Impact of Commercial Hip Hop/Rap Music Videos on Women of Color

poster abstractThe purpose of this research project is to examine hip hop and rap’s portrayal of minority women and how that adversely affects the development of female identities. Young females of biracial or multiracial backgrounds are the targeted demographic of this research. The types of images as well as the cultural tolerance of these images presented in hip hop and rap music videos have changed significantly over the decades. The television channel MTV had created a platform for a visual component of music that had never existed before in the industry. Since demeaning lyrics have been a hot topic in the past, music videos are the main focus of this research. Women of color in videos are being objectified through their clothing, what they are saying, and their actions. The methodology for conducting this research is an examination of literature reviews of scholarly articles as well as an analysis of a sample size of popular videos from each decade since the creation of MTV in 1981

Evidence Based Breast Cancer Interventions Targeting Black American Women

poster abstractIn the United States, Black American women tend to have more invasive types of breast cancer at a younger age than White American women, and also tend to have a higher mortality rates than White, Latina, and Asian-American women (DeSantis, 2013). In order to address these issues, public health research has focused on developing early detection programs and increasing mammography availability. Despite these efforts, there has been a continuous rise in the incidence rates among Black American women throughout the United States, suggesting that there have been complications with program execution. This research project examines the evidence based interventions that have been proven to be effective within minority and Black American communities. Research has proven that there are some health interventions that are particularly effective for disadvantaged minorities. Examples include lay education, social network outreach, and culturally appropriate intervention delivery. Research has so far included reviews of current literature and interviews with public health workers who specialize in minority health interventions. Future community health research will explore the possibility of large scale replication in both urban and rural communities, which could lead to an overall decrease in breast cancer incidences population wide

HEALTH DISPARITIES: THE GENETIC CONTRIBUTION IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

poster abstractSince the completion of the Human Genome Project, it has been found that genes and their function play a role in 9 out of 10 of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Some of these causes such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are significantly prevalent in the African American community. African Americans often experience the largest differences in health risks when compared to their White counterparts. This research project will examine how mutated genes and their function, contribute to health disparities in the African American community. The population for this research project will only include individuals of African ancestry born in the U.S. A brief survey will be conducted to inquire about participants’ knowledge of genetics and its influence on disease inheritance. The data collected will be interpreted as a representation of average African Americans’ knowledge of genetic influences on disease inheritance. Additionally, data will be obtained from facilities that offer genetic testing services. Specifically, I hope to obtain information on the racial populations who utilize these services, primarily, those with higher occurrences of genetic disorders. Coupled with the survey’s data, I will use the testing centers’ information to determine whether a correlation exists between the following variables: knowledge of genetics, use of genetic testing services and prevalence of inheritable diseases. I expect a strong correlation between afore mentioned variables. My hypothesis is that this correlation will prove undetected gene mutations when inherited, contribute to health disparities in the African American community

RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN LIFESTYLE: EFFECTS ON INFANT MORTALITY

poster abstractCompared to Japan, Spain, Canada, and other post-industrialized coun-tries, the United States has the highest infant mortality rate (IMR) reaching almost 7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The rate for African-Americans is 13.63 while the rate for Caucasians is 5.76 and the gap continues to widen. The gap is even wider in Indiana, reaching 18.1 for African-Americans and 6.4 for Caucasians. A few determinants of infant mortality include maternal health, disorders related to short gestation, socioeconomic status, respirato-ry distress in newborns and inadequate prenatal care. High levels of stress also may pose some special risks for pregnant women. For example, stress may contribute to preterm labor by triggering the release of a hormone called corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). CRH, which is produced by the brain and the placenta, is closely tied to labor. This may cause premature birth and low birthweight, possibly resulting in death. Further research will be done to investigate if stress management differs among African-American women and Caucasian women and what affect the taboo of therapy among the African-American community has on managing stress related to preg-nant women. Research will also be conducted on the “Superwoman Syn-drome”. The purpose of this research is to provide information on how to de-crease the infant mortality rate of African-Americans in particular, and the United States IMR in general