Relationship between Civilian Injuries Caused during Contact with Law Enforcement and Community-Level Sociodemographic Characteristics.

Civilian injuries caused during contact with law enforcement personnel erode community trust in policing, impact individual well-being, and exacerbate existing health inequities. We assessed the relationship between ZIP code-level rates of civilian injuries caused during legal interventions and community-level sociodemographic characteristics using Illinois hospital data from 2016 to 2022. We developed multivariable Poisson regression models to examine whether legal intervention injury rates differed by race-ethnicity and community economic disadvantage across three geographic regions of Illinois representing different levels of urbanization.

Disparities in fatal and non-fatal opioid-involved overdoses among middle-aged non-Hispanic Black Men and Women.

The gap in fatal opioid overdose rates has been closing between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White individuals. The rising opioid-involved mortality rates among non-Hispanic Black adults has been identified by SAMHSA as a critical public health issue. However, further research is needed that utilizes comprehensive surveillance data on both fatal and non-fatal opioid-involved overdoses to better assess the changing trends and evaluate factors contributing to changing disparities.

Description of Opioid-involved Hospital Deaths that Do Not Have a Subsequent Autopsy.

Background: Surveillance systems rely on death records to monitor the most severe outcome of the opioid epidemic. However, few studies have linked data from hospital systems with death records to determine potential undercount of opioid-involved deaths occurring in hospitals. This study describes characteristics of decedents less likely to have an autopsy following an opioid-involved death in hospitals and estimates the resulting undercount.

Performance of Prostate Health Index in Biopsy Naïve Black Men.

Purpose: The Prostate Health Index is validated for prostate cancer detection but has not been well validated for Gleason grade group 2-5 prostate cancer detection in Black men. We hypothesize that the Prostate Health Index has greater accuracy than prostate specific antigen for detection of Gleason grade group 2-5 prostate cancer. We estimated probability of overall and Gleason grade group 2-5 prostate cancer across previously established Prostate Health Index ranges and identified Prostate Health Index cutoffs that maximize specificity for Gleason grade group 2-5 prostate cancer with sensitivity >90%.

Engaging African American Men as Citizen Scientists to Validate a Prostate Cancer Biomarker: Work-in-Progress.

Background: African American men (AAM) are under-represented in prostate cancer (PCa) research despite known disparities. Screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has low specificity for high-grade PCa leading to PCa over diagnosis. The Prostate Health Index (PHI) has higher specificity for lethal PCa but needs validation in AAM.

Heat-related deaths among construction workers in the United States.

Background: Heat is a severe hazard for construction workers and may be worsening with global warming. This study sought to explore heat-related deaths among U.S.

A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis of Legal Intervention Injuries and Mortality in Illinois.

There has been a public outcry for the accountability of law enforcement agents who kill and injure citizens. Epidemiological surveillance can underscore the magnitude of morbidity and mortality of citizens at the hands of law enforcement. We used hospital outpatient and inpatient databases to conduct a retrospective analysis of legal interventions in Illinois between 2010 and 2015.

Risk factors associated with legal interventions.

Background: Current research regarding injuries caused during interactions between police officers and civilians is conducted intermittently or on a very narrow sample frame which provides very little clinical information about the injuries suffered or the adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to identify comorbid risk factors and describe acute outcomes of medically treated traumatic injuries occurring as a result of contact with law enforcement personnel.

Methods: For this retrospective study, patients injured as a result of contact with law enforcement personnel were identified using ICD-9 external cause of injury codes from medical record databases of patients treated in all hospitals and trauma units in Illinois between 2000 and 2009.

More than training: Community-based participatory research to reduce injuries among hispanic construction workers.

Background: Workplace mortality and severe injury are disproportionately distributed among foreign born and Hispanic construction workers. Worker Centers (WCs) provide services and advocacy for low-wage workers and a way for investigators to reach them. The goal of this project is to prevent occupational injuries by increasing awareness of hazards and self-efficacy among foreign born, Hispanic construction workers and by expanding the agenda of WCs to include occupational health and safety (H&S).