Recent ssha_phc items

Examining the Nutrition Environment of Food Pantries in the San Joaquin Valley During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Food insecurity rates drastically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to high demand for emergency nutrition assistance. Prior research indicates emergency food distribution centers mainly offer food with limited nutritional value; since nutritional status may be worse among food insecure families, it is important to conduct research to inform policy and programmatic strategies to address both food insecurity and nutrition-related health disparities during a state of emergency.

Purpose: The study objectives were to: (1) assess the nutritional environment of emergency food distribution centers in the San Joaquin Valley, CA; (2) identify challenges food distribution centers encountered during the pandemic; and (3) provide policy and programmatic recommendations to improve access to and the availability of nutritious food to low-income communities.

Methods: A nutritional assessment was conducted...

Diversity and Functional Prediction of Non-Synonymous SNPs in Human Chemosensory Genes

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Diversity and Functional Prediction of Non-Synonymous SNPs in Human Chemosensory Genes

Health insurance coverage among farmworkers in California before and after the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA): A mixed methods study

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have found that although health insurance coverage expanded for farmworkers after the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), coverage levels were lower than the general population. California recently introduced policies to expand coverage for previously excluded undocumented workers. This study examines the impact of the ACA on insurance coverage for farmworkers and identifies barriers to further expansion.

Methods: A mixed methods approach was utilized. Weighted statistical analyses were conducted on the National Agriculture Worker Survey (NAWS) data for 2011-12, 2015-16 and 2017-18 to study health insurance coverage before and after the introduction of the ACA. Qualitative interviews were conducted with growers, healthcare providers and community-based organizations to examine ACA related changes in health insurance for farmworkers.

Results:...

Geographic Clustering of Emergency Department Visits for Deliberate Self-Harm Injury in California

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000
Geographic Clustering of Emergency Department Visits for Deliberate Self-Harm Injury in California

Exploring Advocacy Coalitions involved in California's Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Debate

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000
Since 1982, California has attempted to pass a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). To date, none have been successful. This study describes the advocacy groups and the strategies and policy arguments used by stakeholders to support or oppose statewide SSB tax legislation in California. The article uses the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to identify coalition groups and their members as well as examine the strategies and arguments used in California’s statewide SSB tax policy debates between 1999 and 2018. We use a mixed methods analysis with a predominantly qualitative approach to identify stakeholders involved in the SSB tax policymaking process and explore their policy arguments and advocacy strategies to advance their policy positions. Data consist of 11 California legislative bills (94 documents) and 138 newspaper articles. SSB tax policy debate did receive media attention. We identified two advocacy coalitions involved in the debate: a public health coalition and...

Survey evidence on behavior of smokers and vapers to the introduction of a retail flavor ban on the retail outlets in California

Tue, 24 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000
Survey evidence on behavior of smokers and vapers to the introduction of a retail flavor ban on the retail outlets in California

Fast Food Consumption and Asthma-Related Emergency Room Visits, California Health Interview Survey, 2011-2016

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000
Fast Food Consumption and Asthma-Related Emergency Room Visits, California Health Interview Survey, 2011-2016

Ozone pollution and asthma emergency department visits in the Central Valley, California, USA, during June to September of 2015: a time-stratified case-crossover analysis

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000
Objective: The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) exceeds the state and national standards for ozone (O₃). This study investigates whether short term exposure to O₃ is associated with asthma emergency department (ED) visits. Methods: We identified 1101 ED visits in June-September of 2015 in SJV, California, who lived within 15 km of active air monitors. Conditional logistic regression models were used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) associated with an interquartile (IQR) increase in ozone. We explored potential effect modification by sex (female, and male), race (White, Black, and Hispanic), age (2-5, 6-18, 19-40, 41-64 and >= 65), and by county (Merced, Madera, Kings, Fresno and Kern). Results: An interquartile range (18.1 ppb) increase in O₃ exposure three days before an asthma attack (lag 3) was associate with a 6.6% [OR: 1.066 (95% CI: 1.032, 1.082)] increase in the odds of having an asthma...

Reducing Information Inequality: A Participatory Intervention in a Rural, Diverse Community

Thu, 9 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Background: CDC-funded Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) is a collaborative of over 40 community organizations working together to create a culture of health in Merced County. Underlying the policies, systems, and environmental approach that guided PICH projects is a comprehensive communication plan. As part of that plan, formative evaluation conducted at the start of the project found that residents and community organizations identified a weak information infrastructure as a major barrier to health: Residents struggle to find timely, relevant information that can help them improve their health, while stakeholders face challenges knowing how to reach diverse audiences with critical health-related information.
Aim: In this manuscript, I describe the process of conducting a participatory health communication intervention designed to address issues identified in communication infrastructure. The process includes adaptation...

Understanding Smoking Preferences: Results from a Discrete Choice Experiment Amongst U.S. Adults

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000
E-cigarette (vaping) use has increased dramatically in recent years. While switching to vaping might benefit cigarette smokers, there is a risk of increased use by nonsmokers. Adults (N=525) aged 18 to 88 years made choices between two alternatives that differed in policy-relevant characteristics. Nonsmokers preferred e-cigarettes over all other tobacco products (WTP $1.34). Nonsmokers showed a strong aversion to the addictiveness of the products and long-term health risks. Light and heavy smokers differed in their attitudes toward health risks, with heavy smokers being relatively unsensitive to long-term health risks compared to light smokers. Cost was a particularly important factor for nonsmokers. Marginal analysis suggests smokers were relatively unsensitive to price increases alone. Vaping is attractive for nonsmokers when they perceived health risks are low, suggesting that behavior change campaigns should focus on the health risks. Results also suggest that it may be difficult...

Wolbachia in mosquitoes from the Central Valley of California, USA

Mon, 10 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Background
Wolbachia bacteria are widely distributed throughout terrestrial arthropod species. These bacteria can manipulate reproduction and influence the vector competence of their hosts. Recently, Wolbachia have been integrated into vector control programmes for mosquito management. A number of supergroups and strains exist for Wolbachia, and they have yet to be characterized for many mosquito species. In this study, we examined Wolbachia prevalence and their phylogenetic relationship to other Wolbachia, using mosquitoes collected in Merced County in the Central Valley of California.
Methods
Adult mosquitoes were collected from 85 sites in Merced County, California in 2017 and 2018. Traditional and quantitative PCR were used to investigate the presence or absence and the density of Wolbachia, using Wolbachia-specific 16S rRNA and Wolbachia-surface...

Determinants of Health Provider Advice for Tobacco Cessation and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake in Stanislaus and Madera Counties. A Patient Perspective Study.

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Oral health is an essential aspect of overall health. A national epidemic of poor oral health outcomes exists among those living under poverty, the elderly and several minority groups. Tobacco use and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are preventable risk factors that contribute to poor oral health. Dental providers are considered a primary line of defense to deliver tobacco cessation and SSB consumption interventions. This study seeks to examine the prevalence and predictors of receiving such interventions in the dental setting in two counties in California’s Central Valley.
Methods: Data for 419 participants used in this cross-sectional study were collected throughout Madera and Stanislaus counties. Sociodemographic and dental health characteristics were used to examine their effect on the receipt of advice about tobacco cessation and the consumption of SSBs by a dental provider. A series of logistic regression...

Ozone Pollution and Asthma Emergency Department Visits in Fresno, California, USA, During the Warm Season (June-September) of the Years 2005 to 2015: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Analysis.

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000
Ozone Pollution and Asthma Emergency Department Visits in Fresno, California, USA, During the Warm Season (June-September) of the Years 2005 to 2015: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Analysis.

The Devil Loves Football

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000
The Devil Loves Football

Health Needs Assessment of the Punjabi Sikh Community in the San Joaquin Valley

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000
Health Needs Assessment of the Punjabi Sikh Community in the San Joaquin Valley

Pheromones as an alternative to insecticide control for an agricultural insect pest, Leptoglossuszonatus (Family: Coreidae)

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000
Pheromones as an alternative to insecticide control for an agricultural insect pest, Leptoglossuszonatus (Family: Coreidae)

Education and Life’s Simple 7: An evaluation of differential returns by sex, race, and childhood socioeconomic status

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Few studies have examined whether the benefits of education for health differ across sociodemographic subgroups. We investigated whether educational attainment is associated with cardiovascular health, as measured by the Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) score, and whether the association differs by demographic characteristics. Data were obtained from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (N=8,759 participants; mean age=63.8).
We used linear regression analyses with interactions by sex, race, childhood socioeconomic status (SES), and geography. Socially vulnerable groups (i.e., men from low childhood SES backgrounds, White people from low childhood SES backgrounds, Black people from low childhood SES backgrounds) benefitted less from each additional year of education than socially advantaged groups in predicting LS7 scores. However, we did not find evidence that differential returns extended to every group. Findings suggest that the inequalities...

Preferences Regarding Kidney Donations from Deceased Donors: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Study among young adults.

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract:
Introduction: The demand for organs currently far exceeds supply. Understanding individuals’ motivations for deciding whether to donate an organ from a deceased relative would guide outreach efforts.
Methods: Focus group participants and literature were used to identify attributes to create a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Participants (N=86 ages 18 to 31 [mean=20.5]) were presented with 16 choices sets and asked to choose whether they would agree to donate a deceased relative’s organs. The choices contained attributes of the recipient (age, kidney’s lifespan, reason for failure, impact if not transplanted), the deceased donor (donor’s wishes and relationship to decision maker), and monetary incentives (amount, payer, payee). Conditional logit analysis was used to estimate the model, and latent class analysis identified two distinct groups of respondents.
Results: The results...

Provider-Patient Communication and Abnormal Mammogram Delays: A Qualitative Study

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000
Provider-Patient Communication and Abnormal Mammogram Delays: A Qualitative Study

Understanding the role of social capital in the lives of caregivers in rural California, a qualitative study

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000
Understanding the role of social capital in the lives of caregivers in rural California, a qualitative study

Environmental and Socioeconomic Factors Associated with West Nile Virus in the Northern San Joaquin Valley

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000
Environmental and Socioeconomic Factors Associated with West Nile Virus in the Northern San Joaquin Valley

Regional Variation in Health Care Utilization in Diabetes

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000
Regional Variation in Health Care Utilization in Diabetes

Analyzing the effects of the 2015 Rough Fire in the San Joaquin Valley and in Sierra Nevada, California

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000
Analyzing the effects of the 2015 Rough Fire in the San Joaquin Valley and in Sierra Nevada, California