Household COVID-19 risk and in-person schooling

In-person schooling has proved contentious and difficult to study throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Data from a massive online survey in the United States indicates an increased risk of COVID-19-related outcomes among respondents living with a child attending school in-person. School-based mitigation measures are associated with significant reductions in risk, particularly daily symptoms screens, teacher masking, and closure of extra-curricular activities. A positive association between in-person schooling and COVID-19 outcomes persists at low levels of mitigation, but when seven or more mitigation measures are reported, a significant relationship is no longer observed. Among teachers, working outside the home was associated with an increase in COVID-19-related outcomes, but this association is similar to other occupations (e.g., healthcare, office work). While in-person schooling is associated with household COVID-19 risk, this risk can likely be controlled with properly implemented school-based mitigation measures.

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Household COVID-19 risk and in-person schooling

10.1101/2021.02.27.21252597 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Justin Lessler ◽

M. Kate Grabowski ◽

Kyra H Grantz ◽

Elena Badillo-Goicoechea ◽

C. Jessica E. Metcalf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Office Work ◽

School Based ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Extra Curricular Activities

In-person schooling has proved contentious and difficult to study throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Data from a massive online survey in the United States indicates an increased risk of COVID-19-related outcomes among respondents living with a child attending school in-person. School-based mitigation measures are associated with significant reductions in risk, particularly daily symptoms screens, teacher masking, and closure of extra-curricular activities. With seven or more mitigation measures, the association between in-person schooling and COVID-19- related outcomes all but disappears. Teachers working outside the home were more likely to report COVID-19-related outcomes, but this association is similar to other occupations (e.g., healthcare, office work). In-person schooling is associated with household COVID-19 risk, but this risk can likely be controlled with properly implemented school-based mitigation measures.

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COVID-19 and Immigrant Essential Workers: Bhutanese and Burmese Refugees in the United States

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354920971720 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 136 (1) ◽

pp. 117-123

Author(s):

Mengxi Zhang ◽

Ashok Gurung ◽

Philip Anglewicz ◽

Katherine Yun

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Online Survey ◽

Sampling Strategy ◽

The United States ◽

Community Leaders ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Asian Immigrant ◽

Related Risk ◽

Increased Risk

Objectives Immigrants are believed to be at high risk of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A leading suspected risk factor is their role in the essential workforce. We aimed to describe COVID-19–related risk factors among Bhutanese and Burmese refugees in the United States. Methods We administered an anonymous online survey in May 2020 among community leaders of Bhutanese and Burmese refugees. Using a snowball sampling strategy, we invited community leaders to complete the survey and share the link with others who met inclusion criteria (English proficient, aged ≥18, currently living in the United States). We compared respondents with and without recent COVID-19 and identified risk factors for infection. Results Of 218 refugees in 23 states who completed the survey from May 15 through June 1, 2020, fifteen (6.9%) reported infection with COVID-19. Being an essential worker during the pandemic (odds ratio [OR] = 5.25; 95% CI, 1.21-22.78), having an infected family member (OR = 26.92; 95% CI, 5.19-139.75), and being female (OR = 5.63; 95% CI, 1.14-27.82) were risk factors for infection. Among 33 infected family members, 23 (69.7%) were essential workers. Conclusion Although we had a small snowball sample, we found that working in essential industries was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection among Bhutanese and Burmese refugees. We call for larger studies that include Asian immigrant subgroups, as well as immediate attention to protecting immigrant essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Compliance with COVID-19 Mitigation Measures in the United States

10.31234/osf.io/qymu3 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Benjamin van Rooij ◽

Anne Leonore de Bruijn ◽

Christopher Reinders Folmer ◽

Emmeke Barbara Kooistra ◽

Malouke Esra Kuiper ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Norms ◽

Human Behavior ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Self Control ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Intrinsic Motivations ◽

Fundamental Shift

The COVID-19 mitigation measures require a fundamental shift in human behavior. The present study assesses what factors influence Americans to comply with the stay at home and social distancing measures. It analyzes data from an online survey, conducted on April 3, 2020, of 570 participants from 35 states that have adopted such measures. The results show that while perceptual deterrence was not associated with compliance, people actually comply less when they fear the authorities. Further, two broad processes promote compliance. First, compliance depended on people’s capacity to obey the rules, opportunity to break the rules, and self-control. As such, compliance results from their own personal abilities and the context in which they live. Second, compliance depended on people’s intrinsic motivations, including substantive moral support and social norms. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for ensuring compliance to effectively mitigate the virus.

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Caught in the Crossfire: How Contradictory Information and Norms on Social Media Influence Young Women’s Intentions to Receive HPV Vaccination in the United States and China

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.548365 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Shuya Pan ◽

Di Zhang ◽

Jingwen Zhang

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Social Norms ◽

Online Survey ◽

Hpv Vaccination ◽

Positive Association ◽

The United States ◽

Hpv Vaccines ◽

Contradictory Information ◽

To Receive

This study uses online survey data from the United States and China to examine how contradictory information and social norms regarding HPV vaccines obtained through social media are related to young women’s attitudes and intentions surrounding HPV vaccination. The results show that exposure to contradictory information on social media had a greater negative association with intentions to receive HPV vaccination among the United States participants than among the Chinese participants, while social norms supporting HPV vaccines had a stronger positive association with intentions to receive HPV vaccination among the Chinese participants than among the United States participants. These findings extend the literature on social media communication regarding HPV vaccination and contribute to our knowledge of cultural contexts that influence intentions to receive HPV vaccination.

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Interactions of Pathogens and Irritant Chemicals in Land-Applied Sewage Sludges (Biosolids)

NEW SOLUTIONS A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy ◽

10.2190/lhry-90eh-ht21-vph7 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 409-423 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David L. Lewis ◽

David K. Gattie ◽

Marc E. Novak ◽

Susan Sanchez ◽

Charles Pumphrey

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Adverse Effects ◽

Local Governments ◽

The United States ◽

Land Application ◽

Chemical Components ◽

Application Site ◽

Sewage Sludges ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Low Levels

Fertilization of land with processed sewage sludges, which often contain low levels of pathogens, endotoxins, and trace amounts of industrial and household chemicals, has become common practice in Western Europe, the United States, and Canada. Local governments, however, are increasingly restricting or banning the practice in response to residents reporting adverse health effects. These self-reported illnesses have not been studied and methods for assessing exposures of residential communities to contaminants from processed sewage sludges need to be developed. Methods: To describe and document adverse effects reported by residents, 48 individuals at ten sites in the United States and Canada were questioned about their environmental exposures and symptoms. Information was obtained on five additional cases where an outbreak of staphylococcal infections occurred near a land application site in Robesonia, Pennsylvania. Medical records were reviewed in cases involving hospitalization or other medical treatment. Since most complaints were associated with airborne contaminants, an air dispersion model was used as a means for potentially ruling out exposure to sludge as the cause of adverse effects. Results: Affected residents lived within approximately 1 km of land-application sites and generally complained of irritation (e.g., skin rashes and burning of the eyes, throat, and lungs) after exposure to winds blowing from treated fields. A prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus infections of the skin and respiratory tract was found. Approximately one in four of 54 individuals were infected, including two mortalities (septicemia, pneumonia). This result was consistent with the prevalence of S. aureus infections accompanying diaper rashes in which the organism, which is occasionally found in the lower human colon, tends to invade irritated or inflamed tissue. Conclusions: When assessing public health risks from applying sewage sludges in residential areas, potential interactions of chemical contaminants with low levels of pathogens should be considered. An increased risk of infection may occur when allergic and non-allergic reactions to endotoxins and other chemical components irritate skin and mucous membranes and thereby compromise normal barriers to infection.

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School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists' Perceived Self-Efficacy in Conducting Multidimensional Treatment With Children Who Stutter

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/2020_lshss-20-00044 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 1172-1186

Author(s):

Carolina Beita-Ell ◽

Michael P. Boyle

Keyword(s):

Self Efficacy ◽

Clinical Training ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Comfort Level ◽

Social Emotional ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Fluency Disorders ◽

Cognitive Components ◽

School Based

Purpose The purposes of this study were to examine the self-efficacy of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in conducting multidimensional treatment with children who stutter (CWS) and to identify correlates of self-efficacy in treating speech-related, social, emotional, and cognitive domains of stuttering. Method Three hundred twenty randomly selected school-based SLPs across the United States responded to an online survey that contained self-efficacy scales related to speech, social, emotional, and cognitive components of stuttering. These ratings were analyzed in relation to participants' beliefs about stuttering treatment and their comfort level in treating CWS, perceived success in therapy, and empathy levels, in addition to their academic and clinical training in fluency disorders as well as demographic information. Results Overall, SLPs reported moderate levels of self-efficacy on each self-efficacy scale and on a measure of total self-efficacy. Significant positive associations were observed between SLPs' self-efficacy perceptions and their comfort level in treating CWS, self-reported success in treatment, beliefs about the importance of multidimensional treatment, and self-reported empathy. There were some discrepancies between what SLPs believed was important to address in stuttering therapy and how they measured success in therapy. Conclusions Among school-based SLPs, self-efficacy for treating school-age CWS with a multidimensional approach appears stronger than previously reported; however, more progress in training and experience is needed for SLPs to feel highly self-efficacious in these areas. Continuing to improve clinician self-efficacy for stuttering treatment through improved academic training and increased clinical experiences should remain a high priority in order to enhance outcomes for CWS. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12978194

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An Assessment of the Cues College Students Interpret From a Sexual Partner to Determine They Are Refusing

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260521997930 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052199793

Author(s):

Tiffany L. Marcantonio ◽

Danny Valdez ◽

Kristen N. Jozkowski

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

College Students ◽

Sexual Partner ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Sexual Partners ◽

Sexual Scripts ◽

Nonverbal Cues ◽

Sexual Experiences ◽

Verbal Cues

The purpose of this study was to assess the cues college students use to determine a sexual partner is refusing vaginal-penile sex (i.e., refusal interpretations). As a secondary aim, we explored the influence of item wording ( not willing/non-consent vs refusal) on college students’ self-reported refusal interpretations. A sample of 175 college students from Canada and the United States completed an open-ended online survey where they were randomly assigned to one of two wording conditions ( not willing/non-consent vs refusal); students were then prompted to write about the cues they used to interpret their partner was refusing. An inductive coding procedure was used to analyze open-ended data. Themes included explicit and implicit verbal and nonverbal cues. The refusal condition elicited more explicit and implicit nonverbal cues than the not willing/non-consent condition. Frequency results suggested men reported interpreting more explicit and implicit verbal cues. Women reported interpreting more implicit nonverbal cues from their partner. Our findings reflect prior research and appear in line with traditional gender and sexual scripts. We recommend researchers consider using the word refusal when assessing the cues students interpret from their sexual partners as this wording choice may reflect college students’ sexual experiences more accurately.

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Dietary patterns related to total mortality and cancer mortality in the United States

Cancer Causes & Control ◽

10.1007/s10552-021-01478-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marcela R. Entwistle ◽

Donald Schweizer ◽

Ricardo Cisneros

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Cancer Mortality ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Total Mortality ◽

Principal Component ◽

The United States ◽

Red Meat ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality

Abstract Purpose This study investigated the association between dietary patterns, total mortality, and cancer mortality in the United States. Methods We identified the four major dietary patterns at baseline from 13,466 participants of the NHANES III cohort using principal component analysis (PCA). Dietary patterns were categorized into ‘prudent’ (fruits and vegetables), ‘western’ (red meat, sweets, pastries, oils), ‘traditional’ (red meat, legumes, potatoes, bread), and ‘fish and alcohol’. We estimated hazard ratios for total mortality, and cancer mortality using Cox regression models. Results A total of 4,963 deaths were documented after a mean follow-up of 19.59 years. Higher adherence to the ‘prudent’ pattern was associated with the lowest risk of total mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82–0.98), with evidence that all-cause mortality decreased as consumption of the pattern increased. No evidence was found that the ‘prudent’ pattern reduced cancer mortality. The ‘western’ and the ‘traditional’ patterns were associated with up to 22% and 16% increased risk for total mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11–1.34; and 5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06–1.27, respectively), and up to 33% and 15% increased risk for cancer mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.10–1.62; and 5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06–1.24, respectively). The associations between adherence to the ‘fish and alcohol’ pattern and total mortality, and cancer mortality were not statistically significant. Conclusion Higher adherence to the ‘prudent’ diet decreased the risk of all-cause mortality but did not affect cancer mortality. Greater adherence to the ‘western’ and ‘traditional’ diet increased the risk of total mortality and mortality due to cancer.

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Abortion attempts without clinical supervision among transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive people in the United States

BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health ◽

10.1136/bmjsrh-2020-200966 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. bmjsrh-2020-200966

Author(s):

Heidi Moseson ◽

Laura Fix ◽

Caitlin Gerdts ◽

Sachiko Ragosta ◽

Jen Hastings ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Clinical Supervision ◽

Online Survey ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Insurance Coverage ◽

Health Insurance Coverage ◽

The United States ◽

Physical Trauma ◽

Abortion Care ◽

And Gender

BackgroundTransgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive (TGE) people face barriers to abortion care and may consider abortion without clinical supervision.MethodsIn 2019, we recruited participants for an online survey about sexual and reproductive health. Eligible participants were TGE people assigned female or intersex at birth, 18 years and older, from across the United States, and recruited through The PRIDE Study or via online and in-person postings.ResultsOf 1694 TGE participants, 76 people (36% of those ever pregnant) reported considering trying to end a pregnancy on their own without clinical supervision, and a subset of these (n=40; 19% of those ever pregnant) reported attempting to do so. Methods fell into four broad categories: herbs (n=15, 38%), physical trauma (n=10, 25%), vitamin C (n=8, 20%) and substance use (n=7, 18%). Reasons given for abortion without clinical supervision ranged from perceived efficiency and desire for privacy, to structural issues including a lack of health insurance coverage, legal restrictions, denials of or mistreatment within clinical care, and cost.ConclusionsThese data highlight a high proportion of sampled TGE people who have attempted abortion without clinical supervision. This could reflect formidable barriers to facility-based abortion care as well as a strong desire for privacy and autonomy in the abortion process. Efforts are needed to connect TGE people with information on safe and effective methods of self-managed abortion and to dismantle barriers to clinical abortion care so that TGE people may freely choose a safe, effective abortion in either setting.

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Altitude and risk of sudden unexpected infant death in the United States

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-81613-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Richard Johnston ◽

Xiaohan Yan ◽

Tatiana M. Anderson ◽

Edwin A. Mitchell

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Infant Death ◽

The United States ◽

Sudden Infant ◽

Data Set ◽

Live Births ◽

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Unexpected Infant Death

AbstractThe effect of altitude on the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been reported previously, but with conflicting findings. We aimed to examine whether the risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) varies with altitude in the United States. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Cohort Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set for births between 2005 and 2010 were examined. County of birth was used to estimate altitude. Logistic regression and Generalized Additive Model (GAM) were used, adjusting for year, mother’s race, Hispanic origin, marital status, age, education and smoking, father’s age and race, number of prenatal visits, plurality, live birth order, and infant’s sex, birthweight and gestation. There were 25,305,778 live births over the 6-year study period. The total number of deaths from SUID in this period were 23,673 (rate = 0.94/1000 live births). In the logistic regression model there was a small, but statistically significant, increased risk of SUID associated with birth at > 8000 feet compared with < 6000 feet (aOR = 1.93; 95% CI 1.00–3.71). The GAM showed a similar increased risk over 8000 feet, but this was not statistically significant. Only 9245 (0.037%) of mothers gave birth at > 8000 feet during the study period and 10 deaths (0.042%) were attributed to SUID. The number of SUID deaths at this altitude in the United States is very small (10 deaths in 6 years).

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