An improved understanding of the role of housing in asthma prevalence among African-American children is essential to addressing the issues associated with asthma and housing that perpetuate racial and ethnic health disparities. This study was conducted to examine the influence of substandard housing on the odds of asthma among low-income African-American children. The social ecological model was used as the theoretical framework for this study, that allowed consideration of the housing environment where African-American children live as an influential determinant of respiratory health. A cross-sectional research design using data obtained from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey and Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy were used to examine the association between income level and asthma and substandard housing and asthma among African-American children. Odds ratios derived from logistic regressions were used to determine the significance of the association between family income level and asthma diagnosis among African-American children. Linear regression was used to assess the strength of the association between an affirmative asthma diagnosis and substandard housing among low-income African-American children. The findings derived from this study suggest that income level was the most significant predictor of asthma risk among African-American children between the ages of 5-14 regardless of the absence or presence of housing issues within the child's home environment. The conclusions of this study have the potential to enact social change by demonstrating the need for improved population health data and additional research into other variables, beyond the scope of housing, that contribute to asthma risk in African-American children.

Foreign-born Black women giving birth in the United States have superior preterm birth outcomes compared to their U.S-born Black peers. Many studies have focused on tobacco use and medical risk factors, but few have focused solely on preconception health. The purpose of this study was to examine preconception health and preterm birth differences among U.S.-born and foreign-born Black women. Three theoretical frameworks guided this study: the life course theory, healthy migrant theory/immigrant paradox, and weathering theory. Primary research questions assessed (a) if there were an association between chronic preconception risk factors, prepregnancy obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, in U.S.-born and foreign-born Black women, (b) if U.S.-born Black women had a higher risk of having a preterm infant compared to foreign-born Black women, and (c) if weathering existed in U.S.-born and foreign-born Black women. A quantitative design using the 2017 Natality Public Use File was employed that included non-Hispanic Black women ages 15 to 44 years. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used for the data analysis. Key findings revealed (a) a statistically significant association between preterm birth and chronic preconception health risk factors in both groups of women, (b) U.S.-born women were roughly 1.4 times more likely to have a preterm infant than foreign-born women, and (c) both groups experienced weathering. This study might positively impact social change by offering an alternative perspective to the reproductive health advantage of foreign-born Black women. This perspective can aid in advancing policy and systems change strategies to address the root causes of racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes, advance health equity, and improve maternal health.

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