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Message from the Health and Wellness Committee
Message from
the Health and Wellness Committee Mu Lambda Health and Wellness Committee (MLHWC)
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Mu Lambda Brothers,
Welcome to Fall 2021! November is Diabetes, Lung Cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and antibiotic resistance Awareness Month. Below are some articles of interest addressing these topics. Please click on the links or cut and paste into your browser to read the entire articles.
Diabetes and African Americans
• In 2018, non-Hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes. • African American adults are 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. • In 2017, non-Hispanic blacks were 3.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with end stage renal disease as compared to non-Hispanic whites. • In 2017, non-Hispanic blacks were 2.3 times more likely to be hospitalized for lower limb amputations as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
Diagnosed Cases of Diabetes
Age-adjusted percentage of persons 18 years of age and over with diabetes, 2018
Non-Hispanic Black Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Men 13.4 8.7 1.5
Women 12.7 7.5 1.7
Total 13.0 8.0 1.6
Source: CDC 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-4a. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/shs/tables.htm
Age-adjusted percentage of adults age 18 and over diagnosed with diabetes, 2018
Non-Hispanic Black Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
12.4 7.8 1.6
Mu Lambda Health and Wellness Committee (MLHWC)
Age-adjusted percentage of diagnosed diabetes for adults age 18 and over, 2017-2018
Men 11.4 8.6 1.3
Women 12.0 6.6 1.8
Total 11.7 7.5 1.6
Source: CDC 2020. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020. Appendix Table 3. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html
Death Rates
Age-adjusted diabetes death rates per 100,000 (2018)
Male 47.6 24.3 2.0
Female 33.1 14.3 2.3
Total 39.3 18.9 2.1
Source: CDC 2021. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 69, No. 13. Table 10. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr69/nvsr69-13-508.pdf [PDF | 2.05MB]
For more information on Diabetes amongst African Americans – please click the link below. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=18
Mu Lambda Health and Wellness Committee (MLHWC)
Data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey shows that racial and ethnic minority groups remain less likely to be eligible for lung cancer screening.
Background
To address disparities in lung cancer screening (LCS) that may exclude large numbers of highrisk African American smokers, revised U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations lowered LCS eligibility thresholds. However, there are limited recent data about the impact of newly revised guidelines on disparities in LCS eligibility.
Purpose
To evaluate the impact of revised USPSTF guidelines on racial and ethnic disparities in LCS eligibility.
Materials and Methods
Cross-sectional survey data from 20 states were retrospectively evaluated from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey (median response rate, 49.4%). Respondents without a history of lung cancer aged 55–79 years (ie, under the previous guidelines) or aged 50–79 years (ie, under the revised guidelines) were included. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between race and ethnicity and LCS eligibility. All analyses were performed accounting for complex survey design features (ie, weighting, stratification, and clustering).
Results
Under previous guidelines, 11% of 67 567 weighted survey respondents were eligible for LCS (White [12%], Hispanic [4%], African American [7%], American Indian [17%], Asian or Pacific Islander [4%], and other [12%]). Under revised USPSTF guidelines, 14% of 77 689 weighted survey respondents were eligible for LCS (White [15%], Hispanic [5%], African American [9%], American Indian [21%), Asian or Pacific Islander [5%], and other [18%]). Compared with White respondents, African American respondents (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.47; P < .001) and Hispanic respondents (adjusted OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.24; P < .001) were less likely to be eligible for LCS under previous guidelines. African American respondents (adjusted OR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.47; P < .001) and Hispanic respondents (adjusted OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.23; P < .001) were less likely to be eligible under the revised guidelines. The Wald test showed no evidence of differences in the degree to which racial and ethnic minority groups were less likely to be eligible for LCS when comparing previous versus revised USPSTF guidelines (P = .76).
Conclusion
The revised U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines (version 2.0) may perpetuate lung cancer disparities, as racial and ethnic minority groups are still less likely to be eligible for lung cancer screening. For more information on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Lung Cancer – please click the link below.
Mu Lambda Health and Wellness Committee (MLHWC)
Why African American Men Diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Continue to Smoke
The purpose of this research was to explore why some African American men diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continue smoking following their diagnosis. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) guided the development of this research. The research questions were developed to understand the attitudes, behavioral intentions, subjective norms, social norms, perceived power, and perceived behavioral control that influence their continuing or quitting smoking based on the TPB model. The study’s research method was qualitative. A pilot study, using the same criteria as the main study, confirmed the reliability of the interview guide. Participants were informed about the study via flyers and posters located at public locations. Twelve respondents who were between the ages of 35-65, currently diagnosed with COPD, and currently smoked were selected for participation in the main study. Interviews were individually conducted video chat. All responses and nonverbal cues from the participants were recorded. NVivo 12 was used to organize the collected data. Data analysis was done via (a) compiling data, (b) disassembling data, (c) reassembling data, (d) interpreting the data, and (e) drawing a conclusions. Findings showed that although they were aware of the harmful effects of smoking, the participants had lifelong smoking habits that were difficult to break. This research contributes to a better understanding of the difficulties that face African American men with COPD who continue to smoke and can help family and health care providers to assist them, thus offering better smoking cessation support and individualized care for African American men.
For more information on Why African American Men with COPD Continue to smoke – please click the link below.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11469&context=dissertations
For Brothers looking to participate in the Mu Lambda’s Health and Wellness Committee (MLHWC) activities, please contact Bro. Derrick Butts dabutts@mac.com - who is filling in until one or more brothers will step-up/volunteer.
Thank you for your participation and support of the MLHWC!
Bro. Derrick Butts
