Sociodemographic Factors of Asthma Prevalence and Costs Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2016-2021.

Introduction: Asthma is a chronic condition with a high prevalence and cost of care among children and adolescents. While previous research described the association of sociodemographic factors with childhood asthma prevalence, there is limited knowledge of these factors' association with medical expenditures. In this study, we examined disparities in treated asthma prevalence and medical expenditures among US children and adolescents.

Preventable Emergency Department Visits of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Hospital-Based Health Information Exchange.

This study examined the relationship between hospital-based electronic health information exchange (HIE) and the likelihood of having a preventable emergency department (ED) visit during the COVID-19 pandemic for US patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). : We used multi-level data from six states. The linked data sets included the 2020 State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD), the Area Health Resources File, the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey, and the AHA Information Technology Supplement to study 85,261 hospital discharges from patients with ADRD.

Availability and use of telehealth services among patients with ADRD enrolled in traditional Medicare vs. Medicare advantage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The objective of this study was to examine differences in availability and use of telehealth services among Medicare enrollees according to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) status and enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) versus Traditional Medicare (TM) during the period surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of data from community-dwelling MA and TM enrollees with and without ADRD from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 COVID-19 Supplement Public Use Files. We examined self-reported availability of telehealth service before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and use of telehealth services during COVID-19.

Early-onset alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use with age at onset of hypertension: a survival analysis.

Purpose: To examine the associations of age when first substance use and early-onset substance use before age 18 with age at onset (AAO) of hypertension.

Methods: This study included 19,270 individuals with AAO of hypertension from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Age when first use of 10 substance use variables included alcohol, daily cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), inhalants, and methamphetamine use.

Association of APOE gene with longitudinal changes of CSF amyloid beta and tau levels in Alzheimer's disease: racial differences.

Background: The Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, no investigation has focused on racial differences in the longitudinal effect of APOE genotypes on CSF amyloid beta (Aβ42) and tau levels in AD.

Methods: This study used data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI): 222 participants with AD, 264 with cognitive normal (CN), and 692 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at baseline and two years follow-up.

Sleep Apnea and Substance Use Disorders Associated with Co-Occurrence of Anxiety Disorder and Depression among U.S. Adults: Findings from the NSDUH 2008-2014.

Few studies have focused on sleep apnea and substance use disorders with co-occurrence of anxiety disorder and depression. This study included a total of 270,227 adults, 9268 with co-occurrence of anxiety disorder and depression in the past year, from the combined 2008-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data, which are the latest datasets with measures of anxiety disorder and sleep apnea. Weighted multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the associations between anxiety disorder and depression and their co-occurrence.

Decreasing Racial Disparities in Preventable Emergency Department Visits Through Hospital Health Information Technology Patient Engagement Functionalities.

Hospitals are a major source of care for underserved populations in the United States. However, little is known about how hospital-based health information technology (HIT) can improve the efficiency of care and reduce disparities. We examined the variation of preventable emergency department (ED) visits and associated racial disparities by hospital adoption of HIT patient engagement (HIT-PE) functionalities.

Rural and urban disparities in potentially preventable hospitalizations among US patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Evidence of hospital-based telehealth and enabling services.

We examined urban and rural disparities in potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPHs) among US patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and the use of telehealth post-discharge and enabling services as mediators. We merged 2017 100% Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) claims with the Medicare Beneficiary Summary File, along with population and hospital-based characteristics. Logistic regression models were employed to examine differences in PPHs by telehealth and enabling services.

Exploring hospital-based health information technology functions for patients with Alzheimer's Disease and related Dementias.

This study investigated whether hospital-adopted health information technology (HIT) is associated with a reduction in the frequency of preventable emergency department (ED) visits for patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). We used data from the 2015 State Emergency Department Databases, Area Health Resources File, and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement. We employed multivariable logistic regression models to examine the variation of the likelihood of having preventable ED visits by hospitals' adoption of HIT functions and adjusted for patient, hospital, and county-level factors.

Social experiences with mental health service use among US adolescents.

Background: Little is known about the associations of social experiences with mental health service use.

Aim: This study aimed to classify social experiences variables in the past year and examine the associations of selected variables in social experiences with mental health service use among US adolescents.

Methods: A total of 13,038 adolescents (aged 12 to 17), of which 2208 received mental health services, were from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Trends in Health Care Utilization and Expenditures in the United States Across 5 Decades: 1977-2017.

Background: Health care expenditures in the United States are high and rising, with significant increases over the decades. The delivery, organization, and financing of the health care system has evolved over time due to technological innovation, policy changes, patient preferences, altering payment mechanisms, shifting demographics, and other factors.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine trends over time in health care utilization and expenditures in the United States.

Gender differences in the associations of early onset poly tobacco and drug use prior to age 18 with the prevalence of adult bronchitis in the United States.

Purpose: We investigated the associations of early onset polysubstance use prior to age 18 with the prevalence of bronchitis among U.S. adults and tested whether the associations differ by gender.

Accountable Care Hospitals and Preventable Emergency Department Visits for Rural Dementia Patients.

Background/objectives: This study examined urban/rural differences in the frequency of preventable emergency department (ED) visits among patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), with a focus on the variation of accountable care organization (ACO) participation status for hospitals in urban and rural areas.

Design: We performed a cross-sectional study using the 2015 State Emergency Department Databases, the American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals, and the Area Health Resource File. Individual-, county-, and hospital-level characteristics and state fixed effects were used for model specification.

Decomposing Urban and Rural Disparities of Preventable ED Visits Among Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Evidence of the Availability of Health Care Resources.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the urban and rural differences in the frequency of preventable Emergency Department (ED) visits among Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) patients, with a focus on the availability of health care resources in urban and rural areas.

Methods: Linked datasets of 2015 State Emergency Department Databases from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and the Area Health Resource File were used. ED discharges of 7 states were included in our analysis.

The Effect of Patient-Centered Communication and Racial Concordant Care on Care Satisfaction Among U.S. Immigrants.

Immigrants living in the United States experience disparities in satisfaction with medical care. Practicing patient-centered communication and providing racially (or race-concordant) concordant care are suggested as effective approaches to improve care satisfaction. Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we found that immigrant patients with medical providers who practiced patient-centered communication were more likely to be satisfied with the care they received regardless of patient-provider racial concordance, and that simply having racially concordant medical providers did not significantly affect the satisfaction level for immigrant patients.

Variable reduction for past year alcohol and drug use in unmet need for mental health services among US adults.

Background: No previous study has focused on the inter-relationship among alcohol and drug use variables in the past year. This study aimed to classify the past year alcohol and drug use variables and investigate the selected variables in past year alcohol and drug use with the unmet need for mental health services among US adults.

Methods: Data came from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Quantitative DNA Methylation Analysis of DLGAP2 Gene using Pyrosequencing in Schizophrenia with Tardive Dyskinesia: A Linear Mixed Model Approach.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a side effect of antipsychotic medications used to treat schizophrenia (SCZ) and other mental health disorders. No study has previously used pyrosequencing to quantify DNA methylation levels of the DLGAP2 gene; while the quantitative methylation levels among CpG sites within a gene may be correlated. To deal with the correlated measures among three CpG sites within the DLGAP2 gene, this study analyzed DNA methylation levels of the DLGAP2 gene using a linear mixed model (LMM) in a Chinese sample consisting of 35 SCZ patients with TD, 35 SCZ without TD (NTD) and 34 healthy controls (HCs) collected in Beijing, China.

Gender disparities in the associations of behavioral factors, serious psychological distress and chronic diseases with type 2 diabetes screening among US adults.

Background: The increasing prevalence of undiagnosed and diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D) posed a major challenge for public health and thus screening for T2D becomes essentially important. The social-demographical factors associated with the use of T2D screening have been widely studied, however, little is known about the impact of behavioral factors, mental health and chronic diseases on prevalence of screening, especially by gender and age groups.

Methods: We investigated the impact of behavioral factors, mental health and chronic diseases across gender and age groups on the usage rate of T2D screening.

Principal component analysis of early alcohol, drug and tobacco use with major depressive disorder in US adults.

Early alcohol, tobacco and drug use prior to 18 years old are comorbid and correlated. This study included 6239 adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) in the past year and 72,010 controls from the combined data of 2013 and 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). To deal with multicollinearity existing among 17 variables related to early alcohol, tobacco and drug use prior to 18 years old, we used principal component analysis (PCA) to infer PC scores and then use weighted multiple logistic regression analyses to estimate the associations of potential factors and PC scores with MDD.

Associations of health insurance coverage, mental health problems, and drug use with mental health service use in US adults: an analysis of 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of mental health service use among US adults, examine the associations of mental health service use with health insurance coverage, mental health problems and drug use, and detect health disparities.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 5,434 adults receiving mental health service out of 37,424 adult respondents from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Weighted univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the associations of potential factors with mental health service use.

The impact of race, income, drug abuse and dependence on health insurance coverage among US adults.

Little is known about the impact of drug abuse/dependence on health insurance coverage, especially by race groups and income levels. In this study, we examine the disparities in health insurance predictors and investigate the impact of drug use (alcohol abuse/dependence, nicotine dependence, and illicit drug abuse/dependence) on lack of insurance across different race and income groups. To perform the analysis, we used insurance data (8057 uninsured and 28,590 insured individual adults) from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH 2011).