White US Research Articles

Epidemiology of Antisynthetase Syndrome and Risk of Malignancy in a Population-Based Cohort (1998-2019).

Population-based epidemiology studies about antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) are lacking. Our aims were to determine the incidence and prevalence of ASS and assess malignancy risk among patients following ASS diagnosis. A retrospective, population-based cohort of adults with incident ASS residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 1998-2019, was assembled. Fulfillment of Solomon classification criteria for ASS and clinical data were collected by manual chart review. Patients were followed until death, migration from the area, or December 31, 2019. Malignancy was defined by physician diagnosis in the medical record. Incidence rate was age- and sex-adjusted to the 2010 US White population. Point prevalence rate was obtained on January 1, 2015. Thirteen patients with ASS were identified (7 [54%] female, 13 [100%] White, median age 44.9 [IQR 41.9-58.3] years). The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of ASS was 0.56 (95% CI 0.25-0.87) per 100,000 population. Incidence was highest in the 50-59 age group. Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence was 9.21 per 100,000 (95% CI 3.44-14.98). Two of 13 (15%) were diagnosed with malignancy within the follow-up interval and none within 3 years of ASS diagnosis. At median 11.9 (IQR 7.0-13.4) years of follow-up, 12/13 (92%) of patients were alive. ASS is rare, with an incidence of 0.56 per 100,000 population and prevalence of 9.21 per 100,000. In this cohort, incidence was similar between male and female individuals, and was highest in persons aged 50-59 years. None of the patients developed malignancy within 3 years of ASS diagnosis.

The potential impact of optimal blood pressure treatment intensity to reduce disparities in dementia between Black and White individuals.

Black adults have higher dementia risk than White adults. Whether tighter population-level blood pressure (BP) control reduces this disparity is unknown. Estimate the impact of optimal BP treatment intensity on racial disparities in dementia. A microsimulation study of US adults ≥18 across a life-time policy-planning horizon. BP treatment strategies were the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) protocol, the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) recommendations, and usual care (non-intervention control). Outcomes were all-cause dementia, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), stroke, myocardial infarction, non-ASCVD death, global cognitive performance, and optimal brain health (being free of dementia, cognitive impairment, or stroke). Population-level and individual-level effects stratified by race were estimated. Optimal population-level implementation of a SPRINT-based BP treatment strategy, compared to usual care, would increase average annual dementia incidence in White, but not Black, adults (1% versus 0%), due to hypertensive individuals' greater survival, and reduce annual ASCVD events more in Black than White adults (13% versus 5%). Under a SPRINT-based strategy, individuals with hypertension gained more years lived without dementia, ASCVD, myocardial infarction, or stroke and more years lived in optimal brain health. A SPRINT-based strategy did not attenuate individual-level race disparities in outcomes, except stroke. Due to longer life expectancy, a SPRINT-based strategy did not substantially reduce lifetime dementia risk in either group. The JNC-8-based strategy had similar but smaller effects as the SPRINT-based strategy. Our results suggest that tighter population-level BP control would not reduce population-level disparities in dementia between US Black and White adults.

Colonial snapshots: roll film photography and imperial self-positioning in the Philippine–American War

This article examines the imagery and narrative structure of white US soldiers’ photo albums of the Philippine–American War (1899–1902). It particularly focuses on soldiers’ uses of roll film photographs in these albums. I argue that the new medium of roll film photography allowed soldiers to create personalised visual accounts of the war and accentuate white male imperial self-images. Roll film photographs thus significantly expanded soldiers’ possibilities to shape the memory of their war service.

Differences in mean age at diagnosis of invasive melanoma for men and women, by anatomic site, thickness, and subtype.

Understanding the factors influencing age at melanoma diagnosis by sex and anatomic site is crucial for developing effective prevention and early detection strategies. While previous research has highlighted sex-based differences in melanoma incidence by age and anatomic distribution, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to investigate sex-specific patterns in melanoma age at diagnosis across different anatomic sites and thickness categories, considering the potential influence of disease progression and detection rates. We conducted a registry-based study to examine mean age at diagnosis of invasive melanoma over two decades for men and women in the US (limited to white race), and Queensland, Australia. Mean age at diagnosis was calculated for men and women according to anatomic site (head/neck, trunk, upper limb, lower limb), and further by Breslow thickness (<1.00 mm, 1.01-2.00 mm, 2.01-4.00 mm, >4.00 mm) and histologic subtype (superficial spreading, nodular, lentigo maligna, 'other' subtypes, and subtype 'not otherwise specified'). Case-listings of all invasive melanoma diagnoses between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2018 were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program (9 registries) and from the Queensland Cancer Registry. Sensitivity analyses were performed restricting the data to the most recent 5-year time period (2014-2018). All analyses were conducted between 15 July and 19 August 2024. On average, women were diagnosed with invasive melanoma 3-8 years younger than men. The sex-difference in mean age at diagnosis was observed at all body sites and across most thickness categories in the US White and Queensland populations, but was most marked for thinner melanomas (<1.00 mm) and melanoma of the trunk. Women were significantly younger than men at diagnosis of superficial spreading and nodular melanoma at all body sites in both populations, even within 0.1mm thickness strata. Sex may be a factor that influences melanocytic progression. The consistently younger age of melanoma diagnosis in women compared with men suggests a need for tailored approaches to melanoma control.

Rest Cure versus Rest Tour: The Queer Routes of White Women’s Health

Abstract This article explores how queer feminisms of the first wave relied on white supremacism and US exceptionalism to contest medical discourses about neurasthenia and sexual inversion. In particular, the author analyzes theories of women’s health, physical mobility, and sensitivity to civilization advanced by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, particularly in her short story “The Yellow Wall-Paper,” as well as by members of the Women’s Rest Tour Association (WRTA), a late nineteenth-century collectivity of women committed to traveling abroad without men. Constellating Gilman’s contestation of S. Weir Mitchell’s rest cure with Mitchell’s writings, as well as the archival records of the WRTA’s innovative rest tour, reveals the roots of white women’s self-care practices and their biopolitical investments. We also gain insight into how queer communities have long leveraged discourses of family, whiteness, and “civilized” cultural inheritance to forge a space for themselves and their loved ones within mainstream US culture. These insights are particularly valuable in our current historical moment as we continue to suffer the consequences of and learn from the immobilities suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ongoing threats to women’s health and reproductive freedom.

Whose crime & whose punishment? Identity and retribution for extremist violence

ABSTRACT Domestic far-right groups, many of which are characterized by white supremacist aims, pose the most significant risk of ideological violence in the United States. Our ability to confront this security threat depends, in part, on the public’s willingness to punish perpetrators of such violence. Social Identity Theory suggests that societal responses to various behaviours will be shaped by ‘in-group’ identities and affiliations, with research from across disciplines finding that white and non-white offenders are treated differently. Considering the current national security threat posed by white supremacist violence, we expect that an effective response to this threat will face the twin obstacles of punishing perpetrators who are both white and American citizens. To evaluate the extent of these biases, we examine the public’s willingness to punish acts of violent extremism. Using a survey experiment, we find that ethnicity and citizenship powerfully influence the severity with which people punish extremist violence. White US citizens are punished the least severely compared to Muslim or non-citizen perpetrators for identical acts of violence. Our results indicate that America’s ability to confront the national security threat posed by white supremacy will depend in part on our ability to punish members of their racial and national ‘in-group’.

Children's friendship stability in the United States, China, and Indonesia: Associations with individual attributes and dyadic similarity.

Predictors of friendship stability from individual attributes and dyadic similarities were assessed using cross-classified multilevel analyses in this 6- to 8-month longitudinal study of 10-year-old US (White, Black, Asian, other; n = 477, 50% girls), Chinese (n = 467, 59% girls), and Indonesian (Sudanese, Javanese, other; n = 419, 45% girls) children with complete participation and reciprocated baseline friendships. Across countries, individual attributes of social preference, popularity, and academic achievement and dyadic social preference similarity positively predicted friendship stability. Dyadic similarity of popularity, academic achievement, and aggression respectively predicted friendship stabilities of US, Chinese, and Indonesian children. Both individual attributes and dyadic similarity predicted friendship stability, with results that varied across countries consistent with attributes' reputational salience.

Association Between Race and Comorbid Conditions Among Older Adults with Dementia.

Background/Objective: Dementia is estimated to affect over 150 million individuals by 2050. Individuals with dementia commonly suffer from other comorbid conditions which can affect quality of life and result in increased health care expenditures. We conducted this study to determine the frequency of comorbid conditions between representative samples of non-Hispanic Black and White US adults aged ≥65 with dementia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on non-Hispanic Black and White adults aged 65 and older with dementia whose data were retrieved from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2016-2021, and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Dementia was defined based on medical record abstraction. The exposure was Black vs. White race. The outcome was a sum of 13 comorbid conditions, including obesity, hypertension, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease, assessed in older adults with dementia. Results: A total of 1354 non-Hispanic (1175 White and 179 Black) participants were studied. The mean number of comorbid conditions, as well as the prevalence of obesity, cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease, was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in the Black vs. White study participants. The Black participants were more likely to have more than two comorbid conditions relative to those who were White (odds ratio 2.5; 95% confidence interval 1.6 to 3.7). Conclusions: A higher burden of comorbid conditions was observed among non-Hispanic Blacks compared to non-Hispanic White older adults with dementia. Future studies should examine the quality of life and health care utilization implications of this finding.

County-level racial bias is associated with worse care for white and especially black older US adults: a cross-sectional observational study

ObjectiveTo assess the association of county-level bias about black and white people with patient experience, influenza immunisation, and quality of clinical care for black and white older US adults (age...

Visual realism and character identification in science comics: an empirical study testing McCloud’s ‘masking effect’ theory

Comics have increasingly served as a tool for delivering scientific information to diverse audiences. However, little is known about how visual elements in comics influence their persuasive potential. Inspired by McCloud (1993)’s ‘masking effect’ theory featured in Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, this study examined how different degrees of realism in comic characters, combined with background details, affected readers’ character identification. The findings suggested that exposure to comics featuring unrealistic, cartoonish characters minimized the gap in character identification between Black and white US participants. Contrary to McCloud’s hypotheses, exposure to comics with less detailed backgrounds resulted in higher character identification across conditions, regardless of character realism. The authors discuss the implications for future research and practice of using comics for public communication of science.

Black (rhetorics of) migration and laying claim to space

ABSTRACT This essay troubles the romanticized US American “nation of immigrants” narrative through its relationship to Black diasporic histories of migration. The Immigration Act of 1924 codified white ethnocentrism in US American citizenship rights, and thus represented a potential challenge to Black American citizenship claims. Here we reflect on Black American rhetorical practices as a mode of worldmaking; of laying claim to putatively white space and US American citizenship. Through this lens, Black migration and consequent transformation of space functions as a transgressive practice for a people who are perpetually positioned outside of nationality, a way of reclaiming ownership over the spoils of unwilling labor. These Black rhetorical practices echo through the diaspora, as those who built but do not own push back against the ontological negation of ethnonationalist citizenship and immigration policies dictated by white and western imperial powers, in favor of speaking themselves into belonging.

764. PREDICTING AGE-SPECIFIC PREVALENCE OF BARRETT'S OESOPHAGUS IN AUSTRALIAN AND UNITED STATES

Abstract Background Barrett’s esophagus is the precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). EAC detected from endoscopic surveillance programs accounts for &amp;lt;10% of all EAC, suggesting a large number of patients with Barrett’s esophagus are likely unaccounted for. Several studies have estimated the observed prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus to be approximately 1%, but this may be an underestimate. The aim of this study is to use population incidence of EAC and rate of progression from Barrett’s esophagus from large cohort studies to estimate a realistic prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus. Methods A simple tree cohort model was created for progression to EAC from birth to death (100 years) for American and Australian population. Lifetime risk of esophageal cancer and adenocarcinoma were endpoints. This was then used to back-calculate age-specific and overall prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus using an optimisation algorithm. Results Lifetime risk of esophageal cancer and adenocarcinoma in US Whites is 0.56% and 0.36% respectively, while in Australian population is slightly higher at 0.81% and 0.61% (range 0.57% - 0.65%). Estimated overall prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus is ~3% (±0.3%) and ~5.4% (±0.6%) in US White and Australian populations, while in males is 5.3% (±0.6%) and 7.4% (±0.3%), respectively. Female cohorts were seen to have lower chance of developing esophageal cancer, adenocarcinoma, and Barrett’s esophagus. Conclusion Cohort studies of Barrett’s esophagus are likely to underestimate its prevalence of this silent disease. Computational models based on progression from Barrett’s esophagus to EAC accounting for undetected disease reveal higher estimates, which can help in future screening options.

Validation of candidate protein biomarkers previously identified by genetic instruments for prostate cancer risk: A prospective cohort analysis of directly measured protein levels in the ARIC study.

Multiple novel protein biomarkers have been shown to be associated with prostate cancer risk using genetic instruments. This study aimed to externally validate the associations of 30 genetically predicted candidate proteins with prostate cancer risk using aptamer-based levels in US Black and White men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Plasma protein levels were previously measured by SomaScan® using the blood collected in 1990-1992. Among 4864 eligible participants, we ascertained 667 first primary prostate cancer cases through 2015. Hazard ratios (HRs) of prostate cancer and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression for tertiles of each protein. We adjusted for age, race, and other risk factors. Of the 30 proteins and considering a nominal p trend < 0.05, two were positively associated with prostate cancer risk-RF1ML (tertile 3 vs. 1: HR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.02-1.48; p trend = 0.037) and TPST1 (1.28, 95% CI 1.06-1.55; p trend = 0.0087); two were inversely associated-ATF6A (HR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.98; p trend = 0.028) and SPINT2 (HR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.90; p trend = 0.0025). One protein, KDEL2, which was nonlinearly associated (test-for-linearity: p < 0.01) showed a statistically significant lower risk in the second tertile (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.95). Of these five, four proteins-ATF6A, KDEL2, RF1ML, and TPST1-were consistent in the direction of association with the discovery studies. This study validated some pre-diagnostic protein biomarkers of the risk of prostate cancer.

How Threat Mobilizes the Resurgence and Persistence of US White Supremacist Activism: The 1980s to the Present

Despite a centuries-long history of violent mobilization, white supremacist activism (WSA) has received relatively little sociological attention outside a small, specialized subfield. Disciplinary interest began to change after Trump's 2016 election; the 2017 violent attack in Charlottesville, Virginia; and the January 6, 2021, insurrection. In recognition, this review article focuses on what has been learned about contemporary WSA since the 1980s. We categorize studies by their unit of analysis—individual or micro, meso, and macro levels—to highlight analytic commonalities and distinctions and to underscore the central role that threat plays in the ebb and flow of WSA. As part of our discussion, we also point to unresolved and understudied issues. We conclude by identifying issues that future research should address.

Race, social determinants of health, and comorbidity patterns among participants with heart failure in the REasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke (REGARDS) study

BackgroundAmong individuals with heart failure (HF), racial differences in comorbidities may be mediated by social determinants of health (SDOH).MethodsBlack and White US community-dwelling participants in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study aged ≥ 45 years with an adjudicated HF hospitalization between 2003 and 2017 were included in this cross-sectional analysis. We assessed whether higher prevalence of comorbidities in Black participants compared to White participants were mediated by SDOH in socioeconomic, environment/housing, social support, and healthcare access domains, using the inverse odds weighting method.ResultsBlack (n = 240) compared to White (n = 293) participants with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) had higher prevalence of diabetes [1.38 (95% CI 1.18–1.61)], chronic kidney disease [1.21 (95% CI 1.01–1.45)], and anemia [1.33 (95% CI 1.02–1.75)] and lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation [0.80 (95% CI (0.65–0.98)]. Black (n = 314) compared to White (n = 367) participants with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) had higher prevalence of hypertension [1.04 (95% CI 1.02–1.07)] and diabetes [1.26 (95% CI 1.09–1.45)] and lower prevalence of coronary artery disease [0.86 (95% CI 0.78–0.94)] and atrial fibrillation [0.70 (95% CI 0.58–0.83)]. Socioeconomic status explained 14.5%, 26.5% and 40% of excess diabetes, anemia, and chronic kidney disease among Black adults with HFpEF; however; mediation was not statistically significant and no other SDOH substantially mediated differences in comorbidity prevalence.ConclusionsSocioeconomic status partially mediated excess diabetes, anemia, and chronic kidney disease experienced by Black adults with HFpEF, but differences in other comorbidities were not explained by other SDOH examined.

Racial and Ethnic Underserved Populations Prescription Analgesic Use Before and After Lower Extremity Amputation in US Medicare.

Racial disparities exist in access to health care and management of multiple health conditions including chronic pain; however, racial disparities in pre- and postoperative pain management in lower extremity amputation are not well-studied. Our objective was to examine the association between different racial and ethnic groups and prescription opioid and other analgesics use before and after lower extremity amputation. We hypothesize prescription opioid and other analgesic use among Black, Hispanic, and Native American US Medicare beneficiaries undergoing lower extremity amputations will be lower compared to White US Medicare beneficiaries. This retrospective cohort study included a 5% national sample of all Medicare beneficiaries from 2011 to 2015 and 15% national sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries from 2016 to 2018 undergoing nontraumatic, lower extremity amputations. The exposure of interest was racial and ethnic group membership (ie, Black, Hispanic, Native American, White, and others-with others being the combination of the categories Asian and other) as provided in Medicare claims data. Using multivariable generalized estimating equations with a logistic link to account for repeated measurements over time, we estimated the odds of prescription opioid use within 6 months before and after lower extremity amputation across different racial and ethnic groups separately, adjusting for sociodemographic and health status factors (eg, Elixhauser index). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported. Among 16,068 eligible beneficiaries who underwent major and minor amputations (mean age = 65.1 ± 12.7 years; female = 36.1%), 10,107 (62.9%) were White, 3462 (21.5%) were Black, 1959 (12.2%) were Hispanic, 247 (1.5%) were Native American, and 151 (2.9%) were beneficiaries of other races. During the 6 months before lower extremity amputation, Hispanic beneficiaries (aOR, 0.71, 95% CI, 0.65-0.78) and beneficiaries of other races (aOR, 0.60, 95% CI, 0.47-0.76) had significantly lower odds of using prescription opioids compared to White beneficiaries. Similarly, Hispanic beneficiaries (aOR, 0.78, 95% CI, 0.71-0.84) and beneficiaries of other races (aOR, 0.63, 95% CI, 0.51-0.78) were associated with lower odds of opioid use in the 6 months after amputation compared to White beneficiaries. Among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, Hispanic and other (eg, Asian) fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries had lower odds of prescription opioid use than their White counterparts before and after nontraumatic, lower extremity amputations. Efforts to determine the underlying reasons are needed to ensure equitable health care access.

Beyond the discipline gap: the role of spectacular state violence in the discipline and punishment of Black and Indigenous children in US public schools

ABSTRACT Education research frequently measures and calls for an end to racial disparities in rates of US school discipline practices such as office referrals, suspension, and expulsion. This paper asks what a more expansive understanding of discipline can demonstrate about how schools discipline different students differently. Tracing the history of corporal punishment from Native boarding schools, through Ingraham v. Wright, to violent school policing and arrests today, the author finds that, because Black and Indigenous children can never be ‘normalized’ within white supremacist US schooling, the shift in disciplinary tactics that Foucault described never took place for these students and in fact, the functioning of normalizing school discipline for all depends on extraordinary, spectacular violence against the most marginalized. Rather than focusing on the discipline gap, education research must attend to the violence inherent in US schooling and seek to abolish it.

Assembling vaccine perspectives: Vaccination and moral self-talk in the journals of white US mothers during Covid-19

Assembling vaccine perspectives: Vaccination and moral self-talk in the journals of white US mothers during Covid-19

Beliefs about COVID-19 testing and treatment: A national survey of Black and White adults

ObjectivesKnowledge, access, and use of testing and antiviral treatments is critical to managing and mitigating the continuing burden of the novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) in the United States. This study measured knowledge, attitude, behaviors, and self-reported barriers towards COVID-19 testing and outpatient anti-viral medications (OPA) treatments among Black and older individuals who face greater hospitalization and mortality from the disease. Study designCross-sectional structured survey. MethodsRespondents were randomly selected from an opt-in national panel in December 2022. Equal numbers of Black and White US adults over the age of 40 (n = 1037) completed the 42 item online survey. The main measures were key sociodemographic variables of respondents, race, age, political affiliation and COVID-19 attitudes, beliefs, testing behaviors, and knowledge and barriers to OPA access. ResultsOverall, awareness and knowledge of COVID-19 outpatient treatments was low. Black respondents were more likely to test for COVID-19 than White respondents but less likely to know about OPA treatments. Insurance coverage was a significant factor in use of home tests. Knowledge of OPA treatments was low across groups. White respondents were more likely than Black respondents to be aware of OPA treatments (1.75, 95 % CI [1.31–2.33]) as were higher income respondents (1.13, 95 % CI [1.08–1.17]) and self-identified Liberals (1.79, 95 % CI [1.29–2.49]). ConclusionsClinicians should know large numbers of patients may not be testing for COVID-19, nor are they aware of outpatient treatment options and may hold inaccurate beliefs about them. Developing culturally specific patient education materials are warranted to increase testing, utilization of vaccinations and OPAs.

Social Determinants of Health and Incident Apparent Treatment-Resistant Hypertension Among White and Black US Adults: The REGARDS Study.

We examined the association of multilevel social determinants of health with incident apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH). We analyzed data from 2774 White and 2257 Black US adults from the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study taking antihypertensive medication without aTRH at baseline to estimate the association of social determinants of health with incident aTRH. Selection of social determinants of health was guided by the Healthy People 2030 domains of education, economic stability, social context, neighborhood environment, and health care access. Blood pressure (BP) was measured during study visits, and antihypertensive medication classes were identified through a pill bottle review. Incident aTRH was defined as (1) systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, or systolic BP ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥80 mm Hg for those with diabetes or chronic kidney disease while taking ≥3 classes of antihypertensive medication or (2) taking ≥4 classes of antihypertensive medication regardless of BP level, at the follow-up visit. Over a median 9.5 years of follow-up, 15.9% of White and 24.0% of Black adults developed aTRH. A percent of the excess aTRH risk among Black versus White adults was mediated by low education (14.2%), low income (16.0%), not seeing a friend or relative in the past month (8.1%), not having someone to care for them if ill or disabled (7.6%), lack of health insurance (10.6%), living in a disadvantaged neighborhood (18.0%), and living in states with poor public health infrastructure (6.0%). Part of the association between race and incident aTRH risk was mediated by social determinants of health.