Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2023
The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and long COVID in US adults during the BA.4/BA.5 surge, June-July 2022.
Due to changes in SARS-CoV-2 testing practices, passive case-based surveillance may be an increasingly unreliable indicator for monitoring the burden of SARS-CoV-2, especially during surges. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of a population-representative sample of 3042 U. S. adults between June 30 and July 2, 2022, during the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 surge. ⋯ SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was also higher among those with lower income (aPR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5, 2.3), lower education (aPR 3.7 95% CI 3.0,4.7), and those with comorbidities (aPR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4, 2.0). An estimated 21.5% (95% CI 18.2, 24.7) of respondents with a SARS-CoV-2 infection >4 weeks prior reported long COVID symptoms. The inequitable distribution of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence during the BA.4/BA.5 surge will likely drive inequities in the future burden of long COVID.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2023
Inequitable access to general and behavioral healthcare in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: A role for telehealth?
Wide-ranging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to increased psychological distress and alcohol consumption, and disproportionate hardship for disadvantaged groups. Early in the pandemic, telehealth services were expanded to maintain healthcare access amidst lockdowns, medical office closures, and fear of infection. This study examines general and behavioral healthcare access and disparities during the first year of the pandemic. ⋯ White) and lower-income (vs. higher-income) groups (AORs <0.37, p's < 0.05). Notably, telehealth was commonly used by Hispanic/Latinx and lower-income groups for general and particularly behavioral healthcare. Results suggest that telehealth has provided an important bridge to healthcare for certain medically underserved groups during the pandemic, and may be vital to future efforts to increase equity in healthcare access.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2023
Screen time and suicidal behaviors among U.S. children 9-11 years old: A prospective cohort study.
Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents. Emerging literature has described relationships between excessive screen time and suicidal behaviors, though findings have been mixed. The objective of this study is to determine the prospective associations between screen time and suicidal behaviors two-years later in a national (U. ⋯ For specific screen time modalities, each additional hour of texting (aOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.06-1.74), video chatting (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03-1.65), watching videos (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.04-1.39), and playing video games (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.01-1.38) was associated with higher odds of subsequent suicidal behaviors. Higher screen time is associated with higher odds of reporting suicidal behaviors at two-year-follow-up. Future research should seek to identify how specific screen time experiences may influence suicidal behaviors.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2023
Cumulative life-course victimization and inflammation in a U.S. national sample: Comparing intersections based on sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and education.
Violence victimization has been associated with low-grade inflammation. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) individuals are at greater risk for victimization in childhood and young adulthood compared to heterosexuals. Moreover, the intersection of LGB identity with gender, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment may be differentially associated with victimization rates. ⋯ Moreover, among LGB adults, the association between 1) less than college education and 2) some college education, and low-grade inflammation was mediated by cumulative life-course victimization. For LGB females, there was a direct association between identity and low-grade inflammation and this association was mediated by cumulative life-course victimization. Reducing accumulation of victimization could be critical for preventing biological dysregulation and disease onset among LGB individuals, particularly for those with multiple marginalized identities.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2023
Comment LetterCommentary on "Increased nicotine vaping due to the COVID-19 pandemic among US young adults: Associations with nicotine dependence, vaping frequency, and reasons for use".
This manuscript is a correspondence referencing an article published in Preventive Medicine.