A reappraisal of mouth-to-mouth ventilation during bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a statement for Healthcare Professionals from the Ventilation Working Group of the Basic Life Support and Pediatric Life Support Subcommittees, American Heart Association

There is growing recognition that race and socioeconomic variables in health research demand greater attention. The investigators compared racial differences in health definition, health value, and health-promoting behavior of 62 pairs (N = 124) of Black and White college women matched on age, body mass index, and socioeconomic status. Both groups of women had similar definitions of health, valued health to the same extent, and reported similar levels of self-actualization, health responsibility, exercise, and stress management. Black women, relative to White women, practiced fewer nutrition behaviors and had less interpersonal support. Interventions to reduce health risk associated with nutrition practices of Black women are warranted and further research is needed to explore the influence of the social structure of educational institutions on interpersonal relationships and other health behaviors. When socioeconomic status is taken into consideration, Black and White college women demonstrated more commonalities in health behavior than differences.     

Stress and coping among gay men: Age and ethnic differences.

Previous studies suggest that perceived stigmatization of sexual minority status, ethnicity, and age are associated with negative mental health outcomes, and other studies suggest that coping styles may influence these outcomes. However, no studies have examined these relationships among gay men of varying ethnicities and age groups. Three hundred eighty-three Black and White, younger, middle-aged, and older adult gay men completed measures of perceived stigmatization, coping style, and mental health outcomes. Black older adult gay men reported significantly higher levels of perceived ageism than the older White group, significantly higher levels of perceived racism than the younger Black group, significantly higher levels of homonegativity than the younger Black and the White groups, and were more likely to use disengaged coping styles than White gay men. However, Black older adult gay men did not experience significantly higher levels of negative mental health outcomes. Results suggest that further research should examine how older Black gay men, who perceive higher levels of stigma while reporting greater use of less effective coping styles, do not appear to be experiencing more negative mental health outcomes as a result. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Achieved eminence in minority and majority cultures: Convergence versus divergence in the assessments of 294 African Americans.

Although psychologists have often used eminence measures as individual-difference variables, no researcher has investigated the differential eminence of individuals belonging to disadvantaged minority groups. Here a sample of 294 illustrious African Americans is scrutinized from the standpoint of the majority (White) culture and the minority (Black) subculture. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of 7 Black and 10 White eminence measures indicate that (a) these measures can be explained by two latent variables but that (b) the two dimensions correlate very highly. Multiple regression analyses then showed that the Black and White composite assessments, although concurring on the impact of most predictor variables (e.g., gender, famous firsts, and Spingarn Award), could nonetheless disagree on the consequences of achievements in certain domains (e.g., athletes, blues and jazz musicians, and civil rights activists). The results have implications for the development of causal models that explain individual differences in achievement within minority- and majority culture populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Daydreaming: A Black–White comparison for 17–34-year-olds.

Matched 112 White and 112 Black 17–34 yr olds on religious preference, self-described socioeconomic status, years of education, area/population of residency, and annual income. All Ss responded to a retrospective questionnaire on daydreaming and associated mental activity. ANOVAs followed by multiple regression analyses found significant race-related effects on the factors measuring Daydreaming Vividness and Its Hallucinatory Quality, Negative or Frightening Aspects of Daydreaming, Achievement-Oriented Daydreams, Hostile Daydreams, and The Present in Daydreams. These Black–White differences were analyzed to determine if they were atypical or due, spuriously, to nonracial differences resulting from the matching procedure. Most salient was the apparently real difference found in Achievement-Oriented and Hostile daydreams. Also noted was the lack of any tendency for Black women to be more like Black men on daydreaming than were White women like White men. Results are discussed in the context of Black–White personality differences and the existence of a Black minority culture within a White majority culture. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family socialization and the IQ test performance of traditionally and transracially adopted Black children.

Compared mean IQ test performance and response styles to cognitive demands of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) among 23 Black children (aged 7–10 yrs) who had been adopted by middle-class White families (i.e., transracially adopted) and 23 age-matched Black children who had been adopted by middle-class Black families (i.e., traditionally adopted). Findings indicate that while the traditionally adopted Ss received normal IQ scores, transracially adopted Ss showed nearly 1 standard deviation Full-Scale Scoring advantage over them. A multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated significant differences in the styles of responding to test demands demonstrated by the 2 groups of Ss, which were conceptualized as contributors to the difference in average test score observed between them. Multivariate analysis of the helping behaviors adopted mothers exhibited when helping their children solve a difficult cognitive task revealed significant differences between Black and White mothers, which were conceptualized as culturally determined. White adopted mothers tended to release tension by joking, grinning, and laughing, while Black adoptive mothers more often released tension in less positive ways such as scowling, coughing, and frowning. White adoptive mothers were more likely than Black adoptive mothers to provide positive evaluations of their children's problem solving efforts. It is concluded that the ethnicity of the rearing environment exerts a significant influence on children's styles of responding to standardized intelligence tests and on their test achievement. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Brief Symptom Inventory–18 in women: A MACS approach to testing for invariance across racial/ethnic groups.

This study used data from 3 sites to examine the invariance and psychometric characteristics of the Brief Symptom Inventory–18 across Black, Hispanic, and White mothers of 5th graders (N = 4,711; M = 38.07 years of age, SD = 7.16). Internal consistencies were satisfactory for all subscale scores of the instrument regardless of ethnic group membership. Mean and covariance structures analysis indicated that the hypothesized 3-factor structure of the instrument was not robust across ethnic groups. It provided a reasonable approximation to the data for Black and White women but not for Hispanic women. Tests for differential item functioning (DIF) were therefore conducted for only Black and White women. Analyses revealed no more than trivial instances of nonuniform DIF but more substantial evidence of uniform DIF for 3 of the 18 items. After having established partial strong factorial invariance of the instrument, latent factor means were found to be significantly higher for Black than for White women on all 3 subscales (somatization, depression, anxiety). In conclusion, the instrument may be used for mean comparisons between Black and White women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Black/white differences in the relationship between MMSE scores and disability: the Women's Health and Aging Study

The purpose of this article is to examine Black/White differences among older women in the relationship between physical functional difficulties and variations in cognitive status, measured within the low to high normal range of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We studied 3,585 women with MMSE scores of 18 and above from a population-based random sample of 3,841 community-dwelling women aged 65 and older living in East Baltimore, Maryland. Trained interviewers administered the MMSE and obtained information on demographics, medical conditions, and functional difficulties. Prevalence of any functional difficulty was 43.3% in Whites and 48.5% in Blacks, who were 25% of the study sample. After adjusting for age and education, a significant trend for increasing functional difficulty with decreasing MMSE scores was found in White women but not in Black women. Since no explanation for these racial differences could be identified, these findings suggest that the MMSE may not be a valid predictor of functional difficulty in Black women who score > or = 18 on the instrument.     

Body mass index in young adults: Associations with parental body size and education in the CARDIA Study

OBJECTIVES: Associations of parental education, parental body size, and offspring's education with body mass index and 7-year change in body mass index were examined among participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. METHODS: CARDIA is a study of coronary artery disease risk factors in 5115 Black and White persons aged 18 to 30 at baseline. Analyses of covariance were carried out with body mass index and change in body mass index as the dependent variables, and with parental education, parental body size, and participant education as the major independent variables. RESULTS: Father's body size was positively associated with participant's baseline body mass index among Black men, White men, and White women. Mother's body size was positively associated with baseline body mass index among all race-sex groups, and with change in body mass index among White women. Father's education was inversely associated with baseline body mass index among Black men and White women, and with change among White women. CONCLUSIONS: Parental education may influence body mass index and changes in young adulthood, especially among White women. Such associations may be both genetic and environmental and may be important for obesity prevention efforts.     

Psychopathology of drug abusers: sex and ethnic considerations

A cross-validation approach was used to explore potential differences in degree and type of psychopathology among sex and race subgroups of 428 drug abusers applying to two geographically distant tratment programs. Dimensions of psychopathology were measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and analyses of covariance and chi-square procedures were used to compare subgroups on scale elevations and types of psychopathology. Personality characteristics were highly similar across treatment programs, and applicants were characterized by antisocial, passive-dependent, and psychotic symptomatology. Men and women differed little in extent or type of psychopathology, suggesting that women were no more psychologically aberrant than men. White drug abusers were more antisocial, behaviorally deviant, and neurotic than Blacks, but subgroups did not differ in type of psychopathology. Interpreted in the context of other research, results suggest that there are important differences in personality, motivational, drug use, and value system characteristics between Black and White drug abusers.     

Personality and the predisposition to engage in risky or problem behaviors during adolescence.

Longitudinal data from a representative sample of 1,978 Black and White adolescents were used to examine the role of personality in multiple risk or problem behaviors. Results indicate that covariation among diverse behaviors (educational underachievement, delinquent behavior, substance use, sexual behavior) can be adequately modeled by a single higher order factor, and that impulsivity and avoidance coping serve as generalized risk factors for involvement in these behaviors. Whereas none of the personality variables examined explained change in problem behaviors once established, avoidance coping prospectively predicted involvement among a subgroup of adolescents with little or no prior involvement. Results suggest that dysfunctional styles of regulating emotions and emotionally driven behaviors are core features of risky or problem behaviors during adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment to parents, social competence, and emotional well-being: A comparison of Black and White late adolescents.

The model tested in this study proposed that the association of parental attachment bonds to emotional adjustment would be mediated by social competence. Relational variables were expected to be more important in the development of social competence and emotional adjustment for Black students than for White students; there were no directional hypotheses for gender differences. Single-group analyses and multiple-group comparisons revealed that the model fit the data reasonably well for a large sample (N ?=?630) of Black and White late adolescents. Gender of parent differences emerged, in which attachment to father generally was a better predictor of social competence than was attachment to mother. In all analyses, social competence was a significant predictor of emotional adjustment. There were no significant differences between groups in comparisons of the relative strengths of construct interrelations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnicity and body dissatisfaction among women in the United States: A meta-analysis.

The prevailing view in popular culture and the psychological literature is that White women have greater body dissatisfaction than women of color. In this meta-analysis, 6 main effect sizes were obtained for differences among Asian American, Black, Hispanic, and White women with a sample of 98 studies, yielding 222 effect sizes. The average d for the White-Black comparison was 0.29, indicating that White women are more dissatisfied, but the difference is small. All other comparisons were smaller, and many were close to zero. The findings directly challenge the belief that there are large differences in dissatisfaction between White and all non-White women and suggest that body dissatisfaction may not be the golden girl problem promoted in the literature. Implications for theory and treatment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meanings of political participation among Black and White women: Political identity and social responsibility.

This study examined the correlates of midlife political participation among 64 Black and 107 White women of the college classes of 1967–1973. Compared with White women, Black women scored higher on political participation, generativity, power discontent, and politicization. Factor analysis of personality and political attitude variables yielded three factors labeled Political Identity, Power Discontent, and Social Responsibility. Adult political participation was regressed on level of student activism and index scores of political identity, power discontent, and social responsibility. For both racial groups, social responsibility was associated with midlife political participation. For White women, political identity was also related; for Black women, student activism bore a significant relationship. The findings suggest that Black and White women's historical and political contexts imbued their political activities with different meanings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determinants of zinc intake in low-income black and white pregnant women

A prospective study was conducted to evaluate and compare the determinants of dietary zinc intake in black and white low-income pregnant women. The study population consisted of 1298 low-income women (70% Black, 30% White) who received prenatal care at University Hospital at the University of Alabama in Birmingham from 1985 to 1989. Various maternal characteristics were evaluated at the first prenatal visit. Two 24 h recalls were obtained at 18 and 30 wk of gestation to calculate the intakes of dietary zinc and other nutrients. Student's t test, chi2, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses were used to compare and evaluate the determinants of zinc and other nutrient intakes in Black and White subjects. The mean prepregnancy body mass index and the mean intake of zinc, energy, and all the other nutrients except calcium were significantly higher in Black than in White subjects. There was a significant correlation between zinc and energy intake (r = 0.69, p = 0.001). Age, marital status, parity, socioeconomic status, smoking, and alcohol intake were not significant predictors of zinc or other nutrient intakes. After adjusting for energy intake, race was the only significant predictor of dietary zinc intake. Race and energy intake explained 24% of the variation in zinc intake. Results of this study indicate that after adjusting for other covariates, race and energy intakes are the only predictors of zinc intake in low-income pregnant women.     

An initial evaluation of the role of emotion and impulsivity in explaining racial/ethnic differences in the use of corporal punishment.

The authors sought to provide an initial evaluation of the hypothesis that corporal punishment is less strongly associated with parental emotion and impulsivity among African American (“Black”) in contrast to European American (“White”) parents. White–Latino and Black–Latino differences in corporal punishment, emotion, and impulsivity were explored, given the lack of existing theory predicting group differences. Couples with 3- to 7-year-old children were recruited via random digit dialing, and the parents completed questionnaires and an analog parent–child conflict task in the laboratory. Group differences were tested pooling mothers and fathers via dyadic data analyses. Black parents (N = 57) had more positive attitudes toward and used more corporal punishment than White parents (N = 730). Latino American parents' (N = 78) views and use of corporal punishment were similar to those of White parents. By and large, associations of corporal punishment with parents' impulsivity and emotion did not significantly vary by race/ethnicity. The present findings, although preliminary, do not support the emotion-impulsivity hypothesis of racial differences in the use of corporal punishment suggested by K. Deater-Deckard, K. A. Dodge, J. E. Bates, and G. S. Pettit (1996). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factorial similarity of the WISC-R for White and Black children from the standardization sample.

Investigated factorial similarity across race for the WISC-R, with separate principal-factor analyses for the 1,868 White and 305 Black children from the WISC-R standardization sample. After establishing the equivalence of metrics for each population, similarities in the magnitude of unique variances for each subtest and the factor pattern of the subtests (based on the covariance matrix) across race were assessed with coefficients of congruence. Similarities in the strength of each factor across race were measured by comparing the portion of total variance accounted for by common factor variance and the percentage of common factor variance accounted for by each factor. On every measure, White and Black groups were highly similar. Results are discussed in regard to score interpretation. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does harboring hostility hurt? Associations between hostility and pulmonary function in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in (Young) Adults (CARDIA) study.

Objective: To examine the cross-sectional association between hostility and pulmonary function (PF) and its consistency across race/ethnicity-gender groups. Design: Data were from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in (Young) Adults (CARDIA) cohort study (N = 4,629). Participants were recruited from 4 metropolitan areas in the United States, ages 18-30 years at baseline in 1985-1986, approximately balanced across race/ethnicity (Black, White) and gender. Main Outcome Measures: Main outcome measures were percent predicted values for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Results: In full-sample multiple linear regression analyses, each 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in hostility was associated with a 0.66% decrease in FEV? (p = .0002) and a 0.60% decrease in FVC (p = .0006). This inverse association of hostility with PF remained after controlling for age, height, current socioeconomic status (SES), participant smoking status, and asthma and is more consistent than that of smoking and PF. In stratified analyses, each 1 SD increase in hostility predicted statistically significant reductions in PF for Black women, White women, and Black men. For White men, hostility showed no statistically significant relation with PF, although the pattern relating hostility to PF was similar to the pattern in the other three groups. Further, both of the post hoc three-way interaction terms for hostility, race/ethnicity, and gender predicting FEV? and FVC were nonsignificant. Conclusion: PF was inversely associated with hostility across race/ethnicity and gender, independent of age, height, current SES, smoking, and asthma. On the basis of these cross-sectional findings, the authors hypothesize that higher hostility will predict a more rapid decline in PF. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modelling of the baroreflex-feedback mechanism with time-delay

This study examined the effect of race, income, and education on perceived susceptibility to and control over breast cancer, perceived benefits of and barriers to mammography, and knowledge about breast cancer and mammography use, in addition to determining if predictors for mammography use differed between races. Self-reported mailed survey data were obtained from a convenience sample of 1083 church women (78% Caucasian, 22% African-American) > or = 50 years with no history of breast cancer. ANOVA identified higher susceptibility and lower knowledge scores for African-American women; higher knowledge scores for upper income women of both races; interactions between race and income for benefits and perceived control; and interactions between race and education for barriers. African-American women were more likely to regard fear of radiation as a barrier to mammography (OR = .34; CI = .20, .57) and were more likely to worry about getting breast cancer (OR = .50; CI = .30, .82). Caucasian women were more likely to regard cost as a barrier (OR = 2.36, CI = 1.27, 4.40). For both races, variables predictive of ever having a mammogram were perceived control (White: OR = .69, CI = .54, .88; Black: OR = .50, CI = .38, .92), perceived barriers (White: OR = .88, CI = .83, .95; Black: OR = .75, CI = .64, .88), and knowledge (White: OR = 1.18, CI = 1.04, 1.33; Black: OR = 1.28, CI = 1.02, 1.61). Perceived benefits was predictive only for Caucasians (OR = 1.71, CI = 1.42, 2.06). Racial differences in perceived barriers to mammography and findings about the knowledge differences related to race, income, and education provide direction for health education efforts. The significance of cost factors for Caucasian and low-income women suggest that access barriers remain despite increased use of mammography.     

Sex and ethnic effects on motivation to manage among college business students.

Motivation-to-manage scores on the Miner Sentence Completion Scale were compared for male vs female and Black vs White business students (N?=?216) from 2 universities, 1 predominately White and the other predominately Black. A 2 (S sex)?×?2 (ethnic group) multivariate ANOVA yielded significant differences on motivation to manage for both S sex and ethnic group. A discriminant analysis revealed an underlying 2-dimensional structure, with females separated from males on one dimension by a lower desire to engage in competitive games and Black Ss separated from White Ss on a 2nd dimension by a lower orientation toward imposing wishes and standing out from the group and a greater affinity for the assertive role. Although significant S sex and ethnic group differences were found, further analyses suggested that a rather small amount of variance was explained by the sex and ethnic factors. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counseling skills used by Black and White male and female counselors.

A videotape of culturally varied client vignettes was viewed by Black and White males and females, all of whom had at least some counselor-related training. Participants responded in writing to the question, "What would you say to this person?" The data were coded according to a counseling skills scoring system. Black males and females tended to use the more active expression skills (e.g., directions, expressions of content, and interpretations) with greater frequency than did Whites. White males and females tended to use a high percentage of attending skills. In particular, White females used reflections of feeling frequently, and White males tended to respond with questions. While race appeared as a source of strong effect, one of the major implications of this study was the relative absence of significant sex differences. Discussion focuses on cultural variation in counseling styles, implications for training, and promotion of diversity among professionals. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)