Health Sciences

The broadly defined Health Sciences include areas such as medical sciences, health care, and health education. Sentences that come directly from the article are in quotation marks. CSUN students, faculty, and staff can access most articles through the University Library using CSUN credentials. Please use the library鈥檚 interlibrary loan services if an article of interest is not available.

Acheampong, C., Davis, C., Holder, D., Averett, P., Savitt, T., & Campbell, K. (2019).听.听Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 6(1), 214鈥�219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-018-0516-8

  • Guided by CRT, the authors examined the survey responses of 16 Black men who matriculated at one medical school to assess perceptions of medical school stress. They identified several themes: 鈥�(1) perceived academic inequities created tension between Black and non-Black medical students but provided bonding opportunities among Black male medical students, (2) stress negatively impacted academic performance and personal health, and (3) use of social support and spirituality contributed to coping and resiliency.鈥�

Benjamin, R. (2017).听.听American Journal of Law & Medicine, 43(2-3), 225鈥�238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098858817723661

  • This article 鈥渁dvances a critical race approach to the health sciences by examining 鈥榗ulture talk鈥� as a discursive repertoire that attributes distinct beliefs, behaviors, and dispositions to ethno-racialized groups. Culture talk entails a twofold process of obfuscation 鈥� concealing the social reality of the people it describes and hiding the positionality of those who employ cultural generalizations.鈥� After tracing how culture talk circulates and reproduces racist narratives in and beyond the health sciences, Benjamin examines how cultural competency training in medical schools and diversity initiatives in stem cell research use the idiom of culture to manage and manufacture group differences.

Braun, L. (2017).听.听American Journal of Law & Medicine, 43(2-3), 239鈥�256. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098858817723662

  • This article 鈥渆xamines the contemporary resurgence in explicit forms of white supremacy in light of growing student activism and research that privileges notions of innate differences between races.鈥� It calls for a theoretical framework that draws on CRT and the Black Radical Tradition to interrogate epistemological practices and advocacy initiatives in medical education.

Bridges, K. M., Keel, T., & Obasogie, O. K. (2017).听.听The American Journal of Law & Medicine, 43(2-3), 179鈥�182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098858817723657

  • This symposium volume maintains that race and racism are central to the development of medicine and the health sciences. The authors in this volume 鈥減rovide a framework for identifying the latent racism within the health sciences and in turn propose new directions for conceptualizing human difference and group disparities.鈥�

Bullock, J. L., Lockspeiser, T., del Pino-Jones, A., Richards, R., Teherani, A., & Hauer, K. E. (2020).听.听Academic Medicine, 95(11S), S58鈥揝66. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003628

  • This study examines the prevalence of racial/ethnic stereotype threat amongst fourth-year medical students and explores its impact on students鈥� clinical experience. This was an explanatory sequential mixed methods study at two institutions in 2019. 鈥淐ollectively, 28% of students had high vulnerability to stereotype threat: 82% of Black, 45% of Asian, 43% of Latinx, and 4% of White students.鈥� Immediate and deferred interventions from allies reduced stereotype threat.

Collins, P. H. (2015).听.听The British Journal of Sociology, 66(1), 46鈥�52. http://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12117_3

  • Collins places critical analyses of science in dialogue with CRT. Collins believes that 鈥淐RT's neglect of biology and science means that it can approach questions of race, science and color鈥恇lindness with fresh eyes.鈥�

Cooper, H. (2004).听.聽International Journal of Drug Policy, 15(5-6), 435鈥�445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2004.05.006

  • This paper explores the relationship between U.S. health professionals鈥� theories of opiate addiction's aetiology in the U.S. during 1880鈥�1920 and 1955鈥�1975, and contemporaneous perceptions of opiate addicts鈥� race/ethnicity, social class and gender. The analysis indicates that 鈥渄uring both periods health professionals typically attributed opiate addiction's causes to individual pathology when they believed that addicts were working class, poor and/or non-white women and men and to factors largely external to the individual when they believed that addicts were affluent, white women and men.鈥�

Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. C. (2018).听.听Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472鈥�477. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638

  • The authors describe how the skin lightening industry can be harmful to adolescent health. They draw upon body image literature 鈥渢o explore possible venues to disrupt sociocultural pressures experienced by adolescents to aspire to lighter colored skin and engage in skin lightening practices.鈥�

Doll, K. M. (2018).听.听Gynecologic Oncology, 149(1), 78鈥�83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.10.002

  • Within gynecologic oncology are two of the top five widest Black-White mortality gaps among all cancer diagnoses in the U.S.: cervical and endometrial cancer. This essay discusses three current frameworks of studying racial inequity: The Ecosocial Theory of Disease Distribution, The Fundamental Cause Theory, and The Public Health Critical Race Praxis.

Doll, K. M., Snyder, C. R., & Ford, C. L. (2018).听.听American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 218(5), 474鈥�482.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.09.016

  • This review 鈥渃ritiques how race has been conceptualized to explain the causes of endometrial cancer disparities, assesses gaps in knowledge production, and proposes new research priorities.鈥� Using The Public Health Critical Race Praxis, the authors reviewed the endometrial cancer disparities literature from 1995 through 2016 and found that 鈥渁 narrow definition of race as a purely biological construct is common throughout the literature.鈥�

Eberly, L. A., Richterman, A., Beckett, A. G., Wispelwey, B., Marsh, R. H., Cleveland Manchanda, E. C., Chang, C. Y., Glynn, R. J., Brooks, K. C., Boxer, R., Kakoza, R., Goldsmith, J., Loscalzo, J., Morse, M., & Lewis, E. F. (2019).听.听Circulation: Heart Failure, 12(11), Article e006214. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.119.006214

  • This study examines the relationship between race and admission service and its effect on 30-day readmission and mortality. The authors performed 鈥渁 retrospective cohort study from September 2008 to November 2017 at a single large urban academic referral center of all patients self-referred to the emergency department and admitted to either the cardiology or general medicine service鈥� with a principal diagnosis of heart failure (HF). Findings show that 鈥淏lack and Latinx patients were less likely to be admitted to cardiology for HF care.鈥� This inequity may, in part, drive racial inequities in HF outcomes.

Freeman, R., Gwadz, M. V., Silverman, E., Kutnick, A., Leonard, N. R., Ritchie, A. S., Reed, J., & Martinez, B. Y. (2017).听.听International Journal for Equity in Health, 16(1), Article 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0549-3

  • This qualitative study uses CRT and intersectionality theory to understand the perspectives of African American/Black and Hispanic persons living with HIV (N = 37) in New York City on how structural racism reinforces inequities among racial/ethnic groups and influences health decisions and behaviors. Findings show that the participants experienced HIV care and medication decisions through a historical and cultural lens that incorporate knowledge of structural racism.

Hansen, H. (2019).听.聽Ethos, 47(1), 73鈥�88. https://doi.org/10.1111/etho.12223

  • This article 鈥渆xamines the ways in which psychiatrists differentially deploy schizophrenia and addiction diagnoses among white, privately insured patients in comparison with black and Latino patients in a public psychiatric unit.鈥� Drawing on CRT and the anthropology of moral agency, the article 鈥渢racks the ways in which the overlapping and competing diagnostic frames of schizophrenia and addiction are structured by, and structure, the personhood and political position of those who are subjected to them.鈥�

Hardeman, R. R., Karbeah, J., & Kozhimannil, K. B. (2020).听.听Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, 47(1), 3鈥�7. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12462

  • This paper describes Mary Catherine Beach and colleague's (2006) 鈥渇our principles of relationship鈥恈entered care through a critical race lens in the context of pregnancy and childbirth care.鈥� Taken together, the two concepts鈥攔elationship鈥恈entered care and CRT鈥斺�渉ave the potential to powerfully reduce racism's impact on childbirth outcomes for Black birthing individuals, infants, and families.鈥�

LeLacheur, S. F., Bester, V., Oxendine, L. H., Guidry, C. B., Ryujin, D., Samuels, K., Maldonado, A., Bowen, D., & Himmerick, K. (2019).听.听The Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 30(2), 79鈥�85. https://doi.org/10.1097/JPA.0000000000000257

  • This study describes the experience of minority physician assistant (PA) faculty through a CRT lens. The authors interviewed 13 PA faculty who represented a variety of underrepresented minorities, geographic regions, types of schools, and stages of their careers. Major themes that emerged include 鈥渙pportunities for success in the form of both internal and external support systems and mentorship.鈥� The authors also discuss barriers to the retention of minority PA faculty.

Mitchell, F. M., Sangalang, C., Lechuga-Pe帽a, S., Lopez, K., & Beccera, D. (2020).听.聽Race and Social Problems, 12(4), 289鈥�299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-020-09301-4

  • This study鈥檚 analytical framework is informed by both CRT and Tribal Critical Race Theory. Using data from the California Health Interview Survey, the authors 鈥渃onducted a secondary data analysis of multilevel factors contributing to Type 2 diabetes mellitus among African American and American Indian adults residing in California.鈥� Findings indicate that 鈥渂oth individual- and structural-level factors are linked to diabetes diagnosis and management.鈥�

Mpalirwa, J., Lofters, A., Nnorom, O., & Hanson, M. (2020).听.听Academic Medicine, 95(11S), S51鈥揝57. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003648

  • Using an anonymous online survey, data collected from Black Ontarian physicians and trainees (N = 46) show that 鈥減articipants reported race as a major factor in their selection of practice location, more so than selection of career.鈥� Negative discrimination experiences included differential treatment and racism from peers, superiors, and patients. The authors challenge the purported rarity of racism in Canadian health care.

Rikard, R. V., Hall, J. K., & Bullock, K. (2015).听.听Traumatology, 21(3), 227鈥�236. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000044

  • To show the impact of diversity attributes on health care literacy, the authors conducted statistical data analysis on a nationally representative sample of 15,309 respondents. The study reveals 鈥渟ignificant differences between ethnic/racial minorities as well as between men and women, and between different social, economic, and educational conditions.鈥� Drawing on CRT, the authors discuss 鈥渨hy it is important to look beyond the typical attributes of race and ethnicity to rethink cultural competence鈥� in identifying factors (e.g., health literacy) that influence unequal access to trauma-related health care interventions.

Thomas, E. V. (2018).听.听Journal of Human Lactation, 34(3), 454鈥�466. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334418775062

  • Using CRT, Thomas describes the barriers that International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (N = 36) experience during the course of their certification. Findings show that existing healthcare providers 鈥渆xperienced advantages in the certification process because of their connection to social networks and resources in their hospital or place of employment.鈥� Cost and racial discrimination were identified as primary barriers for certification.

Tsai, J., Ucik, L., Baldwin, N., Hasslinger, C., & George, P. (2016).听.听Academic Medicine, 91(7), 916鈥�920. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000001232

  • The authors opine that 鈥渃urrent preclinical medical curricula inaccurately employ race as a definitive medical category without context, which may perpetuate misunderstanding of race as a bioscientific datum, increase bias among student鈥揹octors, and ultimately contribute to worse patient outcomes.鈥� At the authors鈥� institution, 鈥渟tudents approached the medical school administration with a letter addressing the current use of race, urging reform. The administration was receptive to proposals for further analysis of race in medical education and created a taskforce to examine curricular reform. Curricular changes were made as part of the construction of a longitudinal race-in-medicine curriculum.鈥�

Whelan, M., Ridgeway, M., & Yerrick, R. K. (2018).听.听Journal of Latinos and Education, 17(2), 164鈥�178. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2017.1303772

  • The authors examine how Latina and Black women, enrolled in a university outreach program, make sense of a critical media literacy program during career introduction to dietetics. Findings reveal that 鈥渢he women did not identify with the dietetics major and profession due to stereotypical images. Clich茅 messages were used as a discourse method. The need to explore public discourse to understand identity formation and barriers to entry into health profession careers is discussed.鈥�

Williams, J. N., Ford, C. L., Morse, M., & Feldman, C. H. (2020).听.听Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, 46(4), 605鈥�612.听

  • This article discusses the application of CRT and The Public Health Critical Race Praxis 鈥渢o 3 race-related misconceptions in rheumatology: (1) giant cell arteritis is rare in non-White populations; (2) Black patients are less likely to undergo knee replacement because of patient preference; and (3) HLA-B*5801 screening should only be performed for patients of Asian descent.鈥�

Williams-Gray, B., & Senreich, E. (2015).听.听Social Work in Public Health, 30(1), 88鈥�105. https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2014.938396

  • This qualitative study examines whether appropriate health care for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), based on years of research, has been implemented. Individuals (N = 23) in the New York City area participated in one of three focus groups. Findings show that 鈥渂est practices in the treatment of SCD are often not followed by medical personnel.鈥� CRT provides a framework to understand the 10 emergent themes.