Ethnicity & Health 

About: Ethnicity & Health is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Ethnic group & Population. It has an ISSN identifier of 1355-7858. Over the lifetime, 1174 publications have been published receiving 33349 citations. The journal is also known as: Ethnicity and health.

Racism and Mental Health: The African American experience

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of United States-based research on the ways in which racism can affect mental health. It describes changes in racial attitudes over time, the persistence of negative racial stereotypes and the ways in which negative beliefs were incorporated into societal policies and institutions. It then reviews the available scientific evidence that suggests that racism can adversely affect mental health status in at least three ways. First, racism in societal institutions can lead to truncated socioeconomic mobility, differential access to desirable resources, and poor living conditions that can adversely affect mental health. Second, experiences of discrimination can induce physiological and psychological reactions that can lead to adverse changes in mental health status. Third, in race-conscious societies, the acceptance of negative cultural stereotypes can lead to unfavorable self-evaluations that have deleterious effects on psychological well-being. Research directions are outlined.

Factors influencing food choices, dietary intake, and nutrition-related attitudes among African Americans: application of a culturally sensitive model.

Abstract: Objectives. The goals of the project were: (1) to explore how culture and community impact on the nutrition attitudes, food choices, and dietary intake of a select group of African Americans in north central Florida; and (2) to identify segments of the population and community that should be targeted for education programs, desirable components of nutrition education programs, topics of interest, and health promotion channels to reach the target group. Design. Six focus groups were conducted with African American males and females. The data were analyzed using the PEN-3 model, a theoretical model that centralizes culture as the primary reason for health behavior and the primary consideration for health promotion and disease prevention programs. Results. There was a general perception that 'eating healthfully' meant giving up part of their cultural heritage and trying to conform to the dominant culture. Friends and relatives usually are not supportive of dietary changes. Barriers to eating a healthful diet...

Why are African Americans under-represented in medical research studies? Impediments to participation.

Abstract: Objectives. In accordance with the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, the National Institutes of Health and the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Administration require grant applicants and cooperative agreement participants to include minorities in human subject research. In an environment characterized by diminishing research dollars, this mandate has increased the pressure on investigators to determine factors that impede minority participation and to develop strategies to overcome these impediments. Methods. An extensive review of the literature was conducted to identify the factors possibly responsible for the low participation levels of African Americans in medical research studies and to highlight areas for further research. The items examined included the historical relationship between African Americans and medical researchers and the attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of potential participants and researchers as they relate to the low representation of African Americans in medical research. ...

Validating self-rated health in different ethnic groups.

Abstract: Background. Subjective accounts of health status are increasingly utilized in social surveys and medical research to assess functioning and well-being. Despite the fact that substantial research evidence suggests that self-rated health is meaningful and provides valid and reliable data, some authors have raised concerns that different social groups may interpret the notion of health in different ways, and hence complete health measures in systematically different ways. This study evaluates the validity of using self-rated health status to measure health status in different ethnic groups. Methods. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association of selfrated health with more objective measures of morbidity in different ethnic groups. Sample. Two sources of data were used-the Health Survey for England (HSE) 1991-96 combined file and the Fourth National Survey of Ethnic Minorities (Ethmins4). Measures of health. Hypertension, presence of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, limiting health and ...

The utility of ‘country of birth’ for the classification of ethnic groups in health research: the Dutch experience

Abstract: The relationship between ethnicity and health is attracting increasing attention in international health research. Different measures are used to operationalise the concept of ethnicity. Presently, self-definition of ethnicity seems to gain favour. In contrast, in the Netherlands, the use of country of birth criteria have been widely accepted as a basis for the identification of ethnic groups. In this paper, we will discuss its advantages as well as its limitations and the solutions to these limitations from the Dutch perspective with a special focus on survey studies. The country of birth indicator has the advantage of being objective and stable, allowing for comparisons over time and between studies. Inclusion of parental country of birth provides an additional advantage for identifying the second-generation ethnic groups. The main criticisms of this indicator seem to refer to its validity. The basis for this criticism is, firstly, the argument that people who are born in the same country might have a d...