J Natl Med Assoc
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A sample of African-American and white young adults were classified as having multiple sex partners or one sexual partner. Subjects with multiple sexual partners were more likely to use drugs and practice risky sexual behaviors such as having anal intercourse, having sexual experiences with a prostitute, and having a history of gonorrhea (P < .001) and genital warts (P < .01). Additional analyses were conducted to determine African-American versus white differences in risky sexual behaviors. ⋯ Finally, the results from discriminant analysis indicate that a large number of variables significantly discriminate between subjects who engage in risky sexual behaviors and those who do not. Although there is some similarity in the variables for African Americans and whites, there was tremendous variability between the ethnic groups in the factors that predict risky behaviors. These findings are discussed with reference to the need to develop HIV/AIDS prevention programs for African Americans that are based on data derived from African-American populations rather than from black versus white comparison studies.
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Compared with other racial groups, African-American women show a disproportionately high risk of delivering low birthweight babies. In a retrospective study of African-American infants born at Meharry Hubbard Hospital, which predominantly serves the underprivileged inner-city poor, free amino acid concentrations were measured in umbilical venous serum from infants born following 34 to 42 weeks gestation. ⋯ Glycine, a quantitatively important residue in collagen and a component of reduced glutathione (gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine), which is featured in the gamma-glutamyl amino acid transport cycle, was most consistently and severely affected. This study not only indicated that selective reduction in transplacental amino acid transport may be an important factor in intrauterine growth retardation in African Americans, but also confirmed the dietary necessity of the structurally simple amino acid glycine during pregnancy.
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This article describes a retrospective study that compared the distribution of colorectal tumors among black and white discharges. A total of 188,109 discharges with colorectal cancer were selected from the Hospital Cost and Utilization Project, a national sample of hospitals with 34 million patient discharges from 1980 to 1987. Black/white differences were small for right, left, and rectal tumors; however, black discharges had a higher percentage of colorectal tumors with sites unspecified. ⋯ Black discharges had a higher proportion of unspecified tumors than whites regardless of cancer severity, discharge status, procedure type, age, sex, expected third-party payer, and year. Black/white differences were maintained across hospital characteristics (region, rural/urban location, teaching status, bed size, and ownership). Differences in specification of tumor site may be an indicator of poor continuity of care, poor access, or other quality-related measures.