BACKGROUND: In 1993, the U.S. Congress passed the NIH Revitalization Act, which mandates equitable participation of minorities and gender groups in medical research. The purpose of this paper is to report on the status of inclusion of Latinos in extramural research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
METHODS: Review of the annual NIH report on Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research, a listing of NIH single-sex studies, and other pertinent documents.
FINDINGS: In 1994, Latinos overall represented 6.7% of all participants in NIH research. By 1998, this percentage had risen to 7.8%.
In 1994, male Latinos represented 44.8% of all Latinos enrolled; by 1998, this percentage had dropped to 37.9%. In absolute numbers, almost 54,000 Latino men were excluded from medical research studies in 1998 alone.
The underrepresentation of Latino men is associated with the increasing disparity in single-sex studies. In 1994, NIH funded 188 female-only studies, compared to 110 male-only studies. By 1997, NIH funded 734 female-only studies, and 239 male-only studies, a 3:1 disparity.
The greatest gender-specific underrepresentation is found in the areas of cancer and heart disease research, conditions for which Latino men are at particularly high risk.
CONCLUSIONS: Latino men now represent only 38% of all Latino participants in NIH research. As a result, health problems that occur more often in Latino men are likely to be understudied. The NIH appears to be in violation of the Congressional mandates for equal gender participation.
Learning Objectives: 1. Explain Congressional mandates for equitable participation of minorities and gender groups in medical research. 2. Describe trends in Latino male enrollment in NIH research studies. 3. Review current information on NIH single-sex studies.
Keywords: Gender, Research
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None