Newswise Feature Channel: Health Disparities

Neighborhood Factors Affect Rehab Services After Traumatic Brain Injury

Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:00:01 EST

Contextual social determinants of health (SDoH) - for example, rural residence and neighborhood economic factors - may affect access to community-based rehabilitation services for older adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI), suggests a study in the March/April issue of Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR). The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Female Sex Hormone Protects Against Opioid Misuse, Rat Study Finds

Washington University in St. Louis — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:00:00 EST

Male and female rats with a chronic pain condition release different amounts of dopamine when given fentanyl because of sex hormones, according to a new study from WashU Medicine. The findings might help explain why men have higher rates of opioid use and overdose deaths.

Study: Florida Leukemia Rates Rising Rapidly as Population Ages

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 06:05:52 EST

A new Sylvester Cancer study reveals Florida has the nation's highest and fastest-growing leukemia rates, driven primarily by an influx of retirees, but it also uncovers a critical mismatch: many of the state's leukemia "hotspots," lack nearby specialized treatment, putting these residents at higher risk.

Study Reveals Widening Heart Disease Disparities in the US

Washington University in St. Louis — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 20:40:34 EST

A study published March 6 in The Lancet Regional Health -- Americas highlights a growing divide in cardiovascular health in the U.S., showing that wealth and education play a significant role in heart disease risk.

New Research Sheds Light on Why Scleroderma Affects Mostly Women and How to Treat It

Hospital for Special Surgery — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:00:22 EST

Two new studies led by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have uncovered key biological mechanisms driving systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma - a rare and often devastating autoimmune disease that causes fibrosis (tissue hardening) and inflammation. The research, published in the March issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, helps explain why the disease disproportionately affects women and reveals potential treatment targets, some of which are already in development.

International Women's Day: Accelerated Action on Gender Parity

George Washington University — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 18:50:57 EST

This year, March 8 marks International Women's Day, a day set aside to highlight the steps needed to achieve gender equalitiy. ...

Rutgers Health Researchers Reveal Health Care Disparities for People With Disabilities

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 12:00:50 EST

People with disabilities have more difficulty accessing health care and more negative interactions with health care providers than people without disabilities, according to a Rutgers Health study.

Generations 'Sync' Up in Florida's Rural 'Glades' to Boost Technology Use for Health

Florida Atlantic University — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:30:37 EST

A pilot study in a rural Florida community tested an intergenerational program to help older adults adopt mobile health technology using smartwatches and assessed daily brain health behaviors. Despite challenges with digital literacy, 91% of participants engaged with health surveys delivered via the devices. Social contact was positively linked to physical activity, mental engagement and cognitive well-being.

Study Addresses Representation Disparities of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Populations in the U.S. Health Workforce

George Washington University — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 19:30:33 EST

A new study from the George Washington University researchers highlights the critical need for disaggregating data on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations in the U.S. health workforce to better understand representation disparities and reduce health disparities.

Simple Algorithm Helps Improve Treatment, Reduce Disparities in MS

American Academy of Neurology (AAN) — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:00:00 EST

A simple treatment algorithm may help reduce treatment disparities for Hispanic and Black people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a preliminary study released today, March 3, 2025, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 77th Annual Meeting taking place April 5-9, 2025, in San Diego and online.

Expert: 4 Key Trump Administration Policy Changes That Could Make Life Harder for Disabled People

Binghamton University, State University of New York — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:20:04 EST

When Dads Take Leave, Moms Breastfeed Longer

Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:50:17 EST

Fathers who take at least two weeks of leave after their child's birth are significantly more likely to report longer breastfeeding duration, according to a recent survey led by scientists at Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

Small Practice Radiologists and Those Reporting Individual Face Disadvantages in MIPS Scoring, Highlighting Need for Reform

Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:00:00 EST

New Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute research found significant differences in performance across radiologists in the CMS Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). The researchers examined a broad range of radiologist and practice characteristics and identified the set of factors that predicted whether a radiologist would score exceptionally, and thus receive the highest payment bonus, or would fail to meet this bar. The study, published today in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, found that the strongest predictor of a radiologist's lower performance was reporting as an individual clinician, rather than as part of a group of physicians or an Advanced Payment Model (APM) entity. Individual radiologists were 7.4 times more likely to fail to achieve "exceptional" status than group reporting radiologists, indicating potential disadvantage in the MIPS program.

Untangling Mental Health Disparities in Bisexual Young Adults

Association for Psychological Science — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:45:13 EST

Researchers break apart monoliths to find out why bisexual people are more burdened by mental health challenges than gay or lesbian people.

Texas Tech Health El Paso Researcher Receives $55,000 Marsh Foundation Grant to Advance Alzheimer's Research

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:00:57 EST

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia, affecting approximately 6.7 million people in the United States over the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control. El Paso County, where 83% of the population identifies as Hispanic, ranks 10th among U.S. counties with populations over 10,000 for Alzheimer's prevalence, according to recent Alzheimer's Association research. Despite these alarming statistics, there is currently no noninvasive, early detection method for Alzheimer's disease.

No Difference in Prevalence of Common Chronic Conditions Between Medicare Advantage and Fee-for-Service Populations

American College of Physicians (ACP) — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 17:00:00 EST

A nationally representative cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic conditions among Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries compared to those in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare.

New ACS Study Shows Cancer Mortality Rates Among Black People Declining, but Remain Higher Than Other Racial and Ethnic Groups

American Cancer Society (ACS) — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 07:00:00 EST

The American Cancer Society today released Cancer Statistics for African American and Black People, 2025. According to the report, the cancer mortality rate declined from 1991 to 2022 by 49% and 33% in Black men and women, respectively, in the United States.

MSU Study: Socioeconomic Factors, Unpredictability Complicate Diagnosis of Episodic Disabilities, Like Epilepsy

Michigan State University — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:40:45 EST

MSU study: Socioeconomic factors, unpredictability complicate diagnosis of episodic disabilities, like epilepsy

U.S. Facing Critical Hospital Bed Shortage by 2032

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:00:00 EST

The new post-pandemic national hospital occupancy average is 75% -- a full 11 percentage points higher than the pre-pandemic average, largely due to a reduction in staffed hospital beds. This puts the U.S. on track for a severe shortage of hospital beds by 2032 unless action is taken.

Perceived Discrimination Is Associated with Differences in Gene Expression

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:45:15 EST

Experiencing discrimination correlates with differences in gene expression by race and sex, affecting immune response and disease risk, according to a study in The FASEB Journal. Researchers found 28 genes linked to inflammation and tumorigenesis were differentially expressed in those perceiving high discrimination.