Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities最新文献

{"title":"The Burden of Psychiatric Illness Scale (BPIS): A Preliminary Validation of a Measure of the Self-reported Impact of Psychiatric Illness on Psychosocial Functioning and Stress Related to Managing Psychiatric Illness.","authors":"Joseph Friedman, Danielle M Shpigel, Simay Ipek, Charles Swencionis, Andrea H Weinberger","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03233-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03233-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Little is known about stress related to managing a psychiatric illness, especially for racial and ethnic minority adults. This preliminary study examined the construct and concurrent validity of the Burden of Psychiatric Illness Scale (BPIS) which measures the self-perceived impact of psychiatric symptoms on functioning and stress associated with managing psychiatric illness.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adults receiving outpatient mental health treatment completed measures including the BPIS, sociodemographics, and surveys measuring financial, relationship, and work stress. Principal component analyses were conducted on the BPIS and the revised BPIS (BPIS-r) to identify the core components of the scale and their relationship, and Pearson-r correlations between the BPIS-r and thematically similar and empirically linked constructs were calculated to establish concurrent validity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In a sample of 95 majority Latinx and Black adults with psychiatric diagnoses, the BPIS demonstrated partial construct validity. This partial construct validity of the BPIS led to a revised BPIS-r scale, in which the Interference with Functioning subscale was trimmed to only include its three relationship items. The BPIS-r demonstrated good construct validity and partial convergent validity. Cronbach's alpha was acceptable for the BPIS-r (α = 0.74) and questionable for the revised Psychiatric Interference with Functioning subscale (α = 0.63).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Identifying areas of functioning impacted by psychiatric symptoms may help inform areas of focus for treatment. Given that this initial BPIS-r validation study occurred in a sample of Latinx and Black individuals, the BPIS-r may be used to help reduce psychiatric illness burden among these groups. Research is needed in larger, more heterogenous samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149182530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vidas en Contexto: Unpacking Social Determinants of Health and Related Health Outcomes among Puerto Ricans through a Person-Centered Approach.","authors":"Rebeca N Nieves-Rodríguez, Cynthia M Navarro Flores, Alejandro L Vázquez, Rosaura E Orengo-Aguayo, Brittany A Shelton, Jiangang Chen, Thankam Sunil, Regan W Stewart","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03211-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03211-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study used a person-centered approach to uncover patterns of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) among adults aged 18 and older residing in Puerto Rico. This research addresses a knowledge/population gap relating to the co-occurrence of SDOH among Puerto Ricans who may experience unique patterns of unmet social needs associated with the island's colonial status. Data were drawn from the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, which included respondents residing in Puerto Rico (n = 4,594), of whom the largest age group was aged 65 and older (26.9%). Latent class analyses uncovered SDOH clusters, while descriptive statistics identified various health outcome correlates. Model selection was based on relative fit indices, log likelihood test, entropy, and interpretability. SDOH was best represented by four latent classes: Low Material and Psychosocial Needs (n = 2,872), High Material Scarcity (n = 801), High Psychosocial Needs (n = 677), and High Material and Psychosocial Needs (n = 244). Demographic characteristics and health risk profiles also varied significantly across the four classes, with most social need classes exhibiting a higher risk for negative health outcomes in comparison to the Low Material and Psychosocial Needs class. Our findings provide insights into patterns of SDOH classes in this population that vary across classes and correspond with different burdens of chronic physical and behavioral health conditions. This work informs efforts targeting distinct patterns of social needs within Puerto Rico's colonial context that may enable precise allocation of resources, tailored screening, and structural intervention to alleviate health disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149182607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Burden, Patterns and Challenges of Cancer Among Tribal Communities in India.","authors":"Mayuri Bhattacharyya, Pushp Raj Shrivastava, Suktilang Majaw","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03192-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03192-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer poses a growing public health challenge in India, which ranks third globally in incidence and is projected to see a 57.5% increase by 2040. Despite this, Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) cover only 0.1% of India's rural population, limiting data on marginalized groups, especially tribal communities. As per the Indian constitution \"tribal\" are identified as \"Scheduled Tribes\" recognized for taking protective measures for theses marginalized group. Representing 8.6% of the national population, indigenous population formally called \"tribal\" populations face rising, often underreported cancer rates. This review examines cancer burden in India's tribal populations by analysing published literature and government reports. It highlights region-wise cancer patterns and associated risk factors, including tobacco and alcohol use, dietary habits, genetic predispositions, and occupational exposures. Northern and northeastern states report high rates of lung, oesophageal, and stomach cancers, while southern and western regions show rising cervical, breast, gynaecological, and gastrointestinal cancers. The review also explores systemic and sociocultural barriers to care, such as low awareness, limited screening, late-stage presentation, and poor health infrastructure. These insights emphasize the need for region-specific, culturally sensitive strategies focusing on prevention, early detection, and integration of oncology into primary care and also integration of advanced telemedicine and AI-based treatment strategies. This review not only highlights epidemiological trends but also identifies critical gaps in awareness, screening, and culturally adapted cancer education, offering guidance for developing targeted educational programs for healthcare workers related to tribal communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary Determinants of Type 2 Diabetes Among African American Populations: A Scoping Review Through a Socio-Ecological Lens.","authors":"Esther Nana Kwaning, Grace K Kyei, Evans F Kyei","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03208-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03208-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Type 2 diabetes prevalence is 1.4-fold higher among Black/African American adults than the general U.S.</p><p><strong>Population: </strong>African Americans are also disproportionately represented among lower-income groups with reduced access to healthy food retail, factors closely tied to the dietary exposures examined here. Dietary patterns emerge from multilevel influences, including food environments, cultural practices, and structural determinants. This scoping review, organized using the socio-ecological model (SEM), synthesized dietary determinants of type 2 diabetes across five SEM levels specifically for African American populations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO through January 2025 for studies examining diet-related exposures (sugar-sweetened beverages, ultra-processed foods, food environments, cultural practices, structural determinants) and diabetes outcomes in Black/African American populations. Given the heterogeneity of evidence types, methods followed PRISMA-ScR. Quality was assessed using adapted Johns Hopkins criteria, and narrative synthesis organized findings across SEM levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fourteen empirical studies, supplemented by 3 reviews/meta-analyses and 3 conceptual papers, revealed a possible intervention gradient: individual-level dietary changes showed modest associations (2-10% risk reduction with SSB substitution), while community-level food environment exposures showed larger associations (34% higher diabetes incidence with unfavorable food store density; HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.12-1.60). Ultra-processed food consumption was linked to 17% higher diabetes risk per 10% intake increase, though not in an African American-specific sample. One qualitative study suggested cultural food practices may create management barriers. Structural racism and residential segregation were conceptually linked to \"food apartheid. Evidence concentrated at individual (n = 6) and community (n = 7) levels, with no organizational-level research identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Community-level interventions may offer more immediate, near-term impact relative to structural reforms, which may support longer-term equity gains; given the limited evidence base, this apparent gradient should be considered a preliminary, hypothesis-generating pattern rather than an established comparison of intervention effectiveness, and warrants further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149167143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing the Illness Perception, Help-Seeking Behaviors, and Healthcare Determinants Between the Rural and Suburban Indigenous People in Malaysia: A Socio-Biological Perspective.","authors":"Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Fionne Ker-Rou Chung, Yee-Lly Lim, Andrian Liem, Qian-Tung Yip, Rahil Mutum, Durrah Sharifah Ahmad Azlan, Loganathan Krishnan, Justine Jian-Ai Thong, Samuel Chuo-Yew Ting, Tin-Tin Su","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03210-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03210-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Due to the health disparities among the Indigenous population, this theory-driven study aimed to compare the suburban and rural Indigenous populations in their illness perceptions, help-seeking behaviors, and determinants of healthcare utilization. Between 2022 and 2023, we conducted a community-based structured survey with the Orang Asli (OA, Indigenous people) residing in suburban (N = 70) and rural regions (N = 131) of Peninsular Malaysia. The orally administered survey consists of demographic and socio-economic info, indigenously developed measurements of illness expression, explanations for illnesses, help-seeking methods, and determinants of healthcare seeking. Through statistical analysis, we found that the suburban group had higher identification of chronic symptoms and adoption of lifestyle-related explanations for their illnesses compared to the rural group. Meanwhile, the rural group was significantly higher in utilization of traditional healthcare for their illnesses than the suburban group. In terms of determinants in seeking modern healthcare services, the rural group endorsed external support, and the suburban group endorsed personal autonomy significantly higher than their counterparts. Adopting the lens of strong-ties weak-ties theory and Indigenous healthcare social determinism, we interpret the findings as a cultural misfit between the Western colonial healthcare system and OA's traditional way of being. Differently located OAs would need specific resources (internal vs. external) to overcome the structural barriers to healthcare access. Therefore, we advocate for systemic interventions in crafting culturally responsive practices and policies to reduce healthcare disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social Network Theory in Behavior Change Interventions with Black Women to Reduce Inequities in Cardiovascular Health: A Scoping Review of Application and Measurement.","authors":"Jewel Scott, Shiny Deepika Singapogu, Ayaba Logan, Lillian Haley, Kayla Bamberg, Gayenell S Magwood","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03188-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03188-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Black women in the United States face disproportionate rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, driven by the compounding effects of structural inequity and socially embedded stress. Social networks are a critical and underutilized lever for health promotion in Black communities. Behavioral change interventions to improve cardiovascular health are frequently delivered in group formats. Yet, it is unclear to what extent these interventions deliberately apply social network theory or measure network-level mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a scoping review using a systematic search of 37 databases, supported by a health sciences librarian, plus a snowball search of related review articles. Studies were eligible if they targeted at least one cardiovascular health behavior, blood pressure, or a stress-reduction outcome, included a social network or social relationship measure, and enrolled samples in which at least 51% of participants identified as Black or African American.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 524 records, eight articles representing six unique interventions met the inclusion criteria. Participants were predominantly middle-aged women from the Southern and Midwestern U.S. Social cognitive theory was the predominant theoretical framework. Network processes, including network size, cohesion, and relationship strength, were measured in half the studies and were positively associated with physical activity and weight loss outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The existing literature consistently underutilizes social network theory and rarely measures how network dynamics contribute to, or constrain, intervention outcomes. Future research should integrate network measurement as both a process and outcome variable and attend to the dual nature of social ties as sources of both support and strain.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149172296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Racial and Socioeconomic Inequities in COVID-19 In-Hospital Mortality in Brazil in the Post-Emergency Era: A National Cohort Study of 19,718 Hospitalized Adults in 2024.","authors":"Daniele Melo Sardinha, Tamires de Nazaré Soares, Marcos Jessé Abrahão Silva, Lidiane Assunção de Vasconcelos, Luany Rafaele da Conceição Cruz, Karina Faine Freitas Takeda, Natasha Cristina Oliveira Andrade, Suziane do Socorro Dos Santosa, Felipe Costa Soares, Neiva José da Luz Dias, Yan Corrêa Rodrigues, Ilma Pastana Ferreira, Monica Custódia do Couto Abreu Pamplona, Ivonete Vieira Pereira Peixoto, Luana Nepomuceno Gondim Costa Limaa","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03093-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03093-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In 2024, COVID-19 entered a post-emergency phase, but in-hospital mortality remains a relevant public health concern in Brazil. As population immunity, vaccination, and clinical management evolved, the hierarchy of mortality predictors may have shifted from traditional metabolic risk factors toward clinical severity and social vulnerability. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic, clinical, management, and vaccination-related variables associated with in-hospital COVID-19 mortality among adults in Brazil in 2024, with emphasis on racial and socioeconomic inequities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective national cohort study was conducted using the SIVEP-Gripe surveillance database. Adults aged ≥ 18 years hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 between January and December 2024 were included. The primary analysis was restricted to patients with observed hospital outcomes, resulting in an analytical sample of 19,718 individuals. Crude and adjusted associations were estimated using binary logistic regression. Race/color was modeled using White patients as the reference category. Robustness to unmeasured confounding was assessed using E-values, and model performance was evaluated using AUC-ROC.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The in-hospital fatality rate was 23.5% (n = 4,633). Invasive ventilatory support was the strongest predictor of death (aOR: 7.574; 95% CI: 6.801-8.435; E-value: 4.95). Black patients had higher odds of death compared with White patients (aOR: 1.506; 95% CI: 1.233-1.838; E-value: 1.76), as did Pardo/mixed-race patients, although with lower magnitude (aOR: 1.103; 95% CI: 1.006-1.209). A strong educational gradient was observed, with illiterate patients having more than twice the odds of death compared with those with higher education (aOR: 2.148; 95% CI: 1.628-2.833). Incomplete COVID-19 vaccination was also associated with increased mortality, while influenza vaccination was associated with lower odds of death. Diabetes, obesity, and chronic cardiovascular disease were not independently associated with mortality after adjustment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In-hospital COVID-19 mortality in Brazil in 2024 was shaped by respiratory severity, incomplete vaccination, and persistent racial and socioeconomic inequities. Although structural racism was not directly measured, the persistence of racialized mortality differences after adjustment is compatible with structural barriers in the healthcare pathway. Equity-oriented strategies should complement vaccination and clinical management to reduce preventable mortality among socially vulnerable populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developmental Stage at Immigration and Mental Health: Group-Specific Findings Among Asian and Latinx Young Adults.","authors":"Chang Zhao, G Alice Woolverton, Ritika Rastogi, Tiffany Yip, Sasha Zhou, Cindy H Liu","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03222-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03222-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The immigrant paradox describes the phenomenon in which first-generation immigrants often report better mental health outcomes than their U.S.-born peers, despite facing greater social adversity. However, it remains unclear whether this phenomenon holds across specific mental health outcomes, racial/ethnic groups, and developmental stages at immigration. This study examined mental health among Asian and Latinx young adults who moved to the U.S. at different ages.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using data from the 2022-2023 Healthy Minds Study of Asian (N = 8,694) and Latinx (N = 6,128) college students, we applied logistic regression models to assess odds of probable depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation among students who moved to the U.S. during childhood (before age 12), adolescence (ages 12-17), and young adulthood (ages 18-30), compared to co-ethnic U.S.-born peers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared to U.S.-born Asians, Asian students who moved to the U.S. between ages 18 and 30 had lower odds of probable depression (OR = 0.82, p < .01), probable anxiety (OR = 0.78, p < .001), and suicidal ideation (OR = 0.80, p < .05), after adjusting for demographics. Latinx students who moved to the U.S. at different ages did not differ significantly in mental health outcomes, compared to U.S.-born Latinx peers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Among Asian students, a mental health advantage was observed only among students who arrived in adulthood. No such association was observed among Latinx students at any age of arrival. Findings point to distinct experiences of groups aggregated under broad racial and ethnic labels, depending on developmental timing of immigration.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149149113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceptions of DoxyPEP use Among Racial & Ethnic Minority Patients.","authors":"Dennis Rivera-Cash, Alo Rodriguez, Ankshita Dasgupta, Juan Rivera, Aniruddha Hazra, Jade Pagkas-Bather, Jose I Gutierrez, Moira C McNulty, Maria Pyra","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03062-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03062-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To maximize the impact of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) in controlling the bacterial STI epidemic, understanding of the barriers to delivering doxyPEP to the most vulnerable populations is essential. Guided by the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, and behavior) framework, we interviewed 26 racial and ethnically diverse participants eligible for doxyPEP to identify barriers and facilitators to doxyPEP use. Participants reported facilitators such as: knowledge; positive clinical encounters; community normalization; and beliefs regarding efficacy, peer attitudes and motivations around doxyPEP. Barriers included confusion with HIV PrEP and a need for more knowledge; access to healthcare or negative experiences with healthcare; limited community awareness and concerns around disclosure. However, participants also described potential solutions, including specific knowledge needed, low barrier and non-judgmental healthcare, home STI testing, and increased community awareness and normalization.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149149869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards an Epistemic Understanding of Racial Inequities in Dental Care: A Philosophical-Conceptual Framework Informed by a Hermeneutics-Guided Review.","authors":"Helena Maria Maciel Fernandes, Milena Oliveira Pires, Andreia Maria Araújo Drummond, André Joffily Abath","doi":"10.1007/s40615-026-03202-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03202-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>How can the ways we produce and value knowledge generate racial inequities in oral health? This article presents an investigation of this new, epistemic determinant of oral health, analysing how Black patients may have their reports, experiences and concerns systematically discounted during dental care. Drawing on the epistemic injustice theory, we develop a philosophical-conceptual framework, informed by a hermeneutics-guided, narrative review of the literature, to posit the epistemic mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon. According to our conceptual framework, biomedically-oriented and whiteness-influenced dental education and the epistemically unequal character of health systems and training intertwine, generating a pattern of systematically compounded discredibility by dental staff towards Black patients. We then apply this conceptual framework to quantitative, qualitative, and review oral health studies, searching for empirical markers and evidence that further inform our understanding while shedding new epistemic light on their findings. In conclusion, we contend that, considering our results, structural changes in dental education and clinical organisation play a fundamental role in addressing these injustices, and highlight the need for further research on epistemic injustice in dentistry to better understand its implications for equitable health care.</p>","PeriodicalId":16921,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149149863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}