Health Disparities In Populations Research Articles

Exploring Stigma and Black Mental Health on Twitter

Studies have shown that normalizing conversations about mental health on social media can influence behavior and reduce mental health disparities in minority populations. Using a computational analysis of 169,936 publicly available tweets, this study sought to examine how social media users communicate about Black mental health on Twitter, and who is adding to the conversations surrounding mental health. Findings provide evidence of mental health awareness frames being the most prevalent in the data, and although treatment frames have been shown to reduce stigma, terms related to mental health treatment were not as prevalent. Findings also suggest that mental health conversations are framed in the context of historical trauma and injustice and its impact on the mental health of Black communities. Despite celebrities, influencers, and mental health providers having a positive influence on mental health behaviors, results show that everyday individuals were the majority contributing to mental health conversations. The findings suggest the need for culturally and politically appropriate mental health interventions and assessments and discusses implications for the immersion of mental health providers in Black digital spaces.

Race and Ethnicity, Racism, and Population Health in the United States: The Straightforward, the Complex, Innovations, and the Future

For far too long, U.S. racialized groups have experienced human suffering and loss of life far too often and early. Thus, it is critical that the population sciences community does its part to improve the science, education, and policy in this area of study and help to eliminate ethnoracial disparities in population health. My 2022 PAA Presidential Address focuses on race and ethnicity, racism, and U.S. population health in the United States and is organized into five sections. First, I provide a descriptive overview of ethnoracial disparities in U.S. population health. Second, I emphasize the often overlooked scientific value of such descriptive work and demonstrate how such seemingly straightforward description is complicated by issues of population heterogeneity, time and space, and the complexity of human health. Third, I make the case that the population sciences have generally been far too slow in incorporating the role of racism into explanations for ethnoracial health disparities and lay out a conceptual framework for doing so. Fourth, I discuss how my research team is designing, collecting, and disseminating data for the scientific community that will have potential to, among many other purposes, create a better understanding of ethnoracial health disparities and the role of racism in producing such disparities. Finally, I close by suggesting some policy- and education-related efforts that are needed to address racism and population health within U.S. institutions.

0142 Too tired to sleep: A social-ecological exploration of insomnia in Appalachian women

Abstract Introduction Appalachian Kentucky contains numerous “hotspots” of insufficient sleep where 25-58% of adults report insufficient sleep 15+/30 nights. Insomnia, a leading cause of insufficient sleep, is present at higher-than-average rates among the NIH-designed health disparity population of Appalachian adults. Given the strong, bi-directional relationship between sleep and health, a better understanding of insomnia in this population is critical. This study focuses on the gender (women) and age group (45+) at highest risk of insomnia and builds on previous qualitative work exploring the intersections of gender and sleep. Methods Participants (N=46) were Appalachian females ages 45+ who self-reported difficulty falling/staying asleep ≥3 nights a week for ≥3 months and used prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids ≥3 months. Semi-structured telephone interviews were recorded with permission and professionally transcribed. The social-ecological model of sleep served as an interpretive framework. We used a multi-stage, inductive coding process informed by grounded theory and aided by NVIVO 12.0 software. Results Participants most commonly cited social-level issues as insomnia-initiating and perpetuating factors. Caregiving, loss of loved ones, and trauma were prevalent, and often experienced simultaneously. For instance, the death of a child resulted in several participants raising their grandchildren. Caregiving stress, and bed-sharing with, grandchildren perpetuated insomnia. Regional and societal norms (e.g., kinship and gender norms) exacerbated participants’ stressors. Secondarily, women cited a combination of individual-level (e.g., menopause) and/or societal-level (e.g., using technology before bed) insomnia factors. Conclusion Our findings illuminate social processes, social structures, and individual-level factors that contribute to the initiation and perpetuation of insomnia among middle-aged Appalachian women. Our data support previous findings that women in this region are more likely than their non-Appalachian peers to raise their grandchildren, while highlighting this kinship arrangement’s insomnia contributions. These insights may aid health care providers and policy makers aiming to address sleep disparities among the health disparity population of rural Appalachian women. Support (if any) Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Program (NIDA K12DA035150); Igniting Research Collaborations Grant (University of Kentucky [UK] College of Pharmacy); UK Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (UL1TROO1998).

Development of Iron Status Measures during Youth: Associations with Sex, Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status, Cognitive Performance, and Brain Structure

BackgroundIron is essential to brain function, and iron deficiency during youth may adversely impact neurodevelopment. Understanding the developmental time course of iron status and its association with neurocognitive functioning is important for identifying windows for intervention. ObjectivesThis study aimed to characterize developmental change in iron status and understand its association with cognitive performance and brain structure during adolescence using data from a large pediatric health network. MethodsThis study included a cross-sectional sample of 4899 participants (2178 males; aged 8–22 y at the time of participation, M [SD] = 14.24 [3.7]) who were recruited from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia network. Prospectively collected research data were enriched with electronic medical record data that included hematological measures related to iron status, including serum hemoglobin, ferritin, and transferrin (33,015 total samples). At the time of participation, cognitive performance was assessed using the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery, and brain white matter integrity was assessed using diffusion-weighted MRI in a subset of individuals. ResultsDevelopmental trajectories were characterized for all metrics and revealed that sex differences emerged after menarche such that females had reduced iron status relative to males [all R2partial > 0.008; all false discovery rates (FDRs) < 0.05]. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with higher hemoglobin concentrations throughout development (R2partial = 0.005; FDR < 0.001), and the association was greatest during adolescence. Higher hemoglobin concentrations were associated with better cognitive performance during adolescence (R2partial = 0.02; FDR < 0.001) and mediated the association between sex and cognition (mediation effect = −0.107; 95% CI: −0.191, −0.02). Higher hemoglobin concentration was also associated with greater brain white matter integrity in the neuroimaging subsample (R2partial = 0.06, FDR = 0.028). ConclusionsIron status evolves during youth and is lowest in females and individuals of low socioeconomic status during adolescence. Diminished iron status during adolescence has consequences for neurocognition, suggesting that this critical period of neurodevelopment may be an important window for intervention that has the potential to reduce health disparities in at-risk populations.

Access to definitive treatment and survival for intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer at hospital systems serving health disparity populations.

Although socioeconomic and racial disparities in prostate cancer (CaP) have been attributed to patient-level and physician-level factors, there is growing interest in investigating the role of the facility of care in driving cancer disparities. We sought to examine the receipt of guideline-concordant definitive treatment, time to treatment initiation (TTI), and overall survival (OS) for men with CaP receiving care at hospital systems serving health disparity populations (HSDPs). We retrospective analyzed the National Cancer Database (2004-2016). We identified men with intermediate-risk or high-risk CaP eligible for definitive treatment. The primary outcomes were receipt of definitive treatment and TTI within 90 days of diagnosis. The secondary outcome was OS. We defined HSDPs as minority-serving hospitals-facilities in the highest decile of proportion of non-Hispanic Black (NHB) or Hispanic cancer patients-and/or high-burden safety-net hospitals-facilities in the highest quartile of proportion of underinsured patients. We used mixed-effect models with facility-level random intercept to compare outcomes between HSDPs and non-HSDPs among the entire cohort and among men who received definitive treatment. We included 968 non-HSDPs (72.2%) and 373 HSDPs (27.8%) facilities. Treatment at HSDPs was associated with lower adjusted odds of receipt of definitive treatment (aOR 0.64; 95% CI 0.57-0.71; P < 0.001), lower odds of TTI within 90 days of diagnosis (aOR 0.74; 95% CI 0.68-0.79; P < 0.001), and worse OS (aHR 1.05; 95% CI 1.02-1.09; P = .003) when accounting for covariates. However, no difference was found in OS if patients received definitive treatment (aHR 1.03; 95% CI 0.99-1.07; P = 0.1). NHB men at HSDPs had worse outcomes than NHB men treated at non-HSDPs as well as NHW men treated at HSDPs. Patients treated at HSDPs were less likely to receive timely definitive treatment and had worse OS, independent of their race. NHB men have worse outcomes than NHW at HSDPs. Thus, NHB men with CaP are doubly disadvantaged since they are more likely to be treated at hospitals with worse outcomes and have worse outcomes than other patients at those same institutions.

A Descriptive Look at the Mental Health Literacy of Student-Athletes

Mental health literacy (MHL) is a significant component in understanding mental health disparities in vulnerable populations. Due to the unique structure and pressures of American college sport, attention to student-athletes’ MHL is critical, especially now that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is requiring member institutions to offer mental health services to their athletes. Utilizing online surveys of both athletes ( N = 205) and non-athlete students ( N = 205), this paper offers a descriptive look at the MHL of student-athletes. We found that both athletes and non-athlete students had above average levels of MHL, but high rates of mental health stigma. With a foundation in contact theory, the paper provides recommendations on how to utilize student-athletes’ mental health knowledge to decrease mental health stigma and increase MHL campus wide.

Inequities in Medically Assisted Reproduction: a Scoping Review.

Infertility has a high prevalence in the USA and health inequities play a large role in access to medically assisted reproduction (MAR). The aim of this study was to identify gaps in research pertaining to inequities in MAR and propose suggestions for future research directions. Searches were performed using MEDLINE and Ovid Embase. Articles that reported on MAR inequities, published between 2016 and 2021 in the USA, and written in English were included. The inequities investigated were adapted from the NIH-designated health disparities populations. Each article's inequity findings were extracted and reported, along with frequencies of inequities. Our sample included 66 studies. The majority of the studies investigated MAR outcomes by race/ethnicity and found that historically marginalized populations had poorer outcomes. LGBTQ + populations were less likely to use MAR or seek infertility care. Most studies found positive correlations with MAR use with income and education. The least commonly studied inequities in our sample were sex and/or gender and rural/under-resourced populations; findings showed that men and people from rural/under-resourced populations were less likely to access MAR. Studies that examined occupational status had varying findings. We suggest that future research be targeted toward: (1) standardizing and diversifying race/ethnicity reporting regarding MAR, (2) the use of community-based participatory research to increase data for LGBTQ + patients, and (3) increasing access to infertility care for men.

221 Factors Influencing COVID-19 Testing among American Indians and Latinos in Two Rural Agricultural Communities: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Despite efforts to improve COVID-19 health outcomes through testing and vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 has exacerbated health disparities in underserved populations. Through this study we examined socio-contextual factors impacting decisions to test for COVID-19 among Native Americans in the Flathead Reservation and Hispanics in the Yakima Valley. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A series of 28 key informant interviews and 6 focus groups (N=39 focus group participants) were completed with community and tribal leaders using an interview guide informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Social Contextual Factor Frameworks. The interview guide was designed to examine the socio-contextual factors impacting decisions to test for COVID-19 among Native Americans and Hispanics in the Northwest. A codebook was developed to apply deductive coding to informant responses, followed by an inductive, constant comparison approach. Three analysts met to refine the codebook and conduct inter-rater agreement. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Five themes (social, cultural, health, religious and political factors) were identified that impacted testing for COVID-19. For social factors, participants discussed the influence of families and friends and unfair employment practices influencing decisions to test. Cultural factors included deep rooted distrust for the government and historical trauma. Health factors participants reported included the importance of testing to save lives, distrust for medical system, and health communications around COVID-19 affecting decisions to test. There was some interaction between religious and political factors. While participants mentioned beliefs in putting things in God’s hands, some decisions to test seemed to be affected by their political views. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Several socio-cultural factors influence decisions to test for COVID-19. Understanding the community’s perception of COVID-19 testing is critical for successful implementation of preventive strategies.

It's time for the NIH to formally designate people with disabilities as a US health disparity population

This commentary discusses the implications of the report and recommendations of the Working Group on Diversity's Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities, recently endorsed by the full Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We suggest that one of these recommendations, the formal designation of people with disabilities as a US health disparity population, can be enacted immediately, which would spur new federal investment in disability-based disparities research.

Bibliometric analysis of published research on pediatric health disparities

This study aimed to examine the current evidence in the medical literature on health disparities in the pediatric population. A bibliometric analysis of published research focused on health disparities in pediatric patients was conducted to analyze publication trends. A search of the Scopus database was conducted using keywords that were determined to be appropriate by the authors. This analysis helps determine which pediatric subspecialties may be lacking in health disparity research. A total of 2,380 publications from 1979 to 2021 met the inclusion criteria using the keywords “pediatric health disparities.” The number of articles published increased over the observation period, with 679 published between 2020-2021. When grouped by subspecialty, the majority of articles were associated with general pediatrics, followed by oncology, cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, and urology. When organized by health disparity risk factor or population, socioeconomics was the most common followed by race, urban, gender, rural, mental disability, physical disability, gender identity, religion and sexual orientation. The United States published more articles than any other country. The National Institute of Health has funded the majority of pediatric health disparities research. Pediatrics was found to be the leading journal of pediatric health disparity research. Research on pediatric health disparities is most frequently published in the United States, and is most focused on socioeconomics in a primary care setting. There is a large gap of research conducted in pediatric subspecialties, and on health disparities such as religion, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity.

Commentary] Building a digital republic to reduce health disparities and improve population health in the United States

Income, schooling, and healthcare are key ingredients for health, but most government programs that are designed to provide these social benefits are difficult to access, target those least in need, and carry enormous administrative costs. Benefits such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Medicaid are difficult to enroll in, so only those who have the cognitive capacity to navigate the application process receive those benefits. The bureaucracies of welfare programs also increase the cost of administering the program. Redundancies in welfare programs also mean that there are redundant bureaucracies. In this commentary, we discuss a novel method for improving health while also improving privacy, reducing fraud, and improving data system compatibility. Specifically, we propose a digital identity credential that allows for the creation of a “digital republic” in which enrollment in social benefits can be automated, and the benefits can be targeted to those most in need. While there are large potential population health and health disparities benefits that could arise from a digital republic, more empirical work is needed to understand the extent to which nations have benefited from digital identity programs in the past and the political economy associated with implementing such programs.

‘You have to trust their word’: transmasculine experiences with sex partners and safety during the early COVID-19 outbreak

The early months of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic exacerbated health disparities for vulnerable populations, including transgender (trans) communities, creating unique challenges for navigating sex and dating. This paper aims to expand upon the current literature regarding transmasculine populations by capturing their lived experiences during this critical time. We interviewed 20 assigned female sex at birth (AFAB) adults of the transmasculine spectrum - men, nonbinary, and transmasculine individuals - about their social and sexual experiences in the USA in May and June 2020. Transcripts were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. We found that sex drive decreased and uncertainty about health risks increased. Some participants found alternate ways to date and hook-up that reduced their COVID-19 risk, such as engaging in online sex (e.g. sexting, dating apps). Others expressed discomfort using virtual platforms for both personal/work and sexual lives, along with nuanced feelings around being objectified, compared to pornography, and fetishised as trans bodies. COVID-related shutdowns of queer spaces also amplified pre-existing concerns about interpersonal safety and rejection. When seeking new partners, participants sought behavioural characteristics that instilled trust. Future public health communications can take advantage of safety and sexual health strategies already present in trans communities to bolster wellbeing in trans lives.

Extending health care access via telemedicine in public libraries.

Despite the potential for telemedicine in public libraries to expand health care access to those living a long distance from care and in broadband poor areas, there are few libraries that collaborate with providers to extend access. To explore licensed health care providers' perspectives on telemedicine in public libraries as a method of improving equitable access to care for populations lacking the ability to connect to telemedicine from home. We used a two-phase explanatory sequential mixed methods design with a quantitative strand followed by a qualitative strand. Surveys were analyzed descriptively. Interviews were analyzed thematically using descriptive content analysis. Of the 50 survey respondents, 13 were physicians and 36 were nurse practitioners (NPs); 12 NPs were interviewed. NPs were overwhelmingly supportive of telemedicine in public libraires, describing how connecting at-risk populations to a video visit (VV) allowed for a more thorough and accurate assessment than a phone call. Although several NPs were concerned with privacy, others considered a library to be more private than the home. Interviews revealed how chronic illness management may be the ideal visit type for public library-based telemedicine. Given the importance of expanding access sites for telemedicine, NPs should consider partnering with libraries in their catchment areas where broadband access is sparse and patients must travel long distances to care. Managing chronic illnesses using telemedicine in public libraries may be an important approach toward reducing health disparities in populations who live in long distances from care and do not have home-based internet access.

Increasing Access to a Diverse Mental Health Workforce Through Emergency Reciprocity Licensure

ABSTRACTNew Jersey's COVID-19 Temporary Emergency Reciprocity Licensure Program provided temporary licenses to more than 31000 out-of-state healthcare practitioners, over a quarter of whom were mental health providers. As the need for mental health care accelerated during the pandemic, especially among health disparity populations, expanding mental health provider pools may be a critical tool to increase access to care. In January 2021, we surveyed New Jersey's temporary licensees. We analyzed over 4500 mental health provider responses to examine the impact of the temporary licensure program on access to mental health care overall and on enhancing a diverse mental health workforce. Over 3700 respondents used their temporary license to provide mental health care to New Jersey patients. About 7% of respondents self-identified as Hispanic, 12% Black, 6% Asian, 1% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0% (more than 5) Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. They treated about 30100 New Jersey patients, 40% of whom were new to the provider, and 81% delivered care exclusively using telehealth. Respondents conversed with patients in at least 13 languages. About 53% served at least one patient from an underserved racial/ethnic minority group. Our findings suggest that temporary out-of-state mental health providers helped enhance mental health care continuity and access.

State-Level Trends in Lifespan Variability in the United States, 1960–2019: A Research Note

State-level disparities in life expectancy are wide, persistent, and potentially growing in the United States. However, the extent to which differences in lifespan variability by state have changed over time is unclear. This research note describes trends in lifespan variability for the United States overall and by state from 1960 to 2019 using period life table data from the United States Mortality Database. Lifespan disparity at birth (e0†) decreased over time in the United States overall from 14.0 years in 1960-1964 to 12.2 in 2015-2019. Lifespan variability decreased in all states, but states differed in the level and pace with which these changes occurred. Southern states and the District of Columbia exhibited consistently higher (i.e., less equitable) levels of lifespan variability than the nation overall. Conversely, lifespan variability was lower among several states in the Northeast (e.g., Connecticut and Massachusetts), Upper Midwest (e.g., Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), and West (e.g., California, Oregon, Utah, and Washington). We observe a particularly worrisome trend of increasing lifespan variability for the United States overall and for most states from 2010-2014 to 2015-2019. Monitoring state-level trends in lifespan variability has the potential to inform policies designed to ameliorate population health disparities.

People with disability and privacy in precision medicine research: what’s at stake?

Re-identification from data used in precision medicine research is presumed to create minimal risk but may disproportionately impact health disparity populations. We consider plausible privacy risks and the negative ramifications thereof for people with disabilities, the largest health disparity population in the USA, and suggest measures to address these concerns.

Explaining socioeconomic disparities in electoral participation: The role of health in the SES-voting relationship

The substantial gap in electoral participation between upper and lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups has long been a vexing problem for modern democracies and one that demands explanation. Following separate bodies of scholarship that suggest (1) socioeconomic disadvantage diminishes health and (2) poor health demobilizes eligible voters, this paper proposes that health serves as a pathway through which social inequality manifests in disparities in electoral participation. This paper tests this hypothesis by analyzing U.S. presidential election data, in which structural equation modeling was used to decompose the association between SES and turnout, through health. Results show that health mediates approximately 20% of the relationship between SES and electoral participation. These findings imply a political explanation for the endurance of population health disparities; they may self-sustain by disproportionately limiting the political voice of the disadvantaged, for whom more egalitarian social and health policy would be most beneficial.

Longitudinal associations between allostatic load, pet ownership, and socioeconomic position among U.S. adults aged 50+

It is hypothesized that pets provide benefits to human health by buffering the deleterious effects of stress, but varying exposure to chronic stress via social position is rarely considered in these conceptual and empirical models. Allostatic load is an index of biological and physical measures that represents cumulative wear and tear on the body via chronic stress exposure. In this study, we use the 2006–2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal panel survey of adults aged 50+ in the United States, to test whether and to what extent pet ownership has an impact on allostatic load, and whether pet ownership moderates the effects of socioeconomic position on allostatic load. Linear mixed effects regression models revealed that pet owners had significantly lower allostatic load scores than those who do not own pets; however, after adjusting for socioeconomic position (i.e., wealth, education, race, ethnicity, gender, marital status), the effect of pet ownership was no longer significant. We estimated a series of models stratified by sociodemographic groups to test moderation effects. Among those who had a high school education, pet owners had lower allostatic load scores, whereas among those who had attended some college, pet owners had higher scores. Among those who were aged 80+, pet owners had higher scores than those who did not own pets. These findings suggest that the magnitude of the effect of pet ownership on allostatic load may not be sufficient to counteract experiences of high chronic stress as experienced by lower-status groups. Supporting the human-animal bond may contribute to improving older adult population health if paired with efforts to address the underlying causes of population health disparities.

Exploring TGE Young Adults’ Experiences Seeking Health Information and Healthcare

The number of young adults who identify as transgender or gender expansive is rapidly growing in the U.S. Due to this rapid growth, healthcare providers are not properly informed on how to provide culturally competent healthcare and mental healthcare for this population. The sexual and gender-minority population has already been identified as a health-disparity population by the National Institutes of Health, so this lack of provider knowledge may add to the current health disparities of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+). In this research, we asked how young people who identify as transgender or gender expansive (TGE) seek information related to their health, mental health, and well-being and to understand how they connect to necessary resources to meet their healthcare needs. Participants responded to an online survey which included open-ended questions, and shared how they seek healthcare information and determine if that information is trustworthy. They also shared their own healthcare experiences and recommendations for their peers as they seek health and mental healthcare. Results indicate that many barriers to care still exist and that providers, agencies, and systems still have much work to do to meet the needs of this population.

Abstract B120: Identifying cancer disparities research gaps in NCORP: A pilot portfolio analysis

Abstract Background/Purpose: Clinical trials offer an underutilized platform to address health disparities. Most disparities-related work in clinical trials has focused on improving patient diversity, rather than on the research questions to reduce disparities. Within the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), a large community-based clinical trials network, cancer disparities research incorporates the needs of diverse populations across its scientific portfolio of cancer control, symptom science, prevention, and care delivery studies. The objective of this portfolio analysis was to pilot a process to identify disparities-focused studies and related research gaps. Methods: We identified NCORP studies approved between August 2014-April 2021 with a focus on NIH health disparity and NCORP populations of interest (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, rural residents, older adults, adolescent/young adults). After screening study titles and aims, studies were included if they focused exclusively on cancer disparities (primary aim) or had a disparities-related aim in studies with a broader focus (secondary aim). Coders abstracted study protocols across NCORP research areas, study-, cancer- and disparities-related characteristics. Coding disagreements were discussed until agreement. Descriptive statistics are reported. Results: The search identified 101 NCORP approved studies, of which 31% (n=31) were deemed disparities-focused. Most disparities-focused studies had primary disparities aims (n=26); fewer had secondary disparities aims (n=5). Sixty-five percent focused on populations underrepresented in clinical trials (9 older adults, 8 AYAs, and 3 other underserved), and 35% focused on health disparity populations (7 racial/ethnic minorities, 2 rural, and 2 socioeconomically disadvantaged). Most studies were available to English-speaking patients only (n=17), with Spanish the most common language accommodation (n=9). By NCORP scientific scope, 20 studies assessed patients’ quality of life, cancer-related or treatment-related symptoms; fewer addressed care delivery (n=8), prevention (n=1), or other topics (n=2). The most common outcome was adverse events or toxicity (n=6) and studies mostly included patients in active (n=19) versus post-treatment (n=10). Study designs were observational (n=15) or interventional (n=16) and examined individual (n=14), interpersonal (n=15) or multiple domains of influence (n=2). Conclusion: Through this pilot we defined a process to identify and describe NCORP disparities focused research and assessed related gaps. Over 30% of studies in the pilot had a primary disparities aim and focused on several populations of interest. Preliminary recommendations based on this pilot include strategies to increase secondary disparities approaches, disparities focused cancer prevention and care delivery research, studies examining multiple domains of influence, and expansion of language availability. NCORP’s strong infrastructure will build on this work to enhance the portfolio of disparities research in the community setting. Citation Format: Brenda A. Adjei, Manami Bhattacharya, Diane St. Germain, Alexis Bakos, Worta McCaskill-Stevens. Identifying cancer disparities research gaps in NCORP: A pilot portfolio analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B120.