Ruth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran

Dr. Ruth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

10Years (2017-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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20 June 2018 in BMC Public Health
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Yvonne Commodore-MensahYvonne Commodore-Mensah
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah
ESElizabeth Selvin
Elizabeth Selvin
JAJonathan Aboagye
Jonathan Aboagye
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-OcranRuth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
XLXimin Li
Ximin Li
LCLisa A. Cooper
Lisa A. Cooper
Ethnic minority populations in the United States (US) are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diabetes. The size and diversity of ethnic minority immigrant populations in the US have increased substantially over the past three decades. However, most studies on immigrants in the US are limited to Asians and Hispanics; only a few have examined the prevalence of CVD risk factors across diverse immigrant populations. The prevalence of diagnosed hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diagnosed diabetes was examined and contrasted among a socioeconomically diverse sample of immigrants. It was hypothesized that considerable variability would exist in the prevalence of hypertension, overweight and diabetes. A cross-sectional analysis of the 2010–2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was conducted among 41,717 immigrants born in Europe, South America, Mexico/Central America/Caribbean, Russia, Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Asia and Southeast Asia. The outcomes were the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diagnosed diabetes. The highest multivariable adjusted prevalence of diagnosed hypertension was observed in Russian (24.2%) and Southeast Asian immigrants (23.5%). Immigrants from Mexico/Central America/Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent had the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity (71.5 and 73.4%, respectively) and diagnosed diabetes (9.6 and 10.1%, respectively). Compared to European immigrants, immigrants from Mexico/Central America/Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent respectively had higher prevalence of overweight/obesity (Prevalence Ratio (PR): 1.19[95% CI, 1.13–1.24]) and (PR: 1.22[95% CI, 1.14–1.29]), and diabetes (PR: 1.70[95% CI, 1.42–2.03]) and (PR: 1.78[95% CI, 1.36–2.32]). African immigrants and Middle Eastern immigrants had a higher prevalence of diabetes (PR: 1.41[95% CI, 1.01–1.96]) and PR: 1.57(95% CI: 1.09–2.25), respectively, than European immigrants —without a corresponding higher prevalence of overweight/obesity. Immigrants from Mexico/Central America/Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent bore the highest burden of overweight/obesity and diabetes while those from Southeast Asia and Russia bore the highest burden of hypertension.

1 January 2020 in Journal of Professional Nursing
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
VHVickie Hughes
Vickie Hughes
SDSabianca Delva
Sabianca Delva
MNManka Nkimbeng
Manka Nkimbeng
ESErin Spaulding
Erin Spaulding
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-OcranRuth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
HHHae-Ra Han
Hae-Ra Han
As the demographics in the United States continue to change, nurses must deliver care to patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Cultural humility is a lifelong process of self-reflection which is also defined by that individual. It allows an individual to be open to other people's identities, which is core to the nursing standard of providing holistic care. Embracing and incorporating cultural humility is essential for creating a comprehensive and individualized plan of care. One of the ways to achieve cultural humility in nursing is to train future faculty to become agents of cultural humility. This also helps to create a pipeline of nurses who have respect and empathy for the patients they serve. The aims of this paper include: 1) define cultural humility and its importance to healthcare professionals; 2) explore the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and system levels of cultural humility; 3) provide insight on how to promote cultural humility; 4) reflect on best practices across a variety of healthcare disciplines; and 5) provide suggestions for practice.

16 January 2023 in Cardiovascular Digital Health Journal
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
JHJiun-Ruey Hu
Jiun-Ruey Hu
GMGabrielle Martin
Gabrielle Martin
SISanjna Iyengar
Sanjna Iyengar
LKLara C. Kovell
Lara C. Kovell
TPTimothy B. Plante
Timothy B. Plante
SJStephen P. Juraschek
Stephen P. Juraschek
Cuff-based home blood pressure (BP) devices, which have been the standard for BP monitoring for decades, are limited by physical discomfort, convenience, and their ability to capture BP variability and patterns between intermittent readings. In recent years, cuffless BP devices, which do not require cuff inflation around a limb, have entered the market, offering the promise of continuous beat-to-beat measurement of BP. These devices take advantage of a variety of principles to determine BP, including (1) pulse arrival time, (2) pulse transit time, (3) pulse wave analysis, (4) volume clamping, and (5) applanation tonometry. Because BP is calculated indirectly, these devices require calibration with cuff-based devices at regular intervals. Unfortunately, the pace of regulation of these devices has failed to match the speed of innovation and direct availability to patient consumers. There is an urgent need to develop a consensus on standards by which cuffless BP devices can be tested for accuracy. In this narrative review, we describe the landscape of cuffless BP devices, summarize the current status of validation protocols, and provide recommendations for an ideal validation process for these devices.

3 March 2020 in Journal of the American Heart Association
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-OcranRuth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
NNNwakaego A. Nmezi
Nwakaego A. Nmezi
MBMarian O. Botchway
Marian O. Botchway
SSSarah L. Szanton
Sarah L. Szanton
SGSherita Hill Golden
Sherita Hill Golden
Yvonne Commodore-MensahYvonne Commodore-Mensah
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah
Background: Racial/ethnic minorities, especially non‐Hispanic blacks, in the United States are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, less is known about the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among ethnic sub‐populations of blacks such as African immigrants residing in the United States. This study's objective was to compare the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among African immigrants and African Americans in the United States. Methods and Results: We performed a cross‐sectional analysis of the 2010 to 2016 National Health Interview Surveys and included adults who were black and African‐born (African immigrants) and black and US ‐born (African Americans). We compared the age‐standardized prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, overweight/obesity, hypercholesterolemia, physical inactivity, and current smoking by sex between African immigrants and African Americans using the 2010 census data as the standard. We included 29 094 participants (1345 African immigrants and 27 749 African Americans). In comparison with African Americans, African immigrants were more likely to be younger, educated, and employed but were less likely to be insured ( P <0.05). African immigrants, regardless of sex, had lower age‐standardized hypertension (22% versus 32%), diabetes mellitus (7% versus 10%), overweight/obesity (61% versus 70%), high cholesterol (4% versus 5%), and current smoking (4% versus 19%) prevalence than African Americans. Conclusions: The age‐standardized prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors was generally lower in African immigrants than African Americans, although both populations are highly heterogeneous. Data on blacks in the United States. should be disaggregated by ethnicity and country of origin to inform public health strategies to reduce health disparities.

1 August 2024 in Hypertension
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
FMFaith Elise Metlock
Faith Elise Metlock
THThomas Hinneh
Thomas Hinneh
CBChitchanok Benjasirisan
Chitchanok Benjasirisan
AAAbeer Alharthi
Abeer Alharthi
OOOluwabunmi Ogungbe
Oluwabunmi Ogungbe
Yvonne Commodore-MensahYvonne Commodore-Mensah
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah
Despite ample evidence linking social determinants of health (SDoH) and hypertension outcomes, efforts to address SDoH in the context of hypertension prevention and self-management are not commensurate with the burden and impact of hypertension. To provide valuable insights into the development of targeted and effective strategies for preventing and managing hypertension, this systematic review, guided by the Healthy People 2030 SDoH framework, aims to summarize the inclusion, measurement, and evaluation of SDoH in studies examining hypertension outcomes, with a focus on characterizing SDoH constructs and summarizing the current evidence of their influence on hypertension outcomes. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search of electronic databases identified 10 608 unique records, from which 57 articles meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed. The studies, conducted nationally or regionally across the United States, revealed that higher educational attainment, health insurance coverage, income, and favorable neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower hypertension prevalence and better hypertension control among US adults. The findings underscore the importance of addressing SDoH such as education, health care access, economic stability, neighborhood environments, and social context to reduce hypertension disparities. Multilevel collaboration and community-engaged practices are necessary to tackle these disparities effectively.

6 July 2021 in Journal of the American Heart Association
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
BKBinu Koirala
Binu Koirala
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-OcranRuth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
Ruth-Alma N Turkson-Ocran
DBDiana Baptiste
Diana Baptiste
BKBibhu Koirala
Bibhu Koirala
LFLucine Francis
Lucine Francis
Yvonne Commodore-MensahYvonne Commodore-Mensah
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah
Background: The Asian population is the fastest‐growing immigrant population in the United States. Prior studies have examined the Asian immigrant population as a homogenous group. We hypothesized that there will be heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease risk factors among Asian immigrant subgroups (Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Asia) compared with the non‐Hispanic White population. Methods and Results: A cross‐sectional analysis of the 2010 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey was conducted among 508 941 adults who were born in Asian regions or were non‐Hispanic White and born in the United States. Generalized linear models with Poisson distribution were fitted to compare the prevalence of self‐reported hypertension, overweight/obesity, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, and current smoking among Asian immigrants compared with White adults, adjusting for known confounders. We included 33 973 Asian immigrants from Southeast Asia (45%), Asia (29%), the Indian subcontinent (26%), and 474 968 White adults. Compared with non‐Hispanic White adults, Indian subcontinent immigrants had the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity (prevalence ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.19–1.25); Southeast Asian immigrants had the highest prevalence of high cholesterol (prevalence ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10–1.23); Indian subcontinent (prevalence ratio, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.49–1.93) and Southeast Asian (prevalence ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.26–1.52) immigrants had a higher prevalence of diabetes. All Asian immigrant subgroups were more likely to be physically inactive and less likely to smoke than White adults. Conclusions: We observed significant heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease risk factors among Asian immigrants and a varied prevalence of risk factors compared with non‐Hispanic White adults. Providers caring for Asian immigrants should provide tailored and culturally informed care to improve the cardiovascular health of this diverse group.