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Whitfield C, Liu Y, Anwar M. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Determinants of Health Issues of Marginalized Black and Asian Communities: A Social Media Analysis Empowered by Natural Language Processing. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024:10.1007/s40615-024-01996-0. [PMID: 38625665 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-01996-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social determinants of health (SDOH) of marginalized racial/ethnic US population groups, specifically African Americans and Asians, by leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) techniques on race-related spatiotemporal social media text data. Specifically, this study establishes the extent to which Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Gibbs Sampling Dirichlet Multinomial Mixture (GSDMM)-based topic modeling determines social determinants of health (SDOH) categories, and how adequately custom named-entity recognition (NER) detects key SDOH factors from a race/ethnicity-related Reddit data corpus. METHODS In this study, we collected race/ethnicity-specific data from 5 location subreddits including New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; and Houston, TX from March to December 2019 (before COVID-19 pandemic) and from March to December 2020 (during COVID-19 pandemic). Next, we applied methods from natural language processing and machine learning to analyze SDOH issues from extracted Reddit comments and conversation threads using feature engineering, topic modeling, and custom named-entity recognition (NER). RESULTS Topic modeling identified 35 SDOH-related topics. The SDOH-based custom NER analyses revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted SDOH issues of marginalized Black and Asian communities. On average, the Social and Community Context (SCC) category of SDOH had the highest percent increase (366%) from the pre-pandemic period to the pandemic period across all locations and population groups. Some of the detected SCC issues were racism, protests, arrests, immigration, police brutality, hate crime, white supremacy, and discrimination. CONCLUSION Reddit social media platform can be an alternative source to assess the SDOH issues of marginalized Black and Asian communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. By employing NLP/ML techniques such as LDA/GSDMM-based topic modeling and custom NER on a race/ethnicity-specific Reddit corpus, we uncovered various SDOH issues affecting marginalized Black and Asian communities that were significantly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of conducting this research, we recommend that researchers, healthcare providers, and governments utilize social media and collaboratively formulate responses and policies that will address SDOH issues during public health crises.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yang Liu
- North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, 27411, USA
| | - Mohd Anwar
- North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, 27411, USA.
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Nicotera DJ, Islam AA, Liu Y, Dunsky K, Lieu JEC. Disparities in the Presentation and Management of Pediatric Retropharyngeal Abscess. Laryngoscope 2024; 134:1907-1912. [PMID: 37698387 DOI: 10.1002/lary.31048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Differences in management and outcomes of otolaryngologic diseases may reflect inequities driven by social determinants of health. This study aimed to investigate disparities in presentation and outcomes of retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) among 231 pediatric patients. METHODS Medical records were searched for pediatric patients with RPA from 2010 to 2021. Charts were reviewed for demographics, clinical features, and treatment decisions. Area deprivation index (ADI) scores for patient zip codes were determined. Chi-square analysis independent samples t-test, and regression analyses were used to investigate associations between variables. RESULTS Among patients presenting for RPA, Black patients were less likely to undergo surgical management than non-Black patients (53.2% vs. 71.6%, p = 0.009). Black patients had a lower rate of treatment with antibiotics prior to hospital admission (19.4% vs. 54.4%, p < 0.001). Among patients who received surgery, Black patients had higher cross-sectional abscess area on CT (6.4 ± 8.4 cm2 > vs. 3.8 ± 3.3 cm2 , p = 0.014), longer length of stay (5.4 ± 3.3 days vs. 3.2 ± 1.5, p < 0.001), and longer time between admission and surgery (2.3 ± 2.1 vs. 0.83 ± 1.1, p < 0.001). Increased ADI was correlated with increased rate of trismus. CONCLUSIONS Lower rates of pre-admission antibiotics and larger abscess area on CT imaging among Black patients may suggest disparities in access to primary care, resulting in presentation to tertiary care at later stages of disease and higher rates of medical management trial prior to surgical intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 (retrospective cohort study) Laryngoscope, 134:1907-1912, 2024.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante J Nicotera
- Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Aseeyah A Islam
- Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Yupeng Liu
- Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Kate Dunsky
- Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Judith E C Lieu
- Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
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Patel UJ, Shaikh HJF, Brodell JD, Coon M, Ketz JP, Soin SP. Increased Neighborhood Deprivation Is Associated with Prolonged Hospital Stays After Surgical Fixation of Traumatic Pelvic Ring Injuries. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2023; 105:1972-1979. [PMID: 37725686 DOI: 10.2106/jbjs.23.00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to understand the role of social determinants of health assessed by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) on hospital length of stay and discharge destination following surgical fixation of pelvic ring fractures. METHODS A retrospective chart analysis was performed for all patients who presented to our level-I trauma center with pelvic ring injuries that were treated with surgical fixation. Social determinants of health were determined via use of the ADI, a comprehensive metric of socioeconomic status, education, income, employment, and housing quality. ADI values range from 0 to 100 and are normalized to a U.S. mean of 50, with higher scores representing greater social deprivation. We stratified our cohort into 4 ADI quartiles. Statistical analysis was performed on the bottom (25th percentile and below, least deprived) and top (75th percentile and above, most deprived) ADI quartiles. Significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS There were 134 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Patients in the most deprived group were significantly more likely to have a history of smoking, to self-identify as Black, and to have a lower mean household income (p = 0.001). The most deprived ADI quartile had a significantly longer mean length of stay (and standard deviation) (19.2 ± 19 days) compared with the least deprived ADI quartile (14.7 ± 11 days) (p = 0.04). The least deprived quartile had a significantly higher percentage of patients who were discharged to a resource-intensive skilled nursing facility or inpatient rehabilitation facility compared with those in the most deprived quartile (p = 0.04). Race, insurance, and income were not significant predictors of discharge destination or hospital length of stay. CONCLUSIONS Patients facing greater social determinants of health had longer hospital stays and were less likely to be discharged to resource-intensive facilities when compared with patients of lesser social deprivation. This may be due to socioeconomic barriers that limit access to such facilities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urvi J Patel
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Physical Performance, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
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Duong KNC, Le LM, Veettil SK, Saidoung P, Wannaadisai W, Nelson RE, Friedrichs M, Jones BE, Pavia AT, Jones MM, Samore MH, Chaiyakunapruk N. Disparities in COVID-19 related outcomes in the United States by race and ethnicity pre-vaccination era: an umbrella review of meta-analyses. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1206988. [PMID: 37744476 PMCID: PMC10513444 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1206988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Meta-analyses have investigated associations between race and ethnicity and COVID-19 outcomes. However, there is uncertainty about these associations' existence, magnitude, and level of evidence. We, therefore, aimed to synthesize, quantify, and grade the strength of evidence of race and ethnicity and COVID-19 outcomes in the US. Methods In this umbrella review, we searched four databases (Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Epistemonikos) from database inception to April 2022. The methodological quality of each meta-analysis was assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews, version 2 (AMSTAR-2). The strength of evidence of the associations between race and ethnicity with outcomes was ranked according to established criteria as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak, or non-significant. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022336805. Results Of 880 records screened, we selected seven meta-analyses for evidence synthesis, with 42 associations examined. Overall, 10 of 42 associations were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). Two associations were highly suggestive, two were suggestive, and two were weak, whereas the remaining 32 associations were non-significant. The risk of COVID-19 infection was higher in Black individuals compared to White individuals (risk ratio, 2.08, 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.60-2.71), which was supported by highly suggestive evidence; with the conservative estimates from the sensitivity analyses, this association remained suggestive. Among those infected with COVID-19, Hispanic individuals had a higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization than non-Hispanic White individuals (odds ratio, 2.08, 95% CI, 1.60-2.70) with highly suggestive evidence which remained after sensitivity analyses. Conclusion Individuals of Black and Hispanic groups had a higher risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization compared to their White counterparts. These associations of race and ethnicity and COVID-19 outcomes existed more obviously in the pre-hospitalization stage. More consideration should be given in this stage for addressing health inequity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanh N. C. Duong
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Lan M. Le
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Sajesh K. Veettil
- International Medical University, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Pantakarn Saidoung
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | | | - Richard E. Nelson
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- IDEAS Center, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mike Friedrichs
- Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Barbara E. Jones
- IDEAS Center, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Andrew T. Pavia
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Makoto M. Jones
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- IDEAS Center, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Matthew H. Samore
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- IDEAS Center, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- IDEAS Center, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Carr DB, Beyene K, Doherty J, Murphy SA, Johnson AM, Domash H, Riley N, Walker A, Sabapathy A, Morris JC, Babulal GM. Medication and Road Test Performance Among Cognitively Healthy Older Adults. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2335651. [PMID: 37773496 PMCID: PMC10543136 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.35651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Older adults are increasingly prescribed medications that have adverse effects. Prior studies have found a higher risk of motor vehicle crashes to be associated with certain medication use. Objective To determine whether specific medication classes were associated with performance decline as assessed by a standardized road test in a community sample of cognitively healthy older adults, to evaluate additional associations of poor road test performance with comorbid medical conditions and demographic characteristics, and to test the hypothesis that specific medication classes (ie, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, sedatives or hypnotics, anticholinergics, antihistamines, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen) would be associated with an increase in risk of impaired driving performance over time. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a prospective cohort study of 198 cognitively healthy adults 65 years and older with a valid driver's license who were followed up annually, with rolling enrollment. Data were collected from participants in St Louis, Missouri, and neighboring Illinois who were enrolled in the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Data were collected from August 28, 2012, to March 14, 2023, and analyzed from April 1 to 25, 2023. Participants with healthy cognition, defined as a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0 at baseline and subsequent visits, who had available clinical, neuropsychological, road tests, and self-reported medication data were included. Exposure Potentially driver-impairing medication use. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was performance on the Washington University Road Test (pass or marginal/fail). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate associations between potentially driver-impairing medication use and road test performance. Results Of the 198 included adults (mean [SD] baseline age, 72.6 [4.6] years; 87 female [43.9%]), 70 (35%) received a marginal/fail rating on the road test over a mean (SD) follow-up of 5.70 (2.45) years. Any use of antidepressants (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.68; 95% CI, 1.69-4.71), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (aHR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.54-4.64), sedatives or hypnotics (aHR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.40-5.19), or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aHR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.31-5.63) was associated with an increase in risk of receiving a marginal/fail rating on the road test compared with control individuals. Conversely, participants taking lipid-lowering agents had a lower risk of receiving a marginal/fail rating compared to control individuals. There were no statistically significant associations found between anticholinergic or antihistamines and poor performance. Conclusions and Relevance In this prospective cohort study, specific medication classes were associated with an increase in risk of poor road test performance over time. Clinicians should consider this information and counsel patients accordingly when prescribing these medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B. Carr
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Kebede Beyene
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Jason Doherty
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Samantha A. Murphy
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Ann M. Johnson
- Center for Clinical Studies, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Hailee Domash
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Noah Riley
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Alexis Walker
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Ashwin Sabapathy
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - John C. Morris
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Ganesh M. Babulal
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
- Institute of Public Health, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC
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Cox H, Gebru Y, Horter L, Palomeque FS, Myers K, Stowell D, Easterling T, de Noguera NS, Medina-Forrester A, Bravo J, Pérez S, Chaparro J, Ekpo LLP, Cranford H, Santibañez S, Valencia D. New York State, New York City, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands' Health Department Experiences Promoting Health Equity During the Initial COVID-19 Omicron Variant Period, 2021-2022. Health Secur 2023; 21:S25-S34. [PMID: 37590481 PMCID: PMC10818041 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2023.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In this case study, we aim to understand how health departments in 5 US jurisdictions addressed health inequities and implemented strategies to reach populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 during the initial Omicron variant period. We used qualitative methods to examine health department experiences during the initial Omicron surge, from November 2021 to April 2022, assessing successful interventions, barriers, and lessons learned from efforts to promote health equity. Our findings indicate that government leadership supported prioritizing health equity from the beginning of the pandemic, seeing it as a need and vital part of the response framework. All jurisdictions acknowledged the historical trauma and distrust of the government. Health departments found that collaborating and communicating with trusted community leaders helped mitigate public distrust. Having partnerships, resources, and infrastructure in place before the pandemic facilitated the establishment of equity-focused COVID-19 response activities. Finally, misinformation about COVID-19 was a challenge for all jurisdictions. Addressing the needs of diverse populations involves community-informed decisionmaking, diversity of thought, and delivery measures that are tailored to the community. It is imperative to expand efforts to reduce and eliminate health inequities to ensure that individuals and communities recover equitably from the effects of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Cox
- Heidi Cox, MPH, is a Public Health Analyst; in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
| | - Yonathan Gebru
- Yonathan Gebru, MPH, is a Public Health Advisor; in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
| | - Libby Horter
- Libby Horter, MPH, is a Data Manager; in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
| | - Francisco S. Palomeque
- Francisco S. Palomeque, MPH, is a Health Scientist, Division of State and Local Readiness, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kristopher Myers
- Kristopher Myers, PhD, was a Consultant Data Manager, State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support Task Force, CDC, Atlanta, GA. He is currently a Data Manager, Goldbelt, C6, LLC, Chesapeake, VA
| | - Daniel Stowell
- Daniel Stowell, MPH, is a Public Health Analyst, Center for Global Health, CDC, Atlanta, GA
| | - Torian Easterling
- Torian Easterling, MD, PhD, is First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY
| | - Nayeli Salazar de Noguera
- Nayeli Salazar de Noguera, PhD, is a Program Management Officer, the New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton, NJ
| | - Amanda Medina-Forrester
- Amanda Medina-Forrester, MPH, is Executive Director of Office of Minority and Multicultural Health; the New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton, NJ
| | - Josely Bravo
- Josely Bravo, MPH, is a COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Official; the Puerto Rico Department of Health, San Juan, PR
| | - Siomara Pérez
- Siomara Pérez, DrPH, is a Project Manager; the Puerto Rico Department of Health, San Juan, PR
| | - Jaikiz Chaparro
- Jaikis Chaparro, MSW, is Director of Health Equity Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Health, San Juan, PR
| | - Lisa La Place Ekpo
- Lisa La Place Ekpo, DrPH, is Epidemiologists, US Virgin Islands Department of Health, Saint Thomas, USVI
| | - Hannah Cranford
- Hannah Cranford, MPH, is Epidemiologists, US Virgin Islands Department of Health, Saint Thomas, USVI
| | - Scott Santibañez
- Scott Santibañez, MD, MPHTM, is Chief Medical Officer and Associate Director for Science; in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
| | - Diana Valencia
- Diana Valencia, MS, is a Health Scientist; in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
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Kim Y, Park J, Park JH. Regional differences in health screening participation between before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Environ Health Prev Med 2023; 28:8. [PMID: 36697026 PMCID: PMC9884562 DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.22-00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health screening is a preventive and cost-effective public health strategy for early detection of diseases. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased health screening participation. The aim of this study was to examine regional differences in health screening participation between before and during COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerabilities of health screening participation in the regional context. METHODS Administrative data from 229 districts consisting of 16 provinces in South Korea and health screening participation rate of each district collected in 2019 and 2020 were included in the study. Data were then analyzed via descriptive statistics and geographically weighted regression (GWR). RESULTS This study revealed that health screening participation rates decreased in all districts during COVID-19. Regional vulnerabilities contributing to a further reduction in health screening participation rate included COVID-19 concerns, the population of those aged 65+ years and the disabled, lower education level, lower access to healthcare, and the prevalence of chronic disease. GWR analysis showed that different vulnerable factors had different degrees of influence on differences in health screening participation rate. CONCLUSIONS These findings could enhance our understanding of decreased health screening participation due to COVID-19 and suggest that regional vulnerabilities should be considered stringent public health strategies after COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeaeun Kim
- Department of Health Care Management, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jongho Park
- Division of Health Administration, Gwangju University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Jae-Hyun Park
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
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McGowan VJ, Bambra C. COVID-19 mortality and deprivation: pandemic, syndemic, and endemic health inequalities. Lancet Public Health 2022; 7:e966-e975. [PMID: 36334610 PMCID: PMC9629845 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 has exacerbated endemic health inequalities resulting in a syndemic pandemic of higher mortality and morbidity rates among the most socially disadvantaged. We did a scoping review to identify and synthesise published evidence on geographical inequalities in COVID-19 mortality rates globally. We included peer-reviewed studies, from any country, written in English that showed any area-level (eg, neighbourhood, town, city, municipality, or region) inequalities in mortality by socioeconomic deprivation (ie, measured via indices of multiple deprivation: the percentage of people living in poverty or proxy factors including the Gini coefficient, employment rates, or housing tenure). 95 papers from five WHO global regions were included in the final synthesis. A large majority of the studies (n=86) found that COVID-19 mortality rates were higher in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage than in affluent areas. The subsequent discussion reflects on how the unequal nature of the pandemic has resulted from a syndemic of COVID-19 and endemic inequalities in chronic disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria J McGowan
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Fuse-The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Clare Bambra
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Fuse-The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
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Hajjar I, Yang Z, Okafor M, Liu C, Waligorska T, Goldstein FC, Shaw LM. Association of Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers With Race and the Role of Genetic Ancestry, Vascular Comorbidities, and Neighborhood Factors. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2235068. [PMID: 36201209 PMCID: PMC9539715 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Differences in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau Alzheimer dementia (AD) biomarkers by self-identified race have been observed in prior studies. More recently, plasma biomarkers have been gaining recognition, but whether they exhibit similar differences is unclear. Furthermore, the underlying explanation for these differences in AD biomarkers is still unexplored. OBJECTIVES To investigate differences in plasma biomarkers by race and genetic ancestry and explore potential underlying explanations for these differences. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used participant data from the Brain, Stress, Hypertension, and Aging Research Program (B-SHARP), an observational study conducted in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Participants were enrolled from March 1, 2016, to January 1, 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Main outcomes were plasma and CSF amyloid-β (Aβ) 42, Aβ40, phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181), and neurofilament light. General linear models were used for key comparisons. EXPOSURES Main independent variables were self-identified race and genetic ancestry. Additional variables were cardiovascular factors, APOE4, educational attainment, Area Deprivation Index, and C-reactive protein (reflecting systemic inflammation state). RESULTS This analysis included 617 participants (mean [SD] age, 66 [7.9] years; 300 [49%] African American and 317 [51%] White; 429 [70%] with mild cognitive impairment). On the basis of self-reported race, plasma levels of Aβ42 (adjusted mean difference, -1.20 pg/mL; 95% CI, -2.33 to -0.07 pg/mL), Aβ40 (adjusted mean difference, -37.78 pg/mL; 95% CI, -60.16 to -15.39 pg/mL), p-tau181 (adjusted mean difference, -4.66 pg/mL; 95% CI, -7.05 to -1.90 pg/mL), and neurofilament light (adjusted mean difference, -1.58; 95% CI, -2.83 to -0.19 pg/mL) were consistently lower in African American individuals after adjusting for demographic characteristics, educational attainment, cognition, APOE4, and cardiovascular factors. A similar pattern was observed in the CSF biomarkers except for Aβ42 and Aβ40. Although unadjusted analyses revealed an association between these biomarkers and African ancestry, these associations were not significant after adjusting for the same covariates. Differences by self-reported race were not explained by varied cardiovascular risk factors, C-reactive protein, educational attainment, or Area Deprivation Index. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study of plasma biomarkers by race and genetic ancestry, the results indicated that plasma p-tau181, Aβ40, and NFL were lower in African American individuals based on self-reported race but not genetic ancestry. These differences were not explained by cardiovascular risks or clinical stage differences. These racial differences should be considered in clinical interpretations and clinical trial screenings to avoid an additional increase in underrepresentation of African American individuals in AD trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihab Hajjar
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas
| | - Zhiyi Yang
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Maureen Okafor
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Teresa Waligorska
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | - Leslie M. Shaw
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Bartolomeo N, Giotta M, Tafuri S, Trerotoli P. Impact of Socioeconomic Deprivation on the Local Spread of COVID-19 Cases Mediated by the Effect of Seasons and Restrictive Public Health Measures: A Retrospective Observational Study in Apulia Region, Italy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191811410. [PMID: 36141682 PMCID: PMC9517341 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal association between socioeconomic deprivation and the incidence of COVID-19 and how this association changes through the seasons due to the existence of restrictive public health measures. A retrospective observational study was conducted among COVID-19 cases that occurred in the Apulia region from 29 February 2020 to 31 December 2021, dividing the period into four phases with different levels of restrictions. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was applied to test the independent effect of deprivation on the incidence of COVID-19, taking into account age, sex, and regional incidence as possible confounding effects and covariates, such as season and levels of restrictions, as possible modifying effects. The highest incidence was in areas with a very high deprivation index (DI) in winter. During total lockdown, no rate ratio between areas with different levels of DI was significant, while during soft lockdown, areas with very high DI were more at risk than all other areas. The effects of social inequalities on the incidence of COVID-19 changed in association with the seasons and restrictions on public health. Disadvantaged areas showed a higher incidence of COVID-19 in the cold seasons and in the phases of soft lockdown.
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