Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2021
State earned income tax credits and suicidal behavior: A repeated cross-sectional study.
Suicide is an increasingly common cause of death in the United States and recent increases in suicide rates disproportionately impact low income individuals. We sought to assess the impact of income support in the form of state earned income tax credit policies on suicide-related behaviors. This state-level study used repeated cross-sectional data from vital records and the National Survey of Drug Use and Health data representative at the state-level. ⋯ This translates to 4 fewer suicide attempts per 10,000 population each year. Generous state earned income tax credit policies are associated with reductions in the frequency of most severe suicidal behavior. Income support policies may be one way to reduce suicide attempts and death, especially among low-income adults.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2021
A portrait of the early and differential mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: Findings from the first wave of a nationally representative cross-sectional survey.
Evidence on the population-level mental health impacts of COVID-19 are beginning to amass; however, to date, there are significant gaps in our understandings of whose mental health is most impacted, how the pandemic is contributing to widening mental health inequities, and the coping strategies being used to sustain mental health. The first wave of a repeated cross-sectional monitoring survey was conducted between May 14-29, 2020 to assess the mental health impacts of the pandemic and to identify the disproportionate impacts on populations or groups identified as experiencing increased risks due to structural vulnerability and pre-existing health and social inequities. Respondents included a nationally representative probability sample (n = 3000) of Canadian adults 18 years and older. ⋯ Those who experience health, social, and/or structural vulnerabilities due to pre-existing mental health conditions, disability, income, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or gender are more likely to endorse mental health deterioration, challenging emotions, and difficulties coping. This monitoring study highlights the differential mental health impacts of the pandemic for those who experience health, social, and structural inequities. These data are critical to informing responsive, equity-oriented public health, and policy responses in real-time to protect and promote the mental health of those most at risk during the pandemic and beyond.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2021
Antenatal care in Southern Brazil: Coverage, trends and inequalities.
We described prenatal care quality for four indicators over a 12-years period among puerperae living in Southern Brazil. Five surveys including all women giving birth between 01/01 to 31/12 in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 were conducted in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. A single standardized questionnaire was applied within 48 h after delivery in all the city's maternity hospitals. ⋯ The slope index (SII) and the concentration index (CIX) of inequality showed clear disadvantage among the poorest for prenatal visits starting in the first trimester and performing two or more urine tests. There was a substantial increase in coverage for all variables studied in the period. The reduced inequity, mainly for the beginning of the first trimester and for visits and urine tests, was due to the higher coverage achieved in the poorest quartile.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2021
An examination of preferred messengers on firearm safety for suicide prevention.
This study sought to determine differences in preferred messengers on the topic of safe firearm storage and suicide prevention between firearm owners and non-firearm owners, and among firearm owners of different racial groups and sexes. Participants were 6200 United States residents recruited via Qualtrics Panels to complete an online survey. Data were collected during March 2020. ⋯ Significant differences existed among the mean ranking of sources between firearm owners and non-firearm owners as well as between several subgroups of firearm owners. The identical ranking of the top three sources indicates that these groups agree on the relative credibility of multiple sources, although the average level of credibility for particular sources may vary. These findings highlight that the effectiveness of messaging on safe firearm storage may hinge on the identity of the individual delivering the message and provide an initial roadmap for how to consider packaging specific messages.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2021
Anticipated mental health consequences of coronavirus in a nationally-representative sample: Context, coverage, and economic consequences.
The COVID-19 pandemic will have long-term consequences due to social and economic disruption. This study aimed to understand the contextual, media, and economic factors associated with anticipated mental health consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic among Americans. A nationally representative survey of 1001 respondents was conducted in April 2020. ⋯ Living in a state with a greater COVID-19 death rate (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.10, 2.72) and anticipating long-term financial difficulties (OR 2.98; 95% CI 1.93, 4.60) were both associated with greater likelihood of anticipated mental health consequences. Those whose primary news source was television, as opposed to print or online, were almost 50% less likely to anticipate mental health challenges (OR 0.52 CI 0.33, 0.81), while those who reported spending two or more hours daily on COVID-19 news were 90% more likely (OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.27, 2.85). Aspects of community health, media consumption, and economic impacts influence anticipated poor mental health from the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting each domain is relevant to interventions to address the consequences.