Minority Populations (minority + population)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Minority Populations

  • ethnic minority population


  • Selected Abstracts


    Hypertension in Minority Populations

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 5 2006
    Keith C. Ferdinand MD
    The US population, by percentage, shows a trend toward increased proportions of citizens identified as minorities. Whereas in 2000, according to the US Census Bureau, 71.4% of the population was self-identified as white; this group is expected to decrease to 61.9% by 2025. The proportion of blacks and African Americans from 2000 vs. 2025 is expected to increase from 12.2% to 12.9%. Also, in the smaller population of American-Indian, Eskimo, and Aleutian natives, growth is projected from 0.7% to 0.8%. Asians and Pacific Islanders as a category will become a larger proportion, from 3.9% to 6.2%. The largest increase in proportion will be seen in those identified as Hispanic (of any race), from 11.8% in 2002 to 18.2% in 2025. [source]


    Projections of the Ethnic Minority Populations of the United Kingdom 2006,2056

    POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 3 2010
    David Coleman
    The ethnic minority populations in the UK are growing substantially through immigration, a youthful age structure, and in some cases relatively high fertility. Their diverse demographic and socioeconomic characteristics have attracted considerable academic and policy attention, especially insofar as those distinctive characteristics have persisted in the generations born in the UK. No official projections of the UK ethnic populations have been published since 1979. This article provides projections to 2056 and beyond of 12 ethnic groups. Given overall net immigration and vital rates as assumed in the office for National Statistics 2008-based Principal Projection, and the ethnic characteristics estimated here, the ethnic minority populations (including the Other White) would increase from 13 percent of the UK population in 2006 to 28 percent by 2031 and 44 percent by 2056, and to about half the 0,4 age group in 2056. Alternative projections assume various lower levels of immigration. Possible implications of projected changes are discussed. [source]


    Ethnicity, Economic Polarization and Regional Inequality in Southern Slovakia

    GROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2000
    Adrian Smith
    This paper examines the relationships between ethnicity and regional economic transformation in Slovakia. It takes as its focus the position of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia in the uneven process of regional change. The paper places these issues within the context of struggles over ethnicity and ,nation' in post-independence Slovakia. The paper argues that ethnicity has been a thoroughly contested issue since the collapse of ,communism' in Slovakia and a variety of struggles have been waged over enhancing the rights and position of the Hungarian minority population. The concentration of the Hungarian minority in the southern Slovak border regions with Hungary is examined within the context of the uneven economic impacts of the ,transition to capitalism'. It is argued that, while the economic decline seen in many of these ,Hungarian' regions has impacted negatively on the local populations, the roots of these changes lie within the ways in which such regions were integrated into the state socialist regional division of labor. In particular, the role of peripheral industrialization in such regions prior to 1989, in attempting to reduce economic differences among various ethnic groups, resulted in the establishment of branch plant economies which have had difficulty in surviving since 1989. It is therefore the interweaving of the economics of regional decline and the politics of ethnicity that help us to understand the complex place of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia. [source]


    The Chances for Children Teen Parent,Infant Project: Results of a pilot intervention for teen mothers and their infants in inner city high schools,

    INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008
    Hillary A. Mayers
    Adolescent motherhood poses serious challenges to mothers, to infants, and ultimately to society, particularly if the teen mother is part of a minority population living in an urban environment. This study examines the effects of a treatment intervention targeting low-income, high-risk teen mothers and their infants in the context of public high schools where daycare is available onsite. Our findings confirm the initial hypothesis that mothers who received intervention would improve their interactions with their infants in the areas of responsiveness, affective availability, and directiveness. In addition, infants in the treatment group were found to increase their interest in mother, respond more positively to physical contact, and improve their general emotional tone, which the comparison infants did not. Importantly, these findings remain even within the subset of mothers who scored above the clinical cutoff for depression on the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D; L. Radloff, 1977), confirming that it is possible to improve mother,infant interaction without altering the mother's underlying depression. The implications of these findings are significant both because it is more difficult and requires more time to alter maternal depression than maternal behavior and because maternal depression has been found to have such devastating effects on infants. [source]


    Premature Salmonella Typhimurium growth inhibition in competition with other Gram-negative organisms is redox potential regulated via RpoS induction

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
    E. Komitopoulou
    Abstract Aims:, To identify the role of oxidation,reduction (redox) potential in the premature growth inhibition and RpoS induction in Salmonella serotype Typhimurium in competitive growth experiments. Methods and Results:, Oxidation,reduction potential was measured throughout the growth of a minority population of Salm. Typhimurium in mixed cultures with other Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms. A lux -based reporter was also used to evaluate RpoS activity in Salm. Typhimurium in competitor studies. In a mixed culture, the multiplication of a minority population of Salm. Typhimurium was inhibited when competing Gram-negative organisms entered the stationary phase. This was not seen when the competing flora was Gram-positive. The change in redox potential during growth in mixed cultures was closely linked to the inhibition of Salm. Typhimurium growth by Gram-negative competitors. An artificially induced drop in redox potential earlier during growth in mixed cultures with Gram-negative organisms reduced the time to RpoS induction in Salm. Typhimurium and thus inhibited its multiplication prematurely. In contrast, RpoS induction and growth inhibition were prevented under high redox potential conditions. Conclusions:, This work shows that the inhibitory activity of competitive organisms can be mediated through their effect on redox potential-regulated RpoS induction. Significance and Impact of the Study:, Redox potential is shown to be an important determinant of Salm. Typhimurium growth, an observation with practical implications both for its control and detection. [source]


    Religious involvement and depressive symptoms among Mexican-origin adults in California

    JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
    Christopher G. Ellison
    A burgeoning literature has documented generally salutary relationships between various aspects of religious involvement and mental health outcomes, including depressive symptoms. However, few of these studies have focused on Latinos (Hispanics), who now constitute the largest ethnic minority population in the United States. Our work addresses this gap in the literature. A number of hypotheses concerning main and contingent effects of religious attendance, salience, and consolation-seeking are developed and tested, using data on a large (N=3,012) sample of Mexican-origin adults drawn in the Fresno, CA area in 1995,1996. An initial inverse association between religious attendance and depressive symptoms disappears with controls for supportive social ties. However, an apparently salutary association between religious salience and depression persists despite all statistical controls; this relationship is present among both men and women, but it is significantly stronger for women. Contrary to expectations, there are signs that religious involvement may exacerbate the deleterious effects of discrimination and acculturation stress on depressive symptoms. A number of study implications, limitations, and directions for future research is discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


    Growing up in a dangerous developmental milieu: The effects of parenting processes on adjustment in inner-city African American adolescents

    JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
    Alexander T. Vazsonyi
    The current longitudinal study examined the protective effects of parenting processes on measures of adolescent adjustment (health-compromising and violent behaviors) in a sample of high-risk, inner-city, poor African American youth ( N = 2,867). Parenting processes played an important role in this dangerous developmental milieu. For male adolescents, they accounted for 26 to 37% in health-compromising behaviors and 16 to 24% of the total variance in violent behaviors over time. Multigroup SEM analyses by sex and age groups (early, middle, and late adolescents) indicated no differences of these effects across groups. Findings provided evidence that parenting processes are salient for a high-risk, inner-city minority population in understanding and predicting health-compromising and violent behaviors. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


    Electronic health records: Use, barriers and satisfaction among physicians who care for black and Hispanic patients

    JOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009
    Ashish K. Jha MD MPH
    Abstract Objectives, Electronic health records (EHRs) are a promising tool to improve the quality of health care, although it remains unclear who will benefit from this new technology. Given that a small group of providers care for most racial/ethnic minorities, we sought to determine whether minority-serving providers adopt EHR systems at comparable rates to other providers. Methods, We used survey data from stratified random sample of all medical practices in Massachusetts in 2005. We determined rates of EHR adoption, perceived barriers to adoption, and satisfaction with EHR systems. Results, Physicians who reported patient panels of more than 40% black or Hispanic had comparable levels of EHR adoption than other physicians (27.9% and 21.8%, respectively, P = 0.46). Physicians from minority-serving practices identified financial and other barriers to implementing EHR systems at similar rates, although these physicians were less likely to be concerned with privacy and security concerns of EHRs (47.1% vs. 64.4%, P = 0.01). Finally, physicians from high-minority practices had similar perceptions about the positive impact of EHRs on quality (73.7% vs. 76.6%, P = 0.43) and costs (46.9% vs. 51.5%, P = 0.17) of care. Conclusions, In a state with a diverse minority population, we found no evidence that minority-serving providers had lower EHR adoption rates, faced different barriers to adoption or were less satisfied with EHRs. Given the importance of ensuring that minority-serving providers have equal access to EHR systems, we failed to find evidence of a new digital divide. [source]


    Demographic change and the demand for environmental regulation

    JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2002
    Matthew E. Kahn
    Environmental regulation in the United States has increased pollution abatement expenditure as a percentage of gross national product from 1.7 percent in 1972 to an estimated 2.6 percent in the year 2000. This rise in regulation has coincided with demographic and economic changes that include rising educational levels, a growing minority population, an aging population, and decreasing employment in polluting industries. This paper examines whether these trends have contributed to increasing aggregate demand for environmental regulation. New evidence on voting on environmental ballots in California, local government environmental expenditures across the United States, and 25 years of congressional voting on environmental issues is examined to document the demographic correlates of environmental support. Minorities and the more educated are more pro-green, whereas manufacturing workers oppose environmental regulation. While demographics help explain observed differences in environmental support and thus can help predict long trends in the "average voter's" environmentalism, environmentalism varies substantially year to year unrelated to population demographics. © 2002 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source]


    Influences on Detention Decisions in the Juvenile Justice System

    JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2002
    BRIAN F. O'NEILL MSW, PH.D.
    ABSTRACT This paper examines the pretrial detention of juveniles in County X located in a northeastern state. The sample (N=642) included Black, White, and Hispanic males and females adjudicated delinquent in the summer of 2000. The following independent variables were analyzed with respect to the dependent variable of pretrial detention: age, sex, address, race, current offense (misdemeanors, violent misdemeanors, felonies, violent felonies, and probation violations), prior offense (misdemeanors, violent misdemeanors, felonies, and violent felonies), and previous dispositions (community or placement). Several variables were found to be significant in increasing the odds of pretrial detention: probation violations, prior misdemeanors, prior residential placements, prior community interventions, age, sex, urban address, felonies, prior violent misdemeanors, and prior violent felonies. It was expected that minority youths would be more likely to be detained, but race was only significant in the absence of the variable of address. Urban youths were more likely to be detained resulting in an over-representation of minorities in detention, since most of the minority population resides in the urban area. Also included is supplemental material based on interviews with defense lawyers, judges, masters, and juvenile probation officers. [source]


    The South, Medium-Sized Cities, and a New Look at the Determinants of African-American Representation

    POLITICS & POLICY, Issue 4 2003
    Peter F. Burns
    This paper examines the determinants of African-American representation on city councils in medium-sized urban areas to provide greater insight into the strategies African-Americans use to achieve political incorporation and the extent to which traditionally excluded groups have access to elected positions in the United States. I argue that previous studies generate varied conclusions about the determinants of African-American representation on city councils because scholars fail to recognize that minority political strategies may vary based on the relative and absolute size of the minority population. I examine the determinants of African-American representation in medium-sized cities to consider whether African-Americans employ an electoral mobilization strategy when they make up a large percentage of the electorate but lack the large absolute numbers necessary to sustain demand-protest activities. A regression analysis indicates that the percentage of African-Americans in the electorate is the only factor that significantly affects African-American descriptive representation. This finding supports the hypothesis that African-Americans use an electoral strategy when they lack large absolute numbers. This research also confirms Guinier's (1994) claims that African-Americans fail to achieve proportional representation in the current electoral system and suggests that the plurality system comes with high start-up costs for a traditionally excluded group. [source]


    Exposure, Threat Appraisal, and Lost Confidence as Predictors of PTSD Symptoms Following September 11, 2001

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2002
    Chaya S. Piotrkowski PhD
    Six months after September 11, 2001 (9/11), 124 New York City workers participated in a self-report study of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although direct exposure to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 was limited, estimates of the prevalence of current PTSD in this mostly ethnic minority population ranged from 7.8% to 21.2%. as measured by the PTSD Checklist (F. W. Weathers, B. T. Litz, D. S. Herman, J. A. Huska, & T. M. Keane, 1993). Consistent with the study hypotheses, direct exposure to the attacks of 9/11, worries about future terrorist attacks (threat appraisal), and reduced confidence in self after 9/11 each predicted symptoms of PTSD, even after controlling for symptoms of anxiety and depression. These results support the idea that a traumatic event's meaning is associated with PTSD symptoms. Gender was not a significant predictor of symptoms, once other demographic variables were controlled. Most respondents who met the criteria for current PTSD had not sought therapy or counseling. [source]


    High School Census Tract Information Predicts Practice in Rural and Minority Communities

    THE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2005
    Susan Hughes MS
    ABSTRACT: Purpose: Identify census-derived characteristics of residency graduates' high school communities that predict practice in rural, medically underserved, and high minority-population settings. Methods: Cohort study of 214 graduates of the University of California, San Francisco-Fresno Family Practice Residency Program (UCSF-Fresno) from its establishment in 1970 through 2000. Rural-urban commuting area code; education, racial, and ethnic distribution; median income; population; and federal designation as a medically underserved area were collected for census tracts of each graduate's (1) high school address and (2) practice location. Findings: Twenty-one percent of graduates practice in rural areas, 28% practice in areas with high proportions of minority population (high minority areas), and 35% practice in federally designated medically underserved areas. Graduation from high school in a rural census tract was associated with rural practice (P <.01). Of those practicing in a rural site, 32% graduated from a rural high school, as compared with 11% of nonrural practitioners. Graduation from high school in a census tract with a higher proportion of minorities was associated with practice in a proportionally high minority community (P =.01). For those practicing in a high-minority setting, the median minority percentage of the high school census tract was 31%, compared with 16% for people not practicing in a high minority area. No characteristics of the high school census tract were predictive of practice in a medically underserved area. Conclusion: Census data from the residency graduate's high school predicted rural practice and practice in a proportionally high minority community, but not in a federally designated medically underserved area. [source]


    Ethnic migration between area groups in England and Wales

    AREA, Issue 4 2009
    James Raymer
    Minority ethnic populations in England and Wales have been increasing steadily as a share of the total population since the 1991 Census. In this paper, we are interested in how internal migration has changed as a possible consequence. Our analysis focuses on the movements between 12 area groups, as defined by the Office for National Statistics, and addresses the following three research questions: (1) how has internal migration in England and Wales evolved from 1991 to 2004; (2) what are the main differences in the movements between the White (majority) population and the ethnic minority population; and (3) how do migration patterns differ when ethnicity, education and employment statuses are considered together? The data come from the 1991 to 2004 National Health Service Central Registers, the 1999,2004 patient registers and the 2001 Census. We find strong stability in the migration patterns of the total population over time. However, large differences appear when the flows are disaggregated by ethnicity and further by education and employment. Education level is an important factor influencing the migration patterns for the White population, whereas employment status is a much more important factor for the ethnic minority population. [source]


    Considerations for treating dyslipidemia in special diabetic populations

    DIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 2 2002
    Anne Peters Harmel
    Abstract This is a review of the problem of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in special diabetic populations. Clearly all patients with diabetes are at increased risk for CVD compared to non-diabetic populations. But within the subset that is patients with diabetes there are individuals who are particularly vulnerable. These groups include women, who are often overlooked and undertreated for their cardiovascular risk. Additionally, it includes those with fewer resources, many from minority populations, who are at very high risk for poor preventive care and serious cardiovascular morbidity. This review details the risk for CVD in a variety of different diabetic high-risk groups. It then discusses treatment options and approaches that should be employed in these populations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    An evidence-based approach to planning tobacco interventions for Aboriginal people

    DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 1 2004
    ROWENA G. IVERS
    Abstract Systematic reviews have shown that interventions such as the delivery of cessation advice by heath professionals and the use of nicotine replacement therapy are effective at increasing cessation rates, however little is known about whether such interventions are appropriate and effective for and thus transferable to Aboriginal Australians. The aim of this paper was to assess whether evidence of effectiveness for brief interventions for cessation and nicotine patches from studies conducted in other populations was likely to be transferable to Aboriginal people in the NT. This paper involved assessment of systematic reviews of evidence for the use of brief interventions for smoking cessation and the use of nicotine replacement therapy, when planning two such interventions for delivery to Aboriginal people. Emerging themes are discussed. There were many factors which were likely to mean that these brief advice on cessation and the use of nicotine patches were likely to be less effective when implemented in Aboriginal communities. The planned interventions were delivered in primary care, and were of low intensity. Few studies included in systematic reviews were set in the developing world or in minority populations. Many features of the context for delivery, such as the normality of the use of tobacco among Aboriginal people, the low socio-economic status of this population and cultural issues, may have meant that these interventions were likely to be less effective when delivered in this setting. Further research is required to assess effectiveness of tobacco interventions in this population, as evidence from systematic reviews in other populations may not be directly transferable to Aboriginal people. [source]


    Methods to Test the Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis

    ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2005
    Donald S. Houston
    Abstract: The spatial mismatch hypothesis postulates that employment deconcentration within U.S. metropolitan areas goes some way toward explaining higher unemployment and lower wages among ethnic minority groups, since these groups are more likely to reside in central-city areas. However, little consensus has emerged on the importance of spatial mismatch in explaining disadvantage in the labor market. This article argues that conflicting evidence is the result of the variety of methods that have been used to test the spatial mismatch hypothesis. Moreover, it draws attention to a number of hitherto uncovered flaws in some of these methods that introduce systematic biases against finding evidence in support of the hypothesis. In light of these flaws, favored methods for future research are highlighted. Drawing on evidence from British conurbations that display similar spatial inequalities to U.S. metropolitan areas despite much smaller ethnic minority populations, the article contends that race does not lie at the heart of the spatial mismatch problem. Three areas in which the spatial mismatch hypothesis should be reconceptualized are identified: first, its emphasis should be on spatial, not racial, inequalities; second, it needs to differentiate between residential immobility and residential segregation, which are quite different; and third, it needs to recognize that the extent and the effect of spatial mismatch are distinct and should be measured separately. [source]


    Prevalence and patterns of executive impairment in community dwelling Mexican Americans: results from the Hispanic EPESE Study

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2004
    Donald R. Royall
    Abstract Introduction Little is known about the prevalence of impaired executive control function (ECF) in community dwelling elderly or minority populations. We have determined the prevalence of cognitive impairment and impaired ECF in a community dwelling Mexican American elderly population, and their associations with functional status. Subjects Subjects were 1165 Mexican Americans age 65 and over who were administered CLOX as part of the third wave of the Hispanic Established Population for Epidemiological Study (HEPESE) conducted from 1998 to 1999. Methods ECF was measured by an executive clock-drawing task (CDT) (i.e. CLOX1). Non-executive cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a non-executive CDT (CLOX2). CLOX scores were combined to estimate the prevalence of global CLOX failure (i.e. ,Type 1' cognitive impairment) vs isolated CLOX1 failure (i.e. Type 2 cognitive impairment). Results 59.3% of subjects failed CLOX1. 31.1% failed both CLOX1 and CLOX2 (Type 1 cognitive impairment). 33.3% failed CLOX1 only (Type 2 cognitive impairment). 35.6% passed both measures [no cognitive impairment (NCI)]. Many subjects with CLOX1 impairment at Wave 3 had normal MMSE scores. This was more likely to occur in the context of Type 2 cognitive impairment. Both CLOX defined cognitive impairment groups were associated with functional impairment. Conclusions A large percentage of community dwelling Mexican American elderly suffer cognitive impairment that can be demonstrated through a CDT. Isolated executive impairments appear to be most common. The ability of a CDT to demonstrate ECF impairments potentially offers a rapid, culturally unbiased and cost-effective means of assessing this domain. In contrast, the MMSE is relatively insensitive to ECF assessed by CLOX1. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Study on VNTR polymorphism of gene IL-1RA in 19 Chinese populations

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOGENETICS, Issue 2 2010
    J. Jiang
    Summary Earlier studies suggested that a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in intron 2 of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) gene might be associated with some chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases and solid tumours. To study the distribution of this polymorphism in China, 1352 samples were collected from 19 widely distributed Chinese populations. PCR was used to genotype the VNTR. The overall frequencies of allele 1 and allele 2 were 0.913 and 0.064 respectively. The frequency of the allele 2 was significantly different between the northeastern and the northwestern populations. Moreover, the allele frequencies at this locus in three Chinese Han populations were different from that in minority populations. When compared with other populations worldwide, the frequencies of the two alleles in China were not significantly different from those in the Asian and Pacific Islands. However, the prevalence of allele 1 in China was significantly higher, and the prevalence of allele 2 was significantly lower, than those in American and European Caucasians, and the pairwise Fst values reinforced this observation. The differences of the allele frequencies between different regions and within the same region showed that geography and race have important roles in the population differentiation for the IL-1RA gene. In summary, our results provide a valuable reference for population genetic information and future disease association studies in Chinese populations. [source]


    Costs and Strategies in Minority Recruitment for Osteoporosis Research,

    JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003
    Miriam A Marquez
    Abstract To meet expectations for the participation of minority populations in research, we committed to enroll 140 minority subjects in addition to a random sample of Olmsted County, Minnesota residents (90% white) for a study of risk factors for age-related bone loss and fractures. We successfully enrolled 597 additional minority subjects but encountered specific problems with respect to identification of potential subjects, recruitment, obtaining informed consent, transportation to the study site, and collecting study data. These problems were resolved by observing the tenets of outreach to a diverse study population, namely (1) understand the target population; (2) establish explicit recruitment goals; (3) agree on research plans between study staff and minority communities; (4) continuously evaluate the recruitment process; and (5) maintain lines of communication. Success depended especially on the recruitment of cultural advisors from the different ethnic groups. These special efforts increased the recruitment cost substantially; the total expense of $122,000 for recruiting 550 Asian, Hispanic, and Somali subjects was almost 5-fold higher than the $26,000 required to recruit 699 mostly white study subjects from the population who were contacted by mail. Although it is not impossible to recruit minority subjects, investigators (and grant reviewers) should recognize that significant resources are required to gain access to ethnic communities for research. These results should contribute to more realistic budgets for recruiting minority subjects into clinical research studies. [source]


    Longitudinal relations between employment and depressive symptoms in low-income, suicidal African American women

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2007
    Nathan Mascaro
    Unemployment and depression are problematic at both individual and societal levels, and research suggests that the two phenomena are related. More thorough and longitudinal analyses, particularly ones within low-income minority populations, are needed to guide the development of programs to increase employment in persons with mental health problems. The current study aimed to specify the relations over time between depressive symptoms and employment status within a sample of 46 low-income African American women participating in an intervention study for intimate partner violence and suicidal behavior. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis indicated that baseline levels of depressive symptoms predicted employment status at the end of a 10-week intervention period, controlling for baseline employment status. Chi-square analysis and qualitative analyses of trends in depression scores showed that changes in employment status during the 10-week intervention period predicted 6-month and one-year follow-up levels of depressive symptoms. Results imply that, for women in the currently sampled population, depressive symptoms create vulnerability for job loss, but the ability to gain employment despite high levels of depressive symptoms is linked to lowered depression levels over the long term. Community programs assisting such women could therefore not just lower the vulnerability to job loss by treating depressive symptoms, but they could potentially lower long-term depression levels through interventions that enhance employability and motivation to pursue work. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol. [source]


    Leading change through an international faculty development programme

    JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 8 2009
    LORA C. LACEY-HAUN PhD
    Aims, The purpose of the study was to evaluate the modification of an American model of academic leadership training for utilization in an African university and to pilot test the efficacy of the resulting model. Background, Traditionally many educators have moved into administrative positions without adequate training. Current world standards require leadership preparation for a wide array of persons. However, this opportunity did not yet exist in the study setting. Method, University leaders from the University of the Western Cape and the University of Missouri collaborated on revising and pilot testing a successful American academic leadership programme for use among African faculty. Cross-cultural adaptations, participant satisfaction and subsequent outcomes were assessed during the 2-year ,train-the-trainer' leadership development programme. Results, African faculty successfully modified the American training model, participated in training activities, and after 2 years, began to offer the service to other institutions in the region, which has increased the number of nurses in Africa who have had, and who will continue to have, the opportunity to move up the career ladder. Conclusion, The impact of the project extended further than originally expected, as the original plan to utilize the training materials at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) for the in-house faculty was expanded to allow UWC to utilize the modified materials to serve leadership development needs of faculty in other African universities. Implications for nursing management, Study findings will inform those interested in university policy and procedure on leadership training issues. The successful development of a self-sustaining leadership programme in which values of multiple cultures must be appropriately addressed has a significant impact for nursing administration. With the severe nursing shortage, health care institutions must develop cost effective yet quality development programmes to assure the succession of current staff into leadership positions. We no longer have the luxury of recruiting broadly and we must identify those talented nurses within our own institutions and prepare them for advanced leadership roles. This succession plan is especially important for the next generation of nurse leaders representing minority populations. In particular, nurse managers will find the overview of the literature for middle managers enlightening, and may find links to key resources that could be revised to be more culturally relevant for use in a wide array of settings. [source]


    Breastfeeding Care in Multicultural Populations

    JOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 2 2001
    FAAN, IBCLC, Jan Riordan ARNP
    Although the number and diversity of minority women in the United States is growing, breastfeeding rates remain low. Nurses can increase breastfeeding rates in minority populations if they are aware of and appreciate cultural differences. Following an overview of culture's effect on breastfeeding, this article focuses on practical aspects of caring for breastfeeding mothers in various cultural groups. Breastfeeding educational programs are effective when they are culturally sensitive and emerge from the culture itself. [source]


    Test-based accountability: Potential benefits and pitfalls of science assessment with student diversity

    JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 1 2010
    Randall D. Penfield
    Abstract Recent test-based accountability policy in the U.S. has involved annually assessing all students in core subjects and holding schools accountable for adequate progress of all students by implementing sanctions when adequate progress is not met. Despite its potential benefits, basing educational policy on assessments developed for a student population of White, middle- and upper-class, and native speakers of English opens the door for numerous pitfalls when the assessments are applied to minority populations including students of color, low SES, and learning English as a new language. There exists a paradox; while minority students are a primary intended beneficiary of the test-based accountability policy, the assessments used in the policy have been shown to have many shortcomings when applied to these students. This article weighs the benefits and pitfalls that test-based accountability brings for minority students. Resolutions to the pitfalls are discussed, and areas for future research are recommended. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 6,24, 2010 [source]


    Prevalence, knowledge and care patterns for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in United States minority populations

    ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2010
    E. Yuen
    Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 645,654 Summary Background, While there is evidence of ethnic variation in the prevalence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, few population-based studies examine GERD symptom prevalence amongst the growing Hispanic minority in the US as well as Asians in the West. Aim, To examine the prevalence, awareness and care patterns for GERD across different ethnic groups. Methods, A population-based, cross-sectional survey was fielded in English, Chinese and Spanish that assessed self-reported GERD prevalence, awareness and care patterns in four ethnic groups (Caucasian, African American, Asian, Hispanic). Results, A total of 1172 subjects were included for analysis: 34.6% experienced GERD symptoms at least monthly, 26.2% at least weekly and 8.2% at least daily. Statistically significant differences in raw prevalence rates between racial groups were found: 50% of Hispanics experienced heartburn at least monthly, compared with 37% of Caucasians, 31% of African Americans and 20% of Asians (P > 0.0001). Significant differences in knowledge and care-seeking patterns by ethnicity were also observed. Conclusions, This study confirms the high prevalence of GERD symptoms in the US and introduces Hispanics as the ethnicity with the highest prevalence rate. Asians in the US have higher rates of symptoms than in the Far East. These data demonstrate a need for culturally appropriate education about GERD symptoms and treatment. [source]


    Hepatitis C in ethnic minority populations in England

    JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 6 2008
    A. G. Mann
    Summary., The aim of the study was to investigate the differing epidemiology of hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease in ethnic minorities in England. We used Hospital Episode Statistics from 1997/98 to 2004/05 to directly age-standardize numbers of episodes and deaths from hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease in ethnic groups using the white English population as standard and the age-structured population by ethnic group from the 2001 Census. We estimated the odds of having a diagnosis of end-stage liver disease amongst hepatitis C-infected individuals in each ethnic group compared with whites using logistic regression. The main outcome measures were age-standardized morbidity and mortality ratios and morbidity and mortality odds ratios. Standardized ratios (95% confidence interval) for hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease ranged from 73 (38,140) in Chinese people to 1063 (952,1186) for those from an ,Other' ethnic group. Amongst individuals with a diagnosis of hepatitis C infection, the odds ratios (95% CI) of severe liver disease were 1.42 (1.13,1.79), 1.57 (1.36,1.81), 2.44 (1.85,3.22), 1.73 (1.36,2.19) and 1.83 (1.08,3.10) comparing individuals of Black African, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian and Chinese origin with whites, respectively. Ethnic minority populations in England are more likely than whites to experience an admission or to die from severe liver disease as a result of hepatitis C infection. Ethnic minority populations may have a higher prevalence of hepatitis C or they may experience a poorer prognosis because of differential access to health services, longer duration of infection or the prevalence of co-morbidities. [source]


    Insulin resistance of puberty in African-American children: lack of a compensatory increase in insulin secretion

    PEDIATRIC DIABETES, Issue 1 2002
    Rola J. Saad
    Abtract: Type 2 diabetes has been increasing in children, mostly affecting minority populations at around the age of puberty. Despite a multitude of studies demonstrating pubertal insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia in white children, data are almost non-existent in African-American children. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of puberty on glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and secretion in African-American children. Twenty prepubertal and 16 pubertal African-American subjects participated. All underwent a 3-h hyperinsulinemic (40 mU/m2/min) euglycemic clamp to determine insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, and a 2-h hyperglycemic (12.5 mmol/L) clamp to assess first- and second-phase insulin secretion. Body composition was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal adiposity with computed tomography (CT) scan at L4,L5. Total glucose disposal, glucose oxidation and non-oxidative glucose disposal were significantly lower in the pubertal group compared with the prepubertal one (53.8 ± 3.9 vs. 72.2 ± 5.0 µmol/kg/min, p = 0.009; 23.3 ± 1.1 vs. 31.6 ± 1.7 µmol/kg/min, p = 0.001; and 30.0 ± 3.3 vs. 40.5 ± 3.9 µmol/kg/min, p = 0.049, respectively). Insulin sensitivity was ,30% lower in the adolescents compared with the prepubertal children. However, first- and second-phase insulin secretions were not different between the two groups (971.4 ± 180.6 vs. 1044.0 ± 191.4 pmol/L and 999.6 ± 159.6 vs. 955.8 ± 142.2 pmol/L, respectively). In conclusion, despite ,30% lower insulin sensitivity in African-American adolescents compared with prepubertal children, insulin secretion is not higher. This is in contrast to published findings in white children in whom insulin secretion is higher during puberty. These racial differences in physiologic adaptation to puberty could play a role in the higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes in African-American children at the time of puberty. [source]


    Obstacles to organ donation in ethnic minorities

    PEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 6 2001
    C. O. Callender
    While the numbers of ethnic minority donors have increased over the last 20 yr, there is still a need for community outreach and education in order to dispel the myths and misperceptions within minority communities so that a greater number of persons will ultimately become donors. While lack of awareness, religious myths and misperceptions, medical distrust, fear of premature death, and racism continue to cause reluctance within ethnic minority communities, the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (National MOTTEP) applies a methodology which has proven successful within various ethnic minority populations. The methodology utilizes ethnically similar and culturally sensitive transplant recipients, candidates and donors or donor families, along with health care providers, as effective messengers who are recognized within the community. In addition, community volunteers are solicited to become involved in hands-on program planning and implementation of activities, which will impact the community regarding their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Data collected from 914 consenting adult participants indicated that there were significant increases (p < 0.000) in trust in doctors, future plans to become organ donors, and changes in the participants' spiritual/religious beliefs about organ/tissue donation. The conclusion is that culturally appropriate health education programs targeting ethnic minority populations can effect positive change in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. [source]


    The Symbolic Racism 2000 Scale

    POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2002
    P.J. Henry
    The concept of symbolic racism was originally proposed 30 years ago. Much research has been done and the society itself has changed, yet many of the original items measuring symbolic racism remain in use. The primary objective of this paper is to present and evaluate an updated scale of symbolic racism. The scale proves to be reliable and internally coherent. It has discriminant validity, being distinctively different from both older forms of racial attitudes and political conservatism, although with a base in both. It has predictive validity, explaining whites' racial policy preferences considerably better than do traditional racial attitudes or political predispositions. Evidence is presented of its usefulness for both college student and general adult population samples, as well as for minority populations. Data using this scale contradict several critiques of the symbolic racism construct (most of which are speculative rather than based on new data) concerning the consistency of its conceptualization and measurement, the coherence of the symbolic racism belief system, possible artifacts in its influence over whites' racial policy preferences (due to content overlap between the measures of independent and dependent variables), and its differentiation from nonracial conservatism and old-fashioned racism. [source]


    Projections of the Ethnic Minority Populations of the United Kingdom 2006,2056

    POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 3 2010
    David Coleman
    The ethnic minority populations in the UK are growing substantially through immigration, a youthful age structure, and in some cases relatively high fertility. Their diverse demographic and socioeconomic characteristics have attracted considerable academic and policy attention, especially insofar as those distinctive characteristics have persisted in the generations born in the UK. No official projections of the UK ethnic populations have been published since 1979. This article provides projections to 2056 and beyond of 12 ethnic groups. Given overall net immigration and vital rates as assumed in the office for National Statistics 2008-based Principal Projection, and the ethnic characteristics estimated here, the ethnic minority populations (including the Other White) would increase from 13 percent of the UK population in 2006 to 28 percent by 2031 and 44 percent by 2056, and to about half the 0,4 age group in 2056. Alternative projections assume various lower levels of immigration. Possible implications of projected changes are discussed. [source]