Racial Inequality Research Articles

Are Large-Scale Data From Private Companies Reliable? An Analysis of Machine-Generated Business Location Data in a Popular Dataset

Large-scale data from private companies offer new opportunities to examine topics of scientific and social significance, such as racial inequality, partisan polarization, and activity-based segregation. However, because such data are often generated through automated processes, their accuracy and reliability for social science research remain unclear. The present study examines how quality issues in large-scale data from private companies can afflict the reporting of even ostensibly uncomplicated values. We assess the reliability with which an often-used device tracking data source, SafeGraph, sorted data it acquired on financial institutions into categories, such as banks and payday lenders, based on a standard classification system. We find major classification problems that vary by type of institution, and remarkably high rates of unidentified closures and duplicate records. We suggest that classification problems can affect research based on large-scale private data in four ways: detection, efficiency, validity, and bias. We discuss the implications of our findings, and list a set of problems researchers should consider when using large-scale data from companies.

Racial and Gender Inequality as a (Non)Crisis: The Discursive Strategies of Academic-Managers in Belgian and Danish universities

This study investigates academic-managers’ understanding of gender and racial inequality in Belgian and Danish universities. Employing Sylvia Walby’s and Janet Roitman’s crisis concept, findings show that academic-managers use three discursive strategies of justification that are inherently tied to a noncrisis narrative. By justifying gender and racial inequality as a) ‘normal’ in academia through a meritocratic-neoliberal approach, b) considering it a matter that needs to be resolved ‘higher up’, and c) using a politics of time to relegate inequality to the past and equality to the future, they exempt themselves from dealing with gender and racial inequality. Crisis talk appears when gender inequality may harm the institution’s reputation. We conclude by advocating for a shift from a language of diversity to a language of crisis. Framing gender and racial inequality as a crisis evokes a sense of urgency to foster inclusion and diversity in research and innovation.

Avoiding Shots in the Dark: Learning from the Past To Inform the Implementation of Long-Acting Injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Black American Cisgender Women.

The FDA's approval of long-acting injectable cabotegravir pre-exposure prophylaxis (LAI PrEP) as an alternative to daily oral PrEP represents a crucial development in HIV prevention, particularly for American Black cisgender women who face high HIV-1 risks. Yet, uptake may be hindered by racial and gender inequities. Addressing these requires learning from the roll-out of oral PrEP, creating culturally tailored PrEP campaigns, and enhancing provider training to meet Black women's needs. Tools for discussing PrEP within personal relationships and product preference research tailored to Black women's needs are essential for effective LAI PrEP delivery. Deliberative implementation of LAI PrEP must employ strategies that are community-sensitive, -responsive, and -inclusive. It should prioritize the incorporation of Black women's voices in decision-making and should promote community-led strategies. By addressing historical injustices and fostering trust, healthcare systems can enhance LAI PrEP uptake by Black women. Emphasizing a community-centered approach that ensures health equity and acknowledges the crucial role that social media and Black-led organizations play in promoting PrEP awareness and adoption within Black communities is necessary for successful implementation.

Perception of Racial Inequalities and Health Disparities Among Black Neurologists in the USA (S14.004)

Perception of Racial Inequalities and Health Disparities Among Black Neurologists in the USA (S14.004)

Postpartum care for parent-infant dyads: A community midwifery model.

Postpartum health is in crisis in the United States, with rising pregnancy-related mortality and worsening racial inequities. The World Health Organization recommends four postpartum visits during the 6 weeks after childbirth, yet standard postpartum care in the United States is generally one visit 6 weeks after birth. We present community midwifery postpartum care in the United States as a model concordant with World Health Organization guidelines, describing this model of care and its potential to improve postpartum health for birthing people and babies. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 community midwives providing care in birth centers and home settings in Oregon and California. A multidisciplinary team analyzed data using reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 24 participants were Certified Professional Midwives; 10 were certified nurse-midwives. A total of 14 midwives identified as people of color. Most spoke multiple languages. We describe six key elements of the community midwifery model of postpartum care: (1) multiple visits, including home visits; typically five to eight over six weeks postpartum; (2) care for the parent-infant dyad; (3) continuity of personalized care; (4) relationship-centered care; (5) planning and preparation for postpartum; and (6) focus on postpartum rest. The community midwifery model of postpartum care is a guideline-concordant approach to caring for the parent-infant dyad and may address rising pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality in the United States.

Racially minoritised students’ strategies for navigating and resisting racism in higher education

ABSTRACT For years now racially minoritised people have entered UK Higher Education (HE) at higher rates than their white peers and, in recent years, recognition of race inequality in the sector has been growing. Despite this, institutional racism and whiteness continue to underpin UK HE. A growing body of work centres the experiences of racially minoritised students and considers how they experience racism and whiteness in HE. Less scholarly attention has been paid to how students respond to and resist racism and whiteness. As such, this article draws attention to racially minoritised students’ agency and the strategies they develop and deploy to navigate and resist racism in HE. In so doing, it challenges deficit discourses that suggest that racially minoritised students lack the capital required to survive in the academy. Second, through exploring students’ agency and resistance, it reveals the weight of institutional whiteness in HE.

Reconceptualizing Parents as Policy Agents Within Special Education

Existing research on the implementation of special education (SE) has consistently documented racial inequities in the law’s implementation. We present a new theoretical framework to guide future research. SE law requires parents to act as initiators, developers, and enforcers in the implementation of SE policy. Drawing from law and society research, we demonstrate how the law’s design contributes to structural inequalities because it conscripts parents to work as policy agents. Parents may not be adequately resourced for their role, which contributes to inequalities and makes structural changes difficult. We argue that this framework may shift approaches to research within and beyond SE, helping to reorient approaches to understanding parents’ roles and the reproduction of inequities within educational policy implementation.

Racial And Ethnic Inequities In Postpartum Depressive Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Care In 7 US Jurisdictions.

Understanding whether racial and ethnic inequities exist along the postpartum mental health care continuum is vital because inequitable identification of depression can lead to inequitable referral to and receipt of care. We aimed to expand on existing cross-sectional and single-state data documenting potential racial and ethnic disparities in postpartum depression care. Using early (from two to six months) and late (from twelve to fourteen months) postpartum survey data from seven US jurisdictions, we documented patterns of early postpartum depressive symptoms, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) diagnosis, and receipt of postpartum mental health care overall and by racial and ethnic identity. Of 4,542 people who delivered live births in 2020, 11.8percent reported early postpartum depressive symptoms. Among the sample with these symptoms, only 25.4percent reported receiving a PMAD diagnosis, and 52.8percent reported receiving some form of postpartum mental health care. There were no significant differences in diagnosis by race and ethnicity. Respondents identifying as Asian; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern, or North African; Hispanic; and non-Hispanic Black were significantly less likely than non-Hispanic White respondents to receive mental health care, demonstrating stark inequities in the management of postpartum depressive symptoms. Policies mandating and reimbursing universal postpartum depression screening, facilitating connection to care, reducing insurance coverage gaps, and enhancing clinician training in culturally responsive care may promote equitable postpartum mental health care.

Prison or treatment? Gender, racial, and ethnic inequities in mental health care utilization and criminal justice history among incarcerated persons with borderline and antisocial personality disorders.

Borderline and antisocial personality disorders are characterized by pervasive psychosocial impairment, disproportionate criminal justice involvement, and high mental health care utilization. Although some evidence suggests that systemic bias may contribute to demographic inequities in criminal justice and mental health care among persons experiencing these mental health conditions, no research to date has explicitly examined such differences. Women and White persons would be more likely to endorse internalizing symptoms and have a more extensive history of mental health service utilization, whereas men, persons from minoritized racial groups, and persons identifying as Hispanic/Latino would be more likely to endorse externalizing symptoms and have more extensive histories of involvement with the criminal justice system. This study examined gender, racial, and ethnic differences in symptom presentation, criminal justice history, and mental health care utilization in a sample of 314 adults with comorbid borderline and antisocial personality disorders enrolled in prison-based substance use treatment programs in the United States. Results suggested that men with these personality disorders were more likely to have early extensive criminal justice involvement, whereas women and White people had more extensive mental health treatment histories. Women were also more likely to endorse a range of internalizing symptoms, and White and non-Hispanic participants were more likely to endorse a history of reckless behavior. Notably, however, many associations-particularly, racial differences in symptom presentation and mental health utilization history and gender differences in symptom presentation-did not persist after we controlled for preincarceration employment and educational attainment. Results highlight a range of gender, racial, and ethnic inequities in criminal justice involvement and mental health utilization among this high-risk high-need population. Findings attest to the likely impact of societal, structural, and systemic factors on trajectories of persons affected by this comorbidity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of daily discrimination on naturalistic sleep health features in young adults.

Racial inequities in sleep health are well documented and may be partially attributable to discrimination experiences. However, the effects of acute discrimination experiences on same-night sleep health are understudied. We quantified naturalistic discrimination experiences captured using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and examined whether reporting discrimination on a given day predicted sleep health that night. Participants completed baseline assessments and a 17-day EMA protocol, with text prompts delivered four times daily to collect discrimination experiences. Seven different daily sleep characteristics were ascertained each morning. Discrimination reasons (e.g., because of my racial identity) were reported by participants and categorized into any, racial, or nonracial discrimination. Outcomes included the seven sleep diary characteristics. We fit generalized linear mixed effects models for each sleep outcome and discrimination category, controlling for key covariates. The analytic sample included 116 self-identified Black and White individuals (48% Black, 71% assigned female at birth, average age = 24.5 years). Among Black participants, race-based discrimination was associated with a 0.5-hr reduction in total sleep time (TST). Among White individuals, nonracial discrimination was associated with a 0.6-hr reduction in TST, an earlier sleep offset, and reduced sleep efficiency (partly attributable to more nighttime awakenings). Young adults may sleep worse on nights after experiencing discrimination, and different types of discrimination affect different sleep outcomes for Black and White individuals. Future studies may consider developing treatments that account for different sleep vulnerabilities for people experiencing discrimination on a given day. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Teacher Salaries and Racial Inequality in Educational Attainment in the Midcentury South

Teacher Salaries and Racial Inequality in Educational Attainment in the Midcentury South

Necessary, burdensome, or threatening? Awareness of Black-White disparities in health care access and self-rated health for Black and White Americans.

Awareness of racial health care inequities is one prerequisite to eliminating them. Although extant research has described awareness of racial health care inequities in the United States, the health impacts of such awareness on communities that are most impacted by these inequities remains unknown. Therefore, we examined associations between awareness of Black-White racial health care inequities and self-rated health for Black and White adults in the United States. We used survey data from non-Hispanic Black and White participants (N = 6,449) who responded to the national American Health Values Survey (2015-2016) to test associations between awareness of Black-White inequities in health care and self-rated health. Accurate awareness of health care inequities was associated with 47% higher odds of poorer self-rated health for Black individuals. Inaccurate awareness was associated with 36% higher odds of poorer self-rated health for White individuals. Accurate awareness may be adaptive, yet place an additional burden on Black individuals. Inaccurate awareness may harm White individuals' health. Health care system changes and alleviation of racism-related stress may be preventive supports for the health of Black individuals. Accurate awareness should be a goal for White individuals, not only to prevent health risks, but to also facilitate structural change for racial equity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluating spatial inequity in last-mile delivery: a national analysis

PurposeDespite large bodies of research related to the impacts of e-commerce on last-mile logistics and sustainability, there has been limited effort to evaluate urban freight using an equity lens. Therefore, this study proposes a modeling framework that enables researchers and planners to estimate the baseline equity performance of a major e-commerce platform and evaluate equity impacts of possible urban freight management strategies. The study also analyzes the sensitivity of various operational decisions to mitigate bias in the analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe model adapts empirical methodologies from activity-based modeling, transport equity evaluation, and residential freight trip generation (RFTG) to estimate person- and household-level delivery demand and cargo van traffic exposure in 41 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).FindingsEvaluating 12 measurements across varying population segments and spatial units, the study finds robust evidence for racial and socio-economic inequities in last-mile delivery for low-income and, especially, populations of color (POC). By the most conservative measurement, POC are exposed to roughly 35% more cargo van traffic than white populations on average, despite ordering less than half as many packages. The study explores the model’s utility by evaluating a simple scenario that finds marginal equity gains for urban freight management strategies that prioritize line-haul efficiency improvements over those improving intra-neighborhood circulations.Originality/valuePresents a first effort in building a modeling framework for more equitable decision-making in last-mile delivery operations and broader city planning.

Leveraging human-centered design and causal pathway diagramming toward enhanced specification and development of innovative implementation strategies: a case example of an outreach tool to address racial inequities in breast cancer screening

BackgroundImplementation strategies are strategies to improve uptake of evidence-based practices or interventions and are essential to implementation science. Developing or tailoring implementation strategies may benefit from integrating approaches from other disciplines; yet current guidance on how to effectively incorporate methods from other disciplines to develop and refine innovative implementation strategies is limited. We describe an approach that combines community-engaged methods, human-centered design (HCD) methods, and causal pathway diagramming (CPD)—an implementation science tool to map an implementation strategy as it is intended to work—to develop innovative implementation strategies.MethodsWe use a case example of developing a conversational agent or chatbot to address racial inequities in breast cancer screening via mammography. With an interdisciplinary team including community members and operational leaders, we conducted a rapid evidence review and elicited qualitative data through interviews and focus groups using HCD methods to identify and prioritize key determinants (facilitators and barriers) of the evidence-based intervention (breast cancer screening) and the implementation strategy (chatbot). We developed a CPD using key determinants and proposed strategy mechanisms and proximal outcomes based in conceptual frameworks.ResultsWe identified key determinants for breast cancer screening and for the chatbot implementation strategy. Mistrust was a key barrier to both completing breast cancer screening and using the chatbot. We focused design for the initial chatbot interaction to engender trust and developed a CPD to guide chatbot development. We used the persuasive health message framework and conceptual frameworks about trust from marketing and artificial intelligence disciplines. We developed a CPD for the initial interaction with the chatbot with engagement as a mechanism to use and trust as a proximal outcome leading to further engagement with the chatbot.ConclusionsThe use of interdisciplinary methods is core to implementation science. HCD is a particularly synergistic discipline with multiple existing applications of HCD to implementation research. We present an extension of this work and an example of the potential value in an integrated community-engaged approach of HCD and implementation science researchers and methods to combine strengths of both disciplines and develop human-centered implementation strategies rooted in causal perspective and healthcare equity.

Restoring Equity for Black Youth in Urban Schools: A Scoping Review

Zero tolerance policies in urban schools increased the disparities in urban school discipline for Black youth in comparison to white youth. Restorative interventions continue to be a popular response to deviant student behaviors; however, exploring the impact of restorative interventions in reducing harsh discipline on Black youth should be a continued focal point for scholars. This study used a scoping review to explore the breadth of knowledge available regarding using restorative interventions in urban schools. Five databases were used to identify relevant literature. Seven pieces of literature met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Findings revealed that restorative interventions do not have substantially positive impact on Black youth’s suspension rates; yet racial inequities in school and perceived negative thoughts about Black youth are among chief reasons Black youth are more likely suspended. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.

Race and Place Matter: Inequity in Prenatal Care for Reservation-Dwelling American Indian People.

Early initiation and consistent use of prenatal care is linked with improved health outcomes. American Indian birthing people have higher rates of inadequate prenatal care (IPNC), but limited research has examined IPNC among people living on American Indian reservations. The current study uses birth certificate data from the state of Montana (n = 57,006) to examine predictors of IPNC. Data on the community context is integrated to examine the role of community health in mediating the associations between reservation status and IPNC. Results suggest that reservation-dwelling birthers are more likely to have IPNC, an association partially mediated by community health. Odds of IPNC are higher for reservation-dwelling American Indian people compared to reservation-dwelling White birthers, highlighting intersecting inequalities of race and place.

Black and White Americans’ Perceptions of Community Equity Efforts Diverge Following the Removal of Confederate Monuments

Communities across the United States are removing Confederate monuments from public spaces. Little work, however, has considered downstream consequences of these decisions. Across three experiments and four replications in Supplemental Material, we examine impacts of community decisions on individuals’ perceptions of communities’ efforts toward racial equity. We find that the removal of monuments leads White Americans—but not Black Americans—to believe that communities will sufficiently prioritize policies aimed at redressing racial inequity in the future. Taken together, these findings suggest that the symbolic removal of Confederate monuments may signal different structural equity investments to different constituencies, with Whites anticipating that communities will engage in sufficient racial equity policy efforts and Black Americans remaining skeptical.

The Vital Necessity of Critical Education Policy Research

Critical education policy research has a deep-rooted history, evolving over four decades to challenge traditional positivist approaches. Reimagining epistemology, theory, and methods, scholars pioneered critical policy analysis (CPA), examining power dynamics and contextual influences on educational experiences. In the ensuing paragraphs, we explore how the articles in this volume exemplify critical approaches to policy analysis, examining topics such as racial inequalities in college recruitment, platform technologies’ impact on policy, and racialized discourses in corporal punishment policies. Embracing critical theories and methodologies, scholars reveal how language, hierarchy, and privilege construct realities, perpetuate inequities, and reinforce power structures, and they advocate for equitable policy solutions, challenging the status quo to envision a more just educational future.

What High-Impact Practices Work for Minoritized Students? Institutional Inequities in College Learning Opportunities and Outcomes

This mixed-methods study examines what high-impact practices (HIPs) help improve the chances of college and career success among minoritized students. Building on transformative and ecological perspectives of HIPs, the study tracks U.S. 4-year college students’ learning opportunities towards bachelor’s degree completion followed by job employment or graduate/professional school enrollment. It explores a more comprehensive and diverse set of HIPs: academic and sociocultural engagement, study abroad, foreign language, co-op/internship, student teaching, advanced math and writing courses, research, and volunteer activities. Statistical analyses of the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) data reveal racial and socioeconomic inequities in HIP participation among different types of institutions, with relatively favorable opportunities and outcomes in private or research (doctorate-granting) universities. The qualitative analyses of college student interviews offer insights into the questions of why and how HIPs work (or not) for minoritized students. The study gives evidence-based policy guidelines for improving minoritized students’ college and career success by tackling institutional inequities in high-impact practices and learning opportunities.

Racial HIV Testing Inequalities in Adolescent Men who have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Three Brazilian Cities.

Many barriers to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among Black people exist. This study analysed the association between race/skin colour and lifetime HIV testing among adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) and transgender women (ATGW) in three Brazilian cities. This cross-sectional study was nested within the PrEP1519 cohort, a multicentre study of AMSM and ATGW aged 15-19 years in Belo Horizonte, Salvador, and São Paulo, Brazil. The outcome variable was the lifetime HIV testing (no or yes). The main exposure variable was self-reported race/skin colour as White and a unique Black group (composed of Pardo-mixed colour and Black, according to the Brazilian classification). Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to determine the association between the main exposure and outcome, adjusted for covariates. White adolescents were tested more frequently than the unique Black group (64.0% vs. 53.7%, respectively; Ρ = 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the unique Black group of AMSM and ATGW had 26% (adjusted OR [aOR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55-0.98) and 38% (aOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.45-0.87) lower odds of being tested for HIV in a lifetime than Whites in model 1 and 2, respectively. Our findings highlight the role of racism in lifetime HIV testing among AMSM and ATGW. Therefore, an urgent need for advances exists in public policies to combat racism in Brazil.