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Racial bias is associated with the allocation of advanced heart failure therapies, heart transplants, and ventricular assist devices. It is unknown whether gender and racial biases are associated with the allocation of advanced therapies among women. To determine whether the intersection of patient gender and race is associated with the decision-making of clinicians during the allocation of advanced heart failure therapies. In this qualitative study, 46 US clinicians attending a conference for an international heart transplant organization in April 2019 were interviewed on the allocation of advanced heart failure therapies. Participants were randomized to examine clinical vignettes that varied 1:1 by patient race (African American to white) and 20:3 by gender (women to men) to purposefully target vignettes of women patients to compare with a prior study of vignettes of men patients. Participants were interviewed about their decision-making process using the think-aloud technique and provided supplemental surveys. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methodology, and surveys were analyzed with Wilcoxon tests. Randomization to clinical vignettes. Thematic differences in allocation of advanced therapies by patient race and gender. Among 46 participants (24 [52%] women, 20 [43%] racial minority), participants were randomized to the vignette of a white woman (20 participants [43%]), an African American woman (20 participants [43%]), a white man (3 participants [7%]), and an African American man (3 participants [7%]). Allocation differences centered on 5 themes. First, clinicians critiqued the appearance of the women more harshly than the men as part of their overall impressions. Second, the African American man was perceived as experiencing more severe illness than individuals from other racial and gender groups. Third, there was more concern regarding appropriateness of prior care of the African American woman compared with the white woman. Fourth, there were greater concerns about adequacy of social support for the women than for the men. Children were perceived as liabilities for women, particularly the African American woman. Family dynamics and finances were perceived to be greater concerns for the African American woman than for individuals in the other vignettes; spouses were deemed inadequate support for women. Last, participants recommended ventricular assist devices over transplantation for all racial and gender groups. Surveys revealed no statistically significant differences in allocation recommendations for African American and white women patients. This national study of health care professionals randomized to clinical vignettes that varied only by gender and race found evidence of gender and race bias in the decision-making process for offering advanced therapies for heart failure, particularly for African American women patients, who were judged more harshly by appearance and adequacy of social support. There was no associated between patient gender and race and final recommendations for allocation of advanced therapies. However, it is possible that bias may contribute to delayed allocation and ultimately inequity in the allocation of advanced therapies in a clinical setting.

BackgroundWomen, older patients and non-White ethnic groups experience a substantial proportion of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), although they have been historically underrepresented in ACS randomized clinical trials (RCTs). To assess the influence of sex, age and race on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and on heart failure events, we studied patients with type 2 diabetes in a large post-ACS trial (EXAMINE).MethodsDifferences in baseline characteristics and the respective composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke (MACE) and cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization (HF events) were evaluated by subgroups in a cohort of post-ACS patients with diabetes, using unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression modelling.ResultsThe EXAMINE trial enrolled 5380 patients with 35% aged > 65, 32% female and 27% non-White. The risk of MACE was higher in non-White compared to White patients after adjustment for potential confounding (HR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.04–1.75), but there were no significant differences by sex and age (HR = 1.03; 95% CI 0.87–1.22 for women; HR = 1.14; 95% CI 0.96–1.35 for patients ≥ 65 years). The risk of HF events was higher in non-White patients (HR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.13–2.14), and in patients aged > 65 (HR = 1.33; 95% CI 1.07–1.66) and nominally so in women (HR = 1.23; 95% CI 0.99–1.52). The additive risk of each demographic factor (women, older age and non-White race) was greater for HF events in comparison with MACE. Moreover, non-White elderly patients consistently had poorer prognosis regardless of sex.ConclusionsOlder adults, women and non-White patients with diabetes who are post-ACS are often underrepresented in RCTs. The risk for HF events was higher in older and non-White patients, with a trend towards significance in women, whereas only non-White patients (and not women and older patients) were at higher risk for MACE. Future trials should enrich enrollment of these persons at risk.Graphic abstract

Social workers assess and intervene to prevent harm among clients at risk of harm to self (HTS) and harm to others (HTO) with a firearm. This study sought to assess the impact of client race on social workers’ approaches to reduce firearm access when they weighed voluntary (e.g., store out-of-home) and involuntary (e.g., extreme risk protection order) removal methods. We considered the role of social workers’ self-identified race as a moderator of this relationship, comparing white (single race) and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) social workers. A survey was distributed to Washington state social workers ( n = 9073) who were presented with two case vignettes, each randomized to view the client’s race as Black or white. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the client’s race and the pursuit of voluntary or involuntary methods, stratified by social workers’ race. Among the participants ( n = 1306), 26% pursued at least one involuntary care plan option for the HTS client, and 59% for the HTO client. The Black client at risk of HTS had lower odds of an involuntary care plan option compared to the white client (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.54–0.88), while the Black client at risk of HTO had higher odds of an involuntary care plan options (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.66). These associations were not statistically significantly different between white (single race selected) and BIPOC social workers. This study contributes to the growing understanding of potential racial disparities in social workers’ decision-making regarding firearm access reduction strategies.

Study Objectives: The extant literature on predictors of treatment response to behavioral treatments for insomnia is equivocal and limited in scope. The current study examined demographic, clinical, and sleep characteristics as predictors of clinically significant treatment response to brief behavioral treatment of insomnia (BBTI) in older adults with insomnia. Methods: Thirty-nine older adults with insomnia (67% females, mean age: 72.54 years) were randomized to BBTI treatment. Treatment outcomes were defined according to 2 criteria: (1) “response,” defined as change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score ≥ 3 points or increase in sleep diary sleep efficiency ≥ 10%); or (2) remission, defined as absence of a clinical diagnosis of insomnia according to standard diagnostic criteria. Logistic regression examined whether baseline demographic, clinical, or sleep characteristics predicted treatment outcomes at 1 month follow–up. Results: Demographic variables did not predict treatment outcomes for either criterion. Higher anxiety, depression, poorer sleep quality, and longer polysomnography (PSG)-assessed sleep latency predicted greater likelihood of response at follow-up (p < 0.05). Longer sleep duration at baseline (measured by sleep diary and PSG) predicted greater likelihood of the remission at follow-up (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with insomnia who have greater distress at baseline or prolonged sleep latency are more likely to show positive response to BBTI. In contrast, short sleepers at baseline are less likely to have resolution of insomnia diagnosis following BBTI, perhaps due to the sleep restriction component of the treatment. Identifying the characteristics that predict positive BBTI treatment outcomes can facilitate personalized behavioral treatments to improve outcomes. Citation: Troxel WM; Conrad TS; Germain A; Buysse DJ. Predictors of treatment response to brief behavioral treatment of insomnia (BBTI) in older adults. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(12):1281–1289.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a powerful tool to prevent the transmission of HIV. Interventions promoting PrEP must focus on populations most impacted by systemic barriers to uptake. Historically, young sexual minority men and transgender women have the highest demonstrated rates of new HIV diagnoses, but prevalence within other gender minority populations is now being studied. Few interventions have focused on addressing PrEP uptake with sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, particularly through mobile health (mHealth) technologies. Built on the successful foundation of the HealthMpowerment Platform, PrEPresent aimed to engage SGM youth across diverse gender, racial, and ethnic identities in the Greater Los Angeles area. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a digital peer patient-navigation PrEP uptake app. PrEPresent incorporated patient activation theory into an mHealth intervention. The study took place over a 6-month period with visits at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The intervention period lasted from baseline to 3 months. Control participants received an information-only app. Intervention participants received an enhanced app and access to an interventionist, the PrEPresentative. Intervention participants could meet with the PrEPresentative four times over the 3-month period via phone, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant videoconferencing, or an in-app text messaging. PrEP uptake was measured through survey responses and the UrSure rapid urine test of tenofovir. PrEPresent comprised of 147 sexual and gender-diverse participants-75 participants were randomized into the control arm and 72 into the intervention arm. A total of 48% (71/147) were Latinx and 18% (27/147) were Black or African American. Most (98/147, 67%) were transgender or gender diverse, and the remaining (49/147, 33%) were cisgender men. PrEP was initiated by 25% (14/56) of intervention participants and 19% (11/58) of control participants. In total, 50% (36/72) of intervention participants completed two or more sessions with the interventionist. Intervention participants had an average of 15.93 (SD 15.85) logins compared to 6.31 (SD 9.27) logins for control participants. Average use of the mHealth platform was 9.51 (SD 11.47) minutes for intervention participants and 3.03 (SD 5.70) minutes for control participants. PrEPresent met primary outcome measures of feasibility and acceptability. Despite this, PrEP uptake was low, and use of the platform was low compared to other HealthMpowerment projects. While mHealth offers promising HIV prevention outcomes, fostering active app engagement is crucial in promoting behavior change. Mixed success in initiating PrEP uptake across mHealth interventions involving SGM youth warrants further inquiry into how these platforms can address prevention barriers with this population. Interventions targeting uptake and adherence will need to adapt as the landscape of PrEP delivery evolves with the adoption of on-demand and long-acting injectable modalities.

Natriuretic peptides are cardiac-derived hormones that enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce fat accumulation. Low natriuretic peptide levels are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2); a condition with variable prevalence across racial/ethnic groups. Few studies have examined whether circulating natriuretic peptide levels and their response to preventive interventions for DM2 differ by race/ethnicity. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a clinical trial (July 31, 1996- July 31, 2001) that randomized participants to preventive interventions for DM2. Using stored serum samples, we examined N-terminus pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in 3,220 individuals (56% white; 19% African-American; 15% Hispanic; 5% American-Indian; 5% Asian). The influence of race/ethnicity on NT-proBNP concentrations at baseline and after two years of treatment with placebo, lifestyle, or metformin was examined with multivariable-adjusted regression. At baseline, NT-proBNP differed significantly by race (P < .001), with the lowest values in African-American individuals. Hispanic individuals also had lower baseline NT-proBNP levels compared with whites (P< .001), while NT-proBNP levels were similar between white, American-Indian, and Asian individuals. At two years of follow-up, NT-proBNP levels decreased in African-Americans in each of the DPP study arms, whereas they were stable or increased in the other racial/ethnic groups. In the DPP, African-American individuals had lower circulating NT-proBNP levels compared with individuals in other racial/ethnic groups at baseline and after two years of preventive interventions. Further studies should examine the cardio-metabolic implications of lower natriuretic peptide levels in African-Americans. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00004992.

Objective. Describe obstetrical providers’ management of a hypothetical case on chronic pain in pregnancy and determine whether practices differ based on patient race. Design and Setting. This was a self-administered survey at a clinical conference. Subjects. Seventy-six obstetrician-gynecologists and one nurse practitioner were surveyed. Methods. A case-vignette described a pregnant patient presenting with worsening chronic lower back pain, requesting an opioid refill and increased dosage. We varied patient race (black/white) across two randomly assigned identical vignettes. Providers indicated their likelihood of prescribing opioids, drug testing, and referring on a 0 (definitely would not) to 10 (definitely would) scale; rated their suspicions/concerns about the patient on a 0–10 VAS scale; and ranked those concerns in order of importance. We calculated correlation coefficients, stratifying analyses by patient race. Results. Providers were not inclined to refill the opioid prescription (median = 3.0) or increase the dose (median = 1.0). They were more likely to conduct urine drug tests on white than black patients (P = 0.008) and more likely to suspect that white patients would divert the medication (P =0.021). For white patients, providers’ highest-ranked concern was the patient’s risk of abuse/addiction, whereas, for black patients, it was harm to the fetus. Suspicion about symptom exaggeration was more closely related to decisions about refilling the opioid prescriptions and increasing the dose for black patients (r = −0.357, −0.439, respectively), whereas these decisions were more closely correlated with concerns about overdose for white patients (r = −0.406, −0.494, respectively). Conclusions. Provider suspicion and concerns may differ by patient race, which may relate to differences in pain treatment and testing. Further study is warranted to better understand how chronic pain is managed in pregnancy.

Interventions to reduce early childhood caries should be examined for their effects on anthropometry given their design to improve children's diets. To compare the outcomes of dietary intake, anthropometric measurements, and blood pressure measurements between children at age 36 months in the immediate intervention group vs those in the delayed intervention group. This secondary analysis was a follow-up to the 2-group Baby Teeth Talk randomized clinical trial conducted across the state of South Australia, Australia. Participants were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and their caregivers who were randomized to the immediate intervention group or delayed intervention group. The intervention was provided from February 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012. The prespecified follow-up when the participating children were aged 36 months was conducted from November 1, 2014, to February 28, 2016, in participant homes or public locations. Data were analyzed from October 5, 2018, to April 29, 2019. The immediate intervention group received the intervention during pregnancy and at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. The delayed intervention group received the intervention at 24, 30, and 36 months of age. Both groups received an intervention consisting of free dental care for mothers, fluoride varnish on children's teeth, anticipatory guidance on oral health and dietary advice, and motivational interviewing. Dietary intake was measured with a caregiver-completed, 17-item food frequency questionnaire. Frequency of consumption of discretionary foods and beverages were the main dietary outcomes. Children's weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference were measured and converted to age- and sex-specific z scores. Body mass index z score was the main anthropometric outcome. A total of 330 children were followed up to age 36 months among the 448 mothers and 454 children who were randomized to the 2 groups. At baseline, the women had a mean (SD) age of 24.9 (5.9) years, and the children had a mean (SD) weight of 3.3 (0.6) kilograms at birth, and 205 were boys (46%); sex was not recorded for 63 children (14%). Diet outcomes were similar between the groups. For example, the mean (SD) intake of discretionary beverages by the immediate intervention group was similar to that by the delayed intervention group (507 [536] mL/d vs 520 [546] mL/d; adjusted mean difference [MD], -16 [95% CI, -133 to 102] mL/d; P = .79). Height was similar between the 2 groups, but the mean (SD) z scores of weight (0.7 [1.0] vs 0.4 [1.0]; adjusted MD, 0.3 [95% CI, 0.1-0.5]; P = .02), arm circumference (1.6 [1.0] vs 1.3 [0.9]; adjusted MD, 0.2 [95% CI, 0.1-0.5]; P = .03), and body mass index (1.1 [1.1] vs 0.9 [0.9]; adjusted MD, 0.2 [95% CI, 0.0-0.4]; P = .04) were higher in the immediate intervention group than the delayed intervention group. This study found no differences in dietary intakes between children who received an intervention to reduce dental caries early and those who received it later. At age 36 months, children in the immediate intervention group had greater z scores for weight, arm circumference, and body mass index than their counterparts in the delayed intervention group, suggesting a potential implication of oral health interventions for anthropometric outcomes. ANZCTR Identifier: ACTRN12611000111976.

Background The literature on interventions addressing the intersection of homelessness, mental illness and race is scant. The At Home/Chez Soi research demonstration project is a pragmatic field trial investigating a Housing First intervention for homeless individuals with mental illness in five cities across Canada. A unique focus at the Toronto site has been the development and implementation of a Housing First Ethno-Racial Intensive Case Management (HF ER-ICM) arm of the trial serving 100 homeless individuals with mental illness from ethno-racial groups. The HF ER-ICM program combines the Housing First approach with an anti-racism/anti-oppression framework of practice. This paper presents the findings of an early implementation and fidelity evaluation of the HF ER-ICM program, supplemented by participant narrative interviews to inform our understanding of the HF ER-ICM program theory. Methods Descriptive statistics are used to describe HF ER-ICM participant characteristics. Focus group interviews, key informant interviews and fidelity assessments were conducted between November 2010 and January 2011, as part of the program implementation evaluation. In-depth qualitative interviews with HF ER-ICM participants and control group members were conducted between March 2010 and June 2011. All qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory methodology. Results The target population had complex health and social service needs. The HF ER-ICM program enjoyed a high degree of fidelity to principles of both anti-racism/anti-oppression practice and Housing First and comprehensively addressed the housing, health and sociocultural needs of participants. Program providers reported congruence of these philosophies of practice, and program participants valued the program and its components. Conclusions Adapting Housing First with anti-racism/anti-oppression principles offers a promising approach to serving the diverse needs of homeless people from ethno-racial groups and strengthening the service systems developed to support them. The use of fidelity and implementation evaluations can be helpful in supporting successful adaptations of programs and services. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN42520374

In this large study, the mortality benefits of reducing levels of fine particulate matter air pollution were greater for low-income and higher-income Black persons and for low-income White persons than for higher-income White persons.