Black Health

Ko-Pamoja: the feasibility of a lay health educator-led breast and cervical screening program for Black women in Ontario, Canada (short report).

July 6, 2017

Background: Effective strategies are needed to actively encourage Black women in Canada to adhere to breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up. In this study, we describe ‘‘Ko-Pamoja,’’ a pilot peer education program for breast and cervical cancer screening targeted specifically at Black women in Toronto, Canada. Methods: We used an Afrocentric lens to design…
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“You feel you have to be made of steel”: The strong Black woman, health, and well-being in Nova Scotia.

July 1, 2017

The “strong Black woman” construct has been well-documented in the United States as both an aspirational icon and a constricting burden for African-heritage women. It has not been examined among African-Canadians. Drawing on qualitative interviews and standardized measures with 50 African-heritage women in Eastern Canada, our analysis reveals their perceptions of the construct as both…
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A Structural Equation Model of Factors Contributing to Quality of Life Among African and Caribbean Women Living with HIV in Ontario, Canada.

July 1, 2017

African and Caribbean Black (ACB) women in Canada are disproportionately impacted by new HIV infections. ACB women’s HIV vulnerability is shaped by contexts of stigma and discrimination. HIV-related stigma compromises quality of life (QOL) among women living with HIV (WLWH), yet scant research has examined concomitant effects of racial discrimination and HIV-related stigma on QOL.…
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Second generation Caribbean black male youths discuss obstacles to educational and employment opportunities: a critical race counter-narrative analysis

July 1, 2017

This study explores obstacles to navigating the high school-to-labor market transition experienced by Second Generation Caribbean Black Male Youth (CBMY) living in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Drawing upon interviews with ten CBMY between the ages of 18–27, the article uses a qualitative phenomenological methodology to understand barriers to education and employment from their perspectives.…
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Racial/ethnic minority segregation and low birth weight: a comparative study of Chicago and Toronto community-level indicators

July 1, 2017

We examined the association between racial/ethnic minority segregation and low birth weight (LBW) in Chicago and Toronto communities. While previous work has documented the importance of contextual effects on LBW, these studies have usually been conducted within a single city. We used Pearson correlation coefficients and OLS regression models to examine potential variability in the…
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The social environment of daily life and perceptions of police and/or court discrimination among African, Caribbean, and Black youth

July 1, 2017

Recent deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police and the creation of the protest movement Black Lives Matter has brought public attention to claims of racial profiling and police discrimination in the United States. In Canada, concerns about racial profiling centre on the disproportionate number of visible minority, particularly African-diasporic, individuals targeted in ‘‘street…
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Health-related quality-of-life and receipt of women-centered HIV care among women living with HIV in Canada

July 1, 2017

We measured health-related quality of life (HRQOL) using the SF-12 among women living with HIV (WLWH) in Canada between August 2013 and May 2015. We investigated differences by perceived receipt of women-centered HIV care (WCHC), assessed using an evidence-based definition with a 5-point Likert item: “Overall, I think that the care I have received from…
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Inequalities in Hypertension and Diabetes in Canada: Intersections between Racial Identity, Gender, and Income.

July 1, 2017

A growing body of research from the United States informed by intersectionality theory indicates that racial identity, gender, and income are often entwined with one another as determinants of health in unexpectedly complex ways. Research of this kind from Canada is scarce, however. Using data pooled from ten cycles (2001- 2013) of the Canadian Community…
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Black, White, Black and White: mixed race and health in Canada

July 1, 2017

Objectives: To document inequalities in hypertension, self-rated health, and self-rated mental health between Canadian adults who identify as Black, White, or Black and White and determine whether differences in educational attainment and household income explain them. Design: The dataset was comprised of ten cycles (2001–2013) of the Canadian Community Health Survey. The health inequalities were…
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Maternal vitamin D insufficiency early in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of preterm birth in ethnic minority women in Canada

April 19, 2017

Background: Maternal vitamin D insufficiency (plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] <75 nmol/L) may play a role in ethnic disparities in rates of preterm and spontaneous preterm births. Objective: We explored the relation between maternal plasma 25(OH)D concentration in the first trimester (8–14 wk of gestation) and the risk of preterm and spontaneous preterm births (<37 wk…
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