Gladys B Asiedu1, Sharonne N Hayes2, Karen Patricia Williams3,4, Matthew R Bondaryk5, Michele Y Halyard4,6, Monica W Parker4,7, Joyce E Balls-Berry1,8, Vivian W Pinn4, Carmen Radecki Breitkopf9,10. 1. Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. 2. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. 3. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. 4. The Links, Incorporated, Washington, DC, USA. 5. Health Disparities, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. 6. Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. 7. Division of Geriatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. 8. Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. 9. Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. radeckibreitkopf.carmen@mayo.edu. 10. Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Health Care Policy & Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA. radeckibreitkopf.carmen@mayo.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify prevalent health concerns among African American women who are members of The Links, Incorporated (Links), a large national service organization with health programming for communities of color. METHODS: Survey data (n = 391) were collected during the 2012 Links National Assembly. Twenty-six health issues were presented within five groups: cancer, CVD, pulmonary disease, chronic conditions, and behavioral health. For each issue, women indicated if it was a concern for "you/your family" or "the African American community" via check-boxes. Differences in the proportions for "you/your family" and "the African American community" were evaluated using the McNemar test. RESULTS: Hypertension was the most frequently endorsed concern for you/your family (79 %); 73 % indicated this was a concern for the African American community. Sickle cell anemia was the most frequently endorsed concern for the African American community (77 %). Melanoma was the least endorsed health issue overall (15 % you/your family, 55 % community). Breast was the most frequently endorsed cancer concern, while lung was among the least. For 23 out of 26 health issues, the proportion concerned was greater for the "African American community" than for "you/your family" (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CVD and breast cancer were salient concerns; both are topics for which national awareness campaigns and Links health programming exist. Comparatively lower concern was observed for melanoma, a cancer with known survival disparities, and for lung cancer, a leading cause of death in women.
OBJECTIVE: African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify prevalent health concerns among African American women who are members of The Links, Incorporated (Links), a large national service organization with health programming for communities of color. METHODS: Survey data (n = 391) were collected during the 2012 Links National Assembly. Twenty-six health issues were presented within five groups: cancer, CVD, pulmonary disease, chronic conditions, and behavioral health. For each issue, women indicated if it was a concern for "you/your family" or "the African American community" via check-boxes. Differences in the proportions for "you/your family" and "the African American community" were evaluated using the McNemar test. RESULTS:Hypertension was the most frequently endorsed concern for you/your family (79 %); 73 % indicated this was a concern for the African American community. Sickle cell anemia was the most frequently endorsed concern for the African American community (77 %). Melanoma was the least endorsed health issue overall (15 % you/your family, 55 % community). Breast was the most frequently endorsed cancer concern, while lung was among the least. For 23 out of 26 health issues, the proportion concerned was greater for the "African American community" than for "you/your family" (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CVD and breast cancer were salient concerns; both are topics for which national awareness campaigns and Links health programming exist. Comparatively lower concern was observed for melanoma, a cancer with known survival disparities, and for lung cancer, a leading cause of death in women.
Entities:
Keywords:
African American; Cancer; Cardiovascular diseases; Health disparities; Health priorities; Women
Authors: Alan S Go; Dariush Mozaffarian; Véronique L Roger; Emelia J Benjamin; Jarett D Berry; Michael J Blaha; Shifan Dai; Earl S Ford; Caroline S Fox; Sheila Franco; Heather J Fullerton; Cathleen Gillespie; Susan M Hailpern; John A Heit; Virginia J Howard; Mark D Huffman; Suzanne E Judd; Brett M Kissela; Steven J Kittner; Daniel T Lackland; Judith H Lichtman; Lynda D Lisabeth; Rachel H Mackey; David J Magid; Gregory M Marcus; Ariane Marelli; David B Matchar; Darren K McGuire; Emile R Mohler; Claudia S Moy; Michael E Mussolino; Robert W Neumar; Graham Nichol; Dilip K Pandey; Nina P Paynter; Matthew J Reeves; Paul D Sorlie; Joel Stein; Amytis Towfighi; Tanya N Turan; Salim S Virani; Nathan D Wong; Daniel Woo; Melanie B Turner Journal: Circulation Date: 2013-12-18 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Donald Lloyd-Jones; Robert J Adams; Todd M Brown; Mercedes Carnethon; Shifan Dai; Giovanni De Simone; T Bruce Ferguson; Earl Ford; Karen Furie; Cathleen Gillespie; Alan Go; Kurt Greenlund; Nancy Haase; Susan Hailpern; P Michael Ho; Virginia Howard; Brett Kissela; Steven Kittner; Daniel Lackland; Lynda Lisabeth; Ariane Marelli; Mary M McDermott; James Meigs; Dariush Mozaffarian; Michael Mussolino; Graham Nichol; Véronique L Roger; Wayne Rosamond; Ralph Sacco; Paul Sorlie; Randall Stafford; Thomas Thom; Sylvia Wasserthiel-Smoller; Nathan D Wong; Judith Wylie-Rosett Journal: Circulation Date: 2010-02-23 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: LaPrincess C Brewer; Sharonne N Hayes; Monica W Parker; Joyce E Balls-Berry; Michele Y Halyard; Vivian W Pinn; Carmen Radecki Breitkopf Journal: J Womens Health (Larchmt) Date: 2014-07-21 Impact factor: 2.681