation, or the degree to which racial/ethnic groups are isolated from one another, is associated with worsened infant health outcomes, particularly among non-Hispanic (NH) Black infant populations. However, because exposure to segregation is non-random, it is unclear whether and to what extent segregation is causally linked to infant health. To overcome this empirical limitation, we leverage exogenous variation in the placement of railroad tracks in the 19th century to predict contemporary segregation, an approach first introduced by Ananat (2011). In alignment with prior literature, we find that residential segregation has statistically significant associations with negative birth outcomes among Black infant populations in the area. Using OLS methods underestimates the negative impacts of segregation on infant health. We fail to detect comparable effects on health outcomes among NH White infant populations. Further, we identify several key mechanisms by which residential segregation could influence health outcomes among Black infant populations, including lower access to prenatal care during the first trimester, higher levels of anti-Black prejudice, greater transportation barriers, and increased food insecurity. Given that poor birth outcomes have adverse effects on adults' health and well-being, the findings suggest that in-utero exposure to residential segregation could have important implications for Black-White inequality over the life course.

Racialized economic segregation and inequities in treatment initiation and survival among patients with metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Racialized economic segregation, a form of structural racism, may drive persistent inequities among patients with breast cancer. We examined whether a composite area-level index of racialized economic segregation was associated with real-world treatment and survival in metastatic breast cancer (mBC). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among adult women with mBC using a US nationwide electronic health record-derived de-identified database (2011-2022). Population-weighted quintiles of the index of concentration at the extremes were estimated using census tract data. To identify inequities in time to treatment initiation (TTI) and overall survival (OS), we employed Kaplan-Meier methods and estimated hazard ratios (HR) adjusted for clinical factors. RESULTS: The cohort included 27,459 patients. Compared with patients from the most privileged areas, those from the least privileged areas were disproportionately Black (36.9% vs. 2.6%) or Latinx (13.2% vs. 2.6%) and increasingly diagnosed with de novo mBC (33.6% vs. 28.9%). Those from the least privileged areas had longer median TTI than those from the most privileged areas (38 vs 31 days) and shorter median OS (29.7 vs 39.2 months). Multivariable-adjusted HR indicated less timely treatment initiation (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.83, 0.91, p < 0.01) and worse OS (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.13, 1.25, p < 0.01) among those from the least privileged areas compared to the most privileged areas. CONCLUSION: Racialized economic segregation is a social determinant of health associated with treatment and survival inequities in mBC. Public investments directly addressing racialized economic segregation and other forms of structural racism are needed to reduce inequities in cancer care and outcomes.

Social Determinants of Premature Birth.

Social determinants of health have received increasing attention in public health, leading to increased understanding of how social factors-individual and contextual-shape the health of the mother and infant. However, racial differences in birth outcomes persist, with incomplete explanation for the widening disparity. Here, we highlight the social determinants of preterm birth, with special attention to the social experiences among African American women, which are likely attributed to structural racism and discrimination throughout life.

Trends and structural factors affecting health equity in the United States at the local level, 1990-2019.

Health equity is fundamental to improving the health of populations, but in recent decades progress towards this goal has been mixed. To better support this mission, a deeper understanding of the local heterogeneity within population-level health equity is vital. This analysis presents trends in average health and health equity in the United States at the local level from 1990 to 2019 using three different health outcomes: mortality, self-reported health status, and healthy days. Furthermore, it examines the association between these measures of average health and health equity with several structural factors. Results indicate growing levels of geographic inequality disproportionately impacting less urbanized parts of the country, with rural counties experiencing the largest declines in health equity, followed by Medium and Small Metropolitan counties. Additionally, lower levels of health equity are associated with poorer local socioeconomic context, including several measures that are proxies for structural racism. Altogether, these findings strongly suggest social and economic factors play a pivotal role in explaining growing levels of geographic health inequality in the United States. Policymakers invested in improving health equity must adopt holistic and upstream approaches to improve and equalize economic opportunity as a means of fostering health equity.

Structural Racism as a Contributor to Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates Among Black Populations in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Although racial disparities in lung cancer incidence and mortality have diminished in recent years, lung cancer remains the second most diagnosed cancer among US Black populations. Many factors contributing to disparities in lung cancer are rooted in structural racism. To quantify this relationship, we examined associations between a multidimensional measure of county-level structural racism and county lung cancer incidence and mortality rates among Black populations, while accounting for county levels of environmental quality. METHODS: We merged 2016-2020 data from the United States Cancer Statistics Data Visualization Tool, a pre-existing county-level structural racism index, the Environmental Protection Agency's 2006-2010 Environmental Quality Index (EQI), 2023 County Health Rankings, and the 2021 United States Census American Community Survey. We conducted multivariable linear regressions to examine associations between county-level structural racism and county-level lung cancer incidence and mortality rates. RESULTS: Among Black males and females, each standard deviation increase in county-level structural racism score was associated with an increase in county-level lung cancer incidence of 6.4 (95% CI: 4.4, 8.5) cases per 100,000 and an increase of 3.3 (95% CI: 2.0, 4.6) lung cancer deaths per 100,000. When examining these associations stratified by sex, larger associations between structural racism and lung cancer rates were observed among Black male populations than among Black females. CONCLUSION: Structural racism contributes to both the number of new lung cancer cases and the number of deaths caused by lung cancer among Black populations. Those aiming to reduce lung cancer cases and deaths should consider addressing racism as a root-cause.

Exploring the Association Between Structural Racism and Mental Health: Geospatial and Machine Learning Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Structural racism produces mental health disparities. While studies have examined the impact of individual factors such as poverty and education, the collective contribution of these elements, as manifestations of structural racism, has been less explored. Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, with its racial and socioeconomic diversity, provides a unique context for this multifactorial investigation. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to delineate the association between structural racism and mental health disparities in Milwaukee County, using a combination of geospatial and deep learning techniques. We used secondary data sets where all data were aggregated and anonymized before being released by federal agencies. METHODS: We compiled 217 georeferenced explanatory variables across domains, initially deliberately excluding race-based factors to focus on nonracial determinants. This approach was designed to reveal the underlying patterns of risk factors contributing to poor mental health, subsequently reintegrating race to assess the effects of racism quantitatively. The variable selection combined tree-based methods (random forest) and conventional techniques, supported by variance inflation factor and Pearson correlation analysis for multicollinearity mitigation. The geographically weighted random forest model was used to investigate spatial heterogeneity and dependence. Self-organizing maps, combined with K-means clustering, were used to analyze data from Milwaukee communities, focusing on quantifying the impact of structural racism on the prevalence of poor mental health. RESULTS: While 12 influential factors collectively accounted for 95.11% of the variability in mental health across communities, the top 6 factors-smoking, poverty, insufficient sleep, lack of health insurance, employment, and age-were particularly impactful. Predominantly, African American neighborhoods were disproportionately affected, which is 2.23 times more likely to encounter high-risk clusters for poor mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate that structural racism shapes mental health disparities, with Black community members disproportionately impacted. The multifaceted methodological approach underscores the value of integrating geospatial analysis and deep learning to understand complex social determinants of mental health. These insights highlight the need for targeted interventions, addressing both individual and systemic factors to mitigate mental health disparities rooted in structural racism.

Objectivity interrogation of racial scholarship in psychology and management.

Scholars of color remain underrepresented in US institutions in academia. In this paper, we will examine one factor that contributes to their continued marginalization in psychology and management: the scientific method's commitment to traditional notions of objectivity. We argue that objectivity-defined as practices and policies rooted in the heightened value placed on a research process that is ostensibly free from bias-is central to the prominence of primarily White scholarship in psychology and management research and remains central to knowledge production. To investigate this, we employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative data to codify how scholars of color experience objectivity interrogations, or written and verbal questioning in academic contexts that implicates their scientific rigor. We also identify how scholars of color engage in objectivity armoring, or self-presentational strategies (toning down and stepping up) to contend with these interrogations. Finally, we reveal these toning down processes in language use within publications on racial scholarship. Overall, these studies reveal the unique challenges scholars of color face to legitimize and validate their work on race and racism within predominantly White institutions and disciplines.