Ethnic differences in ecological concerns: Spanish-speaking Hispanics are more concerned than others

We postulated that environmental concern encompasses a wide range of different issues, often lumping pollution with habitat loss (or land use) and ecological resources (fish and wildlife). In this paper, we compare perceptions about a range of environmental and ecological resource issues, and explore ethnic/racial differences. We surveyed 1513 residents of New Jersey about "environmental concerns", using both general environmental questions (two questions: How serious are environmental problems in New Jersey? Are you concerned about the loss of open space?) and ecological resource questions (12 questions: e.g., how important is planting trees in your neighborhood, how concerned are you about loss of breeding and feeding habitat for fish and birds?) in New Jersey. Not all concerns were rated equally. For the ecological questions, there were no ethnic differences in concerns over preserving areas around water supplies, loss of places to hunt and fish, and loss of places for quiet walks and cycling, but there were for the other 9 ecological concerns. For eight of these nine concerns, Spanish-speaking Hispanics were more concerned than others (including English-speaking Hispanics). We divided the ecological resources into three categories: ecological services (clean water and safety), ecological resources (fish and wildlife), and recreational services. The strongest correlates of people's association with enlarging and enhancing recreational services were Spanish-speaking Hispanics, who are supportive of regulations and believe local government is not doing enough for environmental problems. People concerned about the loss of ecological resources and open space believe the federal government and the state are not doing enough for the environment, were non-Hispanic White, want continued environmental regulations, were longer-term residents, were high school graduates, and were older (45-54 years). People interested in ecological services were college-educated, non-White, not rich, females that did not trust DEP's environmental actions, and thought the state was not doing enough environmentally. There was a high correlation between general environmental concern and the ecological resource variables for the population overall, and for each ethnic group. Overall, only 39% of the subjects were very concerned about the seriousness of environmental problems in New Jersey, yet from 36% to 81% of the people were very concerned about 11 of 12 ecological issues. This indicates that people respond different to the term "environmental problems" compared to specific "ecological resource" issues. The greatest concern (81%) was for preserving areas around water supplies and cleaning up garbage in the parks, and the least concern was for the loss of places to hunt and fish (26%). Our results indicate that people distinguish between general environmental concern and ecological concerns, as well as distinguishing ecological services from ecological resources.     

ETHNICITY AND DRINKING IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: A COMPARISON AMONG WHITES, BLACKS AND HISPANICS

This research reports the drinking patterns and alcohol problemsin three ethnic groups of the U.S. population: Whites, Blacksand Hispanics. Respondents were sampled randomly from the generalpopulation of three counties of the San Francisco Bay Area,in northern California. Both Black and Hispanic females havehigher rates of abstention than White females, but at the aggregatelevel male's drinking patterns are similar across ethnic groups.However, among males the patterning of drinking and the prevalenceof alcohol problems by age change dramatically according toethnicity. Among White males drinking and problems decreaseabruptly from the twenties to the thirties, as has been traditionallyfound in the U.S. general population. Among Black males thetrend is exactly the opposite of that for Whites, while amongHispanic males there also is a decrease but not quite so largeas that for Whites, and the frequency of heavy drinking andproblems is always higher than for the other two groups. Thetypes of problem reported by respondents do not vary by ethnicitybut the sociodemographic correlates of both number of drinksconsumed per month and number of alcohol problems do differamong the ethnic groups. Both Hispanics and Blacks have moreliberal attitudes toward alcohol use than Whites. These resultssuggest that Whites, Blacks and Hispanics each have a characteristicway of using alcoholic beverages. The less restrictive viewstowards alcohol use in the Black and Hispanic culture, as wellas the different patterning of drinking and problems by age,are of importance for prevention: Whites, Blacks and Hispanicshave different groups of people at risk for developing alcoholproblems and prevention should be planned accordingly.     

Fishing, fish consumption, and knowledge about advisories in college students and others in central New Jersey

Risks to humans and other organisms from consuming fish have become a national concern. Over the past 3 years there have been a number of national advisories regarding saltwater fish. Although information on fishing, consumption patterns, and public knowledge about advisories has been examined for at-risk populations, there is little information about the latter for a general population. Overall knowledge about advisories, ratings for information about the risks and benefits of eating fish, and the relationship between fishing, consumption patterns, and knowledge about advisories was examined in a sample of 180 college students and others residing in central New Jersey, USA. The null hypothesis of no differences in fishing, consumption, and knowledge about advisories as a function of age, gender, ethnicity, and education was tested. A significantly higher proportion of men fished compared to women, and significantly fewer Blacks and Asians fished than did Whites or Hispanics. More Asians who fished did so in salt water, compared to others. There were no gender differences in consumption patterns, and few age or ethnic differences, mainly due to low sample sizes in some ethnic groups. Significantly fewer young people and fewer Asians ate fish compared to others. Overall, more people knew about the benefits of eating fish than the risks. Half as many people had heard about advisories concerning tuna, and less than a third knew about advisories concerning shark and swordfish than had heard general warnings. There were no gender differences in knowing about advisories, but there were several ethnic differences: a lower percentage of Asians generally knew that there were advisories, and fewer Blacks knew that there were benefits from eating fish than others. People in the age group 21-45 years were less aware of both the benefits and the risks from eating fish compared to older people. These data suggest that risk managers need to target younger people for information about the risks and benefits of consuming fish, particularly given that this is the population that will become pregnant over the next few years. Contrary to some previous research, subjects trusted family, friends, and other fishermen less for knowledge about the risks and benefits of fish consumption than other sources, such as doctors, governmental officials, and university professors. Even with this limited sample size, it is clear that people have heard more about the benefits of fish consumption than the risks, and a relatively low percentage have heard about the recent US Food and Drug Administration warnings about swordfish and shark.     

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Tobacco Information Seeking and Information Sources: Findings From the 2015 Health Information National Trends Survey

This article describes sources of health information, types of tobacco information sought, and trust in sources of tobacco information among U.S. racial/ethnic groups (Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Other). Cross-sectional data (N = 3,788) from a nationally representative survey, HINTS-FDA 2015, were analyzed to examine unadjusted and adjusted associations between race/ethnicity and (a) first source of health information, (b) tobacco information seeking, and (c) trust in sources of tobacco information. Adjusted associations controlled for current tobacco product use and sociodemographic variables. Findings indicated that the Internet was the most common first source of health information while health care providers were the second most common source for all racial/ethnic groups. Tobacco-related health information seeking was more prevalent than other tobacco product information seeking. Unadjusted analyses indicated that a higher proportion of Whites sought other tobacco product information compared to Asians and Pacific Islanders. Trust was rated highest for doctors while trust for health organizations was rated second highest. Asians and Pacific Islanders had higher trust in the government compared to all other groups. Blacks had higher trust in religious organizations compared to all other groups besides Hispanics. Blacks had higher trust for tobacco companies compared to Whites and Other. Many of these differences were attenuated in adjusted analyses. This research has implications for tobacco control practice and policymaking by identifying potential dissemination strategies.     

Socioeconomic status and racial and ethnic differences in functional status associated with chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationships between wealth and income and selected racial and ethnic differences in health. METHODS: Cross-sectional data on a national sample of 9744 men and women aged 51 through 61 from the 1992 Health and Retirement Survey were analyzed to examine the association between socioeconomic status and racial and ethnic differences in functional status among those with hypertension, diabetes, a heart condition, and arthritis. RESULTS: Compared with Whites, African Americans report higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis, while Hispanics report higher rates of hypertension and diabetes and a lower rate of heart conditions. Accounting for differences in education, income, and wealth had little effect on these prevalence differences. In general, among those with chronic diseases, African Americans and Hispanics reported worse function than Whites. This disadvantage was eliminated in every case by controlling for socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: While socioeconomic status, including wealth, accounts for much of the difference in functional status associated with these chronic diseases. It plays a relatively small role in explaining differences in the prevalence of chronic disease, possibly reflecting different causal pathways.     

Racial/ethnic differences in the risk of AIDS in the United States.

We analyzed the variation in the risk of AIDS in US Blacks, Hispanics, and other racial/ethnic groups relative to that in Whites (non-Hispanic) by geographic area and mode of acquiring HIV infection, based on data reported between June 1, 1981 and January 18, 1988 to the Centers for Disease Control and 1980 US census data. Relative risks (RRs) in Blacks and Hispanics were highest in the northeast region, and higher in suburbs than in central cities of metropolitan areas. RRs in Blacks and Hispanics were greatest for AIDS directly or indirectly associated with intravenous-drug abuse by heterosexuals (range: 5.7-26.9) and were also high for AIDS associated with male bisexuality (range: 2.5-4.8), suggesting that these behaviors may be more prevalent in Blacks and Hispanics than in Whites. Prevention strategies should take into account these racial/ethnic differences.     

Perceived Spousal Religiosity and Marital Quality Across Racial and Ethnic Groups

The relationship between the perceived religiosity of one's spouse and marital quality varies across racial and ethnic groups (i.e., Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and non‐Hispanic Whites) in the United States. In this study, data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of married Americans (N = 1,162). Although perceived spousal religiosity predicted higher marital quality across all racial and ethnic groups, this effect was stronger for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics than for Whites. Compared to Whites, the 3 racial and ethnic minority groups experienced a larger boost in frequency of expressive forms of love as perceived spousal religiosity increased. This effect was also found regarding marital satisfaction for Asians and Blacks relative to Whites, but not for Hispanics. Moreover, although racial and ethnic minorities tended to report lower marital quality than Whites at low levels of perceived spousal religiosity, their marital quality tended to be higher than Whites at high levels of perceived spousal religiosity. Three‐way interactions indicated that these trends hold regardless of gender.     

Mortality patterns among adult Hispanics: findings from the NHIS, 1986 to 1990.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the mortality pattern of the adult Hispanic population in the United States. METHODS: This was a cohort study using data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1986 through 1990. Deaths were ascertained by matching the National Death Index through 1991. RESULTS: This representative national sample included 297,640 non-Hispanic Whites, 53,552 Blacks, and 27,239 Hispanics, all aged 18 years or older at baseline. Different matching criteria resulted in modest differential estimates of the number of deaths by ethnic groups; these differences were quantitatively more important for Hispanics. Overall age-standardized mortality was lower among Hispanics. A prominent age by race interaction was apparent. The Hispanic: White mortality ratio was 1.33, 0.92, and 0.76 among men aged 18 through 44, 45 through 64, and 65 and older, respectively. Among women in the same age groups the Hispanic: White mortality ratio was 1.22, 0.75, and 0.70, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal cohorts provide an important source of health status information on Hispanics. These results suggest that overall mortality is lower among Hispanics than among non-Hispanic Whites, especially in the oldest age group. Among younger and middle-aged persons, the mortality of Hispanics is similar to or even higher than that of Whites.     

From adolescence to young adulthood: racial/ethnic disparities in smoking

OBJECTIVES: We used data gathered from 6259 youths between the ages of 13 and 23 years to compare trends in smoking among 4 racial/ethnic groups. METHODS: We weighted trend data to represent baseline respondent characteristics and evaluated these data with linear contrasts derived from multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Although African Americans exhibited higher initiation rates than Whites, they exhibited consistently lower rates of regular smoking than both Whites and Hispanics. This seeming anomaly was explained by African Americans' lower rates of transition to regular smoking and greater tendency to quit. Racial/ethnic disparities were accounted for by differences in pro-smoking influences. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing racial/ethnic disparities in smoking may require reducing differences in the psychosocial factors that encourage smoking.     

Health Disparities And Prevention: Racial/ethnic Barriers To Flu Vaccinations

To address the widening disparity between Whites and non-Whites for influenza vaccination rates, this study employed the Health Belief Model to examine these rates in five racial ethnic groups (White, Latino, African American, Filipino American, and Japanese American) to identify modifiable determinants of vaccination by race/ethnicity. A 2004 telephone survey of parishioners of faith-based congregations aged 50–75 years in Los Angeles and Honolulu assessed influenza vaccination rate, perceived susceptibility to influenza, perceived severity of illness, and the self-reported main barrier to influenza vaccination. Logistic regression models for each race/ethnic group predicting vaccination dependent upon perceived susceptibility to influenza, perceived severity of illness, and sociodemographic characteristics were estimated. Model parameters were used to generate standardized predictions of vaccination rates by race/ethnic group. In the multivariate models, Whites and African Americans who were very concerned about getting the flu were significantly more likely to be vaccinated (96% and 91%, respectively), compared with those who were not concerned (45% and 33%). However, vaccination rates among Latinos who were very concerned about getting the flu (54%), although significantly higher than Latinos who were not concerned (34%), were lower than for Whites and African Americans. Examination of the main barriers to vaccination revealed that Latinos were more likely to report access and cost barriers, while African Americans were more likely to raise issues of mistrust such as concern that the vaccine causes influenza. Distinct barriers to influenza vaccination exist among racial/ethnic groups. Vaccination programs may benefit from addressing these specific and unique concerns.     

Racial/ethnic disparities in potentially preventable readmissions: the case of diabetes

OBJECTIVES: Considerable differences in prevalence of diabetes and management of the disease exist among racial/ethnic groups. We examined the relationship between race/ethnicity and hospital readmissions for diabetes-related conditions. METHODS: Nonmaternal adult patients with Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance coverage hospitalized for diabetes-related conditions in 5 states were identified from the 1999 State Inpatient Databases of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Racial/ethnic differences in the likelihood of readmission were estimated by logistic regression with adjustment for patient demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic characteristics and hospital attributes. RESULTS: The risk-adjusted likelihood of 180-day readmission was significantly lower for non-Hispanic Whites than for Hispanics across all 3 payers or for non-Hispanic Blacks among Medicare enrollees. Within each payer, Hispanics from low-income communities had the highest risk of readmission. Among Medicare beneficiaries, Blacks and Hispanics had higher percentages of readmission for acute complications and microvascular disease, while Whites had higher percentages of readmission for macrovascular conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic disparities are more evident in 180-day than in 30-day readmission rates, and greatest among the Medicare population. Readmission diagnoses vary by race/ethnicity, with Blacks and Hispanics at higher risk for those complications more likely preventable with effective postdischarge care.     

Ethnic differences in attitudes,beliefs, and patterns of meat consumption among American young women meat eaters

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESMeat eaters face conflicts over meat consumption due to recent increasing demands for reduced-meat diets to promote human and environmental health. Attitudes toward consuming meat have been shown to be culture-specific. Thus, this study was performed to examine cultural differences in attitudes, beliefs, and patterns of meat consumption among meat eaters in a group homogeneous in terms of age and sex but with diverse ethnicities.SUBJECTS/METHODSIn this cross-sectional study conducted in New York City in 2014, 520 female meat eaters (Whites = 25%; Blacks = 20%; East Asians = 35%; Hispanics = 20%) aged 20–29 completed a questionnaire consisting of a series of questions on meat consumption behaviors, which addressed amounts of consumption, cooking methods, past and future changes in meat consumption, and attitudes and beliefs regarding relationships between health and meat consumption. Logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the effects of variables on meat consumption.RESULTSBlacks had the highest annual total meat consumption (64.2 kg), followed by East Asians (53.6 kg), Whites (46.9 kg), and Hispanics (35.8 kg). Blacks ate significantly more chicken than the other ethnic groups (P < 0.001), and East Asians ate significantly more pork and processed meat (P < 0.001). Regardless of ethnicity, grilling/roasting/broiling were the preferred cooking methods, and vegetables were most consumed as a side dish. More than half of the participants expressed an intention to decrease future meat consumption. East Asians more strongly perceived meat as a festive food (P < 0.001) and were less guilty about the slaughtering animals (P = 0.11) than other groups. No differences were found between the ethnic groups regarding negative attitudes to meat consumption.CONCLUSIONSThe results show that ethnicities differ in terms of attitudes, beliefs, and patterns of meat consumption. Irrespective of ethnicity, the meat-eating participants almost unanimously demonstrated a willingness to reduce future meat consumption. It is hoped these findings aid the formulation of culturally-tailored interventions that effectively reduce meat consumption.     

Drug Treatment Service Utilization and Outcomes for Hispanic and White Methamphetamine Abusers

Objective. To examine differences in drug treatment service needs, utilization, satisfaction, and outcomes between Hispanic and white methamphetamine (meth) abusers.
Data Sources. Intake assessments and follow-up interviews of 128 Hispanic and 371 non-Hispanic white meth abusers admitted during 2000–2001 to 43 drug treatment programs in 13 counties across California.
Study Design. A prospective longitudinal study comparing ethnic differences in problem severity during pre- and posttreatment periods, as well as in services received during treatment.
Data Collection/Extraction Methods. The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) was administered at both intake and the 9-month follow-up to assess clients' problem severity in a number of domains. Service utilization and satisfaction were assessed 3 months following treatment admission.
Principal Findings. Hispanics were less educated and reported more employment difficulties than whites. Whites were more likely to be treated in residential programs than Hispanics despite similar severity in drug and alcohol use, legal, medical and family/social problems, and psychiatric status. Significantly more whites than Hispanics received psychiatric services, likely because more of them were treated in residential programs. Whites also reported receiving greater numbers of total services and services addressing alcohol and psychiatric problems. While no ethnic differences were found in treatment satisfaction and several other outcomes, Hispanics demonstrated better family and social outcomes than whites.
Conclusions. Both Hispanic and white meth abusers improved after treatment, although benefits from treatment can be further enhanced if services underscore different facets of their psychosocial problems.     

Receptivity to protobacco media and its impact on cigarette smoking among ethnic minority youth in California

Adolescents from different ethnic groups show different cigarette smoking prevalence rates, suggesting potential differences in receptivity to and influences from protobacco media. Understanding these differences will be helpful in tailoring smoking prevention and cessation programs for diverse adolescent populations in the United States. Data from cross-sectional surveys of 20,332 randomly sampled California boys and girls, 12-17 years of age, were analyzed. Results indicate that receptivity to protobacco media was lower among African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics than among White youth. There was a consistent dose-response relationship between receptivity to protobacco media and 30-day cigarette smoking across ethnic groups. Having a cigarette brand preference was associated with the highest risk for cigarette smoking, having a favorite tobacco ad showed the lowest risk, while having received or being willing to use tobacco promotional items was associated with a moderate risk. After controlling for 13 covariates, the odds ratio for receptivity to protobacco media and 30-day cigarette smoking was significant for Whites (RR = 1.38, p < 0.01) and Hispanics (RR = 1.46, p < 0.01), but not for African American (RR = 1.05, p > 0.05) and Asian American (RR = 1.17, p > 0.05) youth. African American, Asian American, and Hispanic adolescents have a lower level of receptivity to protobacco media than do Whites. The association between media receptivity and 30-day cigarette smoking exists for all four ethnic groups without controlling for other smoking predictor variables, but only for Hispanics and Whites when other variables are controlled. Protecting adolescents from protobacco advertising influences is an important element in tobacco control among ethnic minority youth.     

Racial and ethnic differences in men's knowledge and attitudes about contraception

BackgroundLittle is known about racial/ethnic differences in men's contraceptive knowledge and attitudes.Study DesignWe used multivariable logistic regression to examine racial/ethnic differences in contraceptive knowledge and attitudes among 903 men aged 18–29 in the 2009 National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge.ResultsBlack and Hispanic men were less likely than Whites to have heard of most contraceptive methods, including female and male sterilization, and also had lower knowledge about hormonal and long-acting reversible methods. They were less likely to know that pills are ineffective when 2–3 pills are missed [Blacks: adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=0.42; Hispanics: aOR=0.53] and that fertility was not delayed after stopping the pill (Blacks: aOR=0.52; Hispanics: aOR=0.27). Hispanics were less likely to know that nulliparous women can use the intrauterine device (aOR=0.47). Condom knowledge was similar by race/ethnicity, but Blacks were less likely to view condoms as a hassle than Whites (aOR=0.46).ConclusionsEfforts to educate men, especially men of color, about contraceptive methods are needed.     

The Tuskegee Legacy Project: willingness of minorities to participate in biomedical research

The broad goal of the Tuskegee Legacy Project (TLP) study was to address, and understand, a range of issues related to the recruitment and retention of Blacks and other minorities in biomedical research studies. The specific aim of this analysis was to compare the self-reported willingness of Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites to participate as research subjects in biomedical studies, as measured by the Likelihood of Participation (LOP) Scale and the Guinea Pig Fear Factor (GPFF) Scale. The Tuskegee Legacy Project Questionnaire, a 60 item instrument, was administered to 1,133 adult Blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites in 4 U.S. cities. The findings revealed no difference in self-reported willingness to participate in biomedical research, as measured by the LOP Scale, between Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites, despite Blacks being 1.8 times as likely as Whites to have a higher fear of participation in biomedical research on the GPFF Scale.     

Costs and use of public mental health services by ethnicity

This paper used data obtained from Santa Clara County, California, to study the costs and use of public mental health services among ethnic populations (Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites). The study had access to 12,436 unduplicated users of services. The study found Whites had the highest per capita costs, while Asians incurred the lowest. However, after controlling for other demographic characteristics, Asians incurred higher costs than Whites. This reversal of Whites and Asians occurred because cost distributions are more skewed for Whites than Asians. Asians had the highest median costs and Hispanics the lowest. The top 5% of users incurred about 50% of the total public mental health costs. All are associated with the Center for Research on the Organization and Financing of Care for the Severely Mentally Ill, the Western Consortium for Public Health. This study was supported by Grant MHR01-44753 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The opinions expressed are those of the authors alone, not of the authors’ affiliations.     

Receptivity to Protobacco Media and Its Impact on Cigarette Smoking Among Ethnic Minority Youth in California

Adolescents from different ethnic groups show different cigarette smoking prevalence rates, suggesting potential differences in receptivity to and influences from protobacco media. Understanding these differences will be helpful in tailoring smoking prevention and cessation programs for diverse adolescent populations in the United States. Data from cross-sectional surveys of 20,332 randomly sampled California boys and girls, 12-17 years of age, were analyzed. Results indicate that receptivity to protobacco media was lower among African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics than among White youth. There was a consistent dose-response relationship between receptivity to protobacco media and 30-day cigarette smoking across ethnic groups. Having a cigarette brand preference was associated with the highest risk for cigarette smoking, having a favorite tobacco ad showed the lowest risk, while having received or being willing to use tobacco promotional items was associated with a moderate risk. After controlling for 13 covariates, the odds ratio for receptivity to protobacco media and 30-day cigarette smoking was significant for Whites (RR = 1.38, p < 0.01) and Hispanics (RR = 1.46, p < 0.01), but not for African American (RR = 1.05, p > 0.05) and Asian American (RR = 1.17, p > 0.05) youth. African American, Asian American, and Hispanic adolescents have a lower level of receptivity to protobacco media than do Whites. The association between media receptivity and 30-day cigarette smoking exists for all four ethnic groups without controlling for other smoking predictor variables, but only for Hispanics and Whites when other variables are controlled. Protecting adolescents from protobacco advertising influences is an important element in tobacco control among ethnic minority youth.     

Racial and ethnic differences in adult asthma prevalence,problems, and medical care

Objectives. We document the extent to which racial and ethnic differences exist in asthma prevalence among US adults, and among asthmatic adults, we document racial differences in asthma problems and asthma-related medical care. We also explore potential explanations for racial and ethnic disparities in each outcome.

Design. Using data on a 24-state sample of white, black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American adults from the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we examine race/ethnic differences in asthma prevalence, problems (had an asthma attack last year; asthma symptoms; sleep difficulties; activities limited because of asthma), and asthma-related medical care (number of routine doctor visits; medication use; urgent doctor visits; visited an emergency room for asthma-related care last year). We then explore whether any observed disparities are due to differences in demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, health behavior, and environmental conditions across racial/ethnic groups.

Results. Asthma prevalence is lowest among Asian and Hispanic adults, and highest among black and Native American adults. Considerable racial/ethnic differences in asthma-related problems and medical care are also present, with Asians doing as well or better than whites, while blacks, Hispanics, and especially Native Americans report more asthma-related problems and medical care use. For some groups (i.e., Asians and Hispanics), we were mostly unable to explain away observed differences with white adults with adjustment for potential explanatory mechanisms, while for other groups (i.e., blacks and Native Americans) adjusting for socioeconomic status and air quality accounted for much of the observed disparity with whites.     

Increasing Willingness to Taste Novel Foods: Effects of Nutrition and Taste Information

This study was designed to examine the effects of various kinds of information on willingness to ingest novel foods in individuals varying in the extent to which they reported that nutritional concerns affected their food choices. Male and female volunteers ranging in age from 10 to 79 (N=401), saw six familiar and six novel foods, and received no information, taste likability information, general nutrition information, or specific nutrition information about the whole set of foods. They rated their willingness to taste each food, with the clear implication that their willingness ratings would determine which foods they would taste later in the study. On a separate questionnaire, they also rated the factors influencing their food everyday choices, and these ratings were used to compute an “importance of nutrition” score for each individual. Results indicated that older subjects were generally more willing to try novel foods than younger ones, that general nutrition information was effective for high school and college students, and that specific nutrition information was influential for young adults. It was also found that general nutrition information increased willingness to taste novel food in subjects for whom nutrition is important and decreased such willingness in subjects for whom nutrition is not important.