Publications by authors named "D Sarpong"

Given the increasing integration of trusted leaders in public health science, including vaccination programs, context-specific understandings of community perceptions and levels of trust are critical to intervention. This study aimed to understand the perspectives and attitudes of the southeastern Louisiana community and inform the development of a community-engaged action plan. A cross-sectional survey of 555 southeastern Louisianans-including faith-based organization (FBO) members, community pharmacy (CommRx) customers, community-based organization (CBO) contacts, and Louisiana community-dwelling residents-was conducted from November 2020 to March 2021.

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Background: Accurate assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is crucial for effective prevention and resource allocation. However, few CVD risk estimation tools consider social determinants of health (SDoH), despite their known impact on CVD risk. We aimed to estimate 10-year CVD risk in the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network Cohort Study (ECS) across multiple risk estimation instruments and assess the association between SDoH and CVD risk.

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Purpose Of Review: Significant inequities persist in hypertension detection and control, with minoritized populations disproportionately experiencing organ damage and premature death due to uncontrolled hypertension. Remote blood pressure monitoring combined with telehealth visits (RBPM) is proving to be an effective strategy for controlling hypertension. Yet there are challenges related to technology adoption, patient engagement and social determinants of health (SDoH), contributing to disparities in patient outcomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a measure of variability in red blood cell sizes and may indicate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, especially in low-resource areas, according to a study in Ghana and Nigeria.
  • The study involved 319 adults with hypertension who underwent assessments like blood pressure and RDW measurement, revealing an average RDW of 13.96% and a median CVD risk score of 8.11%.
  • Findings showed that RDW is positively correlated with age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and WHO CVD risk scores, suggesting RDW could be a useful predictor of CVD risk in this population, particularly with an RDW cutoff of >14
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Global COVID-19 vaccination effort faces the challenges of vaccine hesitancy and resistance, rooted in misinformation and institutional distrust. Addressing these barriers with customized messaging is essential, yet the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and other health-seeking behaviors, like COVID-19 testing, has been underexplored. This study assessed COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Southeastern Louisiana across 10 pharmacies and clinics in areas with historically high rates of COVID-19 infection.

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