Community and household-level incarceration and its association with mental health in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of families.

This study examines the association between community incarceration rates, household incarceration, and the mental health of parents and children. Participant families had children ages 5-9 (n = 1307) from the African American, Latinx, Hmong, Somali/Ethiopian, Native American, and White communities in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between parent and child mental health, household incarceration exposure, and census tract race, ethnicity and gender-specific incarceration rates matched to the family's home address and race/ethnicity.

Momentary Factors and Study Characteristics Associated With Participant Burden and Protocol Adherence: Ecological Momentary Assessment.

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has become a popular mobile health study design to understand the lived experiences of dynamic environments. The numerous study design choices available to EMA researchers, however, may quickly increase participant burden and could affect overall adherence, which could limit the usability of the collected data.

Objective: This study quantifies what study design, participant attributes, and momentary factors may affect self-reported burden and adherence.

Using enrollment records to evaluate self-reports of monthly coverage in the redesigned current population survey health insurance module.

Objective: To evaluate the veracity of self-reports of month-level health insurance coverage in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS).

Data Sources And Study Setting: The CHIME (Comparing Health Insurance Measurement Error) study used health insurance enrollment records from a large regional Midwest insurer as sample for primary data collection in spring 2015.

Study Design: A sample of individuals enrolled in a range of public and private coverage types (including Medicaid and marketplace) was administered the CPS health insurance module, which included questions about month-level coverage, by type, over a 17-18-month time span.

Real-time predictors of food parenting practices and child eating behaviors in racially/ethnically diverse families.

Background: Prior research has shown associations between controlling food parenting practices (e.g., pressure-to-eat, restriction) and factors that increase risk for cardiovascular disease in children (e.

Household food insecurity is associated with greater prevalence and 18-month incidence of a range of disordered eating behaviors in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of parents.

This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between household food insecurity (FI) and a range of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) and explored whether associations differ by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participation. Data came from 1120 racially/ethnically diverse parents (M = 35.7 ± 7.

A three-arm randomized controlled trial using ecological momentary intervention, community health workers, and video feedback at family meals to improve child cardiovascular health: the Family Matters study design.

Background: Numerous observational studies show associations between family meal frequency and markers of child cardiovascular health including healthful diet quality and lower weight status. Some studies also show the "quality" of family meals, including dietary quality of the food served and the interpersonal atmosphere during meals, is associated with markers of child cardiovascular health. Additionally, prior intervention research indicates that immediate feedback on health behaviors (e.

A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial Using Ecological Momentary Intervention, Community Health Workers, and Video Feedback at Family Meals to Improve Child Cardiovascular Health: The Family Matters Study Design.

Numerous observational studies show associations between family meal frequency and markers of child cardiovascular health including healthful diet quality and lower weight status. Some studies also show the "quality" of family meals, including dietary quality of the food served and the interpersonal atmosphere during meals, is associated with markers of child cardiovascular health. Additionally, prior intervention research indicates that immediate feedback on health behaviors (e.

Exploring the associations between neighbourhood food environment, household food insecurity and child weight-related outcomes in socio-economically and racially/ethnically diverse families.

Objective: To examine associations among neighbourhood food environments (NFE), household food insecurity (HFI) and child's weight-related outcomes in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of US-born and immigrant/refugee families.

Design: This cross-sectional, observational study involving individual and geographic-level data used multilevel models to estimate associations between neighbourhood food environment and child outcomes. Interactions between HFI and NFE were employed to determine whether HFI moderated the association between NFE and child outcomes and whether the associations differed for US-born .

Maternal employment and child weight-related health.

Several studies have documented a link between maternal employment and childhood obesity, but the mechanisms are not clear. This study investigated the association of maternal employment with children's weight status and detailed weight-related behaviors using data from Phase I of Family Matters, a cross-sectional, observational study of 150 children aged 5-8 from six racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Latinx, Native American, Hmong, and Somali) and their families from the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN metropolitan area recruited in 2015-2016.

Exploring associations between social determinants of health and mental health outcomes in families from socioeconomically and racially and ethnically diverse households.

This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and mental health outcomes of parents and children (n = 1307) from the Latinx, Native American, Somali/Ethiopian, White, Hmong, and African American communities. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted associations between five parent and child mental health measures and 25 measures of SDOH. False discovery rate q-values were computed to account for multiple comparisons.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation is Associated with Lower Health Care Spending among Working Age Adults without Dependents.

Prior evidence suggests an association among food insecurity, poor health, and increased health care spending. In this study, we are using a natural experiment to confirm if longer participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is associated with reduced Medicaid spending among a highly impoverished group of adults. In 2013, the mandatory work requirements associated with SNAP benefits were lifted for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs).

Factors associated with accurate reporting of public and private health insurance type.

Objective: To examine factors associated with accurate reporting of private and public health insurance coverage.

Data Sources: Minnesota health plan enrollment records provided the sample for the Comparing Health Insurance Measurement Error (CHIME) study, a survey conducted in 2015 that randomly assigned enrollees to treatments that included health insurance questions from the American Community Survey (ACS) or the redesigned Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS).

Study Design: Reverse record check study that compared CHIME study survey responses to enrollment records of coverage type (direct purchase on and off the Marketplace, Medicaid, or MinnesotaCare), service use, subsidy receipt, and duration of coverage from a major insurer.

Kitchen Adequacy and Child Diet Quality in a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample.

This study examined kitchen adequacy in a racially/ethnically diverse low-income sample and associations with child diet quality. Families with children age five to seven years old (n = 150) from non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, Native American, Hmong, and Somali families were recruited through primary care clinics. More than 85% of families had 15 of the 20 kitchen items queried, indicating that the sample had adequate kitchen facilities.

Examining the Relationship Between Parental Stress and Girls' and Boys' Physical Activity Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse and Immigrant/Refugee Populations.

Given the high prevalence of overweight/obesity and the low prevalence of engaging in physical activity in children, it is important to identify barriers that impede child physical activity. One potential barrier is parental stress. The current study examined the association between parental stress levels and girls' and boys' moderate to vigorous physical activity.

The effect of a fresh produce incentive paired with cooking and nutrition education on healthy eating in low-income households: a pilot study.

Objective: This study pilot-tested combining financial incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables with nutrition education focused on cooking to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables and improve attitudes around healthy eating on a budget among low-income adults. The goal of the pilot study was to examine implementation feasibility and fidelity, acceptability of the intervention components by participants and effectiveness.

Design: The study design was a pre-post individual-level comparison without a control group.

Associations between parental stress, parent feeding practices, and child eating behaviors within the context of food insecurity.

Food insecurity is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially for children from diverse households. Food insecurity presents a potentially different context in which parents engage in food-related parenting practices and children engage in eating behaviors. Parents may also experience higher levels of stress and depressed mood in the context of food insecurity.

Assessing the accuracy of survey reports of health insurance coverage using enrollment data.

Objective: To measure the accuracy of survey-reported data on features and type of health insurance coverage.

Data Source: Enrollment records from a private insurer were used as sample for primary survey data collection in spring of 2015 using the Current Population Survey health insurance module.

Study Design: A reverse record check study where households with individuals enrolled in a range of public and private health insurance plans (including the marketplace) were administered a telephone survey that included questions about general source of coverage (eg, employer), program name (eg, Medicaid), portal, premium, and subsidies.

Compared to Pre-prepared Meals, Fully and Partly Home-Cooked Meals in Diverse Families with Young Children Are More Likely to Include Nutritious Ingredients.

Background: Interest in initiatives that promote home cooking has been increasing, but no studies have examined whether home cooking is associated with dietary quality using longitudinal data on meals served in a diverse sample of families.

Objective: The present study examined data on multiple meals per family in diverse households to determine whether home-cooked meals are more likely to contain nutritious ingredients than pre-prepared meals.

Design: Data for the study came from the National Institutes of Health-funded Family Matters Study.

Preliminary evaluation of the Healthy Savings Program: a novel health insurance-based wellness programme to encourage healthy food purchases.

Objective: To examine level of participation and satisfaction with the Healthy Savings Program (HSP), a programme that provides price discounts on healthier foods.

Design: For Study 1, a survey was distributed to a random sample of adults who were invited to participate in a version of the HSP that provided a discount for the purchase of fresh produce and discounts on other healthier foods. In Study 2, interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of adults invited to participate in a version of the HSP that provided price discounts on specific products only (no fresh produce discount).

Momentary Parental Stress and Food-Related Parenting Practices.

Background: Research suggests that stress and depressed mood are associated with food-related parenting practices (ie, parent feeding practices, types of food served at meals). However, current measures of parental stress, depressed mood, and food-related parenting practices are typically survey-based and assessed as static/unchanging characteristics, failing to account for fluctuations across time and context. Identifying momentary factors that influence parent food-related parenting practices will facilitate the development of effective interventions aimed at promoting healthy food-related parenting practices.

Evidence of Pent-Up Demand for Care After Medicaid Expansion.

We compared new Medicaid enrollees with similar ongoing enrollees for evidence of pent-up demand using claims data following Minnesota's 2014 Medicaid expansion. We hypothesized that if new enrollees had pent-up demand, utilization would decline over time as testing and disease management plans are put in place. Consistent with pent-up demand among new enrollees, the probability of an office visit, a new patient office visit, and an emergency department visit declines over time for new enrollees relative to ongoing Medicaid enrollees.

Mental health and retirement savings: Confounding issues with compounding interest.

The questionable ability of the U.S. pension system to provide for the growing elderly population combined with the rising number of people affected by depression and other mental health issues magnifies the need to understand how these household characteristics affect retirement.

Mass Media Campaign to Reduce Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in a Rural Area of the United States.

Objectives: To evaluate a mass media campaign to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).

Methods: We disseminated messages emphasizing the health risks of SSBs through television, digital channels, and local organizations over 15 weeks in 2015-2016 in the Tri-Cities region of northeast Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and southeast Kentucky. We evaluated the campaign with pre- and post-telephone surveys of adults aged 18 to 45 years in the intervention area and by examining changes in beverage sales in the intervention and a matched comparison area in western Virginia.

Texas Medicaid Payment Reform: Fewer Early Elective Deliveries And Increased Gestational Age And Birthweight.

Infants born at full term have better health outcomes. However, one in ten babies in the United States are born via a medically unnecessary early elective delivery: induction of labor, a cesarean section, or both before thirty-nine weeks gestation. In 2011 the Texas Medicaid program sought to reduce the rate of early elective deliveries by denying payment to providers for the procedure.