Brain Brawn & Body Your Daily Dose August 16

Dear Reader:

As I read the following report, all I could think of was WOW! What a report. Who would have ever connected these incidents?

Brain Brawn & Body posits itself as a website that focuses on health and wellness issues of African American men, but we make no apologies, nor do we see any distraction in following those issues that affect women too. As we have noted, the website is designed to address issues that impact families and all of its members.

The results of this study deserve to be given widespread attention and with the recent interest some have shown in holding major discussions on race and racism, this should be one of the planks of that discussion. It has the potential to bring the issue of health and wellness into the frame and those of us watching the health care arena know that it is far past the time for this type of open and frank dialogue.

Experiences of Racism Linked to Adult-Onset Asthma in African-American Women

blackwoman (Boston) – According to a new study from the Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) at Boston University, African-American women who reported more frequent experiences of racism had a greater likelihood of adult-onset asthma compared to women who reported less frequent experiences.

The study, which currently appears on-line in the journal Chest, was led by Patricia Coogan, DSc, senior epidemiologist at SEC and research professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health.

This study followed 38,142 African-American women, all of whom are participants in the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), between 1997 and 2011. They completed health questionnaires every two years. In 1997 and 2009 they provided information on their experiences of "everyday" racism, like poor service in stores or restaurants, and "lifetime" racism, which was discrimination encountered on the job, in housing and by police.

With the publication of this Daily Dose we are asking you to send us your thoughts about the findings listed in the story. Feel free to respond to eric.von@brainbrawnbody.com. We’ll post your response and send you a reply.

Thank you.
Read, learn, enjoy!

Eric Von

Publisher/Editor