Background: Rotavirus is one of the most common diarrheal diseases in children less than 5 years of age. Rotavirus vaccines have greatly reduced this burden in the United States. An examination was conducted to determine possible disparities in RV vaccination rates compared to DTaP. Methods: Children were actively enrolled during two rotavirus seasons from January-June of 2010 and 2011 in the Emergency Departments (ED) and inpatient floors from all Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) sites (Scottish Rite, Egleston, and Hughes Spalding) with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Data and a stool sample were collected from enrolled children and samples were tested for presence of rotavirus using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit (Rotaclone). Vaccination records were abstracted from the state immunization registry and primary healthcare providers to examine complete and incomplete vaccination status. This cohort of children with vaccination records were used for this analysis. Cases were identified as children receiving a complete RV dose series and controls were identified as children with incomplete RV doses. A logistic regression model was used to determine disparities seen amongst children with incomplete vaccination status. Results: Of the 660 patients that were approached for this study, 414 participants were included in this retrospective cohort analysis. 46.9% had incomplete rotavirus vaccination status and were more likely to be positive for rotavirus AGE (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.46-2.13). Black infants had a higher rate of incomplete RV compared to whites (p-value 0.0006). When controlling for covariates, racial differences were no longer significant (OR 1.37 95% CI 0.77-2.57); however household size (p-value 0.0343), age at onset of illness (p-value 0.0061), and DTaP vaccination status (p-value < 0.0001) were all significant in determining vaccination status for children. Conclusions: Racial disparities and socioeconomic differences are not evident in determining rotavirus vaccination rates; however, household size, a possible social determinant, has an effect on RV status. In addition, timely vaccinations are important in preventing incomplete RV vaccination status, due to RV vaccine age restrictions.

Dissertation (Ph.D.).--University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at San Antonio, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Kiel, 1976. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-182).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-153). Print copy also available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 271-280).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed on Nov. 22, 2006). PDF text: 179 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 1.09Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3215319. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche format.

Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children. Preschool children (age 0 to 5) in particular experience a disproportionate disease burden compared to all other age groups. Part of the puzzle is the diagnostic challenge presented in this age group, and another is the difficulties in the care and management of asthma. Compounding the issue are the well-documented racial disparities experienced by minorities. This paper reviews the literature documenting the difficulties and disparities facing minority preschoolers with respect to providing and receiving care for asthma and qualitative improvement strategies targeting healthcare. Due to the complexity of the disease, more research on evidence based strategies targeting this age group is needed as well as better documentation of implementation processes.

This dissertation investigates race as a determinant of health trajectories for immigrants to the United States. Previous research suggests that integration into U.S. society can be detrimental to the health and mortality outcomes of many minority immigrant groups. Popular explanations for post-migration health changes have focused on individual-level mechanisms, such as behavioral changes associated with acculturation. I use multiple sources of data and a variety of quantitative methods to situate these changes in a context of racial inequality for three migrant groups. In my first case, I draw on historical data collected from the Vital Statistics of the United States and the U.S. Census to analyze the changing health trajectories associated with European immigrants’ transition from marginalized minorities to members of the white majority in the early 20th century. My second case draws on restricted-use data from the National Survey of American Life to test how interpersonal and institutionalized racial discrimination influence health patterns of black immigrants from the Caribbean. In my third case, I use population-level birth data from New York City (2000-2010) to investigate changes in birth outcomes associated with elevated anti-Muslim sentiment after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Taken together, these cases demonstrate how racial formation in the United States shapes patterns of post-migration outcomes. I find that marginalized European immigrants exhibited patterns of worsening mortality trajectories, but the overall gap between European immigrants and native-born whites narrowed as racial categories were redefined in the early 20th century. This pattern of intergenerational health improvement contrasts with the segmented trajectories of contemporary Caribbean black immigrants, whose health is shaped by experiences of both interpersonal and institutionalized racism. Similarly, rates of low birth weight births increased for Middle Eastern and Asian Indian immigrants in the decade after the attacks of September 11, 2001, likely due to increased experiences of discrimination. By tying health trajectories and outcome disparities to the construction and stratification of racial boundaries, I advance theory about the "upstream" social causes of health and illness and develop a framework for analyzing the sociohistorical formation of health disparities.

The aim of this work is to identify socio-economic disparities between villages of four municipalities of the South Bohemia and to suggest some ways of reducing the founded differences. Two villages of the Prachatice district and two villages of the Strakonic district were selected for the analyse

People with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds experience discrimination related to their multiple cultural identities. Complex organizational responses and workforce training are needed to effectively address the resulting inequalities they experience. Yet, there is little guidance about effective practices for organizations serving people with disabilities from CLD backgrounds. Similarly, little research exists about effective cultural and linguistic competence (CLC) training provided by such organizations. Chapter 1 details a scoping review study that identified 29 documents related to CLC for organizations supporting people with disabilities from CLD backgrounds. Frequency counts and a qualitative thematic analysis were used to describe those documents and their recommendations. Although 24 themes were identified that provide relevant organizational CLC recommendations, few of the reviewed documents attended to the intersection of disability and race/ethnicity, exhibited methodological rigor, or included perspectives of diverse people with disabilities. Often, recommendations in the identified documents lacked clarity and detail, and were therefore not easily translatable into interventions. In most documents, little attention was paid to standards or methods that could be used to evaluate the recommended CLC initiatives. A series of tables present the documents, their qualities, and 24 recommendation themes. Chapter 2 is an exploratory, holistic, and retrospective single-case study of CLC training provided by an interdisciplinary leadership training program. Multi-source interviews and review of archival data were used to research evidence of the presence of activities, content, and structure of infused CLC training in a year-long training program designed to develop leadership abilities in an interdisciplinary group of disability-serving professionals and advocates. Interviews were conducted with three course faculty and three trainees of the 2015-2016 training year. Archival data from the 2015-2016 training year contributed triangulation across type of data. Qualitative analysis and interpretation were performed by a diverse research team. The results and discussion are presented via thick description and illustrate a model of CLC training that seeks to acculturate trainees to a collaborative culture of humility, inclusion, and social justice via a learning community mechanism.