Background: Track PCC includes five geographic surveillance sites to conduct standardized population-based surveillance to estimate and track Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) by age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic area, severity of initial infection, and risk factors among persons with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (based on the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist [CSTE] case definitions for confirmed cases or laboratory-confirmed evidence of infection).
Methods: The study will estimate the incidence, prevalence, including temporal trends, and duration and severity of PCC symptoms, among children, adolescents, and adults. PCCs include a broad range of symptoms and conditions that continue or develop after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 illness.
Purpose: Neither the United States nor the European oncology guidelines include details for appropriate management of hyperglycemia in cancer patients. The aim was to identify fasting and random blood glucose thresholds, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) targets used by oncologists in clinical practice when managing hyperglycemia in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods: This national, cross sectional study utilized a questionnaire to collect oncologists' perceptions about optimal blood glucose thresholds and HbA1c targets in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
(1) Background: Despite evidence of increased rates of sports injury during the years surrounding peak growth in adolescents, little is known regarding the relationship between adolescent growth and gait stability. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of how chronological age and height relate to gait stability in both male and female adolescents. (2) Methods: Participants (N = 67; females: = 34, ages 8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To assess oncologists' responsibility, comfort, and knowledge managing hyperglycemia in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire collected oncologists' perceptions about professionals responsible for managing hyperglycemia during chemotherapy; comfort (score range 12-120); and knowledge (score range 0-16). Descriptive statistics were calculated including Student t-tests and one-way ANOVA for mean score differences.
J Community Health
October 2023
Little is known about adherence to COVID-19 masking mandates on college campuses or the relationship between weather-related variables and masking. This study aimed to (1) observe students' adherence to on-campus mask mandates and (2) estimate the effect of weather on mask-wearing. Temple University partnered in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's observational Mask Adherence Surveillance at Colleges and Universities Project.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Chronic diseases account for approximately 70% of deaths in the U.S. annually.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
August 2022
Background: Cognitive decline can be an early indicator for dementia. Using quantitative methods and national representative survey data, we can monitor the potential burden of disease at the population-level.
Methods: BRFSS is an annual, nationally representative questionnaire in the United States.
Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Black men and women. While colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) reduces mortality, research assessing within race CRCS differences is lacking. This study assessed CRCS prevalence and adherence to national screening recommendations and the association of region of birth with CRCS adherence, within a diverse Black population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) products is common among older adults. Although OTC self-medication is a convenient way to manage some health issues, older persons may be at higher risk of experiencing medication-related problems. This study examines the prevalence, practices, and preferences associated with OTC medication use in older adult residents of senior living communities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDetermine the relationship characteristics, sexual health attitudes, and demographic factors associated with dual contraceptive use among college students. September-October 2018 via campus email, we recruited College of Public Health students attending a large, urban, public university (N = 424). Respondents completed a cross-sectional, Web-based sexual health questionnaire.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe describe the use of an online patient portal to recruit and enroll primary care patients in a randomized trial testing the effectiveness of a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening decision support program. We use multiple logistic regression to identify patient characteristics associated with trial recruitment, enrollment, and engagement. We found that compared to Whites, Blacks had lower odds of viewing the portal message (OR = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol
August 2019
Lead exposure adversely affects children's health. Exposure in the United States is highest among socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals who disproportionately live in substandard housing. We used Bayesian binomial regression models to estimate a neighborhood deprivation index and its association with elevated blood lead level (EBLL) risk using blood lead level testing data in Maryland census tracts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: How to provide practice-integrated decision support to patients remains a challenge. We are testing the effectiveness of a practice-integrated programme targeting patients with a physician recommendation for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.
Methods And Analysis: In partnership with healthcare teams, we developed 'e-assist: Colon Health', a patient-targeted, postvisit CRC screening decision support programme.
Universal screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) is recommended for individuals 50-75 years of age, but screening uptake is suboptimal and African Americans have suffered persistent racial disparities in CRC incidence and deaths. We compared a culturally tailored fictional narrative and an engaging expert interview on the ability to increase intentions to be screened for CRC among African American women. In a post-only experiment, women (N = 442) in face-to-face listening groups in African American churches heard audio recordings of either a narrative or an expert interview.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Patient-physician communication about colorectal cancer screening can affect screening use, but discussions often lack information that patients need for informed decision making and seldom address personal preferences or barriers. To address this gap, a series of patient focus groups was conducted to guide the development of an online, interactive decision support program. This article presents findings on patient information needs and barriers to colorectal cancer screening after receiving a screening recommendation from a physician, and their perspectives on using electronic patient portals as platforms for health-related decision support.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Childhood lead exposure is linked to numerous adverse health effects and exposure in the United States is highest among people living in substandard housing, which is disproportionately inhabited by socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. In this paper, we compared the Vox lead exposure risk score and concentrated disadvantage based on principal component analysis (PCA) to weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression to determine which method was best able to explain variation in elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs).
Methods: We constructed indices for census tracts in Minnesota and used them in Poisson regression models to identify the best socioeconomic measure for explaining EBLL risk.
Introduction: OTC medications are generally considered safe and convenient to use without requiring a prescription. However, the safety of an OTC medication and the final health outcome depends in part upon consumers' perceptions, beliefs, and their decision-making about OTC medication use. This study uses a qualitative approach to explore the knowledge, beliefs, and practices associated with OTC medication use and decision-making in adults aged 65 years and older.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients with cancer are vulnerable to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI); hospitals with larger oncology populations may have worse CDI performance. Among 71 academic hospitals studied, there were significant differences in oncology patient-days per 1,000 admissions across CDI standardized infection ratio categories of better, no different, and worse; worse hospitals had the greatest number of patient-days. Oncology patients' most commonly used high-risk CDI medications were quinolones, third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, and proton pump inhibitors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Engaging patients to make informed choices is paramount but difficult in busy practices. This study sought to engage patients outside the clinical setting to better understand how they approach cancer screening decisions, including their primary concerns and their preferences for finalizing their decision.
Methods: Twelve primary care practices offering patients an online personal health record invited eligible patients to complete a 17-item online interactive module.
Socioeconomic status (SES) is often considered a risk factor for health outcomes. SES is typically measured using individual variables of educational attainment, income, housing, and employment variables or a composite of these variables. Approaches to building the composite variable include using equal weights for each variable or estimating the weights with principal components analysis or factor analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Technology could transform routine decision making by anticipating patients' information needs, assessing where patients are with decisions and preferences, personalizing educational experiences, facilitating patient-clinician information exchange, and supporting follow-up. This study evaluated whether patients and clinicians will use such a decision module and its impact on care, using 3 cancer screening decisions as test cases.
Methods: Twelve practices with 55,453 patients using a patient portal participated in this prospective observational cohort study.
Background: Smoking has a detrimental effect on the symptoms and severity of asthma, a common chronic disease among adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between asthma and smoking among high school students and assess provider-patient communication with asthmatic adolescents regarding smoking and adolescents' beliefs about the harms of smoking.
Methods: In fall 2014, data from high school students, ages 14-18 years, completing the 2009-2010 Virginia Youth Tobacco Survey (N = 1796) were used in descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for model-specific confounders as appropriate.
Purpose: The study purpose is to describe who breast cancer survivors see for their care by years since diagnosis and determine the association between time since diagnosis and the type of clinician providing the majority of care, taking into account receipt of follow-up care instructions.
Methods: The 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to identify a sample (N = 1024) of women with a self-reported history of breast cancer. Descriptive characteristics were calculated and stratified by years since diagnosis.
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