Nutrition Knowledge Among Students in an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Is Inadequate and Associated With Residence.

Objective: This study examined the nutrition knowledge and dietary habits of students at an Historically Black College and University.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey with 297 participants was conducted online using Qualtrics. An adapted questionnaire was used to obtain general nutrition knowledge.

School Absenteeism and Neighborhood Deprivation and Threat: Utilizing the Child Opportunity Index to Assess for Neighborhood-Level Disparities in Passaic County, NJ.

Leveraging publicly available data about schools' absenteeism from the New Jersey Department of Education, the present study examined how neighborhood-level resource deprivation and violent crime related to chronic absenteeism in Passaic County's elementary, middle, and high schools. Results highlighted geographic disparities in Passaic County, New Jersey, whereby predominantly racial/ethnic, under-resourced, communities of color have significantly greater levels of resource deprivation and threat. Additionally, greater neighborhood-level resource deprivation and neighborhood violent crime were associated with higher rates and trajectories of absenteeism across three academic school years.

A Nationally Representative Analysis of Substance Use and Sexual Health Correlates Associated with HIV and STI Testing among Adolescents.

Adolescents in the United States (US) continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV and STIs. We investigated the associations between sexual health and substance use behaviors with HIV and STI testing among high school students in the US. Cross-sectional weighted stepwise multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to determine the odds of lifetime HIV and STI testing among students, stratified by sex.

Mixed-methods to explore barriers to the use of food security initiatives in a historically black college and university (HBCU).

Background: To assess students' use and perception of the initiatives to tackle food insecurity (FI) in a Texas historically black college and university (HBCU).

Methods: HBCU students > 18 years (288 students). A mixed-methods approach involving an online survey, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted among the students and major stakeholders to evaluate the prevalence of FI, and gain insights into the challenges to accessing, utilizing and effectively implementing food security (FS) initiatives.

Applying a community-engaged participatory machine learning model.

Although predictive algorithms have been described as the definitive solution to bias in health care, machine learning techniques may also propagate existing health inequities within the community context. However, there may be ways in which machine learning techniques can help community psychologists, public health researchers and practitioners identify patterns in data in a way that empowers improved outcomes. Incorporating community insight in all stages of machine learning research mitigates bias by positioning members of underrepresented communities as the experts of their lived experiences.

HIV knowledge and protective factors among racial-ethnic minority youth: Moderation by Ethnic identity and LGBQ+ identity.

Due to systemic racism and homophobia, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer (LGBQ+) youth of color are disproportionately affected by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) / AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and viral hepatitis (VH). Innovative approaches that acknowledge strengths such as ethnic identity need to be examined to understand specific protective factors that can support LGBQ+ youth of color. This study aimed to examine the moderating effects of ethnic identity and LGBQ+ identity on indicators of HIV knowledge (i.

Hindrances and Enablers of Healthy Eating Behavior Among College Students in an HBCU: A Qualitative Study.

Research indicates widespread unhealthy eating habits among college students, posing long-term health risks. This study at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) aimed to explore the perceived obstacles and facilitators to healthy eating among college students, using the social ecological model (SEM). Through focus group discussions and key informant interviews, the study identified several barriers to healthy eating, including challenges in accessing federal food assistance resources, gaps in nutrition knowledge, cost concerns, limited food variety on campus, difficulty accessing grocery stores, and a lack of cooking skills.

A Qualitative Exploration on Risk and Protective Factors of Substance Use Among Black Adolescent Girls.

Objective: While Black adolescent girls use drugs at much lower rates than White and Hispanic girls, Black adolescent girls often have worse health outcomes due to drug use. This study seeks to highlight the voices of Black adolescent girls in order to understand their unique risk factors for substance use and misuse.

Methods: Utilizing the intersectionality and ecological systems theoretical frameworks, the research team conducted twelve focus groups among a sample of Black adolescent girls ( = 62) between the ages of 13-18 ( = 15.

Machine Learning Application in Horticulture and Prospects for Predicting Fresh Produce Losses and Waste: A Review.

The current review examines the state of knowledge and research on machine learning (ML) applications in horticultural production and the potential for predicting fresh produce losses and waste. Recently, ML has been increasingly applied in horticulture for efficient and accurate operations. Given the health benefits of fresh produce and the need for food and nutrition security, efficient horticultural production and postharvest management are important.

Brief Parent-Child Substance Use Education Intervention for Black Families in Urban Cities in New Jersey: Protocol for a Formative Study Design.

Background: Substance use continues to remain a public health issue for youths in the United States. Black youths living in urban communities are at a heightened risk of poor outcomes associated with substance use and misuse due to exposure to stressors in their neighborhoods, racial discrimination, and lack of prevention education programs specifically targeting Black youths. Many Black youths, especially those who live in urban communities, do not have access to culturally tailored interventions, leaving a critical gap in prevention.

Schools' Neighborhoods and Characteristics: Implications for Standardized Academic Achievement in Passaic, NJ's Elementary, Middle and High Schools.

Schools in urban neighborhoods receive less funding, have less programming, and have poorer infrastructure. Such disparities may impede academic outcomes among youth. This study used publicly available data to examine the association between school characteristics and surrounding neighborhood environment on educational outcomes across three academic years among 132 schools in Passaic County, New Jersey.

Young Adults at the National Epicenter of the COVID-19 Outbreak: Understanding the Impact and Future Challenges of Social Distancing on Mental Health Outcomes.

Objectives: To understand the role and future implications of social distancing on mental health and substance use in young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 living in high-disease-prevalent areas of New York.

Methods: Participants completed a self-administered online survey through Qualtrics.

Results: 43.

Assessing the Prevalence Rates of Internalizing Symptomatology Among Multiracial Adolescents in the United States: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to investigate the prevalence of internalizing symptomatology among Multiracial adolescents in the United States and to report on the methods utilized to measure Multiracial race and internalizing symptoms. A comprehensive search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo, and Web of Science Core Collection. The search was confined to peer-reviewed studies reporting the prevalence of any internalizing symptom among Multiracial adolescents between 10 and 24 years in the United States.

Lower Socioeconomic Status, Psychological Distress, and Self-reported Hypertension: A Longitudinal Moderated Mediation Analysis.

Background: Lower socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with hypertension; however, the mediators and moderators of this association remain understudied. We examined the mediation effect of psychological distress on the link between lower SES and self-reported hypertension and the racial and sex moderation effects.

Methods: We analyzed the data collected from 2009 to 2019 among adults from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).

Racial Differences in 1-Year Mortality after Hospitalization for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the United States.

One quarter of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) die within 1 year. Although overall mortality rates are higher among White patients with COPD, racial and ethnic differences in the vulnerable period following hospitalization are unknown. To determine the association between race and ethnicity and mortality following COPD hospitalization and to evaluate the extent to which differences are explained by clinical, geographic, socioeconomic, and post-acute care factors among Medicare beneficiaries in the United States.

Black Adolescent Females' Perceptions of PrEP for HIV Risk Reduction.

Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention is approved for use in adolescents, though uptake remains low. Black adolescent females experience higher rates of HIV transmission compared to adolescent females of other racial/ethnic groups. Increasing PrEP awareness and education among this population may be an effective strategy to mitigate disparities in HIV transmission among Black adolescent females.

Correction: Schools' Neighborhoods and Characteristics: Implications for Standardized Academic Achievement in Passaic, NJ's Elementary, Middle and High Schools.

[This corrects the article PMC10923576.].

Racial/ethnic disparities in PM-attributable cardiovascular mortality burden in the United States.

Average ambient fine particulate matter (PM) concentrations have decreased in the US in recent years, but the health benefits of this improvement among different racial/ethnic groups are unknown. We estimate the associations between long-term exposure to ambient PM and cause-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rate and assess the PM-attributable CVD deaths by race/ethnicity across 3,103 US counties during 2001-2016 (n = 595,776 county-months). A 1 µg m increase in PM concentration was associated with increases of 7.

Sexual Health and Drug Use Prevention for Black Girls (The Dreamer Girls Project): Protocol for an Intervention Development.

Background: Substance use among adolescent girls is associated with numerous risk characteristics, including engaging in sexual risk behaviors, which can lead to HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses. This is an important phenomenon to target as there is a significant race-gendered paradox that occurs when Black girls use and misuse drugs. When misuse occurs among this group, they are more likely to face harsher consequences and worse health outcomes than boys and other ethnic-minority girls.

Utilizing Community-Centered Approaches to Address Black Maternal Mortality.

The rise of Black maternal mortality rates throughout the country demonstrates a great need to utilize innovative frameworks to craft solutions that improve health outcomes for Black birthing people. Previous research and interventions have examined individual- and policy-level factors to reduce maternal mortality; however, these methods may lack a true community-centered approach to understanding the experiences of Black birthing people in local communities that have been disproportionately impacted. In addition, certain research methods may not recognize other marginalized intersectional identities (e.

Adolescent Polysubstance Use and Co-Occurring Weapon Carrying, Bullying Victimization, and Depressive Symptomology: Patterns and Differences in the United States.

Adolescent substance use commonly co-occurs with poor mental health, bullying victimization and risky behaviors that may lead to violence. The purpose was to describe the United States (US) national prevalence of polysubstance use and co-occurring characteristics and associated demographic characteristics among youth. Middle and high school students in the 2019 CDC YRBS survey reported their demographics and current ( ≥ 1 days in the last 30 days) substances used (alcohol, cigarette, e-cigarette, cannabis); polysubstance combinations were generated.