In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between African American women's health beliefs in regard to breast cancer and screening behaviors, knowledge and attitudes that may serve as incentives or barriers to their adherence to routine BSE practices. For the purpose of this research study, reference to African American women encompassed all women whose ancestors were brought from the continent of Africa to the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean, involuntarily. The Health Belief Model (HBM), one of the most widely recognized conceptual frameworks of health behavior, served as the theoretical framework. The Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Instrument Scale (HBMS) was the instrument used in this study. This instrument explores ethnic differences in attitudes toward health practices, health beliefs, risk estimates, and knowledge about breast cancer and breast cancer screenings.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary! The most internationally-cited resource in the arena of multicultural counseling, the Handbook of Multicultural Counseling by J. Manuel Casas, Lisa A. Suzuki, Charlene M. Alexander, and Margo A. Jackson is a resource for researchers, educators, practitioners, and students alike. Continuing to emphasize social justice, research, and application, the Fourth Edition of this best-seller features nearly 80 new contributors of diverse backgrounds, orientations, and levels of experience who provide fresh perspectives to every chapter. Completely updated, this classic text includes new chapters on prevailing social issues and covers the latest advances in theory, ethics, measurement, clinical practice, assessment, and more.

Stigma leads to poorer health. In The Oxford Handbook of Stigma, Discrimination, and Health, leading scholars identify stigma mechanisms that operate at multiple levels to erode the health of stigmatized individuals and, collectively, produce health disparities. This book provides unique insights concerning the link between stigma and health across various types of stigma and groups.

An exhaustively researched history of black families in America from the days of slavery until just after the Civil War.