Racial/ethnic differences in the criterion-related validity of cognitive ability tests: A qualitative and quantitative review.

The correlation between cognitive ability test scores and performance was separately meta-analyzed for Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White racial/ethnic subgroups. Compared to the average White observed correlation ( = .33, N = 903,779), average correlations were lower for Black samples ( = .24, N = 112,194) and Hispanic samples ( = .30, N = 51,205) and approximately equal for Asian samples ( = .33, N = 80,705). Despite some moderating effects (e.g., type of performance criterion, decade of data collection, job complexity), validity favored White over Black and Hispanic test takers in almost all conditions that included a sizable number of studies. Black–White validity comparisons were possible both across and within the 3 broad domains that use cognitive ability tests for high-stakes selection and placement: civilian employment, educational admissions, and the military. The trend of lower Black validity was repeated in each domain; however, average Black–White validity differences were largest in military studies and smallest in educational and employment studies. Further investigation of the reasons for these validity differences is warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The context of preschool children's sleep: Racial/ethnic differences in sleep locations, routines, and concerns.

Cross-national research suggests cultural factors affect how parents manage and perceive their children's sleep. In the United States, however, it is unclear whether documented racial/ethnic differences in these aspects of children's sleep reflect culturally distinct parental values and practices or confounding sociodemographic factors. This study uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Well Being Study to examine potential racial/ethnic differences in how parents manage and perceive the sleep of their preschool children (n = 3,068), while controlling for potential sociodemographic (e.g., family structure), environmental (e.g., number of available bedrooms), and pragmatic (e.g., parental shift work) confounds. Results suggest racial/ethnic differences exist in where children sleep, how they are put to bed, and the level of concern mothers have about their child's sleep, beyond the effect of confounding factors. These differences may reflect distinct cultural values, as well as diverse goals for family and parent-child relationships. As our country becomes increasingly heterogeneous, it is important for developmental researchers and pediatric providers to understand the various ways diversity may be reflected in family life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial/ethnic disparities in therapist effectiveness: A conceptualization and initial study of cultural competence.

As a result of mental health disparities between White and racial/ethnic minority clients, researchers have argued that some therapists may be generally competent to provide effective services but lack cultural competence. This distinction assumes that client racial/ethnic background is a source of variability in therapist effectiveness. However, there have been no direct tests of the therapist as a source of health disparities. We provided an initial test of the distinction between general and cultural competence by examining client racial/ethnic background as a source of variability in therapist effectiveness. We analyzed cannabis use outcomes from a psychotherapy trial (N = 582) for adolescent cannabis abuse and dependence using Bayesian multilevel models for count outcomes. We first tested whether therapists differed in their effectiveness and then tested whether disparities in treatment outcomes varied across therapist caseloads. Results suggested that therapists differed in their effectiveness in general and that effectiveness varied according to client racial/ethnic background. Therapist effectiveness may depend partially on client racial/ethnic minority background, providing evidence that it is valid to distinguish between general and cultural competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial and ethnic differences in determinants of intrauterine growth retardation and other compromised birth outcomes

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the extent of variation by race/ethnicity in the prevalence of adverse birth outcomes, whether differentials persisted after other risk factors were controlled for, and whether the direction and magnitude of relationships differed by type of outcome. METHODS: A revised system of measurement was used to estimate multinomial logistic models in a large, nationally representative US data set. RESULTS: Considerable racial/ethnic variation was found across birth outcome categories; differences persisted in the adjusted parameter estimates; and the effects of other risk factors on birth outcomes were similar as to direction, but varied somewhat in magnitude. The odds of compromised birth outcomes were much higher among African Americans than among Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to persistent racial inequality, we found strong adverse effects of both inadequate and "adequate-plus" prenatal care and smoking. Risk of intrauterine growth retardation was higher in the absence of medical insurance, and risk of all adverse birth outcomes was lower among mothers participating in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children.     

Racial and ethnic identity: Developmental perspectives and research.

Developmental research is reviewed to evaluate how race, ethnicity, racial identity, and ethnic identity are defined and investigated for minority populations. First reviewed is how these terms are used in developmental and counseling research. Early practices limited these terms to their demographic denotations (e.g., heritage), but more recent practices have expanded to include socially constructed connotations. Second, developmental research was used to evaluate key assumptions in theories of racial and ethnic identity development, with an emphasis on recent longitudinal studies. Research supports some, but not all, of these developmental predictions. Longitudinal research supported the progressive nature of ethnic and racial identity development and that exposure to racism appears to stimulate further identity development during adolescence. In contrast, available evidence does not support the claims of a developmental hierarchy for racial ideologies and that identity crises are normative. Adjustment was not predicted by a single racial or ethnic identity ideology, but research suggested that the adolescent's sociocultural identity and socialization should be tailored to the nature of the racial and ethnic context for development. Implications for counseling research and practice are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial/ethnic matching of clients and therapists in mental health services: A meta-analytic review of preferences, perceptions, and outcomes.

Across several decades the effects of matching clients with therapists of the same race/ethnicity have been explored using a variety of approaches. We conducted a meta-analysis of 3 variables frequently used in research on racial/ethnic matching: individuals' preferences for a therapist of their own race/ethnicity, clients' perceptions of therapists across racial/ethnic match, and therapeutic outcomes across racial/ethnic match. Across 52 studies of preferences, the average effect size (Cohen's d) was 0.63, indicating a moderately strong preference for a therapist of one's own race/ethnicity. Across 81 studies of individuals' perceptions of therapists, the average effect size was 0.32, indicating a tendency to perceive therapists of one's own race/ethnicity somewhat more positively than other therapists. Across 53 studies of client outcomes in mental health treatment, the average effect size was 0.09, indicating almost no benefit to treatment outcomes from racial/ethnic matching of clients with therapists. These 3 averaged effect sizes were characterized by substantial heterogeneity: The effects of racial/ethnic matching are highly variable. Studies involving African American participants demonstrated the highest effect sizes across all 3 types of evaluations: preferences, perceptions, and outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial/ethnic differences in breast cancer outcomes among older patients: Effects of physician communication and patient empowerment.

Objectives: To examine racial/ethnic disparities in older women's health-related quality of life (QoL) and type of breast cancer treatment as mediated by physician-level and individual-level variables. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of a population-based, consecutive sample identified through the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program of Latina (n = 99), African American (n = 66), and White (n = 92) women aged 55 years or older (N = 257) between 3 and 9 months after primary breast cancer diagnosis and at least 1 month posttreatment. An exploratory, empirically developed latent variable model tested the relationships among demographic and physician-related variables, patient attitudes, and health-related outcomes. Health-related outcomes included QoL measures and receipt of breast conserving surgery (BCS). Results: Latinas reported less BCS and poorer QoL compared with Whites. Physician communication that can empower patients, in terms of patient efficacy in patient?physician interactions and breast cancer knowledge, mitigated racial/ethnic disparities in receipt of BCS. Physician emotional support was not related to patient cognitive empowerment and treatment outcomes. Medical mistrust in minority women was related to less self-efficacy and less positive coping, as well as, both directly and indirectly, to reduced QoL. Latinas reported poorer QoL in the tested model. Conclusion: Physician communication style, specifically information giving and participatory decision making, may empower older women with breast cancer and help mitigate racial/ethnic disparities in surgical treatment received. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The four-factor model of depressive symptoms in dementia caregivers: A structural equation model of ethnic differences.

Previous studies have suggested that 4 latent constructs (depressed affect, well-being, interpersonal problems, somatic symptoms) underlie the item responses on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. This instrument has been widely used in dementia caregiving research, but the fit of this multifactor model and the explanatory contributions of multifactor models have not been sufficiently examined for caregiving samples. The authors subjected CES-D data (N = 1,183) from the initial Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health Study to confirmatory factor analysis methods and found that the 4-factor model provided excellent fit to the observed data. Invariance analyses suggested only minimal item-loading differences across race subgroups and supported the validity of race comparisons on the latent factors. Significant race differences were found on 3 of the 4 latent factors both before and after controlling for demographic covariates. African Americans reported less depressed affect and better well-being than White caregivers, who reported better well-being and fewer interpersonal problems than Hispanic caregivers. These findings clarify and extend previous studies of race differences in depression among diverse samples of dementia caregivers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of dementia, caregiving, and help seeking among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans

The United States is becoming more ethnically diverse, and Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are one of the most rapidly growing ethnic minority groups. Of interest to social workers is how the traditional values and practices of these cultures affect their perceptions of disease and use of health services. This article presents information on perceptions of dementia, caregiving, and help seeking for the API group as a whole, with additional information on five of the major API subgroups--Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Hawaiian. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.     

Racial differences in job attitudes.

Compared the need satisfaction of 87 black certified public accountants (cpas) with 131 other cpas, using a need satisfaction questionnaire by L. A. Porter as a measure. Findings indicate that black cpas generally reported more need deficiency in all items than other ss. In both groups, self-actualization and compensation needs were the most deficient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heat, ethnic differences, and creativity in the Negev desert.

48 9th- and 10th-grade boys of Bedouin, Moroccan, and Eastern European ancestry participated in a study to assess the effects which heat may have on creative and intelligence-related tasks. Special care was taken to reduce biases in the testing situation. Ss were exposed to 2 hrs of heat at either 45.C (113.F)-experimental condition-or 26.C (78.F)-control condition-while their heart rates were monitored. Heat did not significantly influence verbal or written task performances, but heart rates were affected. Ethnic membership seemed fundamentally related to the patterning of abilities insofar as Bedouins scored low on traditional IQ measures but tended to score high on creative measures. It is suggested that ethnic groups closer to European cultures do better on IQ tests, while those further from these cultures may excel on measures which are creativity related. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial and ethnic identity theory, measurement, and research in counseling psychology: Present status and future directions.

The present article integrates and expands on the special section contributions of K. O. Cokley (2007); J. E. Helms (2007); J. E. Trimble (2007); S. M. Quintana (2007); and J. S. Phinney and A. D. Ong (2007). The authors of the present article begin with a note on politics and ideology in writings on racial identity development and review general progress the field has made on the topics of racial and ethnic identity development. The present challenges in both explicating clear and concise theories of racial and ethnic identity development and operationalizing and measuring these constructs in paper-and-pencil form are identified. The need for interdisciplinary work on theory testing is highlighted, and select examples of best practices in measuring racial and ethnic identity are presented. The article closes with directions for research in racial and ethnic identity development, and with implications for counseling practice, supervision, and systemic change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The onset of dementia caregiving and its longitudinal implications.

This study examined patterns of entry into the caregiving role and how onset influences outcomes pertinent to the caregiving process. Using 3-year longitudinal data, the present analysis classified dementia caregivers into 1 of 4 onset sequences: those whose entry into caregiving was defined by diagnosis, those who first recognized symptoms and then obtained a diagnosis, those caregivers who first recognized symptoms and then provided care, and those who provided care prior to diagnosis or recognition. Analyses revealed that respondents who experienced a less abrupt entry into caregiving were less likely to institutionalize their relatives and reported greater decreases in well-being. The findings point to the dynamic process that defines entry into caregiving and emphasize that how individuals assume caregiving roles have implications long after onset. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Costs of dementia and dementia care: a review

Costs of dementia care constitute a great part of the total costs of care for elderly. Because the prevalence of dementia is linked to increasing age, and the number of the oldest old is rising, the costs of dementia care will increase considerably in the forthcoming decades. In this review, research describing costs of dementia care has been analysed and classified. The available database in this field is small, though expanding, and the methodological problems are obvious. Differences between countries, and between different periods of time, are difficult to analyse due to different methods of financing and organizing care. The main result of the present study is that the costs of dementia care differ considerably in the literature. One important reason for this variability is that the number of included cost categories vary, leading to a wide range of costs. Unpaid informal care forms a major part of the total costs, but the theory of costing informal care is complicated.     

Racial differences in fetal morphometry in Singapore

A systematic collection of fetal morphometric measurements was started seven years ago in 1987 with the prospective entry of data into personal computer-based stations in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Singapore General Hospital. A cross-sectional study was done, comparing 2392 Chinese fetuses with 2117 Malay fetuses and 459 Indian fetuses from 18 to 40 weeks. The mean values of the head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL) of the 3 ethnic groups were analysed. There were no statistical significant differences in the head circumference and abdominal circumference of Chinese, Malay and Indian fetuses in Singapore. The Chinese and Malay fetal femur length appeared similar but were apparently shorter than the Indian femur length. Nomograms of head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length were constructed for application to fetuses of all 3 ethnic groups.     

Racial differences in birth outcomes: The role of general, pregnancy, and racism stress.

Objective: This study examined the role of psychosocial stress in racial differences in birth outcomes. Design: Maternal health, sociodemographic factors, and 3 forms of stress (general stress, pregnancy stress, and perceived racism) were assessed prospectively in a sample of 51 African American and 73 non-Hispanic White pregnant women. Main Outcome Measures: The outcomes of interest were birth weight and gestational age at delivery. Only predictive models of birth weight were tested as the groups did not differ significantly in gestational age. Results: Perceived racism and indicators of general stress were correlated with birth weight and tested in regression analyses. In the sample as a whole, lifetime and childhood indicators of perceived racism predicted birth weight and attenuated racial differences, independent of medical and sociodemographic control variables. Models within each race group showed that perceived racism was a significant predictor of birth weight in African Americans, but not in non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusions: These findings provide further evidence that racism may play an important role in birth outcome disparities, and they are among the first to indicate the significance of psychosocial factors that occur early in the life course for these specific health outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial differences in survival from gynecologic cancer

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether survival from gynecologic cancer is different between African-American and white patients at an inner-city hospital with both a large clinic and a private service. METHODS: We studied 538 patients (89 African American, 449 white) diagnosed with cervical, uterine, or ovarian cancer at a single institution from January 1, 1989 through December 31, 1993. Information was obtained on age, stage, site of disease, histology, and type of health insurance (public or commercial). Insurance coverage was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status. Overall survival was estimated by the method of Kaplan and Meier and compared by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to evaluate the effects of multiple factors on survival. RESULTS: African-American patients were significantly older and were more likely to have cervical cancer and public insurance than white patients. Overall survival was worse for African-American patients than for white patients (P < .05). However, stage for stage, there was no significant difference in survival between the groups. There was also no difference when patients were grouped by insurance status. African Americans had a significantly worse survival for cervical cancer than whites, and African-American patients older than 65 years had a worse survival than whites of similar age. On multivariate analysis, only stage and insurance coverage were significant predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS: African-American patients with gynecologic cancer at our institution have worse overall survival than white patients. The survival difference seems to be due predominantly to differences in socioeconomic status and stage at diagnosis.     

Differences in familism values and caregiving outcomes among Korean, Korean American, and White American dementia caregivers.

Recent theories have suggested that burden and distress among dementia caregivers may be higher in American culture, which emphasizes individualism, and lower in cultures with higher levels of familism. However, immigrants may experience higher levels of burden because of acculturation with attendant values, conflicts and stresses. Forty-four Korean caregivers and 32 Korean American caregivers were compared with 54 White American caregivers on sociodemographic variables, familism, burden, anxiety, and depression. Familism was highest in Korean caregivers and lowest in Whites, with Korean Americans in the middle. Koreans and Korean Americans reported higher levels of burden. Koreans showed higher levels of depression and of anxiety than White American caregivers, with Koreans and Korean Americans higher than Whites on anxiety. These results suggest a need for greater specificity in theories about familism values, with attention to the specific meaning of familism in different cultures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)