American journal of preventive medicine
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Complex systems approaches can help to elucidate mechanisms that shape population-level patterns in diet and inform policy approaches. This study reports results of a structured review of key design elements and methods used by existing complex systems models of diet. ⋯ Opportunities remain to advance the state of the science of complex systems approaches to diet and nutrition. These include using models to better understand mechanisms driving population-level diet, increasing use of models for policy decision support, and leveraging the wide availability of epidemiologic and policy evaluation data to improve model validation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Baltimore Community-Based Organizations Neighborhood Network: Enhancing Capacity Together (CONNECT) Cluster RCT.
This cluster RCT aimed to reduce healthcare utilization and increase the referral of patients between an academic health center and local community-based organizations (CBOs) that address social determinants of health. ⋯ The intervention did not improve healthcare utilization outcomes but was associated with increased healthcare staff knowledge of, and confidence in, local CBOs.
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This study reviews collective evidence on the longitudinal impact of housing disadvantage (based on tenure, precarity, and physical characteristics) on mental health. It is focused on temporally ordered studies where exposures preceded outcomes, a key criterion to establishing causal evidence. ⋯ This systematic review confirms that prior exposure to housing disadvantage may impact mental health later in life.
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Past research examining the relationship between alcohol use and weight status has not differentiated among classes of obesity. There is limited research investigating whether adults trying to lose weight consume less alcohol. ⋯ Lower frequency of alcohol use (both sexes) and higher continued volume (female adults only) are associated with higher odds of higher weight status. Female adults trying to lose weight drink more, despite guidelines suggesting reducing caloric intake for weight control.
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This study presents a framework for identifying "high-risk" days for asthma attacks associated with elevated concentrations of criteria pollutants using local information to warn citizens on days when the concentrations differ from Environmental Protection Agency Air Quality Index (AQI) warnings. Studies that consider the unique mixture of pollutants and the health data specific to a city provide additional information for asthma self-management. This framework is applied to air pollution and asthma data to identify supplemental warning days in Houston, Texas. ⋯ Houston uses this framework to identify supplemental air quality warnings to improve asthma self-management. Supplemental days reflect risk lower than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and consecutive poor air quality days, differing from the AQI.