2024
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Age-Specific All-Cause Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Faust J, Renton B, Bongiovanni T, Chen A, Sheares K, Du C, Essien U, Fuentes-Afflick E, Haywood T, Khera R, King T, Li S, Lin Z, Lu Y, Marshall A, Ndumele C, Opara I, Loarte-Rodriguez T, Sawano M, Taparra K, Taylor H, Watson K, Yancy C, Krumholz H. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Age-Specific All-Cause Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Network Open 2024, 7: e2438918. PMID: 39392630, PMCID: PMC11581672, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.38918.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCOVID-19 public health emergencyNon-HispanicPublic health emergencyOther Pacific IslanderExcess mortalityAlaska NativesUS populationExcess deathsRates of excess mortalityCross-sectional study analyzed dataYears of potential lifeMortality relative riskNon-Hispanic whitesCross-sectional studyPacific IslandersStudy analyzed dataAll-cause mortalityEthnic groupsMortality disparitiesMortality ratioTotal populationDeath certificatesEthnic disparitiesMain OutcomesDecedent age
2023
Young Adults at the National Epicenter of the COVID-19 Outbreak: Understanding the Impact and Future Challenges of Social Distancing on Mental Health Outcomes
Malik S, Opara I, Lardier D, Younger J, Greene R. Young Adults at the National Epicenter of the COVID-19 Outbreak: Understanding the Impact and Future Challenges of Social Distancing on Mental Health Outcomes. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health 2023, 21: 33. PMID: 38248498, PMCID: PMC10815492, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21010033.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRates of depressionYoung adultsMental health servicesMental health diagnosesMental health outcomesMental health crisisDiverse population of young adultsPopulation of young adultsLifetime mental health diagnosisSocio-demographic variablesIncreased alcohol useHealth outcomesHealth servicesNational epicenterMental healthHealth diagnosisDepressive symptomsPrevention researchSevere anxietyAlcohol useNew YorkSevere depressionSocial distancingArea of New YorkDiverse populations
2021
A latent profile analysis of psychological sense of community and ethnic identity among racial–ethnic minority young adults from the southwestern United States
Lardier D, Opara I, Roach E. A latent profile analysis of psychological sense of community and ethnic identity among racial–ethnic minority young adults from the southwestern United States. Journal Of Community Psychology 2021, 50: 857-875. PMID: 34402065, PMCID: PMC8831427, DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22686.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLatent profile analysisIntrapersonal psychological empowermentPsychological sensePsychological empowermentEthnic identityYoung adultsDepression symptomsEthnic group identityMinority young adultsProfile analysisGroup differencesGroup identityEmpirical supportIdentity constructsCommunity belongingnessProfile groupsReported levelsSense of communityHuman developmentCurrent studySample participantsCivic engagementAdultsAdditional researchEngagementEthnic Identity as a Moderator Between HIV Knowledge, Viral Hepatitis Knowledge, and Psychological Antecedents Among Racial-Ethnic Minority Youth Living in an Urban Community
Opara I, Lardier D, Durkee M, Garcia-Reid P, Reid R. Ethnic Identity as a Moderator Between HIV Knowledge, Viral Hepatitis Knowledge, and Psychological Antecedents Among Racial-Ethnic Minority Youth Living in an Urban Community. Journal Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities 2021, 9: 1298-1307. PMID: 34041704, PMCID: PMC8617072, DOI: 10.1007/s40615-021-01069-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychological antecedentsViral hepatitis knowledgeEthnic identityMinority youthGender-specific prevention programsRisk-taking behaviorRisk behaviorsSexual negotiation skillsIdentity developmentAntecedent variablesFemale adolescentsHIV risk behaviorsLower perceptionsHepatitis knowledgeProtective factorsNegotiation skillsHIV knowledgeAntecedentsYouthUS urban communitiesLimited researchYouth LivingHIV prevention education programPrevention programsStudents of color