There is ample evidence of health disparities in the prevalence of, and outcomes associated with cardiovascular diseases (1 ;2). One goal of the Healthy People 2010 initiative is the elimination of such disparities (3). A necessary step towards achieving this goal is the identification of factors that create health disparities. However, much of the literature on this topic has been descriptive, with little focus on mechanisms (2). Although access to health care and socioeconomic status are important factors, they explain only a small proportion of the variance, and the roles of other potentially modifiable factors such as cognitions and emotions have not been well studied. Potential explanations for this includes the lack of validated and culturally-appropriate measures to test these constructs in minority populations, and a lack of adequate minority representation in research activities designed to test these mediators. The Minority Health Oversight Core (Core B) of the proposed Behavioral Cardiovascular Health & Hypertension (BCHH) Center will systematize our efforts in this area, to ensure that measures of stress, emotion, and cognition developed by the Mechanisms Core (Core A) are validated and appropriate in minority study participants.
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