ScienceDaily: Racial Disparity News

Study challenges notion that umpires call more strikes for pitchers of same race

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:03:03 EDT

A new study challenges previous research that suggests umpire discrimination exists in Major League Baseball.

'Owning' a darker skin can positively impact racial bias, study finds

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:30:30 EDT

Scientists in the UK have found that when white Caucasians are under the illusion that they have a dark skin, their racial bias changes in a positive way.

New study explores providers' perceptions of parental concerns about HPV vaccination

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:54:54 EDT

A new study has found that low-income and minority parents may be more receptive to vaccinating their daughters against Human Papillomavirus, while white, middle-class parents are more likely to defer the vaccination.

Teen girls who exercise are less likely to be violent

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:54:54 EDT

Regular exercise is touted as an antidote for many ills, including stress, depression and obesity. Physical activity also may help decrease violent behavior among adolescent girls, according to new research.

Costs to treat heart failure expected to more than double by 2030

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:22:22 EDT

By 2030, you — and every U.S. taxpayer — could be paying $244 a year to care for heart failure patients, according to a new policy statement.

Lung cancer mortality rates linked to primary care provider density

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:33:33 EDT

Researchers found lower mortality was associated with higher primary care provider density.

Not everyone likes the company picnic

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:39:39 EDT

The workers who may have the most to gain from attending company social events may be the ones who actually get the least value from them, a new study suggests.

The bigger the group, the smaller the chance of interracial friendship

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:23:23 EDT

The larger the group, the smaller the chance of forming interracial friendships, a new study shows.

Diversity programs give illusion of corporate fairness, psychologists find

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:19:19 EDT

Diversity training programs lead people to believe that work environments are fair even when given evidence of hiring, promotion or salary inequities, according to new findings by psychologists.

Female students just as successful as males in math and science, Asian-Americans outperform all

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:50:50 EDT

While compared to men, women continue to be underrepresented in math and science courses and careers. Is this disparity a true reflection of male and female student ability? According to a new study, male and female students earn similar grades in math and science while Asian-American students of both genders outperform all other races.

Language used in immigration debates may be as important as the policies

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:55:55 EDT

The language activists and politicians use in immigration debates may be as important as the policies they are debating when it comes to long-term effects, according to the author of a new study in the April issue of the American Sociological Review.

Same-sex parents are judged more harshly than heterosexual parents, study suggests

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:53:53 EDT

Is there a double standard for gay parents? A new study suggests that gay parents are being judged more harshly than straight parents.

New intervention helps promote tolerance in individuals

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:13:13 EDT

Psychologists have shown that diversity promotes tolerance towards different groups if it catches people by surprise.

Married opposite-sex couples have better overall health than same-sex couples who live together

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:21:21 EST

Same-sex couples who live together have worse health than married opposite-sex couples and similar health as opposite-sex couples who are living together (after adjusting for socioeconomic differences), according to a new study.

Studying the health of same-sex couples

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 EST

Same-sex couples that live together report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a national study that could have implications for the gay marriage debate.

Same-sex cohabitors less healthy than those in heterosexual marriages, study suggests

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:57:57 EST

Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents.

Facial structure may predict endorsement of racial prejudice

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:24:24 EST

The structure of a man's face may indicate his tendency to express racially prejudiced beliefs, according to new research.

Differences in obstetric outcomes and care related to race and ethnicity

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:22:22 EST

Racial and ethnic disparities exist for adverse obstetric outcomes.

Asians are far more likely than Anglos to be college-educated

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:49:49 EST

Asians (about 60 percent) are much more likely to be college-educated than Anglos (under 40 percent), according to the Houston Area Asian Survey.

Social network use reflects East-West disparity

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:49:49 EST

The stark contrast between America's "me-first" culture and the "collective-good" mentality in China is reflected in the two countries' use of social networking sites, according to a new study led by a Michigan State University scholar.

Social media may be useful in prevention of HIV, STDs

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 09:30:30 EST

Facebook and other social networking technologies be effective tools for preventing HIV infection among at-risk groups. African American and Latino men who have sex with men voluntarily used health-related Facebook groups to discuss such things as HIV prevention and to request HIV testing kits.

Why some immigrants get citizenship: Country of origin 'massive disadvantage' for some, research in Switzerland shows

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:20:20 EST

A methodologically innovative study of European immigrants suggests that, other qualifications being equal, migrants from certain countries may be roughly 40 percent less likely than others to gain citizenship.

Attitudes toward HPV vaccination for boys

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:17:17 EST

A new study has found that low-income and minority parents/guardians were receptive toward vaccinating boys against Human Papilloma Virus. However, racial/ethnic differences emerged in attitudes regarding school-entry mandates.

Clinical trials with nonblinded outcome assessors have high observer bias

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:38:38 EST

A new study of randomized clinical trials found significant observer bias toward a more beneficial treatment effect in nonblinded trials when the researcher knew the treatment being given to the participant.

New study examines on/off relationships and 'sex with an ex' among teenagers and young adults

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:24:24 EST

A new study finds that nearly half of older teenagers and young adults break up and get back together with previous dating partners and over half of this group have sex as part of the reconciliation process.

Implicit race bias increases the differences in the neural representations of black and white faces

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:33:33 EST

Racial stereotypes have been shown to have subtle and unintended consequences on how we treat members of different race groups. According to new research race bias also increases differences in the brain's representations of faces.

Claims of 'post-racial' society and other denials of racism may reflect ignorance of history

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:38:38 EST

Commonly observed differences in how groups perceive racism may be explained by ignorance about -- and even denial of -- the extent of racism over the course of history, according to a new study.

Graphic warnings on cigarettes effective across demographic groups

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:20:20 EST

New research suggests hard-hitting graphic tobacco warnings may help smokers of diverse backgrounds who are struggling to quit smoking. A new study provides further evidence that bold pictorial cigarette warning labels that visually depict the health consequences of smoking -- such as those required under the 2009 Family Smoking and Prevention Tobacco Control Act -- play a life-saving role in highlighting the dangers of smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.

Americans have worse health than people in other high-income countries

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:42:42 EST

On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries.

Black and Hispanic patients less likely to complete substance abuse treatment than white patients, study finds

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:14:14 EST

Roughly half of all black and Hispanic patients who enter publicly funded alcohol treatment programs do not complete treatment, compared to 62 percent of white patients, according to a new study from a team of researchers including the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Comparable disparities were also identified for drug treatment program completion rates.

Racial essentialism reduces creative thinking, makes people more closed-minded

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:09:09 EST

New research suggests that racial stereotypes and creativity have more in common than we might think. In an new article, researchers find that racial stereotyping and creative stagnation share a common mechanism: Categorical thinking.

Racial disparities in pediatric appendicitis treatment tied to hospital type

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:37:37 EST

A new study describes the role of hospital type in race-based treatment disparities among pediatric appendicitis patients.

Cultural, social factors identified as barriers to minority participation in stem cell donation

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:39:39 EST

New research examining the role of race and ethnicity in an individual's decision to become a donor for hematopoietic cell transplantation identifies several factors associated with varied participation rates in national donor registries across racial/ethnic groups.

Experiencing discrimination increases risk-taking, anger, and vigilance

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:36:36 EST

Experiencing rejection not only affects how we think and feel -- over the long-term it can also influence our physical and mental health. New research suggests that when rejection comes in the form of discrimination, people respond with a pattern of thoughts, behaviors, and physiological responses that may contribute to overall health disparities.

Who likes bling? The answer relates to social status

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:13:13 EST

A desire for expensive, high-status goods is related to feelings of social status -- which helps explain why minorities are often attracted to bling, a new study suggests. Previous research had shown that racial minorities spend a larger portion of their incomes than do whites on conspicuous consumption -- buying products that suggest high status. But a new study showed that whites could be induced to crave expensive, high-status products if they imagined themselves in a low-status position. These findings cast doubt on the notion that urban minorities have developed a corrosive "bling culture" that is unique to them.

Tool could help uncover bias against female faculty in STEM fields

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:57:57 EST

A study of professors in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields at top research universities across the country found that the "productivity gap" between male and female faculty varied depending on discipline. In fields that require more resources, women publish less. This suggests the gap may exist because academic departments historically have not invested resources equally in female faculty from the start of their careers. Men are getting greater resources.

Mexican immigrants to the U.S. not as healthy as believed, study finds

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:34:34 EST

Immigrants who come to the United States from Mexico arrive with a significant amount of undiagnosed disease, particularly diabetes, tempering previous findings that immigrants are generally healthier than native-born residents, according to a new study. But even after undiagnosed disease is taken into account, recent immigrants are still healthier than native-born residents.

Gender and race: How overlapping stereotypes affect our personal and professional decisions

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:17:17 EST

A new study reveals unexpected ways in which stereotypes affect interracial dating, leadership selection, and athletic participation.

Inviting customer complaints can kill business

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:18:18 EST

Giving customers a chance to complain can be a bad idea if customers believe they're to blame for a product's failure, a new study shows.

Tight times may influence how we perceive others

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:20:20 EST

From the playground to the office, a key aspect of our social lives involves figuring out who "belongs" and who doesn't. Scientists theorize that these prevalent in-group biases may give us a competitive advantage against others, especially when important resources are limited. New research explores whether resource scarcity might actually lead us to change our definition of who belongs to our social group, influencing how we perceive others' race.

Attitudes towards security threats uncovered

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:36:36 EST

New research has revealed a significant gap between what the government claims are the biggest security threats facing the UK and the fears of the population.

Homophobia in sport: Sporting identity, authoritarian aggression, and social dominance

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:44:44 EST

Homophobia exists in many areas of life. It also seems to be particularly entrenched in sport, exercise and physical education (PE) settings of all kinds. But why is this the case?

Military should reassess reproductive health care for women, researcher argues

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:29:29 EST

Noting that active-duty servicewomen have higher rates of unintended pregnancy than the general population and lower reported contraception use, one researcher is suggesting the answer might be a review of the health care offered to females in the military and veterans.

Juvenile justice reforms should incorporate science of adolescent development, report finds

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:46:46 EST

Legal responses to juvenile offending should be grounded in scientific knowledge.

Systematic incarceration of African American males is a wrong, costly path

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:07:07 EST

Mental health experts have released the first comprehensive report on the correlation between the incarceration of African American males and substance abuse and other health problems in the United States. The authors conclude that the moral and economic costs of current racial disparities in the judicial system are fundamentally avoidable, especially if more resources are spent on education and treatment.

Socioeconomic status linked to childhood peanut allergy

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:37:37 EST

Peanut allergies are rising among American children and one reason might be due to economic status. According to a new study, greater rates of peanut allergy are found in families with higher economic status. This supports the "hygiene hypothesis" of many allergists.

Education levels in Asian American neighborhoods affect residents' health, study finds

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:17:17 EST

Higher neighborhood education is associated with better self-rated health among Asian Americans who live in Asian ethnic neighborhoods, but this correlation between individual health and neighborhood education levels does not exist for Asian Americans living in non-Asian neighborhoods, according to a recent study.

Anti-fat bias may be equally prevalent in general public and medical community

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST

Medical doctors are as biased against obesity as the general public is, according to a new study.

The ins and outs of in-groups and out-groups

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:35:35 EDT

We humans organize ourselves in myriad kinds of social groups, from scout troops and sports teams to networks of colleagues and classmates. But how do these social groups work? How do we decide whom to trust and whom to follow? And how do we deal with people that don't fit the norms of our social groups? New research explores these issues by examining various facets of social perception and behavior.

Jamaican teen immigrants in U.S. do better when they retain strong ties to original culture, study finds

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:10:10 EDT

Many young Jamaican immigrants are succeeding in the United States precisely because they remain strongly tied to Jamaican culture, according to researcher Gail M. Ferguson. "Although many of these youths have forged a unique tricultural identity that draws from their Jamaican culture, African-American culture, and mainstream European American culture, the important factor in their academic and behavioral success is retaining strong ties to their Jamaican background," she said.

Pre-teen literacy a strong predictor of pregnancy in U.S. teens

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 08:12:12 EDT

New research builds on previous knowledge about the link between teen pregnancy and social inequities internationally and suggests that, independent of other factors, low literacy in pre-teen girls strongly predicts childbearing among US teens.

Heart attack victims in rich, white neighborhoods twice as likely to get CPR than people who collapse in poor, black neighborhoods

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:55:55 EDT

In the first study of its kind, researchers have found that those who suffer cardiac arrests in upper income, white neighborhoods are nearly twice as likely to get cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) than people who collapse in low-income, black neighborhoods.

Medical recommendations should go beyond race, scholar says

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:12:12 EDT

Medical organizations that make race-based recommendations are misleading some patients about health risks while reinforcing harmful notions about race, a professor argues in a new paper.

Living in ethnically homogenous area boosts health of minority seniors, study finds

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:22:22 EDT

An African-American or Mexican-American senior living in a community where many neighbors share their background is less likely to have cancer or heart disease than their counterpart in a more mixed neighborhood, according to a new study.

Self-confidence the secret to workplace advancement

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:32:32 EDT

The old saying "fake it until you make it" might actually be sound professional advice, with new research finding self-confidence is a key determinant of workplace success.

A little science goes a long way: Engaging kids improves math, language scores

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:27:27 EDT

A researcher has found that engaging elementary school students in science for as little as 10 hours a year can lead to improved test scores in math and language arts.

Male politicians have 'bigger heads' in more gender-equal cultures

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:13:13 EDT

When it comes to analyzing gender stereotypes in the media, studies have shown that photographs of men focus on male faces while photographs of women are more focused on women's bodies. A recent study finds that this type of "face-ism" is even more extreme in cultures with less educational, professional, and political gender discrimination.

New findings illuminate basis in brain for social decisions, reactions

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:31:31 EDT

New insights into the wiring and firing of the "social brain" in humans and primates reveals the brain areas important in altruistic motives and behavior, and the brain regions that respond to the pain of discrimination.

Nursing workloads multiply likelihood of death among black patients over white patients

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:52:52 EDT

Older black patients are three times more likely than older white patients to suffer poorer outcomes after surgery, including death, when cared for by nurses with higher workloads, according to new research. The large-scale study showed higher nurse workloads negatively affected older surgical patients generally and that the rate was more significant in older black individuals.

Personalized genomic medicine: How much can it really empower patients?

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:13:13 EDT

Personalized genomic medicine is hailed as a revolution that will empower patients to take control of their own health care, but it could end up taking control away from patients and limiting their treatment choices, concludes a new article.