non-Hispanic African American Women Research Articles

Abstract PO2-09-06: Interaction of racial disparities on outcomes and toxicities associated with treatment of HER2+Breast Cancer- a TrinetX Database study

Abstract Objective: Investigate the interaction of racial disparities on outcomes and toxicities associated with treatment of HER2+BrCa (Breast Cancer)- a TrinetX Database study Background: HER2+BrCa is an aggressive subtype accounting for about 1/3rd of all BrCa, for which Trastuzumab based therapy remains the mainstay of treatment. While we are starting to understand the breadth of racial disparities in BrCa , the knowledge about outcomes and toxicities in relation to treatment of HER2+ BrCa is still limited. Design/Methods: In this propensity score-matched cohort study we used the TriNetX Research Network, a multi-health care organization de-identified electronic health record (EHR) database, to compare the 1-, 3-, and 5-year mortality of HER2+BrCa non-Hispanic African American (NHAA) women to a corresponding non-Hispanic White cohort (NHW). Qualification into the two race based HER2+BrCa cohorts required the presence of a C50 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code and at least one proxy for HER2 positivity such as Trastuzumab administration (index event). Cohorts were matched for age, BMI, comorbidities (HTN, DM ), and lab values using 1:1 matching with a greedy nearest neighbor search. Toxicity outcomes of interest such as cardiomyopathy, neuropathy, diarrhea, rashes, leg swelling/edema, and fatigue as well as the frequency of emergency room visits were also compared between the cohorts. The associations of observed outcome frequencies in the two cohorts were tested for significance using the chi-square test. The odds ratios and p-values, corrected for multiple hypothesis testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, are reported as an effect size and significance estimation. Results: 15983 patients met the inclusion criteria for HER2+BrCa (13611-NHW and 2372-NHAA). The mean age at the index event was 55.6 ± 12.6 years for NHAA and 57.2 ± 13.3 years for NHW. After matching the two sub-cohorts, 2303 patients remained in each. NHAA women were found to have significantly increased odds of neuropathy and cardiomyopathy for 1, 3, and 5-year time intervals after the HER2+BrCa index date, as compared to the reference NHW women (abbreviated results given in Table 1). In addition, the odds of an emergency room visit (for any reason) was found to be increased by as much as 79% in NHAA women as compared to the NHW women. The odds of experiencing fatigue/malaise, diarrhea/nausea, and rash, were reduced for NHAA women across all time intervals investigated. Odds ratios for mortality and leg swelling did not meet the significance threshold (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: This study, which examined racial disparities in outcomes and toxicities associated with HER2+BrCa, revealed significant findings. NHAA women with HER2+BrCa treated with Trastuzumab based therapy demonstrated increased odds of experiencing neuropathy and cardiomyopathy compared to their NHW counterparts. Additionally, NHAA women had a higher likelihood of emergency room visits for any reason. Conversely, NHAA women exhibited decreased odds of fatigue/malaise, diarrhea/nausea, and rash. These findings underscore the importance of considering the impact of race on HER2+BrCa outcomes and treatment toxicities and suggest the need for further research and targeted interventions to address disparities and thus enhance treatment outcomes in diverse populations. Table 1: Representative significant Odds ratios and corrected p-values for outcomes comparing the NHAA and NHW cohorts. Citation Format: Monali Vasekar, Justin Petucci, Avnish Katoch, Vasant Honavar. Interaction of racial disparities on outcomes and toxicities associated with treatment of HER2+Breast Cancer- a TrinetX Database study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-09-06.

Barriers to post-placental intrauterine device receipt among expectant minority women

Purpose We aimed to identify barriers to breastfeeding-compatible post-placental intrauterine devices (IUDs) for expectant predominantly non-Hispanic African-American women. Materials and methods This cross-sectional survey study, conducted at 3 Cleveland community partner locations, enrolled 119 expectant predominantly unmarried but partnered non-Hispanic African-American women. The survey assessed contraceptive, IUD-specific and breastfeeding attitudes and intentions. Survey responses were described with percentages and frequencies, and compared by feeding intention using 2-sided Chi-Square tests. Factor analysis with Varimax rotation identified 2 potential measures of reluctance to post-placental IUD acceptance. The relationship of factors scores to maternal characteristics was assessed. Results Feeding intention (breastfeeding versus not) was not related to perceived barriers to post-placental IUD receipt among expectant minority women. A “Personal Risks Reluctance” factor included low risk IUD events (migration and expulsion), misconceptions (delayed fertility return), menstrual changes and partner preference: a higher score was significantly associated with younger age group but no other maternal characteristics. A “Not Me Reasons” factor included provider and insurance barriers, and was not related to any maternal characteristics. Conclusions Expectant minority women’s perceived barriers to post-placental IUDs are not related to prenatal feeding intentions. We identified two clinically relevant factors that appear to measure barriers to post-placental IUD acceptance.

Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality among Non-Hispanic African American and White Women, United States, 1999–2015

BackgroundCervical cancer, a preventable cancer, has disproportionately affected African American women. To better understand the burden of cervical cancer, we assessed incidence and mortality rates and analyzed trends among non-Hispanic (NH) African American and White women in the US from 1999 to 2015. MethodsFrom age-adjusted cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates, rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for comparison between the two races. Trends were analyzed using joinpoint regression and expressed as annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC). ResultsCervical cancer incidence rates were significantly higher (RR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.44, 1.47) among NH African Americans (10.8 per 100,000 females) than NH Whites (7.4 per 100,000 females). Similarly, mortality rates were significantly higher (RR: 2.05; 95% CI: 2.01, 2.09) in NH African Americans (4.4 per 100,000 females) compared to NH Whites (2.1 per 100,000 females). From 1999 to 2015, overall incidence and mortality trends decreased significantly for both races. Mortality rates steadily increased with age for both races, and incidence rates only increased with age in NH African American women. ConclusionNH African American women had significantly higher cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates than NH Whites. Even as incidence and mortality trends declined significantly, older NH African Americans had three times the rate of cervical cancer than NH Whites. Prevention and treatment programs need to be enhanced for African Americans as failure to do so may widen cancer disparities.

Preterm parturition and pre-eclampsia: The confluence of two great gestational syndromes.

Preterm birth (PTB) and pre-eclampsia independently, and frequently concurrently, adversely affect the pregnancy outcomes of millions of mothers and infants worldwide each year. To fill the gap between PTB and pre-eclampsia, which continue to constitute the two most important current global challenges to maternal and perinatal health. Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception until December 2019 using the terms spontaneous PTB (SPTB), indicated preterm delivery (IPTD), early-onset pre-eclampsia, and pre-eclampsia. History of PTB and pre-eclampsia were the strongest risk factors contributing to the occurrence of SPTB or IPTB. The risk of PTB and pre-eclampsia among non-Hispanic African American women was higher than the rate among all other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Low-dose aspirin (LDA) has been reported to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia by at least 10% and PTB by at least 14%. Lastly, women and their fetuses who develop early-onset pre-eclampsia are at higher risk for developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in life. While better clarity is needed, efforts to coordinate prevention of both PTB and pre-eclampsia, even though imperfect, are critically important as part of any program to make motherhood as safe as possible.

Breast cancer risk in relation to plasma metabolites among Hispanic and African American women.

The metabolic etiology of breast cancer has been explored in the past several years using metabolomics. However, most of these studies only included non-Hispanic White individuals. To fill this gap, we performed a two-step (discovery and validation) metabolomics profiling in plasma samples from 358 breast cancer patients and 138 healthy controls. All study subjects were either Hispanics or non-Hispanic African Americans. A panel of 14 identified metabolites significantly differed between breast cancer cases and healthy controls in both the discovery and validation sets. Most of these identified metabolites were lipids. In the pathway analysis, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), arginine and proline metabolism, and linoleic acid metabolism pathways were observed, and they significantly differed between breast cancer cases and healthy controls in both sets. From those 14 metabolites, we selected 9 non-correlated metabolites to generate a metabolic risk score. Increased metabolites risk score was associated with a 1.87- and 1.63-fold increased risk of breast cancer in the discovery and validation sets, respectively (Odds ratio (OR) 1.87, 95% Confidence interval (CI) 1.50, 2.32; OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.36, 1.95). In summary, our study identified metabolic profiles and pathways that significantly differed between breast cancer cases and healthy controls in Hispanic or non-Hispanic African American women. The results from our study might provide new insights on the metabolic etiology of breast cancer.

Gender Differences in Negative Affect During Acute Tobacco Abstinence Differ Between African American and White Adult Cigarette Smokers

Prior studies have found heightened negative affect following tobacco abstinence in women compared to men. However, experimental work addressing whether these findings generalize across racial groups is scarce. This study investigated whether race (non-Hispanic White vs. non-Hispanic African American) moderated gender differences in abstinence-induced negative affect and smoking behavior. Data were collected from 2010 to 2017 from two separate laboratory studies investigating experimentally manipulated tobacco abstinence. Following a baseline session, adult daily smokers (≥10 cigarettes/day; women: n = 297, 83.8% non-Hispanic African American; men: n = 492, 86.2% non-Hispanic African American) attended two counterbalanced lab sessions (16 hours abstinent vs. non-abstinent) and completed self-report measures of negative affect followed by a laboratory analogue smoking reinstatement task. We found a gender × race interaction for several negative affect states and composite negative affect (βs = -.12 to -.16, Ps < .05). Analyses stratified by race showed that non-Hispanic White women compared to non-Hispanic White men exhibited greater abstinence-induced increases in anger, anxiety, and composite negative affect (βs = -.20 to -.29, Ps < .05). No significant gender differences in abstinence-induced negative affect were found for non-Hispanic African American smokers (βs = .00 to - .04, Ps > .05). These findings suggest that negative affect during acute tobacco abstinence may be a clinically important and intervenable factor that can inform cessation interventions specifically for non-Hispanic White women smokers. Further empirical exploration of mechanisms underlying interactions of gender and race in tobacco addiction may benefit smoking cessation efforts in non-Hispanic African American women smokers. This study contributes to a scant body of research examining the intersectional influence of race and gender on abstinence-induced negative affect-a central, motivationally prepotent feature of tobacco withdrawal. Using a laboratory-based design to experimentally manipulate abstinence, we provide evidence of a gender × race interaction on negative affect-related withdrawal. Our findings suggest that gender differences in abstinence-induced negative affect observed among non-Hispanic White smokers may not generalize to non-Hispanic African American smokers, highlighting the need for future work to address potential mechanisms underlying the racially discrepant impact of gender on affective tobacco withdrawal.

Abstract A02: Disparities in the Treatment of High-Grade Endometrial Cancer: Analysis of the National Cancer Database

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To examine patterns of care and survival for Non-Hispanic White (NHW), Non-Hispanic African American (NHAA) and Hispanic women with high-grade endometrial cancer. METHODS: We utilized the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to identify women diagnosed with uterine grade 3 endometrioid adenocarcinoma, carcinosarcoma, clear cell carcinoma and papillary serous carcinoma between 2003-2011. The variables of interest were race and ethnicity. For this, race and ethnicity were used to construct single mutually exclusive race-ethnicity variables (non-Hispanic white, black, white-Hispanic, or other and unknown). The primary outcome of interest was overall survival, defined as months from cancer diagnosis to death or date of the last contact. Secondary outcomes were the receipt of initial treatment after diagnosis of high-grade endometrial cancer. Continuous variables were evaluated by ANOVA and categorical variables were evaluated by chi square test. Pair-wise comparisons among continuous and categorical variables utilized the Holm-Bonferroni method to adjust for multiple comparisons. Logistic regression models were performed to describe predictors of treatment, after adjusting for prognostic factors expected to be associated including age, race, stage, histology, year of treatment, facility type, location, insurance type, and comorbidity score. The effect of treatment modality on survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors predictive of outcome were compared using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: 44,080 women were eligible for inclusion. NHAA and Hispanic women had higher rates of stage III and IV disease compared to NHW women (21.3% vs. 19.4% vs. 15.5%, p&amp;lt;0.001). NHAA women were less likely to undergo definitive surgical treatment for their cancer (10.9% vs. 6.7% vs. 6.4%, p&amp;lt;0.001) and were more likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy (36.8% vs. 32.4% vs. 32.0%, p&amp;lt; 0.001) compared to NHW and Hispanic women. Multivariate analyses of treatment patterns controlling for clinical, pathologic and demographic factors demonstrated that NHAA women were less likely to receive surgical treatment compared to NHW women (Odds Ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.51-0.83). There was no significant difference in surgical treatment between whites and Hispanics (Odds Ratio 0.88, 0.57-1.37). There was no racial or ethnic difference in rates of adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation. Over the entire study period, after adjusting for age, time period of diagnosis, region of the country, urban or rural setting, treating facility type, socioeconomic status, education, insurance, comorbidity index, pathologic stage, histology, lymphadenectomy and adjuvant treatment, NHAA women had lower overall survival compared to NHW women (Hazard Ratio 1.21, 95% CI 1.16-1.26). Conversely, Hispanic women had an improved overall survival after controlling for the aforementioned factors (Hazard Ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.93). CONCLUSION: Among women with high-grade endometrial cancer, NHAA women were less likely to receive surgical treatment when compared to NHW women. NHAA women have lower all-cause survival compared to Non-Hispanic white women while Hispanic women have higher all-cause survival compared to Non-Hispanic white women after controlling for treatment, sociodemographics, comorbidities, and histopathologic variables. Citation Format: Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain, Amy J. Bregar, Joel T. Clemmer, Marcela G. del Carmen. Disparities in the Treatment of High-Grade Endometrial Cancer: Analysis of the National Cancer Database. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A02.

Higher Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus-Related Cervical Precancerous Abnormalities in HIV-Infected Compared to HIV-Uninfected Women

Persistent high risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) has been associated with cervical abnormalities and cancer. There are few studies comparing HIV-infected with uninfected African American women from the Southern U.S. We evaluated medical records of a women's cohort in an urban clinic in Tennessee to assess the prevalence of hrHPV and cytology correlates, as well as HPV vaccination rates. We reviewed medical records of 50 HIV infected and 304 HIV uninfected women, including Pap smears and hrHPV. HIV-infected women were older than HIV-uninfected women (p<0.0001) and were more likely to have hrHPV (p=<0.0001) and LGSIL/HGSIL (p=0.006). Within the HIV uninfected group, Hispanic women were younger than non-Hispanic African American women (p=0.04) and non-Hispanic white women (p=0.0002). Non-Hispanic African-American women were younger (p=0.004) than non-Hispanic white women. Both HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected women had an 11-fold and 5-fold odds, respectively, of having precancerous lesions when harboring hrHPV, compared to hrHPV-uninfected women. Of the 125 HIV-uninfected women, only 17% had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. None of the 21 vaccine recipients had evidence of SILs compared to 9% of vaccine non-recipients (p=0.35, Fisher's exact test). HIV-infected women remained at significantly higher risk for developing cervical precancerous lesions when exposed to hrHPV than their uninfected counterparts. Hispanic women were least likely to have been vaccinated. Missed HPV vaccination trended towards being associated with a higher odds of precancerous lesions. Routine HPV vaccination should be reinforced for adolescents and young women using public hospital facilities of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

Characteristics of Women in the United States Who Use Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Methods

To examine characteristics of U.S. women that are associated with use of long-acting reversible contraception and changes in these characteristics between 2002 and 2006-2008. We analyzed data from two nationally representative samples of women aged 15-44 in the National Survey of Family Growth, including 7,643 women in 2002 and 7,356 women in 2006-2008. We conducted simple and multinomial logistic regression analyses to identify demographic and reproductive health characteristics associated with use of long-acting reversible contraception. Long-acting reversible contraception (intrauterine devices and subdermal implants) use among U.S. women using contraception increased from 2.4% in 2002 to 5.6% in 2006-2008. The largest increases in long-acting reversible contraception use during this time occurred among the youngest and oldest age groups, non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic African American women, foreign-born women, and those in the highest income group. High prevalence of long-acting reversible contraception use in 2006-2008 was seen among women who had given birth once or twice (10%), foreign-born women (8.8%), and Hispanic women (8.4%). After adjusting for key demographic and reproductive health characteristics, in comparison with users of other contraceptive methods and with those not using contraception who were at risk for unintended pregnancy, foreign-born women and women who experienced coitarche before age 18 were approximately twice as likely to be using long-acting reversible contraception as women without those characteristics. A more diverse population of women used long-acting reversible contraception in 2006-2008 compared with 2002. However, there is likely more potential for increased uptake, especially among populations historically not considered to be candidates for these methods.

Abstract A92: Racial and ethnic distribution of mammography outcomes before age 40

Abstract Purpose: The probability of a woman developing invasive breast cancer &amp;lt; age 40 is low (&amp;lt;1%). For in situ or invasive cancer, the incidence rate per 100,000 woman-years for African American (AA) and white women, respectively, is 16.8 and 15.1 (Brinton et al, 2008). Yet, 34% of non-Hispanic AA women, 30% of non-Hispanic white women, and 22% of Hispanic women ages 30–39 reported ever having a mammogram from a national population-based sample (Kapp et al, 2009). We describe first mammograms in younger women to investigate racial/ethnic differences (AA, Asian, Hispanic, white) in mammography outcomes. Methods: Data are pooled from the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, a collaborative network of mammography registries created for the purpose of studying performance and outcomes in community practice. We included women ages 18–39, with no prior history of breast cancer, with a first mammogram (screening or diagnostic) between 1996 and 2005. We determined whether a cancer diagnosis (DCIS or invasive) was made within the 12 months following each mammogram and, using standard definitions, classified each mammogram as a true positive (TP), false positive (FP), true negative (TN) or false negative (FN). Results: Our sample included 73,353 screening mammograms and 26,262 diagnostic mammograms. Our FP results for screening mammograms reflected modest variability across race/ethnicity (10.4–14.1%). AA woman had a TP to total screening mammogram ratio of 1 in 363, compared to 1 in 623 for white women, while the ratio of a FP to total screening mammograms was similar across all racial/ethnic groups (1 in 7–10). Among diagnostic mammograms, the FP variability was greater, ranging from 8.7% for white women to 18.2% for Asian women with an absolute risk difference of a TP of &amp;lt;1% among all racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions: While the FP rates may vary moderately by race/ethnicity, their impact may vary substantially. Average risk AA women have greater odds than white women of reporting multiple mammograms &amp;lt; age 40 (Kapp et al, 2009); yet ≥40 are less likely to receive adequate mammography screening (Smith-Bindman et al, 2006). Could early mammography testing adversely impact future mammography use? This deserves further study. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):A92.

A comparison of national estimates of obesity prevalence from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system and the national health and nutrition examination survey

Obesity interventions are implemented at state or sub-state level in the United States (US), where only self-reported weight and height data for adults are available from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity generated from self-reported weight and height from BRFSS are known to underestimate the true prevalence. However, whether this underestimation is consistent across different demographic groups has not been fully investigated. In this study, we compared the prevalence estimates of obesity (body mass index (BMI) > or =30 kg/m(2)) and overweight (BMI > or =25 kg/m(2)) in different demographic groups in the US from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and BRFSS during 1999-2000. We also compared the rank orders of the obesity and overweight prevalence across different demographic groups from the two data sources. Compared to NHANES, BRFSS underestimated the overall prevalence of obesity and overweight by 9.5 and 5.7 percentage points, respectively. The underestimation differed across different demographic groups: the underestimation of obesity and overweight prevalence was higher among women (13.1 and 12.2 percentage points, respectively) than among men (5.8 and -0.6 percentage points, respectively). The variation of underestimation was higher among men. A clear inverse association between educational attainment and obesity prevalence among non-Hispanic African American women was observed from BRFSS data. However, no such association was found from NHANES. While BRFSS can identify correctly the population with the highest obesity and overweight burden, it did not accurately rank the obesity and overweight prevalence across different demographic groups. Compared to NHANES, BRFSS disproportionately underestimates the prevalence of obesity and overweight across different gender, race, age, and education subgroups.

Factors Associated with Intention to Breastfeed Among Low-Income, Inner-City Pregnant Women

To examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors, maternal characteristics, and intention to breastfeed among low-income, inner-city pregnant women. English and Spanish speaking low-income women recruited from local Philadelphia health centers were surveyed at the time of their first prenatal care visit. At the time of the visit, respondents were asked whether or not they planned to breastfeed their infant. The responses of 2,690 women were included in these analyses. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the independent associations of race/ethnicity, nativity status, education, and other factors on the odds of intending to breastfeed. About half (53%) of the respondents reported that they intended to breastfeed their infant. In adjusted logistic regression models, immigrant black (adjusted OR [aOR] 5.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.86, 8.77), other Hispanic (who were predominantly foreign-born) (aOR 6.05; 95% CI 3.92, 9.33), and island-born Puerto Rican (aOR 3.48; 95% CI 2.04, 5.95) women were significantly more likely to report that they intended to breastfeed than non-Hispanic whites. Somewhat surprisingly, non-Hispanic, US-born African Americans in this low-income sample were more likely to report that they intended to breastfeed than non-Hispanic white respondents (aOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.20, 2.11). Lower education, not living with the baby's father, multiparous pregnancy, and smoking were negatively and independently associated with intention to breastfeed. Maternal age, household income, public housing, and depressive symptoms were not significant predictors of breastfeeding intention in adjusted multivariate models. Significant differences were documented in breastfeeding intention in our sample of low-income, inner-city women. Most notable was the higher likelihood of anticipated breastfeeding among our immigrant sub-groups when compared with non-Hispanic white women. An unexpected finding was the higher likelihood of anticipated breastfeeding among native-born, non-Hispanic African American women than among non-Hispanic white respondents. Because intentions are important predictors of future behavior, more focus needs to be directed towards breastfeeding promotion during the prenatal period and towards a better understanding of why some mothers intend to breastfeed while others do not.

A population-based study of racial and ethnic differences in survival among women with invasive cervical cancer: Analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data

Objective. The incidence of cervical cancer is higher in Hispanic than in non-Hispanic or African American women in the United States, but few studies have examined differences in survival between these groups. The objective of this study was to examine racial/ethnic differences in survival after diagnosis with invasive cervical cancer in a population-based sample of patients while adjusting for patient and tumor characteristics and treatment types. Methods. We identified 7267 women (4431 non-Hispanic Caucasians, 1830 Hispanic Caucasians, and 1006 non-Hispanic African Americans) diagnosed with primary invasive cervical cancer from 1992 to 1996 (with follow-up through 2000) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards survival methods were used to assess differences in survival by race/ethnicity. Results. After adjusting for age at diagnosis, histology, stage, first course of cancer-directed treatment (surgery and radiation therapy), and SEER registry, Hispanic Caucasian women were at 26% decreased risk of death from any cause (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66–0.83) and non-Hispanic African American women were at 19% increased risk of death (HR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.06–1.33) compared to non-Hispanic Caucasian women over the follow-up period. Conclusion. Analysis of population-based SEER data indicates significant survival differences by race/ethnicity for women with invasive cervical cancer. Hispanic Caucasian women in SEER had improved survival compared to non-Hispanic Caucasian or non-Hispanic African American women.

Analysis of Recent Papers in Hypertension

Analysis of Recent Papers in Hypertension

Parameters of obesity in African-American women.

Non-Hispanic African-American women have the highest incidence of overweight in the United States, at 48%. For non-Hispanic white females, the prevalence is 32.9%. This striking difference can be expected to have a great impact on morbidity and mortality within this culture. The purpose of this study is to ascertain, by descriptive analysis of data derived from a questionnaire, whether there are modifiable factors specific to African-American women that could lead to an increased prevalence of obesity. Forty adult, African-American obese women were given a questionnaire covering personal socioeconomics, dietary habits, educational level, exercise patterns, childhood exposures, and stress management. Data from the questionnaire were grouped and collated to determine whether specific trends could be discerned. This descriptive evaluation found that hair care issues had some effect on exercise patterns. In addition, a lack of childhood role models for exercise and an adult pattern of sedentary lifestyles appeared to be significant factors contributing to obesity. After this pilot study, a comparative study with a white group of obese women or a group of nonobese African-American women should be the next step in evaluation to further define and understand these observations.