Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
High level of co-occurrence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases among Gambian adults: A national population-based health examination survey.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Co-occurrence of risk factors predisposes an individual to NCDs; the burden increases cumulatively with the number of risk factors. Our study aimed to examine the co-occurrence of NCD risk factors among adults in The Gambia. ⋯ Lower education, older age, and urban residence were significantly associated with three or more risk factors (versus none) among women. The burden of NCDs is expected to increase in The Gambia if preventive and control measures are not taken. There should be an integrated approach targeting all risk factors, including wider treatment and control of hypertension.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Comparative StudyAssociation between state stay-at-home orders and risk reduction behaviors and mental distress amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered stay-at-home orders in 43 states since March 19, 2020. Evidence is limited on how these orders affect peoples' behaviors and mental distress. We used a nationally representative survey of 1094 American adults collected between March 19 and March 31, 2020 to compare risk-reduction behaviors and mental distress in states with and without orders. ⋯ In summary, stay-at-home orders were associated with a differential increase in risk-reduction behaviors. People's mental distress rose in the first week under order and dropped afterwards. While in need for confirmation in longitudinal data, these results suggest that residents are responsive to orders.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Making the news: Victim characteristics associated with media reporting on firearm injury.
Firearm injury is a public health crisis in the United States. Selective media coverage may contribute to incomplete public understanding of firearm injury. To better understand how firearm injury is communicated to the public, we analyzed media coverage of intentional, interpersonal shootings in 3 U. ⋯ Half of shooting victims did not make the news. Selective reporting likely limits awareness of the public health impact of firearm injury. Researchers and policy makers should work with journalists and editors to improve the quantity and content of reporting on firearm injury.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Neighborhood social cohesion and disease prevention in Asian immigrant populations.
In the United States (US), chronic disease risk factors are highly prevalent among Asian immigrant communities, who also exhibit low health screening rates. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion (NSC) has been associated with preventive healthcare use in the general US population, although it remains unexplored among Asian Americans (AAs). The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between NSC and preventive screening for hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression among East, South and Southeast Asian American (EAA, SAA, SEAA) communities in New York City (NYC) using cross-sectional, locally collected data from 2013 to 2016. ⋯ A one-unit increase in NSC score was associated with increased odds of recent screening for high cholesterol in EAAs (AOR = 1.09, 95%CI:1.00-1.20); for high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression in SAAs (AOR = 1.08, 95%CI:1.00-1.20; AOR = 1.07, 95%CI:1.00-1.15; AOR = 1.15, 95%CI:1.06-1.25); and with high cholesterol among SEAAs (AOR = 1.12, 95%CI:1.00-1.25). Overall, NSC was an important facilitator for preventive screening behaviors for specific conditions in different groups, though was consistently associated with screening for high cholesterol in our sample. Enhancing NSC through family and community-based programming may be one strategy to encourage screening for preventive behaviors, though more research is needed to elucidate a precise mechanism.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Household food insecurity and preschool suspension/expulsion in the United States.
Food insecurity is a serious public health concern, affecting approximately 15 million children in the U. S. alone. Exposure to household food insecurity has been linked to a host of deleterious outcomes among infants and children, including mental and behavioral health outcomes. ⋯ Additional analyses revealed that a large portion of this association was attenuated upon accounting for parenting stress and child mental health. Trauma-informed nutrition assistance programming as well as early mental health assessment and consultation may yield collateral benefits in the form of reductions in preschool suspension/expulsion. Given the findings, moreover, future research should consider the role of household food insecurity in contributing to health inequities that perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline.