Preference for same-race health care providers and perceptions of interpersonal discrimination in health care

This article examines black Americans' preference for black health care providers. Using data from a national survey, we assess how blacks 'perceptions of discrimination are related to preference for same-race health care providers. Overall, the belief that discrimination is frequent in different-race doctor-patient dyads is associated with greater preference for a same-race provider However; the belief that discrimination occurs regardless of a doctor's race reduces preference for a same-race provider Finally, general perceptions of discrimination are distinct from concerns about personally being treated unfairly, and low personal concern about unfair treatment reduces preference for a same-race provider among those who believe that interpersonal discrimination occurs frequently. These results suggest a complex picture of how perceptions of discrimination influence preferred race of health care provider among blacks in the United States.     

Stem cell aging and cancer

Stem cells are capable of self-renewal, differentiation into various lineages, and proliferation; thus, they play critical roles in the functioning and maintenance of many biological systems. However, these unique qualities of stem cells also make them more vulnerable to mutations as the organism ages. The biggest risk factor in cancer development is age, and most scientists believe that cancers partly result from a buildup of mutations in different cell types over time. This accumulation of mutations takes place over the course of a person's lifetime, during which repeated rounds of cell division result in editing errors in the DNA. Genetic alterations can cause changes in the signaling pathways controlling proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In the case of stem cells, such mutations would be passed on to all of the stem cell's progeny, ultimately resulting in a pool of stem cells that feeds neoplastic formation. Studies aiming to identify and characterize these putative cancer stem cells and to understand how they arise will shed light on the process of stem cell aging and its role in cancer.     

Union Transitions Following the Birth of a Child to Cohabiting Parents

Despite a growing interest in the family trajectories of unmarried women, there has been limited research on union transitions among cohabiting parents. Using data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, we examined how family complexity (including relationship and fertility histories), as well as characteristics of the union and birth, were associated with transitions to marriage or to separation among 1,105 women who had a birth in a cohabiting relationship. Cohabiting parents had complex relationship and fertility histories, which were tied to union transitions. Having a previous nonmarital birth was associated with a lower relative risk of marriage and a greater risk of separation. In contrast, a prior marriage or marital birth was linked to union stability (getting married or remaining cohabiting). Characteristics of the union and birth were also important. Important racial/ethnic differences emerged in the analyses. Black parents had the most complex family histories and the lowest relative risk of transitioning to marriage. Stable cohabitations were more common among Hispanic mothers, and measures of family complexity were particularly important to their relative risk of marriage. White mothers who began cohabiting after conception were the most likely to marry, suggesting that “shot-gun cohabitations” serve as a stepping-stone to marriage.     

Satisfaction with Life and Psychosocial Factors among Underserved Minorities with Type 2 Diabetes

The objective of this study was to examine the association between biomedical markers of disease management and psychosocial constructs, while also assessing the correlates and predictors of variability for satisfaction with life (SWL) among African American and Hispanic participants with type 2 diabetes. Data were collected from 142 participants during their first visit within a collaborative care program. Pearson product moment correlations, a multiple linear regression, and a one-way analysis of variance were used to examine the research questions. Researchers found psychological distress, social support, and spirituality accounted for twice the amount of variance in SWL for African American participants compared to Hispanic participants. Social support was the strongest predictor of SWL for African American participants, while psychological distress was the strongest predictor of SWL for Hispanic participants. Social support moderated the relationship between psychological distress and SWL for Hispanic participants, but not African American participants. Spirituality did not moderate the relationship for either ethnic group. One significant relationship was noted for BMI and somatization; otherwise, no significant relationships were documented between psychosocial-spiritual and biomedical constructs, which may relate to limited variability in HbA1c. Clinicians and researchers who work with underserved minority patients with uncontrolled diabetes may see improvement in patients’ SWL when screening, treating, and/or studying psychological distress, interpersonal strain, and existential struggles. It is important for practitioners and researchers to consider ethnic group differences in their work since some dissimilarity existed.