Short-term associations between precipitation and gastrointestinal illness-related hospital admissions: A multi-city study in Texas.

The ongoing climate change crisis presents challenges to the global public health system. The risk of gastrointestinal illness (GI) related hospitalization increases following extreme weather events but is largely under-reported and under-investigated. This study assessed the association between precipitation and GI-related hospital admissions in four major cities in Texas.

Predictors of food insecurity among older adults before and during COVID-19 in the United States.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the health and wellbeing of older adult populations through increased morbidity, mortality, and social exclusion. However, the impact of COVID-19 on the health of older adults through food security has received relatively little attention, despite the strong impact of diet quality on the health and longevity of older adults.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify sociodemographic and socioeconomic predictors of self-reported food insecurity before and early in the COVID-19 pandemic among community-dwelling older adults in the United States.

Physical Activity Intensity and Biopsychosocial Correlates in Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: The study aims to characterize physical activity (PA) participation by intensity and examine the biopsychosocial correlates among middle-aged and older adults with CKD in China.

Method: Data are examined from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

Results: The percentages of participation in vigorous, moderate, and light activity among participants with CKD were 22.

Racial Discrimination in Health Care Is Associated with Worse Glycemic Control among Black Men but Not Black Women with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: A growing body of research suggests that racial discrimination may affect the health of Black men and Black women differently.

Aims: This study examined Black patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in order to test gender differences in (1) levels of perceived racial discrimination in health care and (2) how perceived discrimination relates to glycemic control.

Methods: A total of 163 Black patients with type 2 DM (78 women and 85 men) provided data on demographics (age and gender), socioeconomic status, perceived racial discrimination in health care, self-rated health, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

Assessing Diabetes and Factors Associated with Foregoing Medical Care among Persons with Diabetes: Disparities Facing American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, Low Income, and Southern Adults in the U.S. (2011-2015).

: Identify individual- and place-based factors associated with diagnosed diabetes and forgone medical care among those diagnosed with diabetes. : Diabetes affects millions of individuals globally. In the U.

Biopsychosocial Predictors of Fall Events Among Older African Americans.

This study identifies risk and protective factors for falls among older, community-dwelling African Americans. Drawing upon the biopsychosocial perspective, we conducted a series of sex- and age-adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses to identify the correlates of fall events among older African Americans. Our sample consisted of 1,442 community-dwelling African Americans aged 65 and older, participating in the 2010-2012 rounds of the Health and Retirement Study.

Neighborhood Environment and Falls among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

: Falls present a major challenge to active aging, but the relationship between neighborhood factors and falls is poorly understood. This study examined the relationship between fall events and neighborhood factors, including neighborhood social cohesion (sense of belonging, trust, friendliness, and helpfulness) and physical environment (vandalism/graffiti, rubbish, vacant/deserted houses, and perceived safety walking home at night). : Data were analyzed from 9259 participants over four biennial waves (2006-2012) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of adults aged 65 and older in the United States.

Sex, Health Behaviors and Social Support: Functional Decline among Older Diabetics.

Problem Statement: Men and women experience pronounced differences in functional decline as they age. The mechanisms behind these differences remain unclear, particularly among chronically ill populations. Drawing on the theory of the disablement process, this research examines sex differences in functional decline, focusing on two mechanisms suggested by the literature to partially mediate these disparities: health behaviors and social support.