Poverty and the wellbeing of children with sickle cell disease: The mediating role of parenting stress.

Background: Living in poverty in the midst of caring for a child with sickle cell disease (SCD) presents with challenges that may be overwhelming for caregivers. Prior research has shown a relationship between poverty and poor outcomes in children; however, no study has investigated the mediating role of parenting stress on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for such children.

Procedure: A total of 150 patients, ages 8-17 years and their parents, were enrolled and completed measures of parenting stress (caregivers) and HRQOL (patients).

Factors associated with willingness to provide biospecimens for genetics research among African American cancer survivors.

This study evaluated factors associated with willingness to provide biospecimens for cancer genetic research among African American cancer survivors. A total of 200 African American adults diagnosed with breast, colon, and/or prostate cancers completed a self-administered survey. Family history information, beliefs about cancer research, cancer genetics and disparities knowledge, willingness to provide a biospecimen, and demographics were obtained.

Beliefs and Preferences for Medical Research Among African-Americans.

Background And Objectives: Numerous factors contribute to underrepresentation of African-Americans in medical research, including beliefs, historical events, structural, and health access obstacles. This study examined beliefs about medical research and the types of study methods preferred among potential African-American research participants.

Methods: A sample of 304 African-American participants from the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, completed a survey evaluating beliefs about medical research and preferred research study methods.

Impact of a multicomponent screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) training curriculum on a medical residency program.

Background: Substance-related disorders are a growing problem in the United States. The patient-provider setting can serve as a crucial environment to detect and prevent at-risk substance use. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is an integrated approach to deliver early intervention and treatment services for persons who have or are at risk for substance-related disorders.

Genetic testing for the susceptibility to alcohol dependence: interest and concerns in an African American population.

Background: The search to identify genes for the susceptibility to alcohol dependence (AD) is generating interest for genetic risk assessment. The purpose of this study is to examine the level of interest and concerns for genetic testing for susceptibility to AD.

Methods: Three hundred four African American adults were recruited through public advertisement.

Alcohol dependence and health care utilization in African Americans.

Objective: Ethnic and cultural differences in patterns of alcohol use disorders must be understood in order to address improvement in prevention of such disorders and accessibility to health care services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors that influence the utilization of medical and mental health services among alcohol-dependent and non-alcohol-dependent African Americans.

Method: A cohort of 454 African Americans was evaluated.

Institutional incorporation of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in residency training: achieving a sustainable curriculum.

The success of implementing a screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) program within a medical residency program for sustainability is contingent upon a well-crafted training curriculum that incorporates substance abuse education and clinical practice skills. The goal of the Howard University (HU) SBIRT program is to train residents in providing culturally competent evidence-based screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment for patients who have a substance use disorder or who are at risk for developing the disorder. Utilizing the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) allows all residents to be trained in SBIRT techniques and receive continuing education in SBIRT and SBIRT-related topics through new resident orientation and the core lecture series.

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment: public health training for primary care.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to elucidate changes in attitudes, experiences, readiness, and confidence levels of medical residents to perform screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) and factors that moderate these changes.

Methods: A cohort of 121 medical residents received an educational intervention. Self-reported experience, readiness, attitude, and confidence toward SBIRT-related skills were measured at baseline and at follow-up.

Heritability of level of response and association with recent drinking history in nonalcohol-dependent drinkers.

Background: Level of response (LR) to alcohol has been shown to be associated with the risk of developing alcohol dependence and can be measured using the self-rating of the effects of alcohol (SRE) questionnaire. This study examined the heritability of the SRE-measured LR and the relationship between LR and recent alcohol drinking history (RDH) in a predominantly African American nonalcohol-dependent population.

Methods: This was a sibling study of 101 social drinkers aged 21 to 35 years recruited from the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Clinical course of alcohol dependence in African Americans.

Objective: The sequence and progression of alcohol related life events were investigated in a sample of African Americans and compared with findings from a predominantly Caucasian sample.

Methods: Alcohol dependent participants were recruited from treatment facilities. Participants completed the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism to assess the physical, psychological and social manifestations of alcoholism and related disorders.