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Eiser AR. Environmental, Metabolic, and Nutritional Factors Concerning Dementia in African-Americans and Hispanic Populations. Am J Med 2024:S0002-9343(24)00402-9. [PMID: 38942346 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
African-Americans and Hispanic Americans experience a higher incidence and prevalence of dementia than white Americans while also experiencing more environmental, metabolic and nutritional factors potentially promoting such disparities. Greater exposure to air, water and soil pollutants including toxic metals associated with neurodegeneration accrue to both minorities, as does worse dental care than whites exposing them to periodontitis raising dementia risk. Hispanic Americans experience greater occupational exposure to herbicides and pesticides develop more non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) predisposing to dementia. African-Americans have a greater likelihood of both Vitamin D deficiency and magnesium deficiency increasing neuroinflammation and dementia risk. Both have greater air pollution exposure, a known dementia risk. Nutritional changes including greater nut consumption and reduced sugar drink consumption, improved dental care, and reduced toxicant exposure may help reduce this higher risk of dementia among African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold R Eiser
- Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
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Adebola A, Adaeze A, Adeyimika D, Lovoria WB, Gia MM. Experiences and Challenges of African American and Sub-Saharan African Immigrant Black Women in Completing Pap Screening: a Mixed Methods Study. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024; 11:1405-1417. [PMID: 37129785 PMCID: PMC10620103 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01617-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding Black women's Papanicolaou (Pap) screening experiences can inform efforts to reduce cancer disparities. This study examined experiences among both US-born US Black women and Sub-Saharan African immigrant women. METHOD Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, Black women born in the USA and in Sub-Saharan Africa age 21-65 years were recruited to participate in focus groups and complete a 25-item survey about patient-centered communication and perceived racial discrimination. Qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to provide a fuller understanding of results. RESULTS Of the 37 participants, 14 were US-born and 23 were Sub-Saharan African-born Black women. The mean age was 40.0 ± 11.0, and 83.8% had received at least one Pap test. Five themes regarding factors that impact screening uptake emerged from the focus groups: (1) positive and negative experiences with providers; (2) provider communication and interaction; (3) individual barriers to screening uptake, (4) implicit bias, discrimination, and stereotypical views among providers, and (5) language barrier. Survey and focus group findings diverged on several points. While focus group themes captured both positive and negative experiences with provider communication, survey results indicated that most of both US-born and Sub-Saharan African-born women experienced positive patient-centered communication with health care providers. Additionally, during focus group sessions many participants described experiences of discrimination in health care settings, but less than a third reported this in the survey. CONCLUSION Black women's health care experiences affect Pap screening uptake. Poor communication and perceived discrimination during health care encounters highlight areas for needed service improvement to reduce cervical cancer disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adegboyega Adebola
- College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0232, USA.
| | - Aroh Adaeze
- College of Public Health, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA, USA
| | - Desmennu Adeyimika
- Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Williams B Lovoria
- College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0232, USA
| | - Mudd-Martin Gia
- College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0232, USA
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Fleming E, Taylor GW, Neighbors HW. Systemic racism and racial inequities in periodontal health: The long journey from upstream determinants to downstream treatment. Periodontol 2000 2024. [PMID: 38501675 DOI: 10.1111/prd.12559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Racial disparities in the prevalence of periodontal disease are consistent and persistent. The epidemiology of periodontal disease demonstrates racial inequities: non-Hispanic Black (14.7%), Mexican American (13.4%), and other Hispanic adults (7.8%) experience a higher prevalence of severe periodontal disease than non-Hispanic White adults (5.9%). Epidemiologic and clinical research on periodontal health suffers from the same problem that has plagued the health equity movement, an over emphasis on describing racial inequities coupled with few interventions that reduce racial health inequity. Over the decades that racial inequities in periodontal disease have been observed, many have argued that systemic racism is the fundamental driver of racial health inequity. This paper interrogates the roles of systemic racism, dental education, clinical treatment, and patient behavior in periodontal disease. We describe how, together, these mechanisms contribute to racial disparities in periodontal outcomes. However, it is insufficient for oral health equity scientists to only describe and discuss the negative effects of systemic racism. The imperative is to create antiracist strategies designed to eliminate systemic racism. Health equity scientists must also specify how dental systems operate in a racist manner and create effective clinical strategies designed to reduce racial disparities in periodontal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Fleming
- Department of Dental Public Health, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - George W Taylor
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health, University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Harold Woody Neighbors
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Bomfim RA, de Lucena EHG, Cavalcanti YW, Celeste RK. Racial inequality in complete dental prosthesis delivered: can public services reduce inequities? Clin Oral Investig 2023; 28:17. [PMID: 38135856 DOI: 10.1007/s00784-023-05432-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between access and delivery of complete dental prosthesis according to the proportion of the black population in Brazilian municipalities and to oral health policies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ecological data from 2017 to 2021 relating to the delivery of complete dentures stratified by race was collected in all Brazilian cities. We calculated a racial inequality indicator by subtracting the percentage of the black population from the percentage of complete dental prostheses that were delivered to blacks in each municipality. Logistic and linear regression models were carried out. RESULTS We found that 49.2% (2737) of municipalities delivered complete prostheses. The service was more frequently available in municipalities where black individuals made up 20-80% (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15; 1.81), those with dental specialty centers (DSC) (OR = 3.04, 95%CI 2.50; 3.68), and those with more oral health teams (OHTs) (OR = 3.43, 95%CI 2.81; 4.18). Where dental prostheses were available, racial inequities favored the white population by 7.7 percentage points (p < 0.01). Increased inequality was observed in municipalities with more OHTs and/or a higher proportion of black individuals (>80%). CONCLUSIONS Although municipalities with a DSC, and with more OHTs offer better access to complete dental prosthesis for blacks, racial inequality still impacts the delivery of the service. Primary and secondary healthcare services may even exacerbate this. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Policymakers should monitor racial inequities in healthcare services. The currently unmet needs of black people are critical, especially in cities with more OHTs and/or increased proportions of black people.
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Celeste RK, Goulart MA, Bastos JL, Borrell LN. Research on racial/ethnic inequities in oral health over the past 80 years: The role of racism. J Clin Periodontol 2023; 50:1582-1589. [PMID: 37670498 DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
AIM This study aims to (1) describe trends in explanations provided for racial/ethnic inequities in dental caries and periodontitis, and (2) explore the patterns of relatedness among explanations for these inequities. MATERIALS AND METHODS Highly cited publications based on studies indexed in the Scopus database were retrieved and assessed for eligibility. Explanations for racial/ethnic inequities were classified into eight different, but interrelated domains. We assessed trends and examined the relations among explanations using multiple correspondence analysis. RESULTS A total of 200 articles among the most cited publications were selected. The proportion of studies invoking racism as an explanation for racial inequities in oral health increased from 0% to 14.3%, from 1937 to 2020. The proportions of individual socio-economic factors increased from 52.0% to 82.9%, and dental care from 28.0% to 62.9%. The remaining explanations were stable: psychological/behavioural processes (62.5%), biological factors (49.5%), contextual/area-level effects (24.0%) and immigrant paradox (4.0%). Multiple correspondence analysis revealed a smaller axial distance between racism and the following categories: studies from Brazil, recent publications and Blacks/Hispanics/mixed-race groups. Publications about immigrants were axially closer to the high-income countries category. CONCLUSIONS Our findings call on dental researchers to consider racism as a cause for existing racial/ethnic inequities in oral health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Keller Celeste
- Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mariel Aquino Goulart
- Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Community Oral Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - João L Bastos
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Luisa N Borrell
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
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Raskin SE, Thakkar-Samtani M, Santoro M, Fleming EB, Heaton LJ, Tranby EP. Discrimination and Dignity Experiences in Prior Oral Care Visits Predict Racialized Oral Health Inequities Among Nationally Representative US Adults. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2023:10.1007/s40615-023-01821-0. [PMID: 37848669 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01821-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Racism, an oppressive and fallacious sociopolitical hierarchy, is a fundamental cause of oral health inequities worldwide. Everyday discrimination is associated with worse self-rated oral health, toothache and adult tooth loss, and lower oral care utilization. Few studies examine discrimination or microaggressions within oral care settings or their effects on oral health outcomes. We adapted the seven-item Everyday Discrimination Scale to the oral care setting (EDSOC); developed a four-item Dignity in Oral Care Scale (DOCS); fielded them to a probability-based nationally representative sample of US households as part of the 2022 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey (SOHEA, n = 5682); and examined associations between EDSOC and DOCS scores and three outcomes: self-rated oral health, duration since last oral care visit, and planning for future preventive/routine oral care. Nearly, all EDSCOC and DOCS measures were significantly associated with oral health outcomes. Discrimination experience in dental settings had an additive effect on reporting fair/poor oral health and a suppressive effect on planning a future dental visit. Indignity experience doubled-to-quadrupled the likelihood of reporting fair/poor oral health, not having visited a dentist in 2 years, and not planning a future oral care visit. Racio-ethnically minoritized patients may experience the unjust double bind of resolving urgent dental or completing preventive services needs amidst being treated in a discriminatory manner or without dignity. Oral health stakeholders should invest more effort to understand relationships between racism and oral health outcomes and introduce evidence-based interventions to ultimately abolish this societal harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Raskin
- L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA.
| | | | - Morgan Santoro
- Analytics and Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Lisa J Heaton
- Analytics and Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric P Tranby
- Analytics and Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Bohlouli S, Dolatabadi S, Bohlouli B, Amin M. Racial discrimination, self-efficacy, and oral health behaviours in adolescents. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289783. [PMID: 37582117 PMCID: PMC10426965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
To examine the mediation effect of discrimination on the association of self-efficacy and oral health behaviours among adolescents. A cross sectional study of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years who were recruited from the University outpatient dental clinic were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of: demographics (12 items), oral health behaviours (7 items), general self-efficacy (10 items) and self-efficacy for self-care (SESS, 15 items). Perceived discrimination was assessed if the adolescent had ever been treated unfairly based on their race. Perceived discrimination was assessed if the adolescent had ever been treated unfairly based on their race. Using pathway analyses, the relationship between oral health behaviours, self-efficacy, and discrimination was explored. Mediation and hierarchal logistic regression analyses were conducted. Of 252 participants, mean (SD) age was 14 (1.8) years old. 60% were female, 81% were born in Canada, 56% identified themselves as White, and 20% perceived discrimination. Mean score of all task-specific self-efficacies were significantly different within respective oral health behaviour categories (P-value <0.001). Of demographics, age and ethnicity (White) were significantly associated with discrimination (OR = 1.25: 95% CI; 1.06-1.48 and OR = 0.29: 95% CI; 0.15-0.55, respectively). Perceived discrimination was positively associated with higher sugar consumption and mediate the association between diet self-efficacy and adolescent's dietary behaviour. Significant mediation effect of perceived discrimination on the association of diet specific self-efficacy and diet oral health behaviour was observed. Oral health behaviours were self-reported which may have influenced the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Bohlouli
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Babak Bohlouli
- School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Maryam Amin
- School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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