American journal of preventive medicine
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Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods affects the health of individuals. Because of its association with chronic health conditions, addressing food insecurity may improve health outcomes and decrease health-related costs. This study explores whether and how information seeking as captured by calls made to United Way 2-1-1 can be used to identify food-insecure areas and information deserts-communities with low proportions of residents accessing government food resources but with high rates of 2-1-1 calls for emergency food resources. ⋯ Patterns of information seeking about emergency food resources suggest that, despite statewide access to federal means-tested food programs, significant food needs remain. This novel approach in food insecurity research can help public health officials and health systems address an important social determinant of health by identifying areas vulnerable to food insecurity. In addition, this work may be useful in benchmarking food needs, information seeking, and replicating analyses where similar data are available.
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Fast food restaurants, including top burger chains, have reduced calorie content of some menu items in recent years. However, the extent to which the nutrition profile of restaurant menus is changing over time is unknown. ⋯ At large chain burger restaurants, most items were unhealthy, and the overall nutrition profile of menus remained unchanged from 2012 to 2016. Future research should examine the nutrition profile of restaurant menus in a larger, more diverse sample of restaurants over a longer timeframe and examine whether results are robust when other measures of nutritional quality are used.
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The geographic overlap of violence and poor health is a major public health concern. To understand whether and how place-based interventions targeting micro-geographic places can reduce this undesirable co-occurrence, the study addresses 2 important questions. First, to what extent are deteriorated health conditions associated with living at violent crime hot spots? Second, through what mechanisms can focused place-based interventions break the association between living with violence and deteriorated health? ⋯ Indicated or selective strategies are urgently needed to target micro-geographic locations with known increased risks, supplementing universal strategies applied to a broader community.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that, during 1999-2008, people born in 1945-1965 (the baby boomer generation) represented approximately 75% of people infected with hepatitis C virus and 73% of hepatitis C virus-associated deaths and are at greatest risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver disease. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended one-time hepatitis C virus screening for people born during 1945-1965. In addition, New York State enacted a Hepatitis C Virus Testing Law in 2014. This analysis assesses the impacts of the 2012 recommendation and 2014 New York State Testing Law on hepatitis C virus screening rates among New York City Medicaid-enrolled recipients born during 1945-1965. ⋯ Hepatitis C virus screening rates increased in the quarter after the 2014 New York State Hepatitis C Virus Testing Law became effective. Additional efforts are needed to screen baby boomers and people who were recently infected with hepatitis C virus related to opioid use.
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Suicidality is higher for gender minorities than the general population, yet little is known about suicidality in disabled or older adult gender minorities. ⋯ Heightened suicidality among identified gender minority Medicare beneficiaries highlights a pressing need to identify and reduce barriers to wellness in this population.