Spatial dynamics of Culex quinquefasciatus abundance: geostatistical insights from Harris County, Texas.

Mosquito-borne diseases pose a significant public health threat, prompting the need to pinpoint high-risk areas for targeted interventions and environmental control measures. Culex quinquefasciatus is the primary vector for several mosquito-borne pathogens, including West Nile virus. Using spatial analysis and modeling techniques, we investigated the geospatial distribution of Culex quinquefasciatus abundance in the large metropolis of Harris County, Texas, from 2020 to 2022.

Vaccine Hesitancy at Nine Community Sites Across the United States, Early in COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout.

Background: Vaccine hesitancy has been a significant concern throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy can be attributed to lack of confidence in vaccines, complacency about the health threat, or lack of convenience of vaccination. To date, few studies have used methods designed to include populations underrepresented in research when identifying factors associated with vaccine hesitancy.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Human Papillomavirus-Related Cancer Rates.

Importance: To inform the design and implementation of targeted interventions to reduce the future burden of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers in Texas, it is necessary to examine the county and health service region (HSR) levels of (1) the proportion of children and teenagers aged 9 to 17 years who initiated and were up to date for HPV vaccination series and (2) HPV-related cancer incidence rates (IRs).

Objective: To evaluate temporal trends and geospatial patterns of HPV vaccination initiation and up-to-date status as well as HPV-related cancer rates at county and HSR levels in Texas.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the Texas Immunization Registry, the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database, and Texas Department of State Health Services annual population counts from 2006 to 2022.

Using Geospatial Analysis to Identify Priority Communities for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Texas.

Introduction: Despite being almost entirely preventable, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. Cervical cancer incidence suggests missed opportunities for prevention. Geospatial analysis could strategically guide public health interventions.

Residential proximity to oil and gas developments and childhood cancer survival.

Background: Environmental toxicants may impact survival in children with cancer, but the literature investigating these associations remains limited. Because oil and gas developments emit several hazardous air pollutants, the authors evaluated the relationship between residential proximity to oil or gas development and survival across 21 different pediatric cancers.

Methods: The Texas Cancer Registry had 29,730 children (≤19 years old) diagnosed with a primary cancer between 1995 to 2017.

The Use of Telemedicine by US Nephrologists for In-Center Hemodialysis Care During the Pandemic: An Analysis of National Medicare Claims.

Rationale & Objective: Because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the US government issued emergency waivers in March 2020 that removed regulatory barriers around the use of telemedicine. For the first time, nephrologists were reimbursed for telemedicine care delivered during in-center hemodialysis. We examined the use of telemedicine for in-center hemodialysis during the first 16 months of the pandemic.

Socioeconomic disparities based on shooting intent in pediatric firearm injury.

Background: Pediatric firearm injury is often associated with socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Most studies only include fatal injuries and do not differentiate by shooting intent. We hypothesized that differences in neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage would be observed among shooting intents of fatal and nonfatal cases.

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Three Outreach Events to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities in Houston, Texas, 2022.

Objectives: Lack of access to timely, accurate, and linguistically appropriate COVID-19 information has complicated the dissemination of evidence-based information and contributed to vaccine hesitancy among racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. We developed community events that provided outreach, education, and access to COVID-19 vaccination to overcome vaccine hesitancy in these communities.

Methods: Using spatial analysis techniques, we identified 3 communities with low vaccine uptake in Houston, Texas, in fall 2021; engaged 20 stakeholders from these communities via 4 focus groups to understand barriers to vaccination; and developed and implemented 3 COVID-19 vaccine education and outreach events tailored to the needs of these communities in January-March 2022.

Geographic Variation in Late-Stage Cervical Cancer Diagnosis.

Importance: There are stark disparities in cervical cancer burden in the United States, notably by race and ethnicity and geography. Late-stage diagnosis is an indicator of inadequate access to and utilization of screening.

Objective: To identify geospatial clusters of late-stage cervical cancer at time of diagnosis in Texas.

Race/ethnicity and sex differences in the association between area-level arsenic exposure concentration and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence rates in Texas. An ecological study.

Introduction: Texas has the highest rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the United States. Exposure to toxicants may play a role in liver disease. Several mechanisms of arsenic carcinogenesis have been proposed, however, the evidence in human populations is limited to associations between HCC and ingestion of arsenic-contaminated drinking water.

Trends in Up-To-Date Colorectal Cancer Screening Among U.S. Adults Aged 50-75 Years and Variations by Race/Ethnicity and U.S. Census Bureau Divisions.

Introduction: Mortality rates from colorectal cancer have declined over the past decades owing to population-based life-saving screening interventions. However, screening inequalities continue among racial and ethnic minorities despite having a higher disease burden. In this study, we assessed the patterns of up-to-date colorectal cancer screening rates among racial/ethnic groups across the U.

Integrating participant feedback and concerns to improve community and individual level chemical exposure assessment reports.

Background: As exposure assessment has shifted towards community-engaged research there has been an increasing trend towards reporting results to participants. Reports aim to increase environmental health literacy, but this can be challenging due to the many unknowns regarding chemical exposure and human health effects. This includes when reports encompass a wide-range of chemicals, limited reference or health standards exist for those chemicals, and/or incompatibility of data generated from exposure assessment tools with published reference values (e.

Geospatial Distribution of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Specialists: Understanding Access as a Function of Distance, Insurance Status, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an impairing psychiatric condition affecting 1-2% of adults and youth. Cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention (CBT) is an efficacious intervention but requires specialty training and access is often limited. While certain factors are associated with treatment access, one key barrier that has not been explored is the geographic availability of OCD treatment providers.

The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Social Connectedness and Psychological Distress in U.S. Adults with Chronic Diseases.

Lockdown measures enacted in 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19 led to increases in the prevalence of mental health problems. Due to their high-risk status, individuals with chronic diseases may be at increased risk and disproportionately adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigators examined associations between having a high-risk chronic condition, social connectedness, and general distress and COVID-19-specific distress among U.

Clustering of Pediatric Brain Tumors in Texas, 2000-2017.

Risk factors for pediatric brain tumors are largely unknown. Identifying spatial clusters of these rare tumors on the basis of residential address may provide insights into childhood socio-environmental factors that increase susceptibility. From 2000-2017, the Texas Cancer Registry recorded 4305 primary brain tumors diagnosed among children (≤19 years old).

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cervical Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: Mediating Effects of Neighborhood-level Socioeconomic Deprivation.

Background: Mortality from cervical cancer has declined steadily in the United States over the past several decades due to widespread screening for precancerous and early-stage cervical cancer (ECC), which are significantly easier to treat compared with late-stage cervical cancer (LCC). Unequal screening access continues to cause significant racial/ethnic disparities in cervical cancer diagnosis stage. This study examined the underlying role of neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage as a potential mediator of the association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer diagnosis stage.

Area deprivation index and segregation on the risk of HIV: a U.S. Veteran case-control study.

Background: Preventing HIV infection remains a critically important tool in the continuing fight against HIV/AIDS. The primary aim is to evaluate the effect and interactions between a composite area-level social determinants of health measure and an area-level measure of residential segregation on the risk of HIV/AIDS in U.S.

Ethnic disparities in childhood leukemia survival by border residence: A Texas population-based analysis.

Background: The US-Mexico border is a medically underserved region where survival disparities have been observed in adults diagnosed and treated for various malignancies. Studies examining survival disparities among children living in this region and diagnosed with cancer are lacking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of border residence on survival among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and living near the Texas-Mexico border at the time of their diagnosis.

Remote Care Adoption in Underserved Congenital Heart Disease Patients During the COVID-19 Era.

The COVID-19 pandemic restricted in-person appointments and prompted an increase in remote healthcare delivery. Our goal was to assess access to remote care for complex pediatric cardiology patients. We performed a retrospective chart review of Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) pediatric cardiology outpatient appointments from March 2020 to December 2020 for established congenital heart disease (CHD) patients 1 to 17 yo.

Risk and resilience in couple's adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic's global scope and resulting social distancing measures have caused unprecedented economic, lifestyle, and social impacts to personal and relationship well-being. While lockdowns have prompted individuals to increase reliance on intimate partners for support, stressful external contexts can also interfere with partners' capacity to request and provide support, resulting in relationship dissatisfaction and even dissolution. Guided by a risk and resilience framework, this study examined the impact of perceived stress, social contextual factors, and dyadic coping on self-reported relationship satisfaction changes during the initial United States COVID-19 lockdown period.

Trends and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Predictors of Cervical Cancer Screening among US Women Ages 30-64 Years.

Background: Cervical cancer screening (CCS) participation has decreased in the United States over the last several decades, contributing to cervical cancer's sustained incidence and mortality. This study examined recent trends and racial/ethnic differences in predictors of CCS uptake among US women.

Methods: We analyzed combined data from the 2016 to 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and included 235,713 women ages 30 to 64 years without a hysterectomy.

Resident perceptions of the short- and long-term impacts of Hurricane Harvey.

Severe storms and flooding events are expected to increase in frequency and severity, with lasting economic, social, and psychological impacts on communities in post-disaster recovery. In the first mixed methods study to focus on the experiences of Houstonians during Hurricane Harvey, which resulted in unprecedented and widespread flooding and billions of dollars in damage, we conducted five focus groups from four neighborhoods almost two years after Harvey made landfall. Our purpose was to understand how residents withstood and recovered from flooding-related stressors, what the major sources of support were and what long-term issues they were still dealing with.

Neighborhood-Level Factors Contribute to Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence in Texas.

Background And Aims: Texas has the highest hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence rates in the continental United States, but these rates vary by race-ethnicity. We examined racial-ethnic disparities through a geospatial analysis of the social determinants of health.

Methods: Using data from the Texas Cancer Registry, we assembled 11,547 HCC cases diagnosed between 2011 and 2015 into Texas's census tracts geographic units.

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among US Adults According to Standard Occupational Groups.

This cross-sectional ecological study examined the relationship between neighborhood-level standard occupational groups in the USA and COVID-19 vaccine uptake using 774 census tract data, each consisting of approximately 1600 housing units. The neighborhood-level COVID-19 vaccination uptake data were retrieved from Harris County Public Health, Harris County, Texas. The standard occupational group data were from the US Census Bureau.