Participation Of Ethnic Minorities Research Articles

Strict Id Laws Don’t Stop Voters: Evidence from a U.S. Nationwide Panel, 2008–2018

AbstractU.S. states increasingly require identification to vote—an ostensible attempt to deter fraud that prompts complaints of selective disenfranchisement. Using a difference-in-differences design on a panel data set with 1.6 billion observations, 2008–2018, we find that the laws have no negative effect on registration or turnout, overall or for any group defined by race, gender, age, or party affiliation. These results hold through a large number of specifications. Our most demanding specification controls for state, year, and voter fixed effects, along with state and voter time-varying controls. Based on this specification, we obtain point estimates of −0.1 percentage points for effects both on overall registration and turnout (with 95% confidence intervals of [−2.3; 2.1 percentage points] and [−3.0; 2.8 percentage points], respectively), and +1.4 percentage points for the effect on the turnout of nonwhite voters relative to whites (with a 95% confidence interval of [−0.5; 3.2 percentage points]). The lack of negative impact on voter turnout cannot be attributed to voters’ reaction against the laws, measured by campaign contributions and self-reported political engagement. However, the likelihood that nonwhite voters were contacted by a campaign increases by 4.7 percentage points, suggesting that parties’ mobilization might have offset modest effects of the laws on the participation of ethnic minorities. Finally, strict ID requirements have no effect on fraud, actual or perceived. Overall, our findings suggest that efforts to improve elections may be better directed at other reforms.

Participation of ethnic minorities in natural forest management: Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam case study

Participation of ethnic minorities in natural forest management: Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam case study

MULTICULTURALISM AND TRANSLINGUISM AS COMPONENTS OF THE CULTURAL POLICY OF MODERN POLAND

The article considers multiculturalism as a social phenomenon, describes various aspects of its manifestation through the concept of "cultural diversity". It has been argued that the doctrine of multiculturalism proclaims the equality of cultural forms, the primacy of "cultural diversity" over ethnocultural homogeneity of states, and creates for multicultural societies a number of problems related to the plurality and cultural heterogeneity of communities. Based on the active discussion of the global multiplicity of cultures and their penetration into the value and normatively separated socio-cultural spaces, it is established that the multicultural world does not impose a single vision of reality, on the contrary, offers a field of alternative choices. The peculiarities of the functioning of multiculturalism and the policy of translinguism in modern Poland are analyzed. It is stated that an important feature of Polish multiculturalism and translinguism is the participation of national and ethnic minorities in the life of Polish society, which is realized through institutionalization of minority life, creation of various institutions and organizations designed to support their culture, traditions and language. Recognition of cultural diversity is also manifested in the field of education: the study of minority languages ​​is introduced in primary and secondary schools, and bilingual schools or classes are opened. The possibility of applying the positive Polish experience in the formation of multicultural policy in Ukraine is proved.

МІЖНАРОДНО-ПРАВОВІ СТАНДАРТИ ЕФЕКТИВНОГО ПОЛІТИЧНОГО ПРЕДСТАВНИЦТВА ЕТНІЧНИХ МЕНШИН: ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКІ ПРАКТИКИ ТА ДОСВІД УКРАЇНИ

Починаючи з 1990-х років питання захисту прав етнічних, мовних і релігійних меншин активно впроваджується в міжнародно-правову практику на рівні ООН та Ради Європи. Однією з важливих постала проблема політичного представництва інтересів меншин, яка починає регулюватися на рівні ОБСЄ з запровадженням посади Верховного Комісара у справах національних меншин. На рівні цієї інституції за участі міжнародних експертів вироблені Лундські рекомендації про ефективну участь національних меншин у суспільно-політичному житті (1999), Варшавські рекомендації щодо сприяння участі національних меншин у виборчому процесі (2001), Больцанські/Боценські рекомендації щодо національних меншин у міждержавних відносинах (2008), Люблянські рекомендації щодо інтеграції різноманітних суспільств (2012), Грацькі рекомендації щодо доступу до правосуддя і національних меншин (2017) та ін.Метою статті є висвітлення міжнародно-правового формату забезпечення ефективного політичного представництва інтересів етнічних меншин та практики їх застосування в європейських країнах. Автор розглядає три рівні політичного представництва міноритарних етнічних груп: 1) центральний (загальнодержавний); 2) регіональний та локальний (самоврядування); 3) дорадчий (консультативний).У контексті аналізу політичного представництва етнічних меншин важливу роль займає інститут етнополітичної партії. Впродовж XX – початку XXI ст. він розширив свій ареал із поліетнічних регіонів Західної Європи до країн Центральної та Південо-Східної Європи. Справедливому представництву етнічних меншин у органах влади сприяє створення одномандатних округів (Італія, Албанія та ін.), пропорційна виборча система (Фінляндія, Словаччина та ін.), преференційне голосування (Австралія), зниження відсоткового бар’єру для проходження до парламенту етнополітичних партій (Польща, Сербія та ін.). Ряд країн Європи (Боснія і Герцеговина, Косово, Хорватія, Словенія, Румунія, Угорщина) застосовують практику резервування місць у парламенті для організацій етнічних громад. Представництво меншин на рівні уряду реалізується шляхом створення спеціальних органів центральної виконавчої влади, які зазвичай представлені в структурі міністерств культури та освіти. До роботи в цих урядових інституціях залучаються представники етнічних груп. Позитивний досвід репрезентації етнічних меншин у судових і правоохоронних органах має Республіка Хорватія.Ефективна політична участь та представництво у владі етнічних меншин реалізується через функціональну систему місцевого самоврядування, яка створюється на екстериторіальній та територіальній основі. Корпоративна модель екстериторіальної автономії меншин представлена так званими саамськими парламентами на півночі Норвегії, Швеції, Фінляндії та Росії. Найбільш розповсюджна у світі персональна модель екстериторіальної автономії етнічних меншин забезпечується шляхом створення неурядових організацій. Завдяки процесам регіоналізації та децентралізації ряд етнічних громад Європи мають статус національно-територіальних автономій (Італія, Іспанія, Франція, Данія, Фінляндія, Молдова). Дорадчі (консультативні) органи слугують каналами для діалогу між державною владою та етнічними громадами в питаннях використання земельних ресурсів, житла, захисту освітніх, мовних і культурних прав. Вони формуються як на рівні уряду (Австрія), так на рівні президентської влади (Україна).Враховуючи досвід цих держав, потребують вдосконалення наступні аспекти політичної репрезентації етнічних меншин: 1) відновлення адміністративних меж угорськомовного та румунськомовного виборчих одномандатних округів; 2) перегляд законодавчої норми щодо принципів інституціоналізації етнополітичних партій; 3) застосування на регіональному та локальному рівнях пропорційної системи відкритих списків із можливістю репрезентації партій меншин у регіонах України з поліетнічним складом населення.

Abstract IA01: Clinical Trial Diversity: A Perspective from the FDA Office of Minority Health and Health Equity

Abstract The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) aims to protect and promote the health of diverse populations though research, outreach, and communication that addresses health disparities. A key priority area for FDA OMHHE is advancing racial and ethnic minority participation in clinical trials. This presentation will provide an overview of FDA OMHHE’s efforts to advance diverse participation in clinical trials and highlight FDA policy strategies that support clinical trial diversity. Citation Format: Richardae Araojo. Clinical Trial Diversity: A Perspective from the FDA Office of Minority Health and Health Equity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr IA01.

Management of chronic cardiometabolic conditions and mental health during COVID-19

Management of chronic cardiometabolic conditions and mental health during COVID-19

Exploring the Engagement of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in HIV Treatment and Vaccine Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review of Literature and Implications for Future Research.

HIV disproportionately impacts US racial and ethnic minorities but they participate in treatment and vaccine clinical trials at a lower rate than whites. To summarize barriers and facilitators to this participation we conducted a scoping review of the literature guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies published from January 2007 and September 2019 were reviewed. Thirty-one articles were identified from an initial pool of 325 records using three coders. All records were then assessed for barriers and facilitators and summarized. Results indicate that while racial and ethnic minority participation in these trials has increased over the past 10 years, rates still do not proportionately reflect their burden of HIV infection. While many of the barriers mirror those found in other disease clinical trials (e.g., cancer), HIV stigma is a unique and important barrier to participating in HIV clinical trials. Recommendations to improve recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic minorities include training health care providers on the importance of recruiting diverse participants, creating interdisciplinary research teams that better represent who is being recruited, and providing culturally competent trial designs. Despite the knowledge of how to better recruit racial and ethnic minorities, few interventions have been documented using these strategies. Based on the findings of this review, we recommend that future clinical trials engage community stakeholders in all stages of the research process through community-based participatory research approaches and promote culturally and linguistically appropriate recruitment and retention strategies for marginalized populations overly impacted by HIV.

Abstract A087: Community Research Navigators (CRN): The bridge to increasing Latino participation in clinical research

Abstract The participation of underserved ethnic minorities in biomedical research is critical to achieving progress in health equity. Increasing ethnic minority including Latino accrual in biomedical research, including clinical trials, is a formidable challenge that requires improving participant trust and commitment and overcoming of barriers to participation. Latinos make up about 18% of the US population. Yet Latinos are not adequately targeted in research studies, currently constituting only 7.6% of NIH clinical trial participants and only about 2%-5% of participants in cancer clinical trials. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has recommended patient navigation as a research strategy that may be adapted to overcome ethnic minority biomedical research and clinical trial participation barriers. City of Hope has participated in training community research navigators (CRN) to increase diversity participation. These CRNs are trained to address gaps in knowledge, medical mistrust, access to participation, and engagement of under-represented groups in biomedical research. The research navigator draws from the patient navigation and promotora model and the community-engaged research approach. CRNs' curriculum include the importance of biomedical to disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; the value to group and family participation, Clinical Trials, HIPPA, human subject protection, ethics; patient-provider communication, cost and coverage, and family communication and decision making. In total, we trained and mentored a team of 30 CRNs from our community partner Pomona's Health Promoters for increased public education and Latino participation in research. CRNs were 25-74 years old, 97% female, 96% foreign-born, and 54% < high school education. Their pre- and post-test results showed an increase in willingness to participate in research (p < .005); increase in knowledge of the importance of biomedical including clinical research (p < .000); and an increase in confidence in improving community's attitude and knowledge about clinical research (p < .000). Our findings suggest that the CRN training is effective in improving appropriate knowledge and confidence to conduct community research navigation. This approach holds the promise of utility and applicability to address barriers to research enrollment and increase Latino biomedical research participation. Citation Format: Mayra Serrano, Marisela Garcia, Rick Kittles, Kimlin Tam Ashing. Community Research Navigators (CRN): The bridge to increasing Latino participation in clinical research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A087.

Migrant Youths and YouTube Entertainment: Media Participation in Post-Migrant Finland

Recent media studies in Europe have stressed the importance of studying socie- ties’ negotiations on migration and the ability of migrants and other ethnic minorities to participate in these processes. Social media platforms have been widely praised for their openness to culturally diverse voices and representations. For minorities who have often been ignored and misrepresented in traditional media, these platforms arguably provide an empowering space where they can self-represent their identities, provide counter-representations to large and diverse audiences, and enhance their careers as media professionals. The video streaming social media platform, YouTube, is at the forefront of media participation. However, YouTube also has been criticized for promoting a highly commercialized culture of self-commodification and entertainment that maintains the status quo instead of enabling progressive social change. This study presents the results of an examination of the YouTube scene in Finland, a country with the lowest percentage of foreign-born inhabitants in Northern and Western Europe, where few YouTubers with migrant backgrounds have become increasingly visible within the last few years. Drawing on interviews with YouTubers, the study presents new insights into ethnic minority participation on YouTube and challenges binary oppositions between commercialism, entertainment and social change.

Uczestnictwo mniejszości narodowych i etnicznych w polskim życiu politycznym po 1989 roku

Participation of national and ethnic minorities in Polish political life after 1989The participation of national and ethnic minorities in Polish political life after 1989 is one of the achievements of democratic Poland. Tracing the history of minority participation in local and parliamentary elections after 1990 makes it clear that this history is dominated by the German minority. However, this does not mean that other minorities did not participate in political competition at the local, regional or national level, but rather that their participation was clearly more modest compared to the German minority. Participation in the political life of other minorities has mainly a local dimension, although these communities do not choose to participate in their own ethnic election committees. Perhaps their identity does not require confirmation in their political activities and preferences.

Workshop: Active participation of migrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities in public health research

Abstract To introduce the relevance, benefits and challenges of participatory approaches in public health research addressing issues of migrant and refugee health. Participation of stakeholders has a long tradition in fields of public health research, in particular in community-based research and health promotion. Today, increasing demands of grant agencies and policymakers in Europe challenge researchers to include stakeholders in all processes of health research. Active participation of migrants and refugees poses complex challenges for public health research including but, going beyond language problems and risks of stereotyping. The specific objectives of this workshop are: (1) to introduce current approaches for participation and their adaptability for the context of health research with migrants and refugees, (2) to explore participation in three projects that deal with issues like improving quality health care among chronically ill women with immigration background, introducing a health mediator model for refugees as well as ethical issues in participatory research with refugees and ethnic minority groups and (3) to discuss benefits and challenges of participatory approaches intended to improve health and health care services of specific groups. The workshop will start with an introduction providing a short overview of definitions and key concepts. Substantive presentations showcase three participatory projects in migrant health. A panel discussion, led by experienced moderators, with Prof Thomas Abel (PI of the MIWOCA project presented), Prof Antonio Chiarenza (WHO-HPH Task Force on Migration, Equity & Diversity, member of the Steering Committee of the EUPHA section on Migrant Health), Prof Luis Saboga-Nunes (EUPHA health promotion section) and Prof Sibel Sakarya (Department of Public Health Koç University) will address benefits and challenges of participation in migrant and refugee health research. The panel will open into a discussion to integrate audience’s experience and questions on participatory research. The workshop will be closed by the chair’s summary of lessons learnt and perspectives for future directions. Key messages Public health research for and with migrants and refugees poses basic and specific challenges. Experience with PR demonstrates the benefits of migrants’ and refugees’ active participation and the importance of adequate contextualizing of the problems and potential solutions.

A multicultural success story? Australian integration in comparative focus

Australia is often held up as an exemplary multicultural society in cross-national comparisons, particularly in relation to the integration of immigrants. Yet, this ‘grand narrative’ of Australia’s multicultural success risks an over-simplified picture of the dynamics of integration in Australia, obscuring dimensions on which Australia’s performance is comparatively poor. Juliet Pietsch’s Race, Ethnicity and the Participation Gap makes a valuable contribution to a more nuanced discussion, asking why the political participation of non-European ethnic and immigrant minorities in Australia is so low compared to Canada and the United States. This review article brings Pietsch into critical conversation with two recent books on comparative integration in North America and Western Europe: Richard Alba and Nancy Foner’s S trangers No More and Gulay Ugur Goksel’s Integration of Immigrants and the Theory of Recognition. Read alongside each other, these texts encourage deeper reflection on where Australia sits on a variety of indicators of immigrant integration as well as how integration is conceptualised in Australia. This article thus contributes to existing literature on the contemporary state of Australian multiculturalism, while also pointing towards directions for future research.

Risk perception of arsenic exposure from rice intake in a UK population

In the UK, consumption of rice and rice-based products is on the rise but, notwithstanding public expressed concerns about such products as an exposure route for arsenic (e.g., BBC News report, 2017 ‘Should I worry about arsenic in my rice?') there are few, if any published data on public perceptions of risks associated with exposure to arsenic in rice. We therefore aimed to determine the risk perception of arsenic exposure from rice intake and factors that are associated with arsenic knowledge and whether or not this knowledge had an influence on rice consumption and cooking practices. A questionnaire, targeting participation of rice-eating ethnic minorities in Greater Manchester, UK, was administered to 184 participants. A multivariate generalised linear model was used to determine the factors associated with rice consumption behaviour, cooking practices, and risk perception. We show for the first time that the general population did not associate arsenic, which they perceive as toxic to health, with rice consumption. More than half of the participants knew about arsenic as a hazardous substance but less than ten percent knew that rice consumption could be an important route of arsenic exposure. Knowledge of arsenic was significantly lower in Asian/Asian British:Pakistanis (Pakistani) (OR: 0.006; 95% CI:0.00–0.03) and Asian/Asian British:Bangladeshis (Bangladeshi) (OR: 0.064; 95% CI:0.01–0.25) compared to White:English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British (White British). Moreover, Bangladeshis consumed three times more rice (OR: 2.92; 95% CI:1.73–4.93) compared to White British. Overall higher rice consumption was not associated with higher knowledge of the nutritional value of rice. Rinsing rice before cooking, an effective arsenic removal technique, was practised by 93% of the participants; however, the most popular cooking method was the use of adequate water (rice to water ratio of 1:2) but not excess water (rice to water ratio of >1:4), the latter being more effective in removing arsenic. Better education, higher weekly expenditure on food and prior knowledge of arsenic hazard were all significant factors positively influencing a change in behaviour to reduce arsenic exposure from rice intake.

The Provincial Difference of the Arab of Neuquén during Perón’s Return to Power: Rethinking the Local Political History of Ethnic Minorities in Argentina

ABSTRACTThis article examines the efforts of Elías and Felipe Sapag to mobilise support among the local electorate of Neuquén Province, Patagonia, in the context of Perón’s return to power in Argentina in 1973. Their efforts illustrate how ethnic minorities used their identity as provincial inhabitants to cope with the context of socio-political crisis and uncertainty. From this perspective, this article introduces discussion on provincial differences into the study of ethnic minorities’ political experiences, including how the local political participation of ethnic minorities affected processes of identification in Argentina.

Abstract A25: Community research navigators: The bridge to increasing ethnic minority participation in clinical research

Abstract The participation of underserved ethnic minorities in clinical research is critical to achieving progress in cancer control. Ethnic minority patient accrual in clinical trials is a formidable challenge that requires patient trust, commitment, and overcoming of barriers. Racial and ethnic minorities make up about 40% of the United States population, yet are not well represented in research studies. Less than 10% of all patients with cancer enrolled in clinical trials are minorities. Diverse participation may lead to more generalizable results for under-represented groups, more best practices for prevention and treatment to specific minority groups, increase in knowledge and awareness of disparities about cancer, and a more accurate reflection of the United States' increasingly diverse population. Although there is a proliferation of patient navigation programs to increase health care among the underserved, there is little known on its potential effects as a strategy to enhance minority clinical trial and biospecimen accrual. City of Hope has built a functional and sustainable program for addressing health inequity, which includes training a network of community research navigators (CRN) to address gaps in knowledge, medical mistrust, and access, and navigate participation and engagement of under-represented groups in research. The research navigator program draws from the patient navigation and promotora model and is a novel and innovative application to this approach. This approach has utility and applicability to address research participation barriers, including trust and referrals. It promises sustainability and cost effectiveness as trained CRNs can deliver the program. The Community Research Navigator (CRN) project enhances community advocates' capacity by training community health leaders/promotoras as community research navigators (CRN) to widen the dissemination of the clinical trial and research participation enrollment for increased ethnic minority participation in clinical trials and health-related research. CRNs attended a 1-day training on clinical trials and research. The training included educating and encouraging individuals to proactively think about and discuss clinical trial participation with their family, friends, and health care providers; disseminating information about specific research studies, targeting the African and Latino communities; and referring individuals to specific biospecimen, clinical trials, and population studies. In total, we trained and mentored a team of 14 CRNs. Participants were 24-66 years old; most were female (86%), Latino (69%), and single (43%). After participating in the training, participants were more likely to correctly define HIPAA (p=.040) and the types of clinical trials (p=.038). In addition, CRNs were more likely to encourage clinical research participation among their family after the training (p=0.034). Further, we measured confidence in various domains, including: increase in confidence in describing the purpose and process of clinical research (p=0.006); educating minority communities about clinical trials (p=0.045); and providing informational workshops/forums on clinical research (p=0.046). Participants had an increase in overall confidence (p=.033). Our findings demonstrate that the CRN strategy holds promise in increasing minority participation in cancer clinical trials. It is an innovative application of the extensively studied patient navigation approach that warrants research. Future research should focus on the CRN project as a cost-effective tool for enrollment and retention of ethnic minorities in cancer clinical trials and the potential of enhancing clinical trial understanding outcomes among participants. Citation Format: Marisela Garcia, Mayra Serrano, Alejandro Fernandez, Katty Nerio, Kimlin Ashing. Community research navigators: The bridge to increasing ethnic minority participation in clinical research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr A25.

2.3-O3Unveiling participation of ethnic minorities and other stakeholders in heath research decision-making in Ireland

2.3-O3Unveiling participation of ethnic minorities and other stakeholders in heath research decision-making in Ireland

5.7-W1Migrant and ethnic minority participation in health decision-making: achieving inclusive participatory spaces

5.7-W1Migrant and ethnic minority participation in health decision-making: achieving inclusive participatory spaces

Participation of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Technology-Based Interventions to Self-Manage Type 2 Diabetes: A Scoping Review.

Strategies to decrease societal and cultural barriers for ethnic minorities to participate in health research are well established. However, limited data are available regarding participation of ethnic minorities in mobile and Internet technology-based interventions to self-manage type 2 diabetes where health disparities are predominant. Thus, the purpose was to understand the participation of ethnic minorities in technology-based intervention programs to manage type 2 diabetes. A scoping review was used to review a total of 21 intervention studies containing participant information about ethnic minorities and one qualitative study discussing participation of ethnic minorities. There was limited enrollment and participation of ethnic minorities. Technological barriers in addition to existing societal and cultural barriers were identified. Strategies to decrease the barriers were recommended. Technological barriers were identified on top of the societal and cultural barriers in traditional interventions. Further research to reduce the barriers is warranted.

Explaining the political under-representation of Asian Australians: geographical concentration and voting patterns

ABSTRACTIn terms of Asian Migrant and Ethnic Minority (MEM) representation, the Australian Parliament is one of the most unrepresentative when compared to other similar settler societies such as Canada and the United States. This article examines why the Australian Parliament still predominantly comprises members of parliament from British and European Backgrounds despite Australia’s rich multicultural heritage involving a long history of non-British and European migration. One of the main reasons put forward for the low participation of Asian migrant and ethnic minorities in the Australian Parliament is the lack of geographical concentration of Asian migrants and the declining importance of the ‘ethnic vote’, which in other similar settler countries has led to the selection and recruitment of MEM candidates to competitive seats. This article explores the geographical concentration of Asian migrants in competitive seats as well as voting patterns among Asian Australians using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Election Studies. In doing so, this research considers whether there is potential for the incorporation of MEM interests in the future through descriptive and substantive representation.

Evaluation of cortisol and telomere length measurements in ethnically diverse women with breast cancer using culturally sensitive methods

The under-representation of ethnic minority participants, who are more likely to be socially disadvantaged in biomedical research, limits generalizability of results and reductions in health disparities. To facilitate investigations of how social disadvantage “gets under the skin,” this pilot study evaluated low-intensity methods for collecting hair and saliva samples from multiethnic breast cancer survivors (N = 70) and analysis of biomarkers of chronic stress (cortisol levels) and biological age (telomere length). Methods allowed for easy self-collection of hair (for cortisol) and saliva (for telomere lengths) samples that were highly stable for shipment and long-term storage. Measuring cortisol in hair as a biomarker of chronic stress was found to overcome many of the limitations of salivary cortisol measurements, and the coefficient of variation obtained using an ELISA-based approach to measure cortisol was within acceptable standards (16%). Telomere length measurements obtained using a qPCR approach had a coefficient of variation of <10% when the DNA extracted from the saliva biospecimens was of sufficient quantity and quality (84%). The overall response rate was 47%; rates were 32% for African-Americans, 39% for Latinas, 40% for Asians, and 82% for non-Latina Whites. Self-collection of hair and saliva overcame cultural and logistical barriers associated with collection of blood. Results support the use of these biospecimen collection and analysis methods among ethnically diverse and disadvantaged populations to identify biopsychosocial pathways of health disparities. Our tools should stimulate research to better understand how social disadvantage “gets under the skin” and increase participation of ethnic minorities in biomedical research.