Equity in Health Archives

Racial and ethnic disparities seen in medications provided to patients with type 2 diabetes

March 19, 2024

Patients from certain racial and ethnic groups are less likely to receive the newer type 2 diabetes medications that keep blood sugar levels stable and reduce the risk of heart and kidney disease.

Study of dementia and healthy brain aging in Black Americans extended for 5 years

January 18, 2024

The Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR) will be funded for another 5 years by the National Institute on Aging, with a $24 million grant.

Early-career researchers embrace unique opportunity to improve health care

December 11, 2023

The Division of Research is currently hosting one of its largest groups of postdoctoral research fellows.

Investigating racial disparities in cancer treatment response

November 17, 2023

Research Scientist Lori Sakoda, PhD, is working with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and University of Rochester to study racial and ethnic differences in treatment response to a type of immunotherapy.

Neighborhood disadvantage linked to postpartum depression

November 13, 2023

Mothers living in neighborhoods with greater economic disadvantage are more likely to experience depression after giving birth, according to a Kaiser Permanente analysis published in JAMA Network Open.

Blood test often incorrectly estimates blood sugar control in Black adults

August 7, 2023

Kaiser Permanente researchers find the commonly used A1C lab test could potentially affect diabetes diagnoses and lead to incorrect assessments of health disparities in diabetes control.

Doctors less likely to ask women about their drinking

March 29, 2023

Among patients who reported problem levels of drinking alcohol, women were less likely than men to have a conversation with their doctors about it, according to a study in the journal Addiction from Kaiser Permanent researchers.

Neighborhood privilege tied to timing of girls’ puberty

March 8, 2023

New Kaiser Permanente study explores the ties between racial segregation and risk factors for early puberty in Black and Latinx girls.

Current air pollution standards are insufficient to reduce heart risks

February 24, 2023

Long-term exposure to air pollution is tied to an increased risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease — with the greatest harms impacting under-resourced communities, new Kaiser Permanente research shows.

State-level educational quality linked to risk of dementia

February 13, 2023

People attending schools in states with higher state-level educational quality are less likely to develop dementia in late life, according to a new Kaiser Permanente analysis published in JAMA Neurology.

Racial and ethnic differences seen in marker of early diabetic kidney disease

February 6, 2023

Among adults with diabetes who had kidney function perceived to be normal, a marker for early diabetic kidney disease was more commonly seen in Asian adults than in white, Black, or Latino adults, a new Kaiser Permanente study found.

Podcast: Improving lung cancer survival

November 16, 2022

In this episode of KP Research Radio, Lori Sakoda, PhD, a research scientist at the Division of Research, and Jeff Velotta, MD, a thoracic surgeon with The Permanente Medical Group, discuss early lung cancer detection, ways to promote equitable lung cancer care, and Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s regionalized lung cancer care program.

Home-delivered, medically tailored meals may benefit recently hospitalized patients with heart failure

August 25, 2022

A new Kaiser Permanente study finds promise in ‘food as medicine’ delivery for some — but not all — patients with chronic conditions.

Childhood weight tied to timing of puberty

August 23, 2022

New Kaiser Permanente study is the largest and most racially and ethnically diverse to date to show an association between early obesity and puberty onset in boys and girls.

Not all adults newly diagnosed with diabetes equally likely to start treatment

August 4, 2022

Kaiser Permanente study found adults of certain racial and ethnic groups are less likely to start medication within the first year of diagnosis.

Messages from doctors increased COVID-19 vaccination among Black, Latino elders

June 17, 2022

Elderly Black and Latino people were more likely to get a COVID-19 vaccination after they received an email or letter from their Kaiser Permanente doctor, new research finds.

Lifestyle coaching helps Black adults control high blood pressure

May 18, 2022

A new Kaiser Permanente study found that a culturally tailored program could lead to long-term benefits in adults with hypertension.

Pandemic stressors taking a toll on pregnant patients’ mental health

May 4, 2022

Pregnant patients surveyed by Kaiser Permanente researchers early in the COVID-19 pandemic reported more severe mental health symptoms when they were distressed about changes in prenatal care, childcare challenges, and food insecurity. A second study found disparities in how Black and Hispanic pregnant individuals experienced pandemic stressors compared with white patients.

Autistic people join autism project – as research partners

April 19, 2022

A group of Kaiser Permanente investigators is inviting their study subjects — autistic people — to participate as research partners, providing their own unique perspective on being autistic. Their initial focus is on gender, sexuality, and reproductive health in autism, but once trained, the advisers could help shape any future research project.

Medical assistants help close virtual visit digital divide

April 11, 2022

Patients participating in video visits with their primary care doctors in fall 2020 benefited from having a medical assistant help connect the call, particularly if they needed language interpretation or lived in a low-socioeconomic-status neighborhood, according to new Kaiser Permanente research.

Heart disease and stroke deaths up during first year of COVID-19 pandemic

March 23, 2022

Kaiser Permanente study finds reversal of prior national trends and widening racial disparities for Black, Latino, and Asian adults.

Colorectal cancer screening program erases disparities in outcomes

February 23, 2022

Regional program eliminated disparities in colorectal cancer death rates between Black and white members in Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infections are not explained by social risk factors

February 2, 2022

New Kaiser Permanente study suggests working and living conditions may be key contributors to disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in communities of color.

Researchers expand understanding of hernia genetics

January 20, 2022

A Kaiser Permanente genetic analysis found 41 new locations on the human genome related to risk of hernia in the lower abdomen and identified for the first time 2 locations associated with inguinal hernia risk in people with African ancestry and another 8 that show sex-specific effects.

Method found to remove race from controversial kidney function equations without losing accuracy

December 27, 2021

New England Journal of Medicine selects study led by research scientist Alan Go, MD, as 1 of its 14 Notable Articles of 2021 due to its potential to change medical practice and improve patient care.

People with HIV are at increased risk for heart failure

December 13, 2021

The Kaiser Permanente study found the risk difference was more pronounced in women, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and people under 40.

Patients who need language interpretation less likely to initially choose a video visit

November 4, 2021

Patients with limited English proficiency who need a language interpreter for a telemedicine visit were less likely to choose a video visit for their first time than patients who did not need an interpreter, Kaiser Permanente research found.

Raising awareness about early puberty

September 9, 2021

KP Research Radio talks to Ai Kubo, PhD, MPH, about her research into why girls are starting puberty earlier than they have in the past, risks associated with early puberty — and potential interventions.

HIV prevention treatment shows gaps among key populations

August 26, 2021

A large, detailed look by Kaiser Permanente researchers at patients taking HIV-prevention drug therapy finds strong adherence soon after patients get the prescription, but less consistent use thereafter, particularly among groups considered high priority for receiving the medication.

Gender, sexuality in autism a largely unexplored area of research

April 27, 2021

The Autism Research Program at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research is pursuing a new project to identify gaps in knowledge about gender, sexuality, and reproductive health among autistic people. Our KP Research Radio podcast explores the issue.

Pandemic increased mail order pharmacy use by people with diabetes, but racial disparities persist

April 13, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study finds less use among Black, Hispanic, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients compared to white and Asian patients.

Stroke rate four times higher in Black young and middle-aged adults, compared to whites

March 29, 2021

Kaiser Permanente research shows the need for increased education about the dangers of high blood pressure.

American Indian, Alaska Native women less likely to start and complete hormone therapy for breast cancer

February 23, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study, believed to be the first to look at hormone therapy initiation and adherence in this population, suggests lower rates of use may be contributing to higher breast cancer death rates.

Analysis confirms racial disparities in COVID-19 infection

February 8, 2021

An analysis of Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California early in the COVID-19 pandemic found racial and ethnic disparities in the likelihood of testing positive for the coronavirus, but no significant disparities in mortality among those who were hospitalized.

Heart failure hospitalizations and deaths vary by race and ethnicity

January 25, 2021

Black patients with heart failure have higher rates of hospitalization for heart failure but lower rates of death than white patients with heart failure, a new Kaiser Permanente study shows.

Unique genetic factors and ancestry, along with lifestyle, influence skin cancer risk

December 14, 2020

People can look to the Northern European side of their genetic heritage for increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer, according to the first large analysis of genetic risk factors for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in diverse populations with European ancestry from Kaiser Permanente researchers.

Girls who do not live with both parents more likely to start puberty early

October 28, 2020

New study by research scientist Ai Kubo, MPH, PhD, adds to the evidence suggesting a link between early life family structure and onset of puberty.

Housing instability linked with poor diabetes control

September 25, 2020

Kaiser Permanente study presented at international conference suggests moving once a year or more makes it harder for people with type 2 diabetes to adhere to their medications.

Teens, parents, physicians support screening young people for gender identity, study suggests

September 14, 2020

Teenagers who question their gender identity may not feel comfortable bringing up the issue with their doctors. New research suggests that adding gender identity questions to a pre-visit screening could make those conversations easier.

Early colorectal cancer screening benefits African Americans

July 20, 2020

Kaiser Permanente researchers showed starting annual colorectal cancer screening at age 45 in African Americans can find colorectal cancers at a rate similar to that seen when screening starts after age 50 — the age most guidelines currently recommend.

Kaiser Permanente reduces racial disparities in who gets minimally invasive hysterectomies

December 6, 2019

Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California hospitals significantly increased minimally invasive surgery for hysterectomy and found the change also reduced racial disparities in the types of hysterectomies patients get.

Chronic disease prevalence varies by Asian subgroup, Kaiser Permanente research finds

November 25, 2019

Asian-Americans from different parts of Asia have very different cardiovascular risk factors and chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, Kaiser Permanente research concludes.

Minority racial and ethnic groups get diabetes at lower weights

September 19, 2019

Kaiser Permanente research finds members of U.S. ethnic and racial minority groups have diabetes at lower body mass index than white patients.

Large study links genetic marker of aging to greater neighborhood deprivation

May 6, 2019

Genetics research suggests that longer telomeres — the “end caps” of DNA that keep strands of chromosomes from unraveling — mean more years of healthy life ahead.

Large, Diverse Study Identifies 9 New Locations in the Genome Linked with Glaucoma

June 11, 2018

Kaiser Permanente research reveals new insights into variability in glaucoma risk within self-reported race/ethnicity groups.

Eight Weeks or Twelve? Kaiser Permanente Study Shows Shorter Hepatitis C Regimen Effective in Black Patients

March 15, 2018

A new study shows that a treatment regimen of 8 weeks for hepatitis C may be just as effective as 12 weeks in black patients. The study also showed that more people overall can take advantage of the shorter treatment durations, which has important implications for access given the medication’s high cost.

Member Health Survey Informs Care

March 7, 2018

Every three years since 1993, the Member Health Survey has been reaching out to members to find out what they are doing — and not doing — to stay healthy, helping Kaiser Permanente to better understand its membership and how to serve their health needs.

Urban American-Indian and Alaskan Natives May Have Lower Survival Following Invasive Prostate and Breast Cancer

December 1, 2017

Compared with the non-Hispanic white (NHW) population, the urban American-Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) community was more likely to have lower survival rates following invasive prostate and breast cancer, according to results published by Kaiser Permanente researchers and colleagues in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Early Adversity, Birthplace Contribute to Lifelong Racial Disparities in Dementia Risk

September 28, 2017

Two studies presented by Kaiser Permanente researchers Rachel Whitmer, PhD, and Paola Gilsanz, ScD, at an Alzheimer’s conference in July found that early life adversity and birthplace contribute to racial disparities in dementia rates, and that these disparities persist even among the oldest of the elderly.

Landmark Study Finds Dementia Risk Varies Significantly Among Racial and Ethnic Groups

February 10, 2016

Research highlights importance of identifying strategies to reduce disparities In the largest and longest study thus far of ethnic disparities...

Kaiser Permanente Study Shows Minorities Had Lower Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Than Whites

January 28, 2016

Findings indicate that health plan’s systematic efforts to improve risk-factor control may help reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities...

Research Spotlight

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Equity in Health