Statin use and its association with all-cause mortality and incident diabetes/prediabetes in African Americans: Findings from the jackson heart study.

Objectives: This study investigates the association between statin use and all-cause mortality, as well as the association between statin use and incident diabetes or prediabetes among African Americans.

Methods: This study is based on the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), a community-based cohort study of African Americans (AAs). The baseline period for JHS was 9/26/2000 to 3/31/2004.

The Association Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Diabetes in Adult African Americans and Whites: An NHANES Study.

Objective: The primary objective of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and diabetes and see if this association is the same for adult (age ≥ 20) African Americans (AAs) and Whites. The secondary objective is to examine the distribution of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test among AAs and Whites and to evaluate the appropriateness of using the same cut-off point for both groups to diagnose VDD.

Methods: Our analysis is based on the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).

Explaining Poor Medication Adherence among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes in an Urban Community Health Center.

Nonadherence to diabetes medication is a common and costly problem, significantly precluding the evidence-based benefits of diabetes care. Nonadherence is also a poorly understood multifactorial behavior, particularly among African Americans with type 2 diabetes receiving care in under-resourced primary care settings. We investigated several known or suspected individual-level factors influencing diabetes medication adherence among a predominantly African American group of adults with diabetes at a local community health center.

Diabetes retinopathy and related health management in Asians versus whites using BRFSS 2005-2017 data.

Purpose: Asian Americans had high rate of type 2 diabetes and less risk for diabetes complications compared to white. The purpose of this study was to examine diabetic retinopathy and related healthcare management among Asian American adults with diabetes.

Materials And Method: Asian and white type 2 diabetes participants from 2005-2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data were used to perform the analysis.

Development of Zinc Chelating Resin Polymer Beads for the Removal of Cell-Free Hemoglobin.

Red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis is one of the most common storage lesions in packed RBCs (pRBC). Older units of pRBCs, especially those > 21 days old, have increasing levels of hemolysis leading to increased oxidative stress and premature platelet activation. This effect can mostly be attributed to the increase of cell-free hemoglobin (Hb).

Statistical methods and common problems in medical or biomedical science research.

Statistical thinking is crucial for studies in medical and biomedical areas. There are several pitfalls of using statistics in these areas involving in experimental design, data collection, data analysis and data interpretation. This review paper describes basic statistical design problems in biomedical or medical studies and directs the basic scientists to better use of statistical thinking.

Risk of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections among Children Found to be MRSA USA300 Carriers.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine community-associated methicillin resistant (CA-MRSA) carriage and infections and determine risk factors associated specifically with MRSA USA300.

Methods: We conducted a case control study in a pediatric emergency department. Nasal and axillary swabs were collected, and participants were interviewed for risk factors.

A Self-assessment Tool for Screening Young Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Using Strong Heart Family Study Data.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to characterize risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes in young adults aged 18 to 29 years to develop a noninvasive risk assessment tool for use with younger American populations.

Methods: The self-assessment tool was developed with the Strong Heart Family Study data. A total of 590 young American Indian adults (242 men) who had normoglycemia and were not receiving diabetes treatment were included.

Value of a small control group for estimating intervention effectiveness: results from simulations of immunization effectiveness studies.

Aim: To improve evidence for public health practice, the conduct of effectiveness studies by practitioners is needed and may be stimulated if knowledge that smaller than usual samples may provide the same reliability of intervention effect size as larger samples.

Materials & Methods: We examined reliability of intervention effect using computerized simulations of 2000 hypothetical immunization effectiveness studies from an actual study population and by small (30 and 60) and larger (100 and 200) control groups compared with an intervention group of 200 participants.

Results & Conclusion: Across simulated studies, the mean intervention effect (14%) and effect sizes were equivalent regardless of control group size and equal to the actual study effect.

A Study of Effects of MultiCollinearity in the Multivariable Analysis.

A multivariable analysis is the most popular approach when investigating associations between risk factors and disease. However, efficiency of multivariable analysis highly depends on correlation structure among predictive variables. When the covariates in the model are not independent one another, collinearity/multicollinearity problems arise in the analysis, which leads to biased estimation.

Incorporating translational research with clinical research to increase effectiveness in healthcare for better health.

Background: The transfer of new scientific discoveries into healthcare interventions requires that basic and clinical researchers work together with health care providers to generate team science. These innovative models require translational teams, and need to extend beyond the academic environment. The future of translational science requires partnerships with the healthcare community as well as the broader, general community.

Peer training of community health workers to improve heart health among African American women.

Introduction: Training community health workers (CHWs) builds a workforce that is essential to addressing the chronic disease crisis. This article describes a highly replicable CHW training program that targets heart disease risk among African American women.

Background: African American women suffer disproportionately from heart disease mortality and morbidity.

Using evaluability assessment and evaluation capacity-building to strengthen community-based prevention initiatives.

Objectives: To examine the process of community-campus engagement in an initiative developed to build evaluation capacities of community-based organizations (CBOs).

Methods: Evaluability assessment, capacity-building, self administered surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted from 2004 to 2007 and analyzed through transcript assessment and SPSS to identify trends, relationships and capacity changes over time.

Results: Evaluability assessment identified CBO strengths in program planning and implementation and challenges in measurable objective development, systematic use of mixed methods, data management and analysis.

The community-based participatory intervention effect of "HIV-RAAP".

Objectives: To design and test HIV-RAAP (HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Among Heterosexually Active African American Men and Women: A Risk Reduction Prevention Intervention) a coeducational, culture- and gender-sensitive community-based participatory HIV risk reduction intervention.

Methods: A community-based participatory research process included intervention development and implementation of a 7-session coeducational curriculum conducted over 7 consecutive weeks.

Results: The results indicated a significant intervention effect on reducing sexual behavior risk (P=0.

A High Level of Patient Activation Is Observed But Unrelated to Glycemic Control Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: To measure patient activation and its relationship to glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes who had not participated in a formal diabetes self-management education program as a baseline assessment for tailoring diabetes education in a primary care setting.

Research Design And Methods: Patient activation was assessed in a stratified, cross-sectional study of adults with controlled ( = 21) and uncontrolled ( = 27) type 2 diabetes, who were receiving primary care at a unique family practice center of Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, Tex.

Results: The mean patient activation was 66.

Disease management to promote blood pressure control among African Americans.

African Americans have a higher prevalence of hypertension and poorer cardiovascular and renal outcomes than white Americans. The objective of this study was to determine whether a telephonic nurse disease management (DM) program designed for African Americans is more effective than a home monitoring program alone to increase blood pressure (BP) control among African Americans enrolled in a national health plan. A prospective randomized controlled study (March 2006-December 2007) was conducted, with 12 months of follow-up on each subject.

The impact of health literacy on self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with diabetes receiving care in an inner-city hospital.

Background: Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is considered to be 1 of the cornerstones of diabetes self-management. It is unclear whether inadequate health literacy affects SMBG.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between health literacy and SMBG.

Enhancing community-based organizations' capacity for HIV/AIDS education and prevention.

The catalytic potential of community-based organizations to promote health, prevent disease, and address racial, ethnic, and socio-economic disparities in local communities is well recognized. However, many CBOs, particularly, small- to medium-size organizations, lack the capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate their successes. Moreover, little assistance has been provided to enhance their capacity and the effectiveness of technical assistance to enhance capacity is likewise limited.

Improving quality and reducing inequities: a challenge in achieving best care.

The health care quality chasm is better described as a gulf for certain segments of the population, such as racial and ethnic minority groups, given the gap between actual care received and ideal or best care quality. The landmark Institute of Medicine report Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century challenges all health care organizations to pursue six major aims of health care improvement: safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and patient-centeredness. "Equity" aims to ensure that quality care is available to all and that the quality of care provided does not differ by race, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics unrelated to a patient's reason for seeking care.

Point of care testing to improve glycemic control.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to pilot-test the feasibility and impact of protocol-driven point-of-care HbAlc testing on levels of glycemic control and on rates of diabetic regimen intensification in an urban community health center serving low-income patients.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper suggests a primary care process re-design, using point of care finger-stick HbA1c testing under a standing order protocol that provided test results to the provider at patient visit.

Findings: The paper finds that the protocol was well received by both nurses and physicians.

Community-based organizations' capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate success.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) have the potential to promote and sustain health, prevent disease, and address health disparities, but many lack the capacity to do so. An assessment of the 20 CBOs receiving supplemental grant funding from the Pfizer Foundation Southern HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiative indicated a high level of knowledge for developing goals and objectives (mean score=3.08 on a scale of 0 (none) to 4 (extensive)) and high self-assessed abilities to conduct six of 20 specific intervention activities, including the development of community relationships and coalitions.

Improving quality and reducing inequities: a challenge in achieving best care.

The health care quality chasm is better described as a gulf for certain segments of the population, such as racial and ethnic minority groups, given the gap between actual care received and ideal or best care quality. The landmark Institute of Medicine report Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century challenges all health care organizations to pursue six major aims of health care improvement: safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and patient-centeredness. "Equity" aims to ensure that quality care is available to all and that the quality of care provided does not differ by race, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics unrelated to a patient's reason for seeking care.

Barriers to prenatal care among Black women of low socioeconomic status.

Objective: To qualitatively identify attitudinal and psychosocial determinants of early prenatal care among Black women of low socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods: Focus group discussions were conducted among Black women who attended community clinics for prenatal care.

Results: Early initiators of prenatal care, compared with late initiators, had positive attitudes toward pregnancy, were knowledgeable about pregnancy signs/symptoms, and thought prenatal care was important.