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Wright CF, Kasman LM, Robinson DL, Carey GB, Hall JD, Lloyd JA, Shiang R, Smith EJ, Wilson KL. A Multi-Institutional Description of Processes and Outcomes of Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Acad Med 2024; 99:493-499. [PMID: 38166321 PMCID: PMC11052674 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000005622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Outcome data from 6 National Institutes of Health-funded Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs (PREPs) in the Mid-Atlantic region were combined to give a multi-institutional perspective on their scholars' characteristics and progress through biomedical research training. The institutions hosting these programs were Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The authors summarize the institutional pathways, demographics, undergraduate institutions, and graduate institutions for a total of 384 PREP scholars who completed the programs by June 2021. A total of 228 (59.4%) of these PREP scholars identified as Black or African American, 116 (30.2%) as Hispanic or Latinx, and 269 (70.0%) as female. The authors found that 376 of 384 scholars (97.9%) who started PREP finished their program, 319 of 376 (84.8%) who finished PREP matriculated into PhD or MD/PhD programs, and 284 of 319 (89.0%) who matriculated have obtained their PhD or are successfully making progress toward their PhD.
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Wende ME, Hughey SM, McLain AC, Hallum S, Hipp JA, Schipperijn J, Stowe EW, Kaczynski AT. Identifying multilevel predictors of behavioral outcomes like park use: A comparison of conditional and marginal modeling approaches. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301549. [PMID: 38626162 PMCID: PMC11020402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
This study compared marginal and conditional modeling approaches for identifying individual, park and neighborhood park use predictors. Data were derived from the ParkIndex study, which occurred in 128 block groups in Brooklyn (New York), Seattle (Washington), Raleigh (North Carolina), and Greenville (South Carolina). Survey respondents (n = 320) indicated parks within one half-mile of their block group used within the past month. Parks (n = 263) were audited using the Community Park Audit Tool. Measures were collected at the individual (park visitation, physical activity, sociodemographic characteristics), park (distance, quality, size), and block group (park count, population density, age structure, racial composition, walkability) levels. Generalized linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations were used. Ten-fold cross validation compared predictive performance of models. Conditional and marginal models identified common park use predictors: participant race, participant education, distance to parks, park quality, and population >65yrs. Additionally, the conditional mode identified park size as a park use predictor. The conditional model exhibited superior predictive value compared to the marginal model, and they exhibited similar generalizability. Future research should consider conditional and marginal approaches for analyzing health behavior data and employ cross-validation techniques to identify instances where marginal models display superior or comparable performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn E. Wende
- Department of Health Education & Behavior, College of Health & Human Performance, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - S. Morgan Hughey
- Department of Health and Human Performance, School of Health Sciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, United States of America
| | - Alexander C. McLain
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - Shirelle Hallum
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - J. Aaron Hipp
- Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Jasper Schipperijn
- Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ellen W. Stowe
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - Andrew T. Kaczynski
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
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Bundy H. "Don't fuss at our staff": A moral economy of volunteerism in South Carolina safety net clinics. Soc Sci Med 2024; 347:116706. [PMID: 38489962 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
In South Carolina, a state that has foregone Medicaid expansion, working poor residents often rely on safety net clinics for medical care. This care often occurs far from major hospitals, in different, inferior, spaces where limited services are provided in lesser circumstances. The temporary and conditional aid provided in these clinics is meant as a last resort, but often serves as the only source of care for many working poor patients, who must manage the effects of sustained precarity and protracted immiseration with conditional aid provided by volunteers. Here I explore the function that volunteering plays in regulating patients' utilization, and ability to contest, the quality of safety net care. Using ethnographic examples and interview data I show how the needs of patients-referred to in the clinics as "clients"-are managed and contained by a moral economy of volunteer care. These reciprocal obligations of debt and duty preclude working poor patients from making demands of, or lodging complaints against, the free clinics' staff, due to their capacity as volunteers, and leaves the state's safety net effectively unassailable to accusations of inefficacy or neglect. Consequently, patients must defer care, ignore episodes of maltreatment, and ration and share prescription medications, lest they be considered recusant or deemed not sufficiently appreciative of the volunteer staff dedicating their time to them. As a result of this moral economy, the plight of the state's uninsured working poor residents goes under-recognized as the safety net absorbs their cases, hiding the attritional nature of the ostensibly free care they receive and ration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Bundy
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University, 475 Vine Street, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA.
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Hale N, Lee J, de Jong J, Smith MG, Khoury AJ. Contraceptive Method Use Among a Population-Based Cohort During the South Carolina Choose Well Initiative. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e248262. [PMID: 38656576 PMCID: PMC11043899 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.8262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Evaluating the impact of statewide contraceptive access initiatives is necessary for informing health policy and practice. Objective To examine changes in contraceptive method use among a cohort of women of reproductive age in South Carolina during the Choose Well contraceptive access initiative. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cohort study, baseline data from the initial Statewide Survey of Women administered from October 1, 2017, to April 30, 2018, to a probability-based sample of women of reproductive age in South Carolina and a peer state (Alabama) were linked with 3 follow-up surveys given in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Responses about contraception use from the initial survey were compared with responses across follow-up surveys using the regression-based differences-in-differences method. Data analysis was performed from October 2023 to February 2024. Exposure The South Carolina Choose Well contraceptive access initiative seeks to fill contraceptive access gaps and increase provision of a full range of contraceptive methods through engagement with a wide range of health care organizations across the state. Main Outcomes and Measures Changes in contraceptive method use, including long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, short-acting hormonal injection, and barrier or other methods between the baseline survey (2017-2018) and 3 subsequent surveys (2019-2021). Results A total of 1344 female participants (mean [SD] age, 34 [7] years) completed the first survey (667 in Alabama and 677 in South Carolina). Use of LARC significantly increased in South Carolina (119 [17.6%] to 138 [21.1%]) compared with Alabama (120 [18.0%] to 116 [18.1%]; P = .004). Use of IUDs increased in South Carolina (95 [14.0%] to 114 [17.4%]) compared with Alabama (92 [13.8%] to 102 [15.9%]; P = .003). These associations persisted in the adjusted analysis, with a significant increase in the odds of LARC (adjusted odds ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.06-1.44) and IUD (adjusted odds ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06-1.32) use at follow-up in South Carolina compared with Alabama. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of 1344 participants, increases in the use of IUDs in South Carolina were noted after the implementation of the South Carolina Choose Well initiative that were not observed in a peer state with no intervention. Our findings may provide support in favor of statewide contraceptive access initiatives and their role in promoting access to reproductive health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Hale
- Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women’s Health and Department of Health Services Management and Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City
| | - Jusung Lee
- College for Health, Community and Policy, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio
| | - Jordan de Jong
- Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women’s Health and Department of Health Services Management and Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City
| | - Michael G. Smith
- Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women’s Health and Department of Health Services Management and Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City
| | - Amal J. Khoury
- Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women’s Health and Department of Health Services Management and Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City
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Cahoon AB, Johnson KM, Brown SM, Manoylov KM, Nienow JA. The chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of two Gomphonema parvulum (Bacillariophyta) environmental isolates from South Carolina (United States) and Virginia (United States). J Phycol 2024; 60:299-307. [PMID: 38433431 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Gomphonema parvulum is a cosmopolitan freshwater diatom that is used as an indicator in water quality biomonitoring. In this study, we report the culturing of two geographically separated isolates from southeastern North America, their morphology, and the sequencing and assembly of their mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. Morphologically, both strains fit G. parvulum sensu lato, but the frustules from a protected habitat in South Carolina were smaller than those cited in the historic data of this species from the same location as well as a second culture from Virginia. Phylogenetic analyses using the rbcL gene placed both within a clade with G. parvulum. Genetic markers, including full chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes and the nuclear small subunit rRNA gene region were assembled from each isolate. The organellar genomes of the two strains varied slightly in size due to small differences in intergenic regions with chloroplast genomes of 121,035 bp and 121,482 bp and mitochondrial genomes of 34,639 bp and 34,654 bp. The intraspecific pairwise identities of the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of these two isolates were 97.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Multigene phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a close relationship between G. parvulum, Gomphoneis minuta, and Didymosphenia geminata.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bruce Cahoon
- Department of Natural Sciences, The University of Virginia's College at Wise, Wise, Virginia, USA
| | - Katherine M Johnson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, Georgia, USA
| | - Sydney M Brown
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, Georgia, USA
| | - Kalina M Manoylov
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, Georgia, USA
| | - James A Nienow
- Department of Biology, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, USA
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Logan RI, Strater RL. "Entonces, Como Promotores, Pues, No Somos Intérpretes": Reconciling Medical Interpretation & Community Health Work in Indiana and South Carolina. J Ambul Care Manage 2024; 47:84-95. [PMID: 38373054 DOI: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Community health workers (CHWs) and promotores de salud are frontline health workers who typically come from the communities they serve. Despite providing crucial services, they are not institutionalized (or integrated) within much of the U.S. health care system. Many work, either officially or unofficially, as medical interpreters-restricting their full impact as CHWs/ promotores . In this paper, we detail the misemployment and its effects among a subsample of CHWs/ promotores in two geographically distinct, exploratory projects. We encourage that collaborative research with CHWs/ promotores continue and that fidelity to the CHW model be ensured to realize their true potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan I Logan
- Author Affiliations: Department of Anthropology and Geography & Environmental Resources, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, California (Dr Logan); and Center for Community Health Alignment, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina (Mr Strater)
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Qiao S, Friedman DB, Tam CC, Zeng C, Li X. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among college students in South Carolina: do information sources and trust in information matter? J Am Coll Health 2024; 72:859-868. [PMID: 35427458 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2022.2059375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For college students who are exposed to multimedia, the sources of COVID-19 vaccine information and their trust in these sources may play a role in shaping the vaccine acceptance spectrum (refusal, hesitancy, and acceptance). METHODS Based on an online survey among 1,062 college students in South Carolina, we investigated vaccine information sources among college students and examined how COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was associated with information source and trust level in each source. RESULTS The top three sources of COVID-19 vaccine information were health agencies, mass media, and personal social networks. Trust in mass media, health agencies, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies was negatively associated with vaccine refusal. Trust in government and scientists was negatively associated with vaccine hesitancy. DISCUSSION Our findings highlight the importance of restoring trust in government, healthcare system, scientists, and pharmaceutical industries in the COVID-19 era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Qiao
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- SC SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Daniela B Friedman
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Cheuk Chi Tam
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- SC SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Chengbo Zeng
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- SC SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Xiaoming Li
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- SC SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Gehring LN, Hales SB, Kruis R, Simpson K, Langston L, McElligott J. Examining Utilization of an Outpatient Telenutrition Service Across Primary Care Clinics in South Carolina. Telemed J E Health 2024; 30:e1081-e1088. [PMID: 37883641 DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2023.0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Limited research exists on outpatient telenutrition, and more evidence is needed on service utilization and program evaluation. This study explored service utilization trends and patterns of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Outpatient Telehealth Nutrition (OT Nutrition) service. Methods: De-identified patient service utilization data were obtained from MUSC's OT Nutrition administrative files (2012-2020). Service utilization (referrals, visits scheduled, consultations, no-shows, no-show rate) was measured at the clinic level and stratified by patient type (adult/pediatric) and clinic rurality (rural/urban). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a K-means cluster analysis. Results: Service utilization (2012-2020) reflected 6,212 referrals, 3,993 visits scheduled, and 2,880 consultations across 56 clinics. Yearly utilization trends showed high variability with no statistically significant differences observed on univariate comparisons of patient type or clinic rurality. The introduction of the Direct-To-Consumer modality mitigated a 36.7% decrease in consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Results of a K-means cluster analysis (p < 0.001) indicated 7% (n = 4) of clinics were very high and high utilizers, 36% (n = 21) were moderate and low utilizers, and 53% (n = 31) were very low utilizers. Discussion: Telenutrition can be delivered effectively to patients without requiring travel outside patients' medical homes or residences. Although continued advocacy is necessary for South Carolina to expand telenutrition coverage, more research is needed to evaluate the OT Nutrition service. Cluster analysis is an effective tool for identifying statistically significant groupings of clinics based on service utilization and could be used with implementation science in future program evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana N Gehring
- College of Science Dean's Office, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah B Hales
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Weight Management Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ryan Kruis
- Center for Telehealth, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Kit Simpson
- Department of Healthcare Leadership & Management, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Laura Langston
- Center for Telehealth, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - James McElligott
- Center for Telehealth, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Havenhill J. Articulatory and acoustic dynamics of fronted back vowels in American English. J Acoust Soc Am 2024; 155:2285-2301. [PMID: 38557735 DOI: 10.1121/10.0025461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Fronting of the vowels /u, ʊ, o/ is observed throughout most North American English varieties, but has been analyzed mainly in terms of acoustics rather than articulation. Because an increase in F2, the acoustic correlate of vowel fronting, can be the result of any gesture that shortens the front cavity of the vocal tract, acoustic data alone do not reveal the combination of tongue fronting and/or lip unrounding that speakers use to produce fronted vowels. It is furthermore unresolved to what extent the articulation of fronted back vowels varies according to consonantal context and how the tongue and lips contribute to the F2 trajectory throughout the vowel. This paper presents articulatory and acoustic data on fronted back vowels from two varieties of American English: coastal Southern California and South Carolina. Through analysis of dynamic acoustic, ultrasound, and lip video data, it is shown that speakers of both varieties produce fronted /u, ʊ, o/ with rounded lips, and that high F2 observed for these vowels is associated with a front-central tongue position rather than unrounded lips. Examination of time-varying formant trajectories and articulatory configurations shows that the degree of vowel-internal F2 change is predominantly determined by coarticulatory influence of the coda.
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Brown MK, Haskins DL, Pilgrim MA, Tuberville TD. Mercury bioaccumulation and Hepatozoon spp. infections in two syntopic watersnakes in South Carolina. Ecotoxicology 2024; 33:164-176. [PMID: 38329640 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02736-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant known to bioaccumulate in biota and biomagnify in food webs. Parasites occur in nearly every ecosystem and often interact in complex ways with other stressors that their hosts experience. Hepatozoon spp. are intraerythrocytic parasites common in snakes. The Florida green watersnake (Nerodia floridana) and the banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata) occur syntopically in certain aquatic habitats in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships among total mercury (THg) concentrations, body size, species, habitat type and prevalence and parasitemia of Hepatozoon spp. infections in snakes. In the present study, we sampled N. floridana and N. fasciata from former nuclear cooling reservoirs and isolated wetlands of the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. We used snake tail clips to quantify THg and collected blood samples for hemoparasite counts. Our results indicate a significant, positive relationship between THg and snake body size in N. floridana and N. fasciata in both habitats. Average THg was significantly higher for N. fasciata compared to N. floridana in bays (0.22 ± 0.02 and 0.08 ± 0.006 mg/kg, respectively; p < 0.01), but not in reservoirs (0.17 ± 0.02 and 0.17 ± 0.03 mg/kg, respectively; p = 0.29). Sex did not appear to be related to THg concentration or Hepatozoon spp. infections in either species. We found no association between Hg and Hepatozoon spp. prevalence or parasitemia; however, our results suggest that species and habitat type play a role in susceptibility to Hepatozoon spp. infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kyle Brown
- University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - David Lee Haskins
- University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA.
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center at Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA.
| | - Melissa A Pilgrim
- University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA
- University of South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg, SC, 29303, USA
| | - Tracey D Tuberville
- University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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11
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Wittmann-Price RA, Gittings K, Orrico S. Successfully Increasing the Diversity of the Nursing Workforce in Rural South Carolina. Holist Nurs Pract 2024; 38:67-72. [PMID: 38363967 DOI: 10.1097/hnp.0000000000000631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
This innovative project was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) grant (2017), with a resultant increase in the diversity of the nursing workforce in the rural Pee Dee Region of South Carolina. The project provided resources to at-risk students (n = 100) and compared participants with a control group (n = 92). The project provided participants mentors, financial assistance, experiential learning, advising, and professional development. The project descriptively compared program outcome benchmarks between groups. The project's multifaceted approach was key to success, providing implications for other programs to increase diversity of the nursing workforce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth A Wittmann-Price
- W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions, Thomas Edison State University, Trenton, New Jersey (Dr Wittmann-Price); School of Health Sciences, Francis Marion University, Florence, South Carolina (Dr Gittings); and National Children's Alliance, Washington, District of Columbia (Ms Orrico)
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12
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Gual-Gonzalez L, Self SCW, Meyer M, Cantillo-Barraza O, Torres ME, Nolan MS. Human spotted fever group Rickettsia seroprevalence and associated epidemiologic factors among diverse, marginalized populations in South Carolina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102288. [PMID: 38071922 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Illness caused by spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) is increasing nationally, with affluent, white residents most likely to be diagnosed. The common under-representativeness of marginalized populations in research studies and these vulnerable populations' health inequities make veritable epidemiologic risk factor profiling challenging, which inhibits equitable public health intervention. The current study leveraged 749 banked sera and associated surveys from a cross-sectional minority-represented COVID-19 study to perform an SFGR seroprevalence investigation. SFGR titers (1:64, 1:128, 1:256, 1:512, and 1:1024) were measured using commercially available indirect fluorescent antibody slides-SFGR positive cases were defined as titers ≥1:128. Multivariable logistic regression and Getis-Ord-Gi* hotspot analyses were used to identify seropositivity-associated factors and determine seropositive clusters. Among a mostly minority and lower socioeconomic population, a 3.4 % SFGR seropositivity was noted at the ≥1:128 titer level. Male gender (Odds Ratio (OR): 3.20; adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)s: 3.73), age (aOR: 1.05), any frequency of tick bite (OR: 2.29), and spending time working outdoors (OR: 5.05) were associated with SFGR IgG seropositivity. Moreover, the geospatial analysis showed clusters of seropositivity in areas where previous case reports occurred, suggesting potential endemic foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lídia Gual-Gonzalez
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene St, Room 327A, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
| | - Stella C W Self
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene St, Room 327A, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
| | - Madeleine Meyer
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene St, Room 327A, Columbia, SC 29201, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
| | - Omar Cantillo-Barraza
- Grupo Biología y Control Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Myriam E Torres
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene St, Room 327A, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
| | - Melissa S Nolan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene St, Room 327A, Columbia, SC 29201, USA.
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Bruce TJ, Trettin CC, Noel ZA, Chow AT, Warden K, Roghair C, Farmer TM. A case study of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) caused by Aphanomyces invadans in eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) from the headwaters of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. J Fish Dis 2024; 47:e13895. [PMID: 38031507 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Bruce
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Carl C Trettin
- Center for Forest Watershed Research, USDA Forest Service, Cordesville, South Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary A Noel
- Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Alex T Chow
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kylie Warden
- Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Craig Roghair
- Center for Aquatic Technology Transfer, USDA Forest Service, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Troy M Farmer
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
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Sliger R, Graham J, Hoenke K, Kimball ME, Sterling KA, Peoples BK. Integrating fish swimming abilities into rapid road crossing barrier assessment: Case studies in the southeastern United States. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298911. [PMID: 38416762 PMCID: PMC10901344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Many aquatic networks are fragmented by road crossing structures; remediating these barriers to allow fish passage is critical to restoring connectivity. Maximizing connectivity requires effective barrier identification and prioritization, but many barrier prioritization efforts do not consider swimming capabilities of target species. Given the many potential barriers within watersheds, inventory efforts integrating species-specific swimming speeds into rapid assessment protocols may allow for more accurate barrier removal prioritization. In this study, we demonstrate an approach for integrating fish swimming speeds into rapid barrier assessment and illustrate its utility via two case studies. We measured critical swimming speeds (Ucrit) of two stream-resident fish species with very different swimming modes: Yoknapatawpha Darter (Etheostoma faulkneri), an at-risk species whose current distribution is restricted to highly degraded habitat, and Bluehead Chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), an important host species for the federally endangered Carolina Heelsplitter mussel (Lasmigona decorata). We assessed potential barriers for Yoknapatawpha Darters in the Mississippi-Yocona River watershed, and Bluehead Chubs in the Stevens Creek watershed, South Carolina, USA. We integrated Ucrit into the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) barrier assessment protocol by estimating the proportion of individuals per species swimming at least as fast as the current through the assessed structures. Integrating Ucrit estimates into the SARP protocol considerably increased barrier severity estimates and rankings only for Yoknapatawpha Darters in the Yocona River watershed. These results indicate the importance of including species-specific swimming abilities in rapid barrier assessments and the importance of species-watershed contexts in estimating where swimming speed information might be most important. Our method has broad application for those working to identify barriers more realistically to improve species-specific fish passage. This work represents a next step in improving rapid barrier assessments and could be improved by investigating how results change with different measurements of swimming abilities and structure characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ridge Sliger
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
| | - Jessica Graham
- St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program, Florida State University, Panama City, FL, United States of America
- Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Kathleen Hoenke
- Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Matthew E Kimball
- Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, University of South Carolina, Georgetown, SC, United States of America
| | - Kenneth A Sterling
- USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Naches Ranger District, Naches, WA, United States of America
| | - Brandon K Peoples
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
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Ureta JU, Ureta JC, Bower LM, Peoples BK, Motallebi M. The value of improving freshwater ecosystem services: South Carolina residents' willingness to pay for improved water quality. J Environ Manage 2024; 353:120260. [PMID: 38325279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Riverine ecosystems play a crucial role in providing essential services such as drinking water, food, recreation, and other aquatic resources. Yet, their capacity to deliver ecosystem services is threatened by rapid land use which modifies their ecological functions. While freshwater monitoring and restoration programs became more robust with technological advancement, the technical ecosystem indicators monitored by experts do not typically resonate with the public. Since public sentiments and preferences are crucial in conservation planning, we quantified households' mean willingness to pay (WTP) for riverine ecosystem services in South Carolina (SC) using a payment card approach. This technique in conducting a contingent valuation method allowed us to estimate mean WTP for five aquatic indicators. Findings revealed that households' monthly mean WTP is higher for indicators that can enhance recreational benefits, such as fish catch ($5.89- $6.58), species richness ($6.28- $6.72) and access ($6.75) compared to IBI ($5.74- $6.26) and instream flow quality ($5.34-6.06). When extrapolated to entire SC, the improvement of each indicator would translate to total benefits ranging between $131 to $165 million annually. The values computed from this study could serve as inputs for the computation of benefit-cost ratios of proposed freshwater programs. By incorporating households' WTP in the policy analysis, decision makers can prioritize programs that offer the greatest public benefit, while enhancing freshwater quality across the state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan U Ureta
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
| | - J Carl Ureta
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Luke M Bower
- U.S. Geological Survey, South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Brandon K Peoples
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Marzieh Motallebi
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA; Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC, USA
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Melikam ES, Magwood GS, Ford M, Salley J, Abraham-Hilaire L, Nelson J, McCrary-Quarles A, Berry C, Cartmell KB. Community Trust, Attitudes and Preferences Related to Participation in Cancer Research in South Carolina. J Community Health 2024; 49:100-107. [PMID: 37531048 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01251-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
African American adults have the highest mortality rate for most cancers in the United States, and meaningful, community-driven research is needed to inform optimal strategies for addressing these disparities. Unfortunately, research mistrust, often driven by historical inequities, is well-documented among African Americans.This study explored trust, attitudes, and preferences regarding participation in cancer research activities among primarily African American and other medically underserved communities in South Carolina from August 2020 to December 2021. Trust was measured using the Trust in Medical Researchers Scale (TMRS).The mean TMRS score for all study participants (N = 179) was 26.54 (SD 7.57) out of 48 (maximum possible score). Significant differences in mean values of the TMRS scores were only observed for gender (p = 0.0056) and race (p < 0.0001), with White participants and males reporting higher levels of trust in medical researchers. Overall, 52.5% of participants were somewhat likely or likely to volunteer to participate in a cancer research opportunity, with White participants (73.81%) being more likely to participate in cancer research compared to African American participants (45.74%) (p = 0.0054). Furthermore, participants were most willing to provide saliva (80.85%) and urine samples (80.85%), new blood samples (60.64%), stool samples (54.26%), medical records or laboratory results (52.13%) and least willing to allow left-over blood, tissue, or other fluids from medical procedures to be used for research (50%).These results provide evidence of the need for concerted programmatic efforts to build trust in cancer researchers, particularly among females and African American adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezinne Sylvia Melikam
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, 513 Edwards Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, U.S.A
| | - Gayenell S Magwood
- Department of Biobehavioral Health and Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, 1601 Greene St, Columbia, SC, 29208, U.S.A
| | - Marvella Ford
- Cancer Disparities, Hollings Cancer Center, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), 86 Jonathan Lucas Street, Charleston, SC, 29425, U.S.A
| | - Judith Salley
- Department of Biological & Physical Sciences, South Carolina State University, 300 College Street, Orangeburg, SC, 29117, U.S.A
| | - Latecia Abraham-Hilaire
- Academic Affairs Faculty, MUSC Library-PICO, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425, U.S.A
| | - Joni Nelson
- Division of Population Oral Health, James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 127, Charleston, SC, 29425, U.S.A
| | - Audrey McCrary-Quarles
- Department of Health Sciences & Physical Education, South Carolina State University, 300 College Street, Orangeburg, SC, 29117, U.S.A
| | - Cammie Berry
- Office of Institutional Research, South Carolina State University, 300 College Ave, Orangeburg, SC, 29117, U.S.A
| | - Kathleen B Cartmell
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, 513 Edwards Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, U.S.A..
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Rhodes SD, Alonzo J, Mann-Jackson L, Aviles LR, Tanner AE, Galindo CA, Bessler PA, Courtenay-Quirk C, Garcia M, Sucaldito AD, Smart BD, Goldenberg T, Reboussin BA. Preexposure Prophylaxis Uptake Among Spanish-Speaking Transgender Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial in North and South Carolina, 2019-2022. Am J Public Health 2024; 114:68-78. [PMID: 38091558 PMCID: PMC10726943 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2023.307444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Objectives. To evaluate Chicas Creando Acceso a la Salud (Girls Creating Access to Health; ChiCAS), a Spanish-language, small-group intervention designed to increase preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use, consistent condom use, and medically supervised gender-affirming hormone therapy use among Spanish-speaking transgender Latinas who have sex with men. Methods. Participants were 144 HIV-negative Spanish-speaking transgender Latinas, aged 18 to 59 years, living in North and South Carolina. From July 2019 to July 2021, we screened, recruited, and randomized them to the 2-session ChiCAS intervention or the delayed-intervention waitlist control. Participants completed assessments at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Follow-up retention was 94.4%. Results. At follow-up, relative to control participants, ChiCAS participants reported increased PrEP use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.57, 13.7; P < .006). However, ChiCAS participants did not report increased use of condoms or medically supervised gender-affirming hormone therapy. ChiCAS participants reported increases in knowledge of HIV (P < .001), sexually transmitted infections (P < .001), and gender-affirming hormone therapy (P = .01); PrEP awareness (P < .001), knowledge (P < .001), and readiness (P < .001); condom use skills (P < .001); and community attachment (P < .001). Conclusions. The ChiCAS intervention was efficacious in increasing PrEP use among Spanish-speaking, transgender Latinas in this trial. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(1):68-78. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307444).
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Rhodes
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Jorge Alonzo
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Lilli Mann-Jackson
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Lucero Refugio Aviles
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Amanda E Tanner
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Carla A Galindo
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Patricia A Bessler
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Cari Courtenay-Quirk
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Manuel Garcia
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Ana D Sucaldito
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Benjamin D Smart
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Tamar Goldenberg
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
| | - Beth A Reboussin
- Scott D. Rhodes, Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann-Jackson, and Manuel Garcia are with the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. At trial initiation, Lucero Refugio Aviles was with the Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC; she completed the study while at the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Amanda E. Tanner and Tamar Goldenberg are with the Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Carla A. Galindo, Patricia A. Bessler, and Cari Courtenay-Quirk are with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ana D. Sucaldito is with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Benjamin D. Smart is with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beth A. Reboussin is with the Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
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Hackworth EE, Budiongan JR, Lambert VC, Kim M, Ferguson SG, Niederdeppe J, Hardin J, Thrasher JF. A mixed-method study of perceptions of cigarette pack inserts among adult smokers from New York and South Carolina exposed as part of a randomized controlled trial. Health Educ Res 2023; 38:548-562. [PMID: 37450334 PMCID: PMC10714041 DOI: 10.1093/her/cyad030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
While many countries require prominent pictorial health warning labels (PHWLs) on the outside of cigarette packs to communicate the harms of smoking, there is evidence that cigarette pack inserts that contain efficacy messages may enhance the effectiveness of PHWLs. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory authority to communicate with smokers through inserts. While current labeling regulations do not require inclusion of inserts, the FDA could implement them in the future. This study assesses US smokers' perceptions of cigarette package inserts at the conclusion of a two-week randomized trial on cigarette labeling where half of participants were exposed to insert messages (two response-efficacy messages and two self-efficacy messages) in their packs. Participants (n = 359) completed a 30- to 60-min interview with both quantitative and qualitative assessments, including measures of recall and perceived message effectiveness (PME) for specific inserts. Correlates of recall and PME were estimated using mixed-effects regression models. Qualitative responses to PME items were analyzed using thematic analysis. Response-efficacy messages had higher PME and recall than self-efficacy messages. People had diverse responses to the inserts, including that they were positive, thought-provoking, and helpful. Reactions to and perceptions of the inserts indicate potential benefits of integrating efficacy messages into labeling policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E Hackworth
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Julia R Budiongan
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Victoria C Lambert
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Minji Kim
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Stuart G Ferguson
- Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Jeff Niederdeppe
- Department of Communication, Cornell University, 450 Mann Drive, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University, Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - James Hardin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29203, USA
| | - James F Thrasher
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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19
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White E, Soltis PS, Soltis DE, Guralnick R. Quantifying error in occurrence data: Comparing the data quality of iNaturalist and digitized herbarium specimen data in flowering plant families of the southeastern United States. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295298. [PMID: 38060477 PMCID: PMC10703310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
iNaturalist has the potential to be an extremely rich source of organismal occurrence data. Launched in 2008, it now contains over 150 million uploaded observations as of May 2023. Based on the findings of a limited number of past studies assessing the taxonomic accuracy of participatory science-driven sources of occurrence data such as iNaturalist, there has been concern that some portion of these records might be misidentified in certain taxonomic groups. In this case study, we compare Research Grade iNaturalist observations with digitized herbarium specimens, both of which are currently available for combined download from large data aggregators and are therefore the primary sources of occurrence data for large-scale biodiversity/biogeography studies. Our comparisons were confined regionally to the southeastern United States (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia). Occurrence records from ten plant families (Gentianaceae, Ericaceae, Melanthiaceae, Ulmaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Fagaceae, Cyperaceae, Juglandaceae, Apocynaceae) were downloaded and scored on taxonomic accuracy. We found a comparable and relatively low rate of misidentification among both digitized herbarium specimens and Research Grade iNaturalist observations within the study area. This finding illustrates the utility and high quality of iNaturalist data for future research in the region, but also points to key differences between data types, giving each a respective advantage, depending on applications of the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth White
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Pamela S. Soltis
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Douglas E. Soltis
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Robert Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
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Koob C, Stuenkel M, Gagnon RJ, Griffin SF, Sease K. Identifying Risk Factors Associated with Repeated Referrals Within a Pediatric Navigation Program. J Community Health 2023; 48:1044-1051. [PMID: 37658945 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01274-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 1-in-5 children have a diagnosed mental, behavioral, and/or developmental disorder or delay by age 8 in the United States. Children with such conditions often require complex, complicated diagnostic and specialty care, making them susceptible to repeated referrals and ongoing unmet healthcare needs. Patient navigation programs (PNPs) are designed to integrate care from primary care providers to community-based services, using trained navigators to help patients and their families manage referrals and connect with referred services. This study examines factors associated with repeated referrals to an active PNP to inform ongoing referral patterns and adaptations to standard navigation support within a large healthcare system in South Carolina (SC). Data is sourced from the inception of the PNP in 2017 through 2022, including 15,702 referrals. Overall, 71.07% had no repeated referrals. Children who are older, diagnosed with attention deficit disorder(s), behavioral concerns, depression, multiple referral needs, and insured by Medicaid were found to be most susceptible to repeated referrals. Conversely, children who are non-Hispanic Black, were referred at a well-child visit, and are primarily insured by private insurance or Tricare were least likely to have repeated referrals. Children who are insured by Medicaid are more likely to be younger, identify as non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, or another race/ethnicity, and have multiple needs at time of initial referral, identifying a potentially compounded risk for those who hold multiple risk factors to experiencing repeated referrals. Findings may inform adaptations to this PNP model to adjust navigator protocol for at-risk populations and equitably optimize referral-to-service connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Koob
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, 501 Edwards Hall, Clemson, SC, USA.
- Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Upstate, Greenville, SC, USA.
| | | | - Ryan J Gagnon
- Department of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Sarah F Griffin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, 501 Edwards Hall, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Kerry Sease
- Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Upstate, Greenville, SC, USA
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA
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21
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Keinath AP, Rennberger G, Wechter P. Widespread Resistance to Tebuconazole and Cross-Resistance to Other DMI Fungicides in Stagonosporopsis citrulli Isolated from Watermelon in South Carolina. Plant Dis 2023; 107:3896-3905. [PMID: 37311227 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-03-23-0478-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tebuconazole, a demethylation-inhibitor (DMI) fungicide, is widely used on watermelon and muskmelon because it is inexpensive and has been effective against Stagonosporopsis citrulli, the primary causal agent of gummy stem blight in the southeastern United States. Most isolates (94% of 251) collected from watermelon in South Carolina in 2019 and 2021 were moderately resistant to tebuconazole at 3.0 mg/liter in vitro. Ninety isolates were identified as S. citrulli, and no isolates of S. caricae were found in this study. On watermelon and muskmelon seedlings treated with the field rate of tebuconazole, sensitive, moderately resistant, and highly resistant isolates were controlled 99, 74, and 45%, respectively. In vitro, tebuconazole-sensitive isolates were moderately resistant to tetraconazole and flutriafol but sensitive to difenoconazole and prothioconazole, while highly resistant isolates were highly resistant to tetraconazole and flutriafol and moderately resistant to difenoconazole and prothioconazole. On watermelon seedlings treated with field rates of five DMI fungicides in the greenhouse, severity of gummy stem blight did not differ significantly from the nontreated control when seedlings were inoculated with a highly resistant isolate, while severity was lower with all DMIs on seedlings inoculated with a sensitive isolate, although severity was greater with tetraconazole than with the other four DMIs. In the field, tetraconazole rotated with mancozeb did not reduce severity of gummy stem blight caused by a tebuconazole-sensitive isolate when compared to the nontreated control, while the other four DMIs did. With a highly resistant isolate, all DMIs rotated with mancozeb reduced severity of gummy stem blight compared to the nontreated control, but severity with tetraconazole and tebuconazole was greater than with mancozeb alone, and severity with flutriafol, difenoconazole, prothioconazole, and difenoconazole plus cyprodinil did not differ from mancozeb applied alone. Results from in vitro, greenhouse, and field experiments with the five DMI fungicides were highly correlated with each other. Thus, determining relative colony diameters with a discriminatory dose of 3 mg/liter of tebuconazole is an effective way to identify isolates of S. citrulli highly resistant to tebuconazole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Keinath
- Coastal Research and Education Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Charleston, SC 29414
| | - Gabriel Rennberger
- U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Charleston, SC 29414
| | - Patrick Wechter
- Coastal Research and Education Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Charleston, SC 29414
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22
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Rossi MM, Parisi MA, Cartmell KB, McFall D. Understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Hispanic adult population of South Carolina: a complex mixed-method design evaluation study. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2359. [PMID: 38017470 PMCID: PMC10685550 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16771-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In August 2021, only 47.6% of all eligible residents in South Carolina (SC) had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with only 41% having completed their vaccination series. Additionally, only 27% of all Hispanics in SC had completed their vaccination series compared to 34.1% of non-Hispanics. Vaccine hesitancy is a complex phenomenon that is context and vaccine-specific. Focusing on unvaccinated Hispanics living in rural areas of SC, this study aimed to identify barriers to vaccination and provide an educational intervention designed to address vaccine hesitancy. METHODS A complex mixed-methods evaluation design was used to conduct this study. First, in-person vaccine educational sessions were implemented, along with a pre-post-test survey, to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, motivations, barriers, and intentions to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Second, in-person follow-up focus groups were held with the same participants to gather in-depth insight about participants' knowledge and attitudes about the COVID-19 vaccination. Third, an online follow-up survey was conducted to assess the effect of the training and discussion session on COVID-19 vaccination. Study outcomes were assessed among the 17 individuals who participated in the educational sessions and focus group discussions. RESULTS Findings revealed that for unvaccinated Hispanics living in South Carolina; vaccine hesitancy was primarily driven by: 1) misinformation and information coming from unverified sources and 2) negative perceptions of the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. Specifically, participants were fearful that the vaccine development was rushed and that the vaccines might contain questionable ingredients that could cause strong side effects or even death. Participants were also concerned that vaccination might cause them to get sick and be hospitalized, which would have financial implications since they could not afford healthcare or take time off work. CONCLUSIONS Program implementation and mass communication campaigns should focus on COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, including side effects, what to expect after being vaccinated, and how to look for information from reputable sources. The educational session implemented proved to be effective and helped reduce vaccine hesitancy since most participants (80%) self-reported receiving a COVID-19 vaccine after program participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mercedes Rossi
- Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, C228 Pool Agricultural Center, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA.
| | - Michelle A Parisi
- Department Nutritional Sciences, University of Georgia, 206 Hoke Smith Annex, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Kathleen B Cartmell
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, 534 Edwards Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Danielle McFall
- Rural Health and Nutrition Program Team, Clemson University, 120 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
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23
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Dye-Braumuller KC, Gual-Gonzalez L, Abiodun T, Rustin LP, Evans CL, Meyer MM, Zellars K, Neault MJ, Nolan MS. Invasive Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) investigation in South Carolina: new records of establishment, pathogen prevalence, and blood meal analyses. J Med Entomol 2023; 60:1398-1405. [PMID: 37658780 PMCID: PMC10645392 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The first established population of the Asian longhorned tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Neumann, Acari: Ixodidae) was discovered in a northern South Carolina county in June 2022. A coordinated investigation was launched to investigate the invasive tick's pathogen infection prevalence and blood meal preferences. Almost 2,000 Ha. longicornis ticks were collected from one cattle field. A majority of collected ticks had evidence of cattle and dog blood meals, and multiple samples were tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Theileria orientalis-first reports for these pathogens in this tick species in South Carolina. This investigation was the direct result of a collaborative education campaign and tick surveillance program launched earlier in the year with multiple state partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyndall C Dye-Braumuller
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 327, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Lídia Gual-Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 327, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Titi Abiodun
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 327, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Lauren P Rustin
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Public Health Laboratory, 8500 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203, USA
| | - Chris L Evans
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Public Health Laboratory, 8500 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203, USA
| | - Madeleine M Meyer
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 327, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Kia Zellars
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 327, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Mike J Neault
- Office of the State Veterinarian, College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences, Clemson University, 500 Clemson Road, Columbia, SC 29229, USA
| | - Melissa S Nolan
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 327, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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24
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Ngatuvai M, Zagales R, Khan A, Rosander A, Breeding T, Kornblith L, Bilski T, Elkbuli A. Analysis of Bicyclist Injuries and Fatalities in The United States: The Need for Effective & Sustainable Prevention Policies. Am Surg 2023; 89:4963-4966. [PMID: 36426880 DOI: 10.1177/00031348221142579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
We aim to investigate nationwide and state trends of bicyclist injuries, fatalities, and associated costs amongst adult and pediatric populations to assess the need for effective and strategic interventions. An epidemiologic study was performed investigating the injury and fatality rate of bicyclists from 2010 to 2020. The fatality rate was higher in adults compared to pediatric bicyclists (0.36 vs. 0.12 per population of 100,000, P < .001), but pediatric bicyclists suffered higher rates of injury (246.19 vs. 102.11 per population of 100,000, P < .001). The medical cost of fatalities for adult bicyclists was $139.1 million compared to $9.0 million for pediatric bicyclists. Bicyclist fatality rates are significantly higher per capita for adult bicyclists. States including Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana had the highest bicyclist fatalities per capita for both adults and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah Ngatuvai
- NOVA Southeastern University Kiran Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, NSUFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Ruth Zagales
- Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Areeba Khan
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Abigail Rosander
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Tessa Breeding
- NOVA Southeastern University Kiran Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, NSUFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Lucy Kornblith
- Department of Surgery, Zuckerberg General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tracy Bilski
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL, USA
- Department of Surgical Education, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Adel Elkbuli
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL, USA
- Department of Surgical Education, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL, USA
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25
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Hale N, Manalew WS, Leinaar E, Smith M, Sen B, Khoury A. Impact of the Choose Well Contraceptive Access Initiative on Method Use Among Women Enrolled in South Carolina's Medicaid Program: A Mid-line Assessment. Womens Health Issues 2023; 33:626-635. [PMID: 37580186 DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A six-year statewide contraceptive access initiative focused on equitable access to contraception, removing cost barriers, capacity building and training, raising consumer awareness, and expanding contraceptive care at safety net clinics was implemented in South Carolina beginning in 2017. This study assessed changes in contraceptive method use among women enrolled in the South Carolina Medicaid program during the first three years of Choose Well. METHODS Contraception use among a retrospective cohort of women aged 15 to 45 enrolled in South Carolina Medicaid from 2012 to 2020 was examined. Interrupted time series regression analysis was used to assess changes in the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) and contraceptive implants between 2012 and 2016 and 2017 and 2020. Analyses were conducted for all women and stratified by age groups. RESULTS Long-acting reversible contraception use increased from 8.5% during the pre-Choose Well period to 10.9% during the Choose Well period (p < .001), with IUD use increasing from 4.3% to 5.2% (p < .001) and implant use increasing from 4.6% to 6.0% (p < .001). The interrupted time series analysis found a significant positive change in the average level of monthly IUD use after Choose Well began (0.493 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, 0.311-0.675). The effect was stronger among women 20 to 25 years of age. Choose Well significantly increased the trend in IUD use among all women by a positive 0.013 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 0.006-0.020) per month beyond expected values. CONCLUSIONS At the mid-point of the Choose Well Evaluation, the use of IUD methods increased significantly beyond what would be expected had pre-Choose Well trends continued. This was particularly evident among women 20 to 25 years of age. These findings suggest that Choose Well succeeded in reducing barriers to the use of IUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Hale
- Department of Health Services Management & Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women's Health, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee.
| | - Wondimu S Manalew
- Department of Health Services Management & Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women's Health, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
| | - Edward Leinaar
- Department of Health Services Management & Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women's Health, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
| | - Michael Smith
- Department of Health Services Management & Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women's Health, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
| | - Bisakha Sen
- Department of Health Care Organization & Policy, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Amal Khoury
- Department of Health Services Management & Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women's Health, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
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26
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Aquilina-Beck A, Reed LA, Rider M, Burdine W, Daugomah J, Apeti D, Key P, DeLorenzo M. Employing molecular, chemical and physiological techniques using Crassostrea virginica to assess ecosystem health along coastal South Carolina and North Carolina, United States. Environ Res 2023; 236:116817. [PMID: 37541416 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Natural and anthropogenic environmental impacts can introduce contaminants into sensitive habitats, threatening ecosystems and human health. Consistent monitoring of coastal areas provides critical environmental assessment data. Sediments and Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) tissues were collected at fourteen South Carolina (SC) and four North Carolina (NC) sites as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Mussel Watch environmental monitoring program. Cellular and molecular techniques were employed to measure C. virginica stress response, specifically, Lipid Peroxidation (LPx), Glutathione (GSH), and qPCR techniques. Gene specific primers targeted for detecting oxidative stress and cellular death were developed in C. virginica to gauge response to current environmental conditions using gill and hepatopancreas (HP) tissue. In order to validate gene specific markers as additional assessment tools, a 96 h zinc (Zn) laboratory exposure was performed. Cellular biomarker data revealed tissue specific responses. Hepatopancreas data showed C. virginica exhibited stress through the lipid peroxidation assay amongst sampling sites, however, response was managed through glutathione detoxification. Gill tissue data had significantly lower levels of cellular biomarker response compared to hepatopancreas. Molecular biomarkers targeting these cellular stress pathways through qPCR analysis show upregulation of Metallothionein in hepatopancreas and gill tissue with a concurrent > 2-fold upregulation in the detoxification marker Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) at three NC sites. SC sites displayed higher stress levels through LPx assays and down-regulation in GPx gene activity. Laboratory zinc exposure revealed no significance in cellular biomarker results, however, molecular data showed gills responding to zinc treatment through upregulation of Metallothionein, SOD and Cathepsin L, indicating an acute response in gills. Collectively, chemical, cellular and molecular methods clarify sentinel stress response of biological impacts and aid in evaluating environmental health in coastal ecosystems. This combined methodological approach provides a detailed analysis of environmental conditions and improves land-use management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allisan Aquilina-Beck
- CSS, Inc, Under Contract to National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Lou Ann Reed
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Mary Rider
- CSS, Inc, Under Contract to National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - William Burdine
- CSS, Inc, Under Contract to National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - James Daugomah
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Dennis Apeti
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Pete Key
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Marie DeLorenzo
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
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27
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Hossfeld C, Rennert L, Baxter SLK, Griffin SF, Parisi M. The Association between Food Security Status and the Home Food Environment among a Sample of Rural South Carolina Residents. Nutrients 2023; 15:3918. [PMID: 37764701 PMCID: PMC10534860 DOI: 10.3390/nu15183918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior research suggests that food security status may have an effect on the home food environment. Further, the literature suggests that food access factors may function to influence said relationship. The purpose of this research is to fill a gap in the literature on this relationship, as well as to identify potential food access effect modifiers. This research employs linear mixed effects modeling with a random intercept variable (zip codes). Eleven food access variables are included in regression analyses and are tested as potential effect modifiers in the association between food security status and the home food environment. Food security status is significantly associated with the home food environment (95% CI = 0.1-1.38) in the unadjusted model. In the adjusted model, food pantry usage is found to be a significant effect modifier on the association between food security status and the home food environment. This research concludes that food security status has a significant but disparate effect on the home food environment depending on participant food pantry usage. Practical implications from this research would be for relevant stakeholders to potentially improve rural food pantry access in order to increase the home food environment among rural and food insecure populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassius Hossfeld
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (L.R.); (S.L.K.B.); (S.F.G.)
| | - Lior Rennert
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (L.R.); (S.L.K.B.); (S.F.G.)
| | - Samuel L. K. Baxter
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (L.R.); (S.L.K.B.); (S.F.G.)
| | - Sarah F. Griffin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (L.R.); (S.L.K.B.); (S.F.G.)
| | - Michelle Parisi
- Cooperative Extension Service, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA;
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28
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Spivey WW, Williamson Z, Seiter J, Abrahamian P, Wang H, Greene J, Cieniewicz E. Analysis of Cotton Leafroll Dwarf Virus P0 Gene Sequences from South Carolina Reveals Low Variability Among Isolates. Plant Dis 2023; 107:2613-2619. [PMID: 36825312 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-10-22-2514-sr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) is emerging across the major cotton-producing states of the southern United States. Because it was detected in nearly all cotton-producing states within a few years of its initial detection in the United States, the spread of the virus has apparently occurred rapidly. In this study spanning three growing seasons in South Carolina, we collected CLRDV isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic cotton plants in 10 counties. The genomic region encoding P0, the viral suppressor of RNA silencing, was sequenced and compared among CLRDV isolates. Low variability among CLRDV P0 sequences from South Carolina isolates with similarities to other United States isolates was revealed by amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. Low variability among South Carolina isolates was also confirmed by sequencing a subset of eight near-complete genomes of CLRDV isolates. Although sequence variability was low among South Carolina isolates, this data should be taken in the context of all United States isolates, for which diversity may be higher than initially expected. Sequences gathered in this study add to the body of knowledge on CLRDV diversity in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- William W Spivey
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634
| | | | - Jacob Seiter
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - Peter Abrahamian
- USDA-APHIS-PPQ Science and Technology, Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostic Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20708
| | - Hehe Wang
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Edisto Research and Education Center, Blackville, SC 29817
| | - Jeremy Greene
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Edisto Research and Education Center, Blackville, SC 29817
| | - Elizabeth Cieniewicz
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634
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Gao C, Shinkareva SV, Desai RH. SCOPE: The South Carolina psycholinguistic metabase. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:2853-2884. [PMID: 35971041 PMCID: PMC10231664 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01934-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The number of databases that provide various measurements of lexical properties for psycholinguistic research has increased rapidly in recent years. The proliferation of lexical variables, and the multitude of associated databases, makes the choice, comparison, and standardization of these variables in psycholinguistic research increasingly difficult. Here, we introduce The South Carolina Psycholinguistic Metabase (SCOPE), which is a metabase (or a meta-database) containing an extensive, curated collection of psycholinguistic variable values from major databases. The metabase currently contains 245 lexical variables, organized into seven major categories: General (e.g., frequency), Orthographic (e.g., bigram frequency), Phonological (e.g., phonological uniqueness point), Orth-Phon (e.g., consistency), Semantic (e.g., concreteness), Morphological (e.g., number of morphemes), and Response variables (e.g., lexical decision latency). We hope that SCOPE will become a valuable resource for researchers in psycholinguistics and affiliated disciplines such as cognitive neuroscience of language, computational linguistics, and communication disorders. The availability and ease of use of the metabase with comprehensive set of variables can facilitate the understanding of the unique contribution of each of the variables to word processing, and that of interactions between variables, as well as new insights and development of improved models and theories of word processing. It can also help standardize practice in psycholinguistics. We demonstrate use of the metabase by measuring relationships between variables in multiple ways and testing their individual contribution towards a number of dependent measures, in the most comprehensive analysis of this kind to date. The metabase is freely available at go.sc.edu/scope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanji Gao
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Svetlana V Shinkareva
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29201, USA.
| | - Rutvik H Desai
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29201, USA.
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Keinath AP, Colburn GC, Yang X. Differential Susceptibility of Two Citrullus amarus Pollenizer Watermelons to Five Species of Pythium and Globisporangium. Plant Dis 2023; 107:2620-2623. [PMID: 36774582 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-01-23-0073-sc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Pollenizer watermelon (Citrullus amarus) must be planted alongside triploid watermelon cultivars to provide a source of pollen. Early season death of pollenizer watermelon cultivars SP-6 and SP-7 was observed in a research field in Charleston County, SC, in April 2022, 3 to 4 weeks after transplanting. Disease incidence was 15 and 12% for the two cultivars, respectively. Two species of Pythium (P. myriotylum and P. aphanidermatum) and three species of Globisporangium (G. ultimum, G. irregulare, and G. spinosum) were recovered from 13 of 17 plants cultured and identified based on the sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. Pythium spp. were recovered from both cultivars, while Globisporangium spp. were recovered only from 'SP-7'. In pathogenicity tests, 'SP-7' had lower area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) values than 'SP-6' with one isolate each of four species and lower AUDPC values than seedless watermelon 'Estrella' with one isolate each of two species. Mean AUDPC values did not differ between 'Estrella' and 'SP-6' with any isolate. AUDPC values were greater with G. ultimum on all three cultivars than with one isolate of G. spinosum and both isolates of P. myriotylum and P. aphanidermatum. Susceptibility of the new cultivar SP-7 to Pythium and Globisporangium spp. differs from susceptibility of 'SP-6'. These results will help growers choose which pollenizer cultivar to plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Keinath
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Coastal Research and Education Center, Clemson University, Charleston, SC 29414
| | - G Curtis Colburn
- Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Clemson University, Pendleton, SC 29670
| | - Xiao Yang
- Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Clemson University, Pendleton, SC 29670
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DeMass R, Gupta D, Self S, Thomas D, Rudisill C. Emergency department use and geospatial variation in social determinants of health: a pilot study from South Carolina. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1527. [PMID: 37563566 PMCID: PMC10416539 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16136-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health systems are increasingly addressing patients' social determinants of health (SDoH)-related needs and investigating their effects on health resource use. SDoH needs vary geographically; however, little is known about how this geographic variation in SDoH needs impacts the relationship between SDoH needs and health resource use. METHODS This study uses data from a SDoH survey administered to a pilot patient population in a single health system and the electronic medical records of the surveyed patients to determine if the impact of SDoH needs on emergency department use varies geospatially at the US Census block group level. A Bayesian zero-inflated negative binomial model was used to determine if emergency department visits after SDoH screening varied across block groups. Additionally, the relationships between the number of emergency department visits and the response to each SDoH screening question was assessed using Bayesian negative binomial hurdle models with spatially varying coefficients following a conditional autoregressive (CAR) model at the census block group level. RESULTS Statistically important differences in emergency department visits after screening were found between block groups. Statistically important spatial variation was found in the association between patient responses to the questions concerning unhealthy home environments (e.g. mold, bugs/rodents, not enough air conditioning/heat) or domestic violence/abuse and the mean number of emergency department visits after the screen. CONCLUSIONS Notable spatial variation was found in the relationships between screening positive for unhealthy home environments or domestic violence/abuse and emergency department use. Despite the limitation of a relatively small sample size, sensitivity analyses suggest spatially varying relationships between other SDoH-related needs and emergency department use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid DeMass
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene St., Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Deeksha Gupta
- Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Stella Self
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 300 E. McBee Ave. Greenville, Columbia, SC, 29601, USA.
| | - Darin Thomas
- Addiction Medicine Center, Prisma Health, 605 Grove Road Greenville, Columbia, SC, 29605, USA
| | - Caroline Rudisill
- Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 300 E. McBee Ave. Greenville, Columbia, SC, 29601, USA
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Tayal M, Wilson C, Cieniewicz E. Bees and thrips carry virus-positive pollen in peach orchards in South Carolina, United States. J Econ Entomol 2023; 116:1091-1101. [PMID: 37402628 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toad125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) are pollen-borne viruses of important stone fruit crops, including peaches, which can cause substantial yield loss. Although both horizontal and vertical (i.e., seed) transmission of both viruses occurs through pollen, the role of flower-visiting insects in their transmission is not well understood. Bees and thrips reportedly spread PNRSV and PDV in orchards and greenhouse studies; however, the field spread of PNRSV and PDV in peach orchards in the southeastern United States is not explored. We hypothesized that bees and thrips may facilitate virus spread by carrying virus-positive pollen. Our 2-yr survey results show that 75% of captured bees are carrying virus-positive pollen and moving across the orchard while a subsample of thrips were also found virus positive. Based on morphology, Bombus, Apis, Andrena, Eucera, and Habropoda are the predominant bee genera that were captured in peach orchards. Understanding the role of bees and thrips in the spread of PNRSV and PDV will enhance our understanding of pollen-borne virus ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandeep Tayal
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Christopher Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Elizabeth Cieniewicz
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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Holcomb L, Koob C, Mayo R, Charron E, Dickes L, Sherrill W, Hudson J. "It's a proactive intervention instead of a reactive one": measuring facilitators and barriers regarding readiness to implement a treatment program for infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:754. [PMID: 37452415 PMCID: PMC10347713 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09734-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Managing Abstinence in Newborns (MAiN) is an evidence-based, cost-saving approach to caring for infants at risk of developing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). MAiN provides medication management in combination with education and is being implemented in hospitals across South Carolina (SC). This expansion of MAiN throughout the state includes educational training for providers on managing NOWS symptomology and evaluation support for data collection and analysis. This evaluation assessed the readiness of hospitals to implement MAiN by identifying potential barriers and facilitators to early program adoption. METHODS We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Framework (CFIR) to guide the evaluation. As part of the ongoing evaluation of MAiN implementation, brief, structured interviews were conducted with healthcare providers (n = 82) at seven hospitals between 2019 and 2022 to learn more about perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation readiness. Two coders independently reviewed all transcripts and used deductive thematic analysis to code qualitative data using Atlas.ti Web using the established CFIR codebook. RESULTS We identified barriers and facilitators to implementing MAiN in all five CFIR domains. Providers identified MAiN as an evidence-based, patient-centered model with the flexibility to adapt to patients' complex needs. Specific champions, external support, alignment with providers' personal motivation, and an adaptable implementation climate were identified as facilitators for implementation readiness. Barriers included a lack of consistent communication among hospital providers, minimal community resources to support patients and families after discharge, and a lack of provider buy-in early in implementation. CONCLUSIONS Key barriers and facilitators of MAiN implementation readiness were identified at seven participating hospitals throughout SC. Communication, staff and hospital culture and climate, and internal and external resource were all reported as essential to implementation. These findings could inform the MAiN program expansion in hospitals across SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Holcomb
- Department of Public Health Sciences, 503 Edwards Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA.
| | - Caitlin Koob
- Department of Public Health Sciences, 503 Edwards Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Rachel Mayo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, 503 Edwards Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Elizabeth Charron
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Schusterman Center, 4444 E 41St St, Tulsa, OK, 74135, USA
| | - Lori Dickes
- Department of Political Science, 2023 Barre Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Windsor Sherrill
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Schusterman Center, 4444 E 41St St, Tulsa, OK, 74135, USA
| | - Jennifer Hudson
- Newborn Services, Prisma Health Upstate, 701 Grove Road, Greenville, SC, 29605, USA
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Head KC, Morella K, Lugo MP, Key JD. Participation in a School-Based Wellness Initiative Associated With Improved K-12 Student Body Mass Index Trends. J Sch Health 2023; 93:547-556. [PMID: 36575648 DOI: 10.1111/josh.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations between school participation in an academic medical center-supported school-based wellness initiative and programmatic components implemented with change in average student body mass index (BMI) over time were examined. METHODS This was an observational study of 103 K-12 South Carolina schools over school years 2014-2018, classified as participating (n = 87 schools, 27,855 students) or non-participating (n = 16 schools; 3608 students). Associations between students' BMI z-score (BMIz) and school participation were evaluated by linear multilevel mixed-effects modeling using data from FitnessGram and the School Wellness Checklist© (SWC), respectively. RESULTS One-third of the students had a BMI percentile ≥85. Average student BMIz decreased in participating schools (p = .026) and increased in non-participating schools (p = .004) over time. For schools that participated two or more years, there was an inverse relationship between SWC score and student BMIz (p = .002) that did not differ by school type, rural/urban location, Title 1 status, or student sex. Physical activity and stress management interventions for students, as well as employee wellness and establishing a wellness committee at the school level were significantly associated with decreased average student BMIz (all p < .05). CONCLUSION Implementation of similar comprehensive school-based wellness programs focused on improving physical activity, stress management, and employee engagement may help prevent and reduce pediatric obesity in diverse communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen C Head
- Boeing Center for Children's Wellness, Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 125 Doughty St., MSC 561, Charleston, SC, 29425-5610
| | - Kristen Morella
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge Ave MSC 835, Charleston, SC, 29425-5610
| | - Michael P Lugo
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, 10 McClennan Banks Drive MSC 915, Charleston, SC, 29425-5610
| | - Janice D Key
- Boeing Center for Children's Wellness, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, 125 Doughty St., MSC 561, Charleston, SC, 29425-5610
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Kirkland EB, Dericke D, Bays CC, Wallinger C, McElligott J, Slaughter S, Moran WP. Dissemination of Remote Patient Monitoring: An Academic-Community Primary Care Partnership in South Carolina. J Public Health Manag Pract 2023; 29:516-524. [PMID: 37071046 PMCID: PMC10198796 DOI: 10.1097/phh.0000000000001593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Remote patient monitoring (RPM) for diabetes and hypertension may reduce barriers to patient care, leading to improved disease control and decreased morbidity and mortality. PROGRAM We describe the implementation of a community-academic partnership to improve diabetes and hypertension control for underserved populations using RPM. IMPLEMENTATION In 2014, our academic medical center (AMC) began working with community health centers (CHCs) to implement a centrally monitored RPM program for patients with diabetes. AMC nurses recruited, trained, and supported community partners through regular communication. Community sites were responsible for enrollment, follow-up visits, and all treatment adjustments. EVALUATION More than 1350 patients have been enrolled across 19 counties and 16 predominantly rural CHCs. The majority of patients reported low annual household income and African American or Hispanic background. It took about 6 to 9 months of planning at each CHC prior to first enrolled patient. More than 30% of patients utilizing the newer device continued to transmit glucose readings regularly at week 52 of enrollment. Hemoglobin A 1c data reporting was completed for more than 90% of patients at 6 and 12 months postenrollment. DISCUSSION Partnering of our AMC with CHCs enabled dissemination of an effective, inexpensive tool that engaged underserved populations in rural South Carolina and improved chronic disease management. We supported implementation of clinically effective diabetes RPM programs at several CHCs, reaching a large number of historically underserved and underresourced rural CHC patients with diabetes. We summarize key steps to achieving a successful, collaborative RPM program through AMC-CHC partnerships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Barnhardt Kirkland
- Center for Health Disparities, Division of General Internal Medicine (Drs Kirkland, Slaughter, and Moran and Mss Dericke and Wallinger), and Section of Health Systems Research and Policy (Ms Bays), Department of Medicine, and Division of General Pediatrics (Dr McElligott), Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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36
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Moore CR, Kimball LR, Goodyear AC, Brooks MJ, Daniel IR, West A, Taylor SG, Weber KJ, Fagan JL, Walker CM. Paleoamerican exploitation of extinct megafauna revealed through immunological blood residue and microwear analysis, North and South Carolina, USA. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9464. [PMID: 37301945 PMCID: PMC10257692 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36617-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous immunological studies in the eastern USA have failed to establish a direct connection between Paleoamericans and extinct megafauna species. The lack of physical evidence for the presence of extinct megafauna begs the question, did early Paleoamericans regularly hunt or scavenge these animals, or were some megafauna already extinct? In this study of 120 Paleoamerican stone tools from across North and South Carolina, we investigate this question using crossover immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP). We find immunological support for the exploitation of extant and extinct megafauna, including Proboscidea, Equidae, and Bovidae (possibly Bison antiquus), on Clovis points and scrapers, as well as possible early Paleoamerican Haw River points. Post-Clovis points tested positive for Equidae and Bovidae but not Proboscidea. Microwear results are consistent with projectile usage, butchery, fresh- and dry hide scraping, the use of ochre-coated dry hides for hafting, and dry hide sheath wear. This study represents the first direct evidence of the exploitation of extinct megafauna by Clovis and other Paleoamerican cultures in the Carolinas and more broadly, across the eastern United States, where there is generally poor to non-existent faunal preservation. Future CIEP analysis of stone tools may provide evidence on the timing and demography of megafaunal collapse leading to eventual extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Moore
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Land, Water and Conservation Division, Heritage Trust Program, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC, 29202, USA.
- South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina, 1321 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Larry R Kimball
- Department of Anthropology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608, USA
| | - Albert C Goodyear
- South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina, 1321 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Mark J Brooks
- South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina, 1321 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - I Randolph Daniel
- Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA
| | | | - Sean G Taylor
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Land, Water and Conservation Division, Heritage Trust Program, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC, 29202, USA
| | - Kiersten J Weber
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Land, Water and Conservation Division, Heritage Trust Program, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC, 29202, USA
| | - John L Fagan
- Archaeological Investigations Northwest, 3510 N.E. 122nd Ave., Portland, OR, 97230, USA
| | - Cam M Walker
- WWAMI Medical Education Program, University of Wyoming, Dept. 4238 Health Sciences Bldg., Rm. 445E, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
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Huang Q. Age-based spatial disparities of COVID-19 incidence rates in the United States counties. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286881. [PMID: 37289782 PMCID: PMC10249835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 incidence disparities have been documented in the literature, but the different driving factors among age groups have yet to be explicitly explained. This study proposes a community-based COVID-19 spatial disparity model, considering different levels of geographic units (individual and community), various contextual variables, multiple COVID-19 outcomes, and different geographic contextual elements. The model assumes the existence of age nonstationarity effects on health determinants, suggesting that health effects of contextual variables vary among place and age groups. Based on this conceptual model and theory, the study selected 62 county-level variables for 1,748 U.S. counties during the pandemic, and created an Adjustable COVID-19 Potential Exposure Index (ACOVIDPEI) using principal component analysis (PCA). The validation was done with 71,521,009 COVID-19 patients in the U.S. from January 2020 through June 2022, with high incidence rates shifting from the Midwest, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arizona, and Tennessee to the West and East coasts. This study corroborates the age nonstationarity effect of health determinants on COVID-19 exposures. These results empirically identify the geographic disparities of COVID-19 incidence rates among age groups and provide the evidentiary guide for targeting pandemic recovery, mitigation, and preparedness in communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Huang
- Center for Rural Health Research, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, United States of America
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Mathias W, Nichols KA, Golden-Wright J, Fairman CM, Felder TM, Workman L, Wickersham KE, Flicker KJ, Sheng J, Noblet SB, Adams SA, Eberth JM, Heiney SP, Wilcox S, Hébert JR, Friedman DB. Implementation During a Pandemic: Findings, Successes, and Lessons Learned from Community Grantees. J Cancer Educ 2023; 38:957-962. [PMID: 36056185 PMCID: PMC9439940 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-022-02213-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Funding communities through mini-grant programs builds community capacity by fostering leadership among community members, developing expertise in implementing evidence-based practices, and increasing trust in partnerships. The South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN) implemented the Community Health Intervention Program (CHIP) mini-grants initiative to address cancer-related health disparities among high-risk populations in rural areas of the state. One community-based organization and one faith-based organization were funded during the most recent call for proposals. The organizations implemented National Cancer Institute evidence-based strategies and programs focused on health and cancer screenings and physical activity and promotion of walking trails. Despite the potential for the COVID-19 pandemic to serve as a major barrier to implementation, grantees successfully recruited and engaged community members in evidence-based activities. These initiatives added material benefits to their local communities, including promotion of walking outdoors where it is less likely to contract the virus when socially distanced and provision of COVID-19 testing and vaccines along with other health and cancer screenings. Future mini-grants programs will benefit from learning from current grantees' flexibility in program implementation during a pandemic as well as their intentional approach to modifying program aspects as needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilhelmenia Mathias
- Health and Wellness Ministry, Trinity Baptist Church, Columbia, SC 29204, USA
| | | | - Jewel Golden-Wright
- Health and Wellness Ministry, Trinity Baptist Church, Columbia, SC 29204, USA
| | - Ciaran M Fairman
- Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Tisha M Felder
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Lauren Workman
- Department of Health Services Policy and Management & Center for Applied Research Evaluation, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Karen E Wickersham
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Kimberly J Flicker
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior & Office for the Study of Aging, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Jingxi Sheng
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Samuel B Noblet
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Swann Arp Adams
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics & Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Jan M Eberth
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Rural and Minority Health Research Center & Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Sue P Heiney
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Sara Wilcox
- Department of Exercise Science and Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - James R Hébert
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics & Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Daniela B Friedman
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior & Office for the Study of Aging, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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Nkwonta CA, Zhang J, Chen S, Weissman S, Olatosi B, Li X. Prevalence and trend of AIDS-defining cancers and non-AIDS-defining cancers and their association with antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV in South Carolina: a population-based cohort study. AIDS Care 2023; 35:753-763. [PMID: 35578401 PMCID: PMC9666704 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2022.2074957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACTMonitoring cancer trends and risk is critical as cancer remains a growing problem in persons living with HIV (PLWH). Recent population-based data are limited regarding the cancer trends among PLWH. Our study examined the prevalence and trends in the rate of AIDS-defining cancers (ADC) and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADC) and their risk factors in PLWH in South Carolina. Utilizing linked population-based HIV data (2005-2020), time-dependent proportional hazards model was used to identify associated risk predictors of developing cancer in PLWH. Among 11,238 PLWH, 250 individuals developed ADC and 454 developed NADC. The median time from HIV diagnosis to cancer diagnosis was 1.9 years for ADC and 3.8 years for NADC. Individuals who developed ADC or NADC were more likely to be older, male, use substances, have hepatitis infection, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and renal disease. Individuals with viral load >100,000 copies/ml were more likely to develop ADC while those with CD4 count >350 cells/mm3 were less likely to develop ADC or NADC. Our findings suggest that long-term viral suppression may contribute to risk reduction for cancer in PLWH. Early HIV diagnosis along with viral load suppression should be a part of ongoing cancer prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chigozie A. Nkwonta
- Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA, 10010
| | - Jiajia Zhang
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
| | - Shujie Chen
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
| | - Sharon Weissman
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
| | - Bankole Olatosi
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
- Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
| | - Xiaoming Li
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 29208
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Johnson JM, Bock SL, Smaga CR, Lambert MR, Rainwater TR, Wilkinson PM, Parrott BB. Relationships between maternally-transferred mercury and hatchling development, behavior, and survival in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Sci Total Environ 2023; 870:162010. [PMID: 36739038 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a toxic and pervasive environmental contaminant that can be transferred from mother to offspring during development. Consequences of maternally-transferred mercury have been observed in vertebrate taxa, including reduced clutch viability, reduced offspring size, and behavioral alterations. These sublethal effects have been assumed to decrease survivorship, though this is seldom assessed. Here, we examined how maternally-transferred mercury interacts with incubation temperature to influence reproductive success, offspring behavior, and subsequent survival in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). We collected nine clutches of eggs from a mercury contaminated reservoir on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, and incubated eggs at either female- or male-promoting temperatures. Clutch-averaged mercury in egg yolk was high relative to other studies in crocodilians and ranged from 0.248 to 0.554 ppm compared to 0.018-0.052 ppm at a site with low levels of mercury contamination; mercury levels in hatchling blood ranged from 0.090 to 0.490 ppm (x¯ = 0.240 ppm, n = 158). We found few, mostly negligible correlations between life history traits and mercury but noted a positive relationship with egg mass, possibly mediated by correlated maternal effects such as resource provisioning. Incubation temperature exerted strong effects on hatchling phenotypes, with warmer, male-promoting temperatures producing larger and bolder hatchlings. Presumptive females, produced from cooler incubation temperatures, spent more time in warm areas during behavior trials. Hatchlings were released 10-15 days post-hatch and surveyed over eight months to assess survival. Survivorship was positively correlated with hatchling size and negatively correlated with proportional time spent in warm areas. Presumptive females had much lower survival, and overall survivorship for the eight-month period was 0.185-0.208, depending on the modelling approach. Our study suggests that, within the range of concentrations we observed, incubation temperature has a stronger effect on offspring behavior and survival than maternally-transferred mercury pollution in American alligators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiah M Johnson
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States.
| | - Samantha L Bock
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Christopher R Smaga
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Max R Lambert
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Thomas R Rainwater
- Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC 29442, United States; Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, SC 29440, United States
| | | | - Benjamin B Parrott
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
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Cheung JTH, Zhang W, Chiu BCH. Geospatial analysis of population-based incidence of multiple myeloma in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol 2023; 83:102343. [PMID: 36841019 PMCID: PMC10006347 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated the spatial patterns of multiple myeloma (MM) incidence in the United States (US) between 2013 and 2017 to improve understanding of potential environmental risk factors for MM. METHODS We analyzed the average county-level age-adjusted incidence rates ("ASR") of MM between 2013 and 2017 in 50 states and the District of Columbia using the U.S. Cancer Statistics Public Use Databases. We firstly divided the ASR into quintiles and described spatial patterns using a choropleth map. To identify global and local clusters of the ASR, we performed the Spatial Autocorrelation (Global Moran's I) analysis and the Anselin's Local Indicator of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) analysis. We compared the means of selected demographic and socioeconomic factors between the clusters and counties of the whole US using Welch one-sided t-test. RESULTS We identified distinct spatial dichotomy of the ASR across counties. High ASR were observed in counties in the Southeast of the US as well as the Capital District (metropolitan areas surrounding Albany) and New York City in the state of New York, while low ASR were observed in counties in the Southwest and West of the US. The ASR showed a significant positive spatial autocorrelation. We identified two major high-high local clusters of the ASR in Georgia and Southern Carolina and five major low-low local clusters of the ASR in Alabama, Arizona, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, and Tennessee. The racial population distribution may partly explain the spatial distribution of MM incidence in the US. CONCLUSION Findings from this study showed distinct spatial distribution of MM in the US and two high-high and five low-low local clusters. The non-random distribution of MM suggests that environmental exposures in certain regions may be important for the risk of MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason T-H Cheung
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Brian C-H Chiu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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George MD, Holder HD, McKenzie PN, Faile BS, Mueller HR. Reducing Underage Drinking Through Visible Home Visits by Law Enforcement: An Efficacy Case Study Over 29 Months. J Drug Educ 2023; 52:16-29. [PMID: 37437577 DOI: 10.1177/00472379231185126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes the development and impact of an underage drinking reduction program designed and implemented by a South Carolina county sheriff's office with assistance from the county coalition. In December 2017, high school surveys identified family and friends as the alcohol source 82.2% of the time. In Summer 2018, sheriff deputies began visiting with almost all high school seniors, i.e., 1,352 high school senior visits.Deputies reminded parents to not provide alcohol to anyone under 21 years old. School surveys were conducted pre-program (December 2017), during (April 2018 and September 2018) and post-program (April 2020). Comparing the pre-effort results with post surveys found a 22.8% decline in 30-day drinking (p=.01) and a 23.5% decrease in binge drinking (p=.07). As described by Holder et al., the results provide the foundation for replication under controlled research conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D George
- Program Evaluator, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Harold D Holder
- Senior Scientist Emeritus, Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Paul N McKenzie
- Director of Research and Development, Lancaster County School District, Lancaster, SC, USA
| | - Barry S Faile
- Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, Lancaster, SC, USA
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43
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Fallon CM, Bower WR, Powell BA, Livens FR, Lyon IC, McNulty AE, Peruski K, Mosselmans JFW, Kaplan DI, Grolimund D, Warnicke P, Ferreira-Sanchez D, Kauppi MS, Vettese GF, Shaw S, Morris K, Law GTW. Vadose-zone alteration of metaschoepite and ceramic UO 2 in Savannah River Site field lysimeters. Sci Total Environ 2023; 862:160862. [PMID: 36521613 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Uranium dioxide (UO2) and metaschoepite (UO3•nH2O) particles have been identified as contaminants at nuclear sites. Understanding their behavior and impact is crucial for safe management of radioactively contaminated land and to fully understand U biogeochemistry. The Savannah River Site (SRS) (South Carolina, USA), is one such contaminated site, following historical releases of U-containing wastes to the vadose zone. Here, we present an insight into the behavior of these two particle types under dynamic conditions representative of the SRS, using field lysimeters (15 cm D x 72 cm L). Discrete horizons containing the different particle types were placed at two depths in each lysimeter (25 cm and 50 cm) and exposed to ambient rainfall for 1 year, with an aim of understanding the impact of dynamic, shallow subsurface conditions on U particle behavior and U migration. The dissolution and migration of U from the particle sources and the speciation of U throughout the lysimeters was assessed after 1 year using a combination of sediment digests, sequential extractions, and bulk and μ-focus X-ray spectroscopy. In the UO2 lysimeter, oxidative dissolution of UO2 and subsequent migration of U was observed over 1-2 cm in the direction of waterflow and against it. Sequential extractions of the UO2 sources suggest they were significantly altered over 1 year. The metaschoepite particles also showed significant dissolution with marginally enhanced U migration (several cm) from the sources. However, in both particle systems the released U was quantitively retained in sediment as a range of different U(IV) and U(VI) phases, and no detectable U was measured in the lysimeter effluent. The study provides a useful insight into U particle behavior in representative, real-world conditions relevant to the SRS, and highlights limited U migration from particle sources due to secondary reactions with vadose zone sediments over 1 year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connaugh M Fallon
- Centre for Radiochemistry Research, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK,; Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning and Williamson Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - William R Bower
- Centre for Radiochemistry Research, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK,; Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Brian A Powell
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Francis R Livens
- Centre for Radiochemistry Research, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK,; Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning and Williamson Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ian C Lyon
- Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning and Williamson Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Alana E McNulty
- Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning and Williamson Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Kathryn Peruski
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | | | - Daniel I Kaplan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29808, USA
| | - Daniel Grolimund
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen CH-5232, Switzerland
| | - Peter Warnicke
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen CH-5232, Switzerland
| | | | - Marja Siitari Kauppi
- Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Gianni F Vettese
- Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Samuel Shaw
- Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning and Williamson Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Katherine Morris
- Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning and Williamson Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Gareth T W Law
- Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
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Johnson KA, Bock CH, Vinson EL, Brannen PM. Prevalence and Distribution of Phony Peach Disease (Caused by Xylella fastidiosa) in the United States. Plant Dis 2023; 107:326-334. [PMID: 35771113 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-03-22-0653-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Peach is an important specialty fruit crop in the United States, and phony peach disease (PPD), caused by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex, has been a major cause of yield loss since it was first observed in 1885. Under a federal eradication program, surveys of PPD were conducted from 1929 to 1972, when the program was terminated. No surveys have been conducted in approximately 50 years; therefore, the current prevalence of PPD in the United States is unknown, especially in the Southeast, where damage was previously most severe. To ascertain the status of PPD, we surveyed orchards in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina from June to August 2020 and, except for South Carolina and northern Georgia, PPD was prevalent. Trees in 17 orchards were subjected to confirmation of X. fastidiosa using the AmplifyRP XRT+ for X. fastidiosa to corroborate our visual assessments; based on these tests, PPD incidence in the orchards ranged from 0 to 30.5%. Ancillary written surveys of relative PPD presence and prevalence were sent to fruit pathologists from universities in 20 states where PPD was historically reported. Only 35.0% of respondents reported that PPD either currently or recently occurred in their state and, of these, three reported PPD to be of significant concern. The results of the physical and written surveys indicate that PPD remains prevalent mainly in the southeastern region of the United States but, in other states where previously reported, it is either not present or has very low prevalence when compared with historical accounts of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall A Johnson
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, 2105 Miller Plant Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Clive H Bock
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service-Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Station, Byron, GA 31008
| | - Edgar L Vinson
- Department of Horticulture, Auburn University, Chilton Research and Extension Center, Clanton, AL 35045
| | - Phillip M Brannen
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, 2105 Miller Plant Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30602
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45
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Nkwonta CA, Harrison SE. HIV knowledge, risk perception, and testing behaviors among college students in South Carolina. J Am Coll Health 2023; 71:274-281. [PMID: 33759714 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1891078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a critical public health challenge and disproportionately affects young adults, racial minorities, and residents of the Southern United States. This study aimed to investigate HIV knowledge, risk perception, and testing behaviors among a sample of college students in South Carolina (SC). Participants: Undergraduate students (N = 256) from a large public university in SC. Methods: Participants completed a cross-sectional survey on HIV knowledge, testing behaviors, and attitudes. Results: More than one-third of participants displayed misunderstanding about HIV transmission. Less than 20% perceived themselves to be at-risk for HIV, and only 8% reported having ever been tested for HIV. In addition, a majority of participants (83%) reported they would feel ashamed if they acquired HIV. HIV knowledge was negatively correlated with HIV testing. Conclusions: Results indicate the need for HIV education among college students in SC to clear misconceptions, minimize knowledge gaps, reduce HIV-related stigma, and promote HIV testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chigozie A Nkwonta
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sayward E Harrison
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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46
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Maness SB, Low JH, Vu T. A Qualitative Analysis of Access to Healthcare Among African American Adults in South Carolina. J Prim Care Community Health 2023; 14:21501319231153593. [PMID: 36760101 PMCID: PMC9943950 DOI: 10.1177/21501319231153593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Access to healthcare is a Social Determinant of Health that is associated with public health outcomes and barriers to access disproportionately affect African American adults. This study used a health and financial literacy approach to qualitatively assess how African American adults access healthcare and potential barriers faced (n = 20). Results indicated a wide range of experiences generally split between positive and negative experiences in access to healthcare. Specific themes that emerged included scheduling issues and appointment availability, expense of care, lack of transparency in insurance coverage, the need for more primary care clinics and enhanced community outreach and education on how to access healthcare. This research identifies a need for increased education surrounding health insurance coverage and an identified need for more local physicians or ease of scheduling. All participants in this study stated they were covered by health insurance of some form. Future research should examine these issues in the context of socioeconomic and insurance status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B. Maness
- Department of Health and Human
Performance, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jonathan H. Low
- Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN,
USA
- College of Charleston School of
Business, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Tony Vu
- College of Charleston School of
Business, Charleston, SC, USA
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47
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Ulus Y, Tsui MTK, Sakar A, Nyarko P, Aitmbarek NB, Ardón M, Chow AT. Declines of methylmercury along a salinity gradient in a low-lying coastal wetland ecosystem at South Carolina, USA. Chemosphere 2022; 308:136310. [PMID: 36088973 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands are widely regarded as biogeochemical hotspots of highly toxic methylmercury (MeHg), mainly mediated by sulfate-reducing bacteria. In low-lying coastal wetlands, sea level rise, a phenomenon caused by global climate change, is slowly degrading numerous healthy freshwater forested wetlands into salt-degraded counterparts with a nickname "ghost forests", and eventually converting them to saltmarshes. However, little is known about the changes of mercury (Hg) methylation, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification along the forest-to-saltmarsh gradient. Here, we conducted extensive field sampling in three wetland states (healthy forested wetlands, salt-degraded forested wetlands, and saltmarsh) along a salinity gradient (from 0 to 9.4 ppt) in Winyah Bay, South Carolina, USA. We found that in our study wetland systems the saltmarshes had the lowest levels of both total Hg and MeHg in sediments and biota, as compared to healthy forested wetlands and saltwater-degraded ghost forests. Our results suggest that the slow conversion of forested wetland to saltmarsh could reduce net MeHg production in our study wetland systems, which we hypothesized that could be attributed to increased sulfate reduction and excessive buildup of sulfide in sediment that inhibits microbial Hg methylation, and/or reduced canopy density and increased photodegradation of MeHg. However, it should be noted that biogeochemical MeHg responses to salinity changes may be site-specific and we urge more similar studies in other wetland systems along a salinity gradient. Therefore, long-term salinization of coastal wetlands and the slow conversion of forests to marshes could decrease long-term exposure of toxic MeHg levels in coastal food webs that are similar to our system, and ultimately reduce human exposure to this neurotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yener Ulus
- Department of Environmental Studies, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, 28035, USA; Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | - Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA; School of Life Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences Programme, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Aslihan Sakar
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | - Paul Nyarko
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | - Nadia B Aitmbarek
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | - Marcelo Ardón
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Alex T Chow
- Biogeochemistry and Environmental Quality Research Group, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC, 29442, USA
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48
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Fish LJ, Harrison SE, McDonald JA, Yelverton V, Williams C, Walter EB, Vasudevan L. Key stakeholder perspectives on challenges and opportunities for rural HPV vaccination in North and South Carolina. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2058264. [PMID: 35439108 PMCID: PMC9248957 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2058264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify factors at the individual, provider, and systems levels that serve as challenges or opportunities for increasing adolescent vaccination-including Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination-in rural communities in the southern United States (US). As part of a broader study to increase HPV vaccine uptake in the southern US, we conducted in-depth interviews with vaccination stakeholders representing public health and education agencies in North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC). Fourteen key stakeholders were recruited using purposive sampling to obtain insights into challenges and solutions to rural-urban disparities in HPV vaccination coverage. Stakeholders were also queried about their experiences and attitudes toward school-based vaccination promotion programs and campaigns. We used a rapid qualitative approach to analyze the data. Stakeholders identified factors at the individual, provider, and systems levels that serve as challenges to vaccination in rural communities. Similar to previous studies, stakeholders mentioned challenges with healthcare access and vaccine-related misconceptions that pose barriers to HPV vaccination for rural residents. Systems-level challenges identified included limited access to high-speed internet in rural areas that may impact providers' ability to interface with state-level digital systems such as the vaccination registry. Stakeholders identified a number of opportunities to increase HPV vaccination coverage, including through school-based health promotion programs. Stakeholders strongly supported school-based programs and approaches to strengthen confidence and demand for HPV vaccination and to help address persistent social determinants and system level factors that pose challenges to HPV vaccination coverage in many rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Fish
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sayward E Harrison
- Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- South Carolina Smart State Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | | | - Valerie Yelverton
- Department of Health Services Policy & Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Charnetta Williams
- Immunization Services Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emmanuel B. Walter
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lavanya Vasudevan
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
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49
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Camp-Spivey LJ, Newman SD, Stevens RN, Nichols M. Survey of South Carolina Public School Personnel Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Regular Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Behaviors in Schools. J Sch Health 2022; 92:1062-1073. [PMID: 35962619 DOI: 10.1111/josh.13228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In South Carolina (SC), 42% of youth are overweight or obese. Two sets of modifiable behaviors contributing to obesity are physical activity (PA) and dietary habits. School-based interventions have successfully improved these behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify SC public school personnel perspectives on the most common barriers and facilitators to regular PA and healthy eating behaviors in schools. METHODS A needs assessment survey was conducted with school personnel statewide. There were 17 questions on the survey that addressed: (1) demographic information about participants' educational backgrounds, (2) barriers to regular PA and healthy eating behaviors in schools, and (3) facilitators to regular PA and healthy eating behaviors in schools. Univariate and bivariate descriptive statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27. RESULTS Participants (N = 1311) indicated insufficient time for regular PA (n = 514, 39.2%) and limited access to healthy foods for healthy eating (n = 271, 20.7%) as main barriers. The primary facilitators were support from administrators for regular PA (n = 264, 20.1%) and support from cafeteria staff for healthy eating (n = 234, 17.8%). Further analyses explored how factors compared based on roles in schools, academic levels, and school district classifications. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that overarching barriers and facilitators to school-based interventions addressing childhood obesity exist, so common strategies to mitigate challenges and maximize supports can be used in schools. Future studies are needed to examine how decreasing barriers and enhancing facilitators affect the implementation and outcomes of these school-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan J Camp-Spivey
- Mary Black College of Nursing, University of South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg, SC, 29303
| | - Susan D Newman
- College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425
| | - Robert N Stevens
- South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Co-Chair, Southeastern School Behavioral Health Conference, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA; Consultant, South Carolina Department of Education, Columbia, SC, 29211, USA; Consultant, South Carolina Department of Mental Health, Columbia, SC, 29202, USA; Investigator, STAR Clinical Research Network, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA, Multiple
| | - Michelle Nichols
- College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; President, Mixed Methods International Research Association, Indianapolis, IN, 46230, USA, Multiple
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50
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Harrison SE, Paton M, Muessig KE, Vecchio AC, Hanson LA, Hightow-Weidman LB. "Do I want PrEP or do I want a roof?": Social determinants of health and HIV prevention in the southern United States. AIDS Care 2022; 34:1435-1442. [PMID: 35109734 PMCID: PMC9343473 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2022.2029816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Scaling up use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among young men who have sex with men and transgender women (YMSM/TGW) is a critical part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic plan. This qualitative study contextualized the social determinants of health (SDOH) that can impede HIV prevention in rural North and South Carolina with 14 key informant interviews with stakeholders and 3 focus groups with YMSM/TGW (N = 23). A deductive-inductive approach with multiple coders was employed to identify themes related to SDOH in rural areas, including economic challenges (e.g., housing and food insecurity), neighborhood characteristics (e.g., lack of transportation), healthcare-related issues (e.g., provider shortages) and educational barriers (e.g., lack of comprehensive and inclusive sexual education). The socio-environmental context of the rural South and prioritization of local, community-based partnerships are necessary to reduce the burden of HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayward E. Harrison
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Barnwell College, Columbia, South Carolina
- South Carolina Smart State Center for Healthcare Quality, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Mariajosé Paton
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Barnwell College, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Kathryn E. Muessig
- Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Alyssa C. Vecchio
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Lyd A. Hanson
- Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Lisa B. Hightow-Weidman
- Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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