Black College Students Graduate With More Debt Than Whites A new study from the Brookings Institution shows that African-American college students graduate with at least $7,400 more in student loans than their white counterparts reports MIC : Four years after graduation, the difference between what white and black grads owe widens to $25,000, the researchers found, precisely at the time when students should be flourishing in the workforce and beginning to pay the loans down. While white graduates owe about $28,000 after four years, black degree holders owe more than $52,700 on average, the study showed. “People need to know about these numbers,” said Judith Scott-Clayton, an economics professor at Teacher’s College at Columbia University and the study’s lead author, in a phone interview. For-profit graduate programs appear to be part of the problem, she said, with 28% of black graduate students in a for-profit graduate institution. That compares with just 9% of white students today and just 7% of black graduates in 2004. Read the entire study HERE and share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Ciara May Have Confirmed Wedding Plans With Russell Wilson Ciara and Russell have been going strong for the last six months…forming their own family unit with Baby Future and walking a godly path of celibacy to strengthen their relationship. So naturally everyone is assuming that these two are definitely in it for the long haul. But the couple has remained mum on their upcoming plans for engagement or a speedy rush to the aisle…until now. So…did Ciara just slip up and confirm that little wedding rumor that’s been floating around about her an Russell?? You be the judge… AccessHollywood
Study Says E-Mails From Black Users Receive Fewer Responses Researchers have discovered yet another area where Blackness is discriminated against. As it turns out, even our emails aren’t seen as worth the time it took to write them, if the recipient suspects that the name in the address sounds like that of a Black person. A new study from the Institute for the Study of Labour in Bonn, Germany has found that emails coming from users presumably African American names are less likely to receive any response from public service authorities than those coming from users with more generic, “white-sounding” names. The “Black” e-mails were also less likely to receive a response with a cordial tone, or to be addressed by name or even with a simple respectful salutation such as ‘hello’ or ‘dear’ than those with white names attached. The study was conducted with two “white names” – Jake Mueller and Greg Walsh – and two names that sound more African-Americans – DeShawn Jackson and Tyrone Washington. Over a two week period, the researchers sent 19,079 emails to local government offices — school authorities, libraries, sheriff offices, treasurers, job centers and country clerks — all across the US. The emails signed by the white names received a response 72% of the time, while the ones from with black-sounding names received responses in only 68% of cases. Unsurprisingly, Sheriffs’ offices were the most dismissive of emails from black-sounding names, with those 7% less likely to receive a response than those from white people. Researchers said they found a ‘significant racial gap’ in all four regions of the US they tested – north-east, mid-west, south and west – although some states were worse than others. Dr. Corrado Giulietti, one of the authors of the study, said that this is clearly one of the many reasons that African-Americans face inequalities. Via MailOnline : “Local services constitute the majority of interactions between government institutions and citizens and perform central functions, for instance in education. The discriminatory attitude that our study uncovers could be one of the factors behind the disadvantaged position of black people in American society and could be a major obstacle towards addressing racial inequality.” Well, this is something we could have guessed. What do YOU think of the study’s findings??
We already knew this but we’re glad someone ‘ official ‘ finally came out and said it. According to The Huffington Post , alcohol has a higher affect than good ‘ole mary does when it comes to our brains: A teen who consumes alcohol is likely to have reduced brain tissue health, but a teen who uses marijuana is not, according to a new study. Researchers scanned the brains of 92 adolescents, ages 16 to 20, before and after an 18-month period. During that year and a half, half of the teens — who already had extensive alcohol and herb-use histories — continued to use mary-jane and alcohol in varying amounts. The other half abstained or kept consumption minimal, as they had throughout adolescence. The before-and-after brain scans of the teens consuming typically five or more drinks at least twice a week showed reduced white matter brain tissue health, study co-author Susan Tapert, neuroscientist at University of California, San Diego, told HuffPost. This may mean declines in memory, attention, and decision-making into later adolescence and adulthood, she said. However, the level of herb use — up to nine times a week during the 18 months — was not linked to a change in brain tissue health. The researchers did not test performance; they only looked at brain scans. The study was conducted by researchers at UC San Diego and is scheduled to be published in the April issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The damage occurs because white matter brain tissue develops throughout adolescence and into a person’s 20s, Joanna Jacobus, postdoctoral fellow at the UC San Diego, and co-author of the study, told HuffPost. Part of that still-developing brain tissue is where decision-making ability comes from, which can exacerbate substance use. “It becomes a cycle. If teens decrease their tissue health and cognitive ability to inhibit themselves, they might become more likely to engage in risky behavior like excessive substance use,” Jacobus said. The researchers are not sure why alcohol had an effect and that ‘green yahmean’ did not. They said the study results cannot be considered definitive without more research. They also said they do not know if the reduced brain tissue health is permanent. Because the researchers followed the subjects for 18 months, they were able to at least partially monitor preexisting differences in the two groups. But Jacobus conceded that eliminating other factors — such as genetics, home environment, and even minimal use of other drugs — is very difficult. Each teen in the study received brain imaging, a detailed substance-use assessment, and toxicology screening at the beginning of the study and at the end of the study — as well as substance-use interviews every six months. Do you think this study, along with the legalization of mary in more states, will cause more and more teens to start smoking at earlier ages?? Images via shutterstock
Spanking Can Lead To Adult Mental Illness According To Study Do you spank your kids?? Childhood punishments such as spanking, slapping, and hitting – even in the absence of full-scale maltreatment – are associated with an increased risk of mental disorders in adulthood, researchers reported. Adults who reported such punishments in their childhood had a greater risk of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug abuse dependence, and several personality disorders, according to Tracie Afifi, PhD, of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and colleagues. Up to 7 percent of some adult disorders can be attributed to “harsh physical punishment” in childhood, Afifi and colleagues reported online in Pediatrics. The link between child abuse – both physical and sexual – and mental disorders in adulthood has long been established, the researchers noted. But studies of milder forms of punishment that had similar findings have been disputed as having “weaknesses in design, measurement, and analysis,” they added, including the lack of adjustment for confounding factors such as full-scale abuse. To try to overcome those limitations, Afifi and colleagues turned to the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which included a representative sample of civilian, non-institutionalized adults in the U.S. The second wave of the survey, conducted between 2004 and 2005, included 34,653 adults, 20 or older, and asked about current mental conditions, as well as the past incidence of physical punishments. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors and family dysfunction, harsh physical punishment was associated with an increased risk of most lifetime Axis I mental disorders. Specifically: – The risk of major depression was 41 percent higher; – The risk of mania was 93 percent higher; – The risk of any mood disorder was 49 percent higher; – The risk of any anxiety disorder was 36 percent higher; – The risk of any alcohol abuse or dependence was 59 percent higher; – The risk of any drug abuse or dependence was 53 percent higher. The findings “provide evidence that harsh physical punishment independent of child maltreatment is related to mental disorders,” Afifi and colleagues concluded. They cautioned that the study was cross-sectional, which precludes drawing any causal inferences. Moreover, they noted, the data was retrospective, which could introduce recall and reporting biases. Discuss… Source
US Racial Gap In Life Expectancy At All Time Low This is a good look: The gap in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the United States, long attributed to socioeconomic disparities and a range of other factors, continued its historical decline between 2003 and 2008 and is now the smallest ever, Canadian researchers say in a new report. The study, which drew on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources and was published in the June 6 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found an increase in life expectancy for both men and women, black and white. The researchers from McGill University in Montreal noted a convergence in the rate of deaths from HIV and heart disease as contributing to the narrowing of the life expectancy gap. However the biggest factor in the narrowing of the gap, the researchers said, was an increase in the number of deaths among whites attributed to prescription drug abuse. “It is mostly a good news story, since life expectancy has increased for both groups,” says Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill and lead author for the study. However, the findings that point to prescription drug abuse are “a potential cause for concern.” The study found that the gap in life expectancy between black and white women of non-Hispanic origin closed to 3.7 years in 2008, down from 4.6 years in 2003. For men, the gap has closed to 5.4 years, down from 6.5 years. Life expectancy at birth for white men now stands at 76.2 years, up from 75.3 years, compared with 70.8 years for black men, up from 68.8 years. For white women, life expectancy rose from 80.3 to 81.2 years, and for black women from 75.7 to 77.5 years. The researchers looked at data compiled by the CDC and others and found that differences in the rates of heart disease, diabetes, homicide, HIV, and infant mortality remained the main reasons for the racial gap. Among men, heart disease and homicide were the two primary contributors; for women, the two contributors were heart disease and diabetes. But the narrowing recorded over the five-year span of data points to shifts in “unintentional injury” rates, as well as HIV and heart disease, the study’s authors conclude. Most notably, within the category of unintentional injury, fatal poisonings were the leading increase among whites – by 58 percent for men and 74 percent for women between ages 20 and 54. Dr. Harper said 80 to 90 percent of the unintentional poisoning deaths appear to be drug-related, and a big proportion of that due to opiates and abuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone – a fact that mirrors growing public awareness of the problem of prescription drug abuse. The authors pointed out that in earlier studies that looked at the period between 1993 and 2003, the life expectancy gap between blacks and whites had narrowed by nearly two years for men and one year for women. Source
US Racial Gap In Life Expectancy At All Time Low This is a good look: The gap in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the United States, long attributed to socioeconomic disparities and a range of other factors, continued its historical decline between 2003 and 2008 and is now the smallest ever, Canadian researchers say in a new report. The study, which drew on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources and was published in the June 6 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found an increase in life expectancy for both men and women, black and white. The researchers from McGill University in Montreal noted a convergence in the rate of deaths from HIV and heart disease as contributing to the narrowing of the life expectancy gap. However the biggest factor in the narrowing of the gap, the researchers said, was an increase in the number of deaths among whites attributed to prescription drug abuse. “It is mostly a good news story, since life expectancy has increased for both groups,” says Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill and lead author for the study. However, the findings that point to prescription drug abuse are “a potential cause for concern.” The study found that the gap in life expectancy between black and white women of non-Hispanic origin closed to 3.7 years in 2008, down from 4.6 years in 2003. For men, the gap has closed to 5.4 years, down from 6.5 years. Life expectancy at birth for white men now stands at 76.2 years, up from 75.3 years, compared with 70.8 years for black men, up from 68.8 years. For white women, life expectancy rose from 80.3 to 81.2 years, and for black women from 75.7 to 77.5 years. The researchers looked at data compiled by the CDC and others and found that differences in the rates of heart disease, diabetes, homicide, HIV, and infant mortality remained the main reasons for the racial gap. Among men, heart disease and homicide were the two primary contributors; for women, the two contributors were heart disease and diabetes. But the narrowing recorded over the five-year span of data points to shifts in “unintentional injury” rates, as well as HIV and heart disease, the study’s authors conclude. Most notably, within the category of unintentional injury, fatal poisonings were the leading increase among whites – by 58 percent for men and 74 percent for women between ages 20 and 54. Dr. Harper said 80 to 90 percent of the unintentional poisoning deaths appear to be drug-related, and a big proportion of that due to opiates and abuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone – a fact that mirrors growing public awareness of the problem of prescription drug abuse. The authors pointed out that in earlier studies that looked at the period between 1993 and 2003, the life expectancy gap between blacks and whites had narrowed by nearly two years for men and one year for women. Source
US Racial Gap In Life Expectancy At All Time Low This is a good look: The gap in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the United States, long attributed to socioeconomic disparities and a range of other factors, continued its historical decline between 2003 and 2008 and is now the smallest ever, Canadian researchers say in a new report. The study, which drew on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources and was published in the June 6 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found an increase in life expectancy for both men and women, black and white. The researchers from McGill University in Montreal noted a convergence in the rate of deaths from HIV and heart disease as contributing to the narrowing of the life expectancy gap. However the biggest factor in the narrowing of the gap, the researchers said, was an increase in the number of deaths among whites attributed to prescription drug abuse. “It is mostly a good news story, since life expectancy has increased for both groups,” says Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill and lead author for the study. However, the findings that point to prescription drug abuse are “a potential cause for concern.” The study found that the gap in life expectancy between black and white women of non-Hispanic origin closed to 3.7 years in 2008, down from 4.6 years in 2003. For men, the gap has closed to 5.4 years, down from 6.5 years. Life expectancy at birth for white men now stands at 76.2 years, up from 75.3 years, compared with 70.8 years for black men, up from 68.8 years. For white women, life expectancy rose from 80.3 to 81.2 years, and for black women from 75.7 to 77.5 years. The researchers looked at data compiled by the CDC and others and found that differences in the rates of heart disease, diabetes, homicide, HIV, and infant mortality remained the main reasons for the racial gap. Among men, heart disease and homicide were the two primary contributors; for women, the two contributors were heart disease and diabetes. But the narrowing recorded over the five-year span of data points to shifts in “unintentional injury” rates, as well as HIV and heart disease, the study’s authors conclude. Most notably, within the category of unintentional injury, fatal poisonings were the leading increase among whites – by 58 percent for men and 74 percent for women between ages 20 and 54. Dr. Harper said 80 to 90 percent of the unintentional poisoning deaths appear to be drug-related, and a big proportion of that due to opiates and abuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone – a fact that mirrors growing public awareness of the problem of prescription drug abuse. The authors pointed out that in earlier studies that looked at the period between 1993 and 2003, the life expectancy gap between blacks and whites had narrowed by nearly two years for men and one year for women. Source
US Racial Gap In Life Expectancy At All Time Low This is a good look: The gap in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the United States, long attributed to socioeconomic disparities and a range of other factors, continued its historical decline between 2003 and 2008 and is now the smallest ever, Canadian researchers say in a new report. The study, which drew on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources and was published in the June 6 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found an increase in life expectancy for both men and women, black and white. The researchers from McGill University in Montreal noted a convergence in the rate of deaths from HIV and heart disease as contributing to the narrowing of the life expectancy gap. However the biggest factor in the narrowing of the gap, the researchers said, was an increase in the number of deaths among whites attributed to prescription drug abuse. “It is mostly a good news story, since life expectancy has increased for both groups,” says Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill and lead author for the study. However, the findings that point to prescription drug abuse are “a potential cause for concern.” The study found that the gap in life expectancy between black and white women of non-Hispanic origin closed to 3.7 years in 2008, down from 4.6 years in 2003. For men, the gap has closed to 5.4 years, down from 6.5 years. Life expectancy at birth for white men now stands at 76.2 years, up from 75.3 years, compared with 70.8 years for black men, up from 68.8 years. For white women, life expectancy rose from 80.3 to 81.2 years, and for black women from 75.7 to 77.5 years. The researchers looked at data compiled by the CDC and others and found that differences in the rates of heart disease, diabetes, homicide, HIV, and infant mortality remained the main reasons for the racial gap. Among men, heart disease and homicide were the two primary contributors; for women, the two contributors were heart disease and diabetes. But the narrowing recorded over the five-year span of data points to shifts in “unintentional injury” rates, as well as HIV and heart disease, the study’s authors conclude. Most notably, within the category of unintentional injury, fatal poisonings were the leading increase among whites – by 58 percent for men and 74 percent for women between ages 20 and 54. Dr. Harper said 80 to 90 percent of the unintentional poisoning deaths appear to be drug-related, and a big proportion of that due to opiates and abuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone – a fact that mirrors growing public awareness of the problem of prescription drug abuse. The authors pointed out that in earlier studies that looked at the period between 1993 and 2003, the life expectancy gap between blacks and whites had narrowed by nearly two years for men and one year for women. Source
US Racial Gap In Life Expectancy At All Time Low This is a good look: The gap in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the United States, long attributed to socioeconomic disparities and a range of other factors, continued its historical decline between 2003 and 2008 and is now the smallest ever, Canadian researchers say in a new report. The study, which drew on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources and was published in the June 6 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found an increase in life expectancy for both men and women, black and white. The researchers from McGill University in Montreal noted a convergence in the rate of deaths from HIV and heart disease as contributing to the narrowing of the life expectancy gap. However the biggest factor in the narrowing of the gap, the researchers said, was an increase in the number of deaths among whites attributed to prescription drug abuse. “It is mostly a good news story, since life expectancy has increased for both groups,” says Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill and lead author for the study. However, the findings that point to prescription drug abuse are “a potential cause for concern.” The study found that the gap in life expectancy between black and white women of non-Hispanic origin closed to 3.7 years in 2008, down from 4.6 years in 2003. For men, the gap has closed to 5.4 years, down from 6.5 years. Life expectancy at birth for white men now stands at 76.2 years, up from 75.3 years, compared with 70.8 years for black men, up from 68.8 years. For white women, life expectancy rose from 80.3 to 81.2 years, and for black women from 75.7 to 77.5 years. The researchers looked at data compiled by the CDC and others and found that differences in the rates of heart disease, diabetes, homicide, HIV, and infant mortality remained the main reasons for the racial gap. Among men, heart disease and homicide were the two primary contributors; for women, the two contributors were heart disease and diabetes. But the narrowing recorded over the five-year span of data points to shifts in “unintentional injury” rates, as well as HIV and heart disease, the study’s authors conclude. Most notably, within the category of unintentional injury, fatal poisonings were the leading increase among whites – by 58 percent for men and 74 percent for women between ages 20 and 54. Dr. Harper said 80 to 90 percent of the unintentional poisoning deaths appear to be drug-related, and a big proportion of that due to opiates and abuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone – a fact that mirrors growing public awareness of the problem of prescription drug abuse. The authors pointed out that in earlier studies that looked at the period between 1993 and 2003, the life expectancy gap between blacks and whites had narrowed by nearly two years for men and one year for women. Source
