Anita Fernander

Research Interests:
Health inequities among African Americans;
Racism & Race-related Stress
Political and Social Determinants of Health
Cultural Humility
EDUCATION & SCHOLARSHIP

Post-doctoral Fellowship Medical Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 2002

Ph.D. Clinical Health Psychology, University of Miami, 2000

Oakwood College, 1993 & 1994, B.A. Physical Education, B.A. Food & Nutrition

 

Anita Fernander is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of Miami, has a Master's Degree in the same and holds two Bachelor's degrees (one in Physical Education and the other in Psychology) from Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) an HBCU in Huntsville, Alabama. Prior to arriving at the University of Kentucky she completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Medical Psychology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Her primary area of research and teaching has focused on examining the impact of race-related stress on health disparities among African Americans. She teaches  the following courses: "Race, Racism and Health Disparities among Blacks in the U.S.", "The History of Medicine among Blacks in the U.S.: Implications for Health Disparities" and "Introduction to Clinical Medicine". Her current scholarly passion is focused on increasing the number of under-represented minorities in medicine, training and mentoring students and faculty regarding cultural humility, and promoting diversity, inclusivity, and equity in academic medicine and research. She developed and is in the process of implementing a mentorship pipeline program for Black males from Kindergarten thru Residency to increase the number of Black males applying to and successfully matriculating through medical school. She is also Founder & Chair of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Disparities Coalition.

Selected Publications:

Selected Publications: 

Ighodaro, E.T., Nelson, P.T., Kukull, W.A., Schmitt, F.A., Abner, E.L., Caban-Holt, A., Bardach, S.H., Hord, D.C., Glover, C.M., Jicha, G.A., Van Eldik, L.J., Byrd, A.X., and Fernander, A. ( 2017). "Challenges and considerations related to studying dementia in Blacks/African Americans". Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 60(1), 1-10.

Fernander, A., Hahn, E., Rayens, M.K., and Adkins, S. (2014). "Local smoke-free laws, quitline call rate, and smoking status in Kentucky". American Journal of Health Promotion, 29(2),  123-126.

Rayens, M.K., Fernander, A., Hahn, E. and Okoli, C. (2013). "Racially classified social group differences in cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence, and readiness to quit". Journal of Addictions Nursing 24(2), 71-81.

Nasim, A., Fernander, A., Townsend, T.G., Corona, R. and Belgrave, F.Z. (2011). “Cultural Protective Factors for Community Risks and Substance Use Among Rural African American Adolescents”. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 10, 316-336.

Fernander, A., Resnicow, K., Viswanath, K. and Perez-Stable, E. (2011). “Cigarette smoking interventions among diverse populations”. American Journal of Health Promotion, 25(5), S1-S4.

Fernander, A., Rayens, M.K., Zhang, M. and Adkins, S. (2010). “Are age of smoking initiation and purchasing patterns associated with menthol smoking?”.  Addiction, 105 (Suppl. 1), 39-45.

Fernander, A., Rayens, M.K., Hahn, E., Zhang, M. and Adkins, S. (2010). “Menthol smoking, smoke-free policies, and cessation services”. Addiction, 105 (Suppl. 1),105-114.

Fernander, A. Moorman, G.*, and Azuoru, M*. (2010). “Race-related stress and smoking among pregnant African American women”.  Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica, 89, 558-564.

Fernander, A., Bush, H., Goldsmith-Mason, S.*, White, P. and Obi, B^. (2009). “End-of-Treatment Smoking Cessation among African-American Female Participants in the Breathe Free for Women Smoking Cessation Program: Results of a Pilot Study”. Journal of the National Medical Association, 101(10), 1034-1040.

Hedgecock, S. and Fernander, A. (2009). A Review of smoking among rural African Americans: Recommendations for research and cessation interventions”.  Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 3(1), 115-132.

Fernander, A. and Schumacher, M. (2008).  An examination of socio-culturally specific stress and coping factors on smoking status among African American women.  Stress & Health.  Published online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smi.1214.  July 14, 2008.

Fernander, A., Schumacher, M., Wei, X., Crooks, P. and Wedlund, P.  (2008).  Smoking risk and the likelihood of quitting among African-American female light and heavy smokers. Journal of the National Medical Association, 100(10), 1199-1206.

Fernander, A., Schumacher, M. and Nasim, A.  (2008).  “Socio-cultural stress, smoking risk and cessation among African American women”.  Journal of Black Psychology, 34(1), 49-69.

Fagan, P., Moolchan, E.T., Lawrence, D., Fernander, A. and Ponder, P.K.  (2007). “Identifying health disparities across the tobacco continuum.”  Addiction, 102(Supplement 2), 5-29.

Moolchan, E.T., Hayward, M.D., Fagan, P., Fernander, A., Velicer, W., King, G. and Clayton. (2007).  “Addressing tobacco-related health disparities”.  Addiction, 102(Supplement 2), 30-42.

Fernander, A., Shavers, V. L. and Hammons, G.  (2007).  “A biospsychosocial approach to examining tobacco-related health disparities among racially classified social groups”.  Addiction, 102(Supplement 2), 43-57.

Fernander, A.  (2007).  “Race, genes and tobacco related health disparities in the U.S.: What is the role of genetics?”.  Addiction, 102(Supplement 2), 58-54.

Fernander, A., Patten, C., Hurt, R., Croghan, I., Offord, K., Schroeder, D., and Eberman, K.  (2006).  “Characteristics of six-month tobacco use outcomes of black patients seeking smoking cessation intervention.”  Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 17, 413-424.

Fernander, A., Price, M., Flisher, A.J., Chalton, D., King, G. and Lombard, C.  (2006).  “Gender differences in depression and smoking among youth in Cape Town, South Africa.  Ethnicity and Disease, 16, 41-50.

Fernander, A., Wilson, J., Staton, M. and Leukefeld, C.  (2005).  “Exploring the type-of-crime hypothesis, religiosity, and spirituality in an adult male prison population”.  International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 49(6), 682-695.

Fernander, A., Patten, C. Hurt, R., Croghan, I., Schroeder, D. and Eberman, K. (2005). “Exploring the association of John Henry Active Coping, Education and John Henryism on smoking behavior and nicotine dependence among Blacks.  Social Science and Medicine, 60(3), 491-500.

Fernander, A., Wilson, J., Staton, M. and Leukefeld, C.  (2004).  “An exploratory examination of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale among incarcerated Black and White Male Drug Users”.  International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 48(4), 403-413.

Fernander, A., Duran, R., Saab, P. and Schneiderman, N.  (2004).  “John Henry Active Coping, education, and blood pressure among urban blacks”.  Journal of the National Medical Association, 96(2), 246-255.

Fernander, A., Durán, R., Saab, P., Llabre, M. and Schneiderman, N. (2003) “Assessing the reliability and validity of the John Henry Scale for Active Coping among an urban sample of African-Americans and white-Americans”.   Ethnicity and Health, 8(2), 147-161.