Pilot Findings Indicate a Cognitive Behavioral Healthy Lifestyle Intervention for PTSD Improves Sleep and Physical Activity.

Research has indicated strong associations between post-traumatic stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to show patterns of elevated CVD risk earlier in life than the general population. The need for developing effective interventions for CVD risk reduction in PTSD is increasingly evident.

Racial Concordance on Healthcare Use within Hispanic Population Subgroups.

Objective: To examine the association of patient-provider racial and ethnic concordance on healthcare use within Hispanic ethnic subgroups.

Methods: We estimate multivariate probit models using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the only national data source measuring how patients use and pay for medical care, health insurance, and out-of-pocket spending. We collect and utilize data on preventive care visits, visits for new health problems, and visits for ongoing health problems from survey years 2007-2017 to measure health outcomes.

The Relationship Between Racial/Ethnic Concordance and Hypertension Control.

Introduction: Given the increasing impact of the healthcare cost of hypertension on the economy, understanding the control of high blood pressure is warranted, particularly as it pertains to racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension control.

Objective: To understand the relationship between hypertension control and racial/ethnic concordance, we investigated whether the racial/ethnic concordance between a patient's race/ethnicity and that of the individual's provider is a predictor of high blood pressure control.

Methods: Data was collected for 612,524 patients from Kaiser Permanente Southern California who were at least 18 year old and received a diagnosis of hypertension between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019.

Racial disparities in health care utilization, the affordable care act and racial concordance preference.

The Affordable Care Act was implemented with the aim of increasing coverage and affordable access with hopes of improving health outcomes and reducing costs. Yet, disparities persist. Coverage and affordable access alone cannot explain the health care gap between racial/ethnic minorities and white patients.

Body mass index in relation to cardiovascular recovery from psychological stress among trauma-exposed women.

Delayed cardiovascular recovery has been associated with greater heart disease risks. However, relative to stress reactivity, cardiovascular recovery has been understudied. Further, few studies have examined associations of recovery with modifiable factors that might inform efforts to enhance recovery.

The Impact of Patient-Provider Race/Ethnicity Concordance on Provider Visits: Updated Evidence from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

Objective: To examine the association between race/ethnicity concordance and in-person provider visits following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Design: Using 2014-2015 data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we examine whether having a provider of the same race or ethnicity ("race/ethnicity concordance") affects the probability that an individual will visit a provider. Multivariate probit models are estimated to adjust for demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors.

Cardiovascular risks in relation to posttraumatic stress severity among young trauma-exposed women.

Background: Posttraumatic stress is associated with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Relatively little research, particularly among women, has documented mechanisms by which PTSD might confer CVD risk during early adulthood. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the number and relative levels of CVD risk factors are associated with posttraumatic stress symptom severity among young, trauma-exposed women.

Cultural Assets and Substance Use Among Hispanic Adolescents.

Research on cultural factors and substance use among Hispanic adolescents has focused primarily on acculturation, while specific core Hispanic values and attributes have received minimal attention. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between traditional Hispanic cultural assets and substance use among adolescents. A purposive sample of 225 Hispanic adolescents (47% male) aged 13 to 16 years were recruited from community venues (e.

Psychophysiological Reactivity and PTSD Symptom Severity among Young Women.

Mixed findings with regard to cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have suggested a need to further explore the nature of this relationship and factors that might explain differences in reactivity across and within samples. In the present study, the severity of PTSD symptoms was investigated in relation to CVR among young women. In addition, we examined whether severity within PTSD symptom clusters and level of dissociative symptoms were related to CVR.

Cultural influences on HIV testing among Latino youth.

Young Latinos aged 13-24 years in the USA are disproportionately impacted upon by HIV. Despite the elevated risk, lower rates of HIV testing have been documented among Latino youth relative to other racial/ethnic groups. The objective of the current study was to examine the influence of acculturation and cultural values on HIV testing among Latino youth.

HIV Testing Characteristics Among Hispanic Adolescents.

Hispanic adolescents are disproportionally impacted by HIV/AIDS. Among Hispanic people living with HIV, delayed testing and late entry into HIV care have been documented. The current study examined Hispanic adolescents' HIV testing characteristics and factors related to testing.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Knowledge of Personal and Target Levels of Cardiovascular Health Indicators.

This study aimed to examine ethnic differences in knowledge of personal and target levels of cardiovascular health indicators between non-Hispanic whites and African Americans. A secondary objective was to evaluate the associations between knowledge of cardiovascular health indicators and health promotion behaviors. Participants (66.

Latino cultural values as protective factors against sexual risks among adolescents.

The study objective was to examine the associations between cultural values and sexual risk factors among Latino youth. A sample of 226 Latino adolescents ages 13-16 completed a survey on cultural and sexual variables. Results indicate higher levels of Latino cultural orientation were related to greater sexual self-efficacy and fewer sexual partners for female adolescents and greater condom use self-efficacy for both males and females.

Metabolic, autonomic and immune markers for cardiovascular disease in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with significantly greater incidence of heart disease. Numerous studies have indicated that health problems for individuals with PTSD occur earlier in life than in the general population. Multiple mechanistic pathways have been suggested to explain cardiovascular disese (CVD) risk in PTSD, including neurochemical, behavioral, and immunological changes.

Gratitude is associated with greater levels of protective factors and lower levels of risks in African American adolescents.

The literature suggests gratitude is associated with positive youth development. The current study examined the relationship between gratitude and protective/risk factors among African American youth. Adolescents (N = 389; 50.

Correlates of willingness to participate in microbicide research among African Americans.

The objective of the present article is to identify predictors of willingness to participate (WTP) in microbicide trials among African Americans. A total of 595 participants completed a survey on WTP in microbicide trials and predictors of WTP. Significant associations were observed for relationships of greater WTP with female gender, greater HIV risk, lower mistrust of research, and knowing someone with HIV/AIDS.

Barriers and facilitators to HIV testing in primary care among health care providers.

Purpose: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a preventable disease that can have improved outcomes with early diagnosis and treatment. The CDC recommends that HIV testing be incorporated into clinical settings as part of routine medical care.

Methods: Individual, open-ended interviews were conducted with primary care providers and administrators to obtain their views regarding the meaning of routine HIV testing and the barriers and facilitators to implementing routine HIV testing in their respective practices.

The effects of priming on a public health campaign targeting cardiovascular risks.

Public health interventions are cost-effective methods to reduce heart disease. The present study investigated the impact of a low-cost priming technique on a public health campaign targeting cardiovascular risk. Participants were 415 individuals (66% female) ages 18 and older recruited through clinics and churches.

Hypertension in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in the US National Comorbidity Survey.

The clinical literature increasingly indicates that cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are more common among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Depression also poses a risk for CVD and is often comorbid with PTSD. Research to date has not established whether PTSD is associated with additional CVD risk beyond the risks associated with comorbid depression.

The relationship of character strengths to sexual behaviors and related risks among African American adolescents.

Background: Relatively few studies have examined positive character traits that are associated with lower HIV/STD risks.

Purpose: In the present study, the relationships of character strengths with sexual behaviors and attitudes were assessed among 383 African-American adolescents.

Method: Character strengths were measured using the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths.

The feasibility of modified directly observed therapy for HIV-seropositive African American substance users.

Recently, modified directly observed therapy (MDOT) has emerged as a promising intervention to address nonadherence for hard-to-reach populations infected with HIV. To date, there are no existing data on MDOT focusing exclusively on African Americans. The present study sought to determine the feasibility of MDOT among 31 HIV-seropositive African American substance users in the South.

Routine testing for HIV in the United States: the intersection between recommendations and practice.

The purpose of this study was to examine the current practices of family practice (FP) providers and their allied staff with regard to routine HIV testing in Rhode Island (RI) and Mississippi (MS). Anonymous experimenter-derived surveys were mailed to both groups of providers in 2002. The questionnaire contained five questions about their current practices and attitudes toward HIV testing as well as patient demographics.

Depressive symptoms and cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory behavioral stress.

Although a growing literature associates depressive symptoms with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the mechanisms underlying this association have not been clearly determined. The cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) hypothesis suggests that chronically elevated CVR during psychological distress can confer disease risk via vascular alterations. This investigation is a quantitative review of studies that evaluated the association of depressive symptoms with CVR.

Clinical effectiveness of sustained-release bupropion and behavior therapy for tobacco dependence in a clinical setting.

Despite decades of public education, cigarette smoking remains a serious health problem. The treatment approach at Tripler Army Medical Center is a unique collaboration of family practice physicians and health psychologists providing combination therapy to patients attempting to quit smoking. This article discusses a program evaluation of the Tripler Army Medical Center smoking cessation program.