scholarly journals Farm Suicides in Wisconsin, 2017–2018: Preliminary Findings and a Call for Future Research

Safety ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Bryan Weichelt ◽  
Richard Burke ◽  
Emily Redmond ◽  
John Shutske
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Death Certificate ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
State And Local ◽  
National Surveillance System

Studies across the last few decades have consistently found farmers and farmworkers at an elevated risk of death by suicide compared to other occupational groups in the United States. Still, there is currently no comprehensive national surveillance system for agricultural-related injuries or suicides. For this study, we analyzed Wisconsin death certificate data from 2017 and 2018 to identify the burden of suicide among farmers and farmworkers. In 2017 and 2018, 44 farm-related suicides were identified, or 14.3 per 100,000 farmers and farmworkers. The median age of victims was 51.5 ± 20, and six (13.6%) were female. As these suicide cases were cross-checked, we found that none were identifiable solely from previously published news media or obituaries, indicating: (1) a clear need for a multi-sourced suicide data approach and inter-agency collaborations for future research, and (2) the need for a deeper investigation into the reporting of farm-related suicides. These data are necessary for informing state and local level policy, resource prioritization, and the evaluation of intervention efforts.

scholarly journals Older Adults in the United States and COVID-19: A Qualitative Study of Perceptions, Finances, Coping, and Emotions

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Turner Goins ◽  
Elizabeth Anderson ◽  
Hannah Minick ◽  
Heather Daniels
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
News Media ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stress Appraisal ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Precautionary Measures

Introduction: Older adults have the poorest coronavirus (COVID-19) prognosis with the highest risk of death due to complications, making their COVID-19 experiences particularly important. Guided by the stress-appraisal-coping theoretical model, we sought to understand COVID-related perceptions and behaviors of older adults residing in the United States.Materials and Methods: We used convenience sampling to recruit persons with the following inclusion criteria: Aged ≥ 65 years, English fluency, and U.S. residency. Semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted remotely and audio recorded between April 25, 2020 and May 7, 2020. Interviews were professionally transcribed with a final study sample of 43. A low-inference qualitative descriptive design was used to provide a situated understanding of participants' life experiences using their naturalistic expressions.Results: The mean age of participants was 72.4 ± 6.7. Slightly over half were female (55.8%), 90.6% were White, and 18.6% lived alone. The largest percentages of participants resided in a rural area (27.9%) or small city (25.6%). We identified four themes, including (1) risk perception, (2) financial impact, (3) coping, and (4) emotions. Most participants were aware of their greater risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes but many did not believe in their increased risk. Financial circumstances because of the pandemic varied with largely no financial impacts, while others reported negative impacts and a few reported positive impacts. Coping was problem- and emotion-focused. Problem-focused coping included precautionary efforts and emotion-focused coping included creating daily structure, pursuing new and/or creative activities, connecting with others in new ways, and minimizing news media exposure. Overall, emotional health was negatively affected by the pandemic although some participants reported positive emotional experiences.Conclusions: Perceiving themselves as high risk for COVID-19 complications, older adults used precautionary measures to protect themselves from contracting the virus. The precautionary measures included social isolation, which can negatively affect mental health. Older adults will need to be resourceful and draw on existing resources to cope, such as engaging in creative activities and new strategies to connect with others. Our findings underscore the importance of the preservation of mental health during extended periods of isolation by taking advantage of low-to-no-cost existing resources.

Another Look at WIC’s Breastfeeding Data: State Totals Reveal More Than Regional Averages

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shari Salzhauer Berkowitz
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Program

Background: Breastfeeding is known to be the most beneficial way of feeding infants, but 68% of the infants enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children are fully formula fed. Mandated annual reports about breastfeeding aggregate data from the states into regions, which obscures important information. Research Aim: The aim of this study is to reexamine the data supplied by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children to identify which areas of the United States have the lowest incidence of breastfeeding infants. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted. Data from the Breastfeeding Data Local Agency Report were extracted, graphed, and analyzed. Results: Data provided from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for fiscal year 2016 show that the range of fully formula fed infants at the regional level is 60% to 78%, while at the state level the range is wider, at 51% to 89%. The states with the largest numbers of fully formula fed infants were Mississippi (89%), Louisiana (88%), Alabama (88%), and Arkansas (87%). When examining data from all 90 reporting agencies, the range of fully formula fed infants was 38% to 95%. Conclusions: Aggregating state, Native American nation, and territorial data at the regional level resulted in a loss of important information. WIC’s current breastfeeding interventions may be more effective in some areas than others. Future research can examine successful and unsuccessful interventions on a state or local level.

Concomitant Use of Gabapentinoids with Opioids Is Associated with Increased Mortality and Morbidity among Dialysis Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 424-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salina P. Waddy ◽  
Adan Z. Becerra ◽  
Julia B. Ward ◽  
Kevin E. Chan ◽  
Chyng-Wen Fwu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dialysis Patients ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Medication Prescription ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Stage Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage ◽  
Dialysis Discontinuation

Background: The opioid epidemic is a public health emergency and appropriate medication prescription for pain remains challenging. Physicians have increasingly prescribed gabapentinoids for pain despite limited evidence supporting their use. We determined the prevalence of concomitant gabapentinoid and opioid prescriptions and evaluated their associations with outcomes among dialysis patients. Methods: We used the United States Renal Data System to identify patients treated with dialysis with Part A, B, and D coverage for all of 2010. Patients were grouped into 4 categories of drugs exposure status in 2010: (1) no prescriptions of either an opioid or gabapentinoid, (2) ≥1 prescription of an opioid and no prescriptions of gabapentinoids, (3) no prescriptions of an opioid and ≥1 prescription of gabapenbtinoids, (4) ≥1 prescription of both an opioid and gabapentinoid. Outcomes included 2-year all-cause death, dialysis discontinuation, and hospitalizations assessed in 2011 and 2012. Results: The study population included 153,758 dialysis patients. Concomitant prescription of an opioid and gabapentin (15%) was more common than concomitant prescription of an opioid and pregabalin (4%). In adjusted analyses, concomitant prescription of an opioid and gabapentin compared to no prescription of either was associated with increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.16, 95% CI 1.12–1.19), dialysis discontinuation (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.27), and hospitalization (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.31–1.36). Concomitant prescription of an opioid and pregabalin compared to no prescription of either was associated with increased mortality (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.16–1.28) and hospitalization (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.33–1.41), but not dialysis discontinuation (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.95–1.35). Prescription of opioids and gabepentinoids compared to only being prescribed opioids was associated with higher risk of hospitalizations, but not mortality, or dialysis discontinuation. Conclusions: Concomitant prescription of opioids and gabapentinoids among US dialysis patients is common, and both drugs have independent effects on outcomes. Future research should prospectively investigate the potential harms of such drugs and identify safer alternatives for treatment of pain in end-stage renal disease patients.

Life Without Parole Sentencing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Seeds
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Death Penalty ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Without Parole ◽  
The Subject ◽  
State And Local

Life without parole sentencing refers to laws, policies, and practices concerning lifetime prison sentences that also preclude release by parole. While sentences to imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole have existed for more than a century in the United States, over the past four decades the penalty has emerged as a prominent element of U.S. punishment, routinely put to use by penal professionals and featured regularly in public discourse. As use of the death penalty diminishes in the United States, life without parole serves as the ultimate punishment in more and more U.S. jurisdictions. The scope with which states apply life without parole varies, however, and some states have authorized the punishment even for nonviolent offenses. More than a punishment serving purposes of retribution, crime control, and public safety, and beyond the symbolic functions of life without parole sentencing in U.S. culture and politics, life without parole is a lived experience for more than 50,000 prisoners in the United States. Life without parole’s increasing significance in the United States points to the need for further research on the subject—including studies that directly focus on how race and racial prejudice factor in life without parole sentencing, studies that investigate the proximate causes of life without parole sentences at the state and local level, and studies that examine the similarities and differences between life without parole, the death penalty, and de facto forms of imprisonment until death.

scholarly journals Federal, State, and Local Nutrition Policies for Cancer Prevention: Perceived Impact and Feasibility, United States, 2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (7) ◽  
pp. 1006-1008
Author(s):  
Lauren Lizewski ◽  
Grace Flaherty ◽  
Parke Wilde ◽  
Ross Brownson ◽  
Claire Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cancer Prevention ◽  
The United States ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Nutrition Policies ◽  
Perceived Impact ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To assess stakeholder perceptions of the impact and feasibility of 21 national, state, and local nutrition policies for cancer prevention across 5 domains in the United States. Methods. We conducted an online survey from October through December 2018. Participants were invited to take the survey via direct e-mail contact or an organizational e-newsletter. Results. Federal or state Medicare/Medicaid coverage of nutrition counseling and federal or state subsidies on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program were the policies rated as having the highest perceived impact and feasibility. Overall, the 170 respondents rated policy impact higher than policy feasibility. Polices at the federal or state level had a higher perceived impact, whereas local policies had higher perceived feasibility. Conclusions. Our findings might guide future research and advocacy that can ultimately motivate and target policy actions to reduce cancer burdens and disparities in the United States.

A-03 Ethnic/Racial Differences in Longitudinal Neurocognitive Change among People Living with HIV

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 862-862
Author(s):  
C Watson ◽  
L Kamalyan ◽  
M Hussain ◽  
B Tang ◽  
A Collier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
Future Research ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Latino People ◽  
Hazard Ratios ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Neurocognitive Decline

Abstract HIV disproportionately affects Black and Latino people in the United States, but data on longitudinal neurocognitive patterns for these groups are scarce. This study evaluated the incidence and predictors of neurocognitive decline by ethnicity/race in a cohort of Black, Latino, and White people living with HIV (PLWH). Participants included 499 PLWH (43.5% White, 42.7% Black, 13.8% Latino; mean age at baseline = 43.5) from the six-site CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) study. Participants completed comprehensive neurocognitive and neuromedical evaluations over 3-7 study visits for an average of 2.8 years (SD = 1.1). Interpertation of neurocognitive change was based on published methods using regression-based norms that correct for baseline performance and practice effects. Survival analyses investigated the relationship between ethnicity/race and neurocognitive change, and predictors of neurocognitive decline. In follow-up, 108 participants (21.6%) declined, 311 (62.3%) remained stable, and 80 (16.0%) improved. In Cox proportional hazard models, hazard ratios for neurocognitive decline were increased for Latinos compared to Whites (HR = 2.19, 95%CI = 1.32-3.63, p = .002) and Blacks (HR = 1.87, 95%CI = 1.14-3.04, p = .01). Including significant covariates (baseline nadir CD4, hepatitis C Virus, and VACS Index: a composite marker of physical health among PLWH)did not significantly decrease the elevated risk for decline among Latinos. We found that Latino PLWH appear to have higher risk of neurocognitive decline compared to White and Black PLWH. Traditional markers of HIV disease and physical health at baseline did not explain this elevated risk of neurocognitive decline. Future research examining economic, socio-environmental, and culturally-relevant biomedical factors may help to explain this observed ethnic/racial disparity in longitudinal neurocognitive function in HIV.

scholarly journals Spanish-Language News Consumption and Latino Reactions to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9629
Author(s):  
Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga ◽  
Ana L. Oaxaca ◽  
Matt A. Barreto ◽  
Gabriel R. Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
News Media ◽  
Source Credibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
News Consumption ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Impact

While the literature on infectious disease outbreaks has examined the extent to which communication inequalities during public health emergencies exacerbate negative outcomes among disadvantaged individuals, the implications of ethnic media consumption among minority groups during these crises are underexplored. Making use of the first nationally representative survey of US Latinos (N = 1200) on the impact and reactions to COVID-19, this study examines the implications of Spanish-language news media consumption on source credibility and attitude formation during the COVID-19 pandemic among Latinos and immigrants from Latin America. Through a series of statistical analyses, this study finds that ethnic news consumption is strongly associated with trust in Spanish-language journalists, whereas mainstream media consumption is not associated with trust in English-language journalists. More importantly, this study finds that source credibility, particularly in Spanish-language journalists, matters for Latinos as it is associated with more positive assessments of state and local officials providing adequate information about COVID-19. This study illuminates the importance of non-traditional media among racial minorities, who account for almost 40% of the US population, and highlights the importance of shared backgrounds in source credibility among linguistically diverse groups in the United States during a public health crisis.

scholarly journals Advocating for Structural Change? Exploring the Advocacy Activities of Immigrant-Serving Organizations in an Unwelcoming Policy Context

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 682-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Roth ◽  
Seo Yeon Park ◽  
Breanne Grace
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Advocacy ◽  
Social Service Organizations ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Impact

The growth of the immigrant population in the United States has prompted a recent increase in the number of restrictive immigration policies at the state and local levels. The literature on policy advocacy and social service organizations suggests that these local providers can engage in political activities that challenge the restrictive nature of these contexts. This qualitative study explored how immigrant-serving social service organizations engage in policy advocacy in a state with restrictive, anti-immigrant policies. In-depth interviews with directors of 50 service providers in South Carolina clearly indicate a tension between the need for policy advocacy and the risks associated with engaging in such activities. Fifty percent (50%) of the providers in our sample reported engaging in some form of policy advocacy. However, their policy advocacy activities were often indirect, non-confrontational, and episodic. Most were engaged in coalitions and other forms of indirect advocacy tactics. We discuss implications for the social work profession and recommendations for future research, including the need to further explore the impact of policy advocacy efforts on changing the policy landscape in places that are unwelcoming to immigrants.

scholarly journals Promoting Clean Energy Innovation at the State and Local Level

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-373
Author(s):  
David Popp
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Energy Innovation ◽  
State And Local

AbstractInnovation is an important part of energy policy, and encouraging clean energy innovation is often an explicit goal of policy makers. For local governments, promoting clean energy innovation is seen not only as a pathway to a cleaner economy but also as a tool for promoting the local economy. But is such optimism warranted? There is a substantial literature examining the relationships between innovation and environmental policy, but few studies focus explicitly on innovation at the state and local level. In this paper, I provide key lessons from research on clean energy innovation, focusing on lessons relevant for state and local governments. I then summarize the results of a recent working paper by Fu et al. (2018) that studied wind energy innovation across individual states in the United States. While state-level policies can promote clean energy innovation, it is overall market size that matters most. Thus, innovation need not occur in those states most actively promoting clean energy. I conclude with lessons for state and local governments drawn from both this work and the broader literature on energy innovation.

scholarly journals The Health of Undocumented Latinx Immigrants: What We Know and Future Directions

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
India J. Ornelas ◽  
Thespina J. Yamanis ◽  
Raymond A. Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Community Health Centers ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Conducting Research

Undocumented Latinx immigrants experience unique factors prior to migration, during migration, and after migration that shape their health. Our review summarizes the limited but growing literature highlighting how exposure to trauma, immigration enforcement, changes to social networks, and discrimination negatively affect the mental and physical health of undocumented Latinx immigrants. We also discuss how policies and social ties can promote their health. We focus on areas of particular concern, including health care, mental health, and HIV. Future research should use interdisciplinary approaches and intersectional frameworks to understand and address health inequities. Conducting research with undocumented Latinx immigrant communities requires community engagement, assurance of confidentiality, and creative recruitment and retention strategies. Recommendations for public health practice include investing in community health centers and organizations to ensure access to health and social services; presenting results with sufficient contextualization to interpret their generalizability; and advocating for federal-, state-, and local-level policy changes that reduce the negative health consequences associated with being undocumented.

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