J Natl Med Assoc
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Suicides are among the leading causes of death in elderly Americans. The problem is expected to grow with an aging population in the U. S. ⋯ This article enumerates the risk factors for suicidal behaviors in elderly African-Americans; presents an epidemiological assessment of suicides in elderly African-Americans from 2010 to 2018 with gender-specific differences, and explores public health considerations for helping to reduce the growing numbers of suicides in elderly African-Americans. Currently, there are very limited evidence-based interventions to reduce or prevent suicides in older African-Americans. This article also provides implications and recommendations for prevention practice and research that is needed to help alleviate suicides in older African-Americans.
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To identify the motivations of adolescent students applying into medical pipeline programs that are focused on populations underrepresented in medicine. ⋯ Applicants to medical school pipeline programs articulate similar intrinsic motivations that can be used to inform what drives students to apply. Pipeline programs should consider these intrinsic motivations, while also creating structured activities from which students can learn and gain tangible benefits when designing curricula. While ninth-grade students acknowledge health disparities in minority communities, their current level of personal experience may not lead them to identify these disparities as significant motivators, and pipeline leaders should be aware of this when designing lesson plans concerning these topics.
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Despite concerted efforts over the past decade to increase diversity in U. S. medical schools, persistent applicant and enrollment gaps remain for students from underrepresented racial and economic backgrounds. ⋯ In this paper, we provide evidence that academic redlining via the MCAT disenfranchises students from underrepresented backgrounds prior to and during the admissions process due to structural racism, and describe the three core mechanisms that cause medical schools to engage in academic redlining: (1) the pursuit of institutional prestige, (2) market competition and pressure, and (3) market bands. Given the persistent lack of diversity in medicine-which contributes to devastating health care disparities-as medical schools redouble their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, structural alternatives within medical schools' admissions and education practices are offered to curtail the practice of academic redlining in medical school admissions and medicine.
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Racial tensions continue to ignite social unrest in the United States. Structural racism is increasingly recognized as a public health issue. It is therefore necessary to continue addressing the interaction of race and medicine, including anesthesiology. ⋯ To understand these irregularities without relying on unsupported theories, we must challenge our current understanding of race in medicine. By reviewing the history of anesthesia through a racialized lens, we may better explore our biases and develop strategies towards racially equitable care. This article focuses on anesthesia's roots on the plantation in the American South, the medical perpetuation of racial disparities, and the challenges we face in healthcare today.
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There is a dearth of studies that have examined unintentional firearm-related mortality in African-American (AA) youths. The purpose of this article is to assess the epidemiology of unintentional firearm mortality in AA youth, examine the risk factors associated with unintentional AA youth firearm mortality, and explore the evidence for preventing unintentional firearm-mortality in AA youths. ⋯ Despite the limited scale of unintentional firearm mortality in AA youths, primary prevention dictates that public health professionals intervene to keep this public health problem from becoming an epidemic and a larger contributor to health disparities.