Cultural Consensus Modeling to identify culturally relevant reasons for and against suicide among Black adolescents

Introduction: The development of evidence-based treatments relies on accurate theoretical frameworks sensitive to the lived realities of the populations from which they are derived. Yet, the perspectives of Black youth are vastly underrepresented in extant theories of suicidal behavior. Cultural Consensus Modeling provides an evidence-based approach for developing a culturally informed understanding of suicide risk among Black youth. Method: Participants were 50 Black adolescents (Mage = 16.20 years; 76.0% male) who completed Phase 1 of a Cultural Consensus Modeling study. Participants freely listed reasons for suicide and reasons for living among similar peer Black youth. Responses were synthesized and coded for major themes. Results: The most common reasons for suicide were racism (40%), depression (32%), poverty (26%), and bullying (22%). The most common reasons for living were family (58%), having a purpose or goals (36%), friends (30%), and hope for a better future (26%). Conclusion: Responses highlighted issues of racism and social justice, depression, and poverty, as well as the protective role of relationships, living for the future, and contributing to Black empowerment. Future research should utilize Cultural Consensus Modeling to elevate the voices of Black youth, improving extant theories of suicide, and identifying unique mechanisms or opportunities for prevention

Rapid direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols in exhaled breath at the point of care

Airborne transmission via virus-laden aerosols is a dominant route for the transmission of respiratory diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Direct, non-invasive screening of respiratory virus aerosols in patients has been a long-standing technical challenge. Here, we introduce a point-of-care testing platform that directly detects SARS-CoV-2 aerosols in as little as two exhaled breaths of patients and provides results in under 60 s. It integrates a hand-held breath aerosol collector and a llama-derived, SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein specific nanobody bound to an ultrasensitive micro-immunoelectrode biosensor, which detects the oxidation of tyrosine amino acids present in SARS-CoV-2 viral particles. Laboratory and clinical trial results were within 20% of those obtained using standard testing methods. Importantly, the electrochemical biosensor directly detects the virus itself, as opposed to a surrogate or signature of the virus, and is sensitive to as little as 10 viral particles in a sample. Our platform holds the potential to be adapted for multiplexed detection of different respiratory viruses. It provides a rapid and non-invasive alternative to conventional viral diagnostics

Effects of Food-Related Interventions for African American Women With Type 2 Diabetes

Purpose The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize research that tested culturally competent food-related interventions designed for African American women with type 2 diabetes, to review the current state of the literature and suggest recommendations for future research. Many African American women with type 2 diabetes are challenged to change their culturally rooted food habits to achieve diabetes control. Diabetes educators and clinicians who work with African American women need knowledge of effective interventions to assist their clients. Methods Online databases and research articles’ reference lists were searched for relevant studies published from 1989 to 2010 that tested culturally competent type 2 diabetes management interventions for African American women, that included at least 1 educational session on diet or nutrition, and that addressed a physiologic outcome, such as glycosylated hemoglobin or fasting blood glucose. Results Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Among them, 64% to 100% of the participants were African Americans, and 65% to 100% were women. Six studies showed significant improvements in food practices, and 8 showed significant improvements in glycemic control as a result of the interventions. Conclusions Few studies focused solely on helping African American women make culturally relevant dietary changes to control type 2 diabetes. Most interventions addressed food habits as one of many components for diabetes control, perhaps overwhelming research participants with large amounts of varied information. Targeted interventions are recommended that focus on dietary changes as the foundation for diabetes self-management education for African American women. </jats:p

Culture and Food Practices of African American Women With Type 2 Diabetes

Purpose The goals of this descriptive ethnographic study were to (1) describe the day-to-day selection, preparation, and consumption of food among African American women (AAW) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); (2) identify their typical food selections and consumption practices when dining out at restaurants and at social gatherings (ie, church functions, holidays); (3) highlight the valued behaviors and beliefs that influence these women’s food practices; and (4) determine how social interactions influence those food practices. Methods Symbolic interactionism, a sensitizing framework, guided this study. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 20 AAW from 35 to 70 years of age diagnosed with T2DM who shopped and prepared meals for their families and attended church functions where food was served. Data collection consisted of one-on-one interviews and observations of participants during church fellowship dinners, grocery shopping, and food preparation. A social anthropological approach to content analysis was used to describe behavioral regularities in food practices. Results Informants exhibited a constant struggle in food practices, particularly within the home setting. Difficulties in making dietary modifications resulted from conflicts between the need to change dietary practices to control diabetes and personal food preferences, food preferences of family members, and AAW’s emotional dedication to the symbolism of food derived from traditional cultural food practices passed down from generation to generation. Conclusions African American women are the gatekeepers for family food practices, holding the keys to healthy dietary practices. This study helps to fill the research gap regarding cultural dietary food practices within this population. </jats:sec

Quantifying the Representation of Black Adolescents in Suicide Intervention Research

This systematic review aimed to quantify the representation of Black youth in U.S. suicide intervention research. Specifically, we sought to evaluate Black youth representation in terms of (a) equity of inclusion (i.e., the inclusion of Black youth in research study samples at a rate consistent with the overall national rate of Black adolescents in the US) and (b) equity of intervention efficacy (i.e., evaluating the presence of racial disparities in intervention efficacy/effect sizes). In addition, we aimed to evaluate whether an association existed between funding status of research and representation of Black youth in studies, and to provide recommendations for future research in this area. To this end, the present study extracted and analyzed demographic information of studies included in recent meta-analyses conducted by Robinson and colleagues (2018), which were not previously analyzed, in addition to new literature published between September 2017 and January 2021. Results showed that the prevalence of Black youth included in studies was representative (14.67%; ntotal = 4451, nBlack = 664), with a median inclusion rate of 13%; however, absolute sample and group sizes were so small that it precluded comparison of differential treatment outcomes for Black youth. Thus, out of 22 studies identified, only one was able to investigate treatment outcomes for suicide in Black youth specifically. This study points to the conclusion that without adequately powered studies, disparities in treatment efficacy for Black youth cannot be compared or addressed, and the existing disparity in suicidal outcomes for Black youth will grow even larger

Depression and Adherence to Lifestyle Changes in Type 2 Diabetes

Purpose Depression affects millions of people worldwide and is prevalent among those with diabetes. The purpose of this review was to synthesize recent research on depression and adherence to dietary and physical activity recommendations in persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods This systematic review is a subanalysis of an NIH-funded model-testing meta-analysis. Thirteen electronic databases were searched using terms: depression, adherence, T2DM, diabetes. Selected studies: were reported in English between 2000 and 2012, focused on adults with T2DM, and measured depression and dietary and/or physical activity adherence. Results Twenty-seven studies involving 7266 participants were selected; participants were 54% female and 62 years of age, on average. When reported, depression prevalence in study samples ranged from 4.5% to 74%. Six intervention studies targeted diabetes treatment, with or without depression treatment; no studies focused solely on treating depression. Twenty-one descriptive studies examined relationships between depression and diet/physical activity adherence, finding a negative association. Only 2 of the 6 intervention studies examined this relationship; findings were inconsistent. Conclusion Depression was associated with lower adherence to diabetes self-care, as evidenced primarily by descriptive studies; results of intervention studies were conflicting. Future research should focus on the effects of treating depression on diabetes health outcomes. </jats:sec