Use of Treatment and Self-Management Methods: Perspectives and Decisions of Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

Patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) seek a variety of methods to manage the physical and psychosocial burdens of illness on daily life. This study examines how individuals with UC: (1) utilize treatment and self-management methods and (2) make decisions regarding their use of these methods throughout the disease course. Adults living with UC ≥5 years and experienced ≥1 disease flare, participated in individual, semi-structured qualitative interviews.

Impact of perceived neighborhood social cohesion on vaccination intentions in the post-pandemic era.

Objective: To examine the relationship between perceived neighborhood social cohesion (NSC) and intentions to obtain seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines among US adults post COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of US residents (N = 2189) in May 2023 on their perceived NSC, COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccination intentions, healthcare access, perceived risk of COVID-19 or flu infection, loneliness, and trust in doctors. We used bivariate probit regressions to examine joint associations between perceived NSC and intentions to receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, controlling for several participant characteristics (e.

Association between obesogenic environments and childhood overweight/obesity across the United States: Differences by rurality.

Purpose: Childhood obesity is more prevalent in rural compared to urban communities and may be related to urban-rural differences in environmental factors known to affect obesity. However, understanding of how environmental factors impact childhood obesity in rural settings remains limited. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the relationship between obesogenic environments and childhood overweight/obesity rates, including variations across the urban-rural continuum.

Timing of preventive behavior in the case of a new and evolving health risk: the case of COVID-19 vaccination.

Background: Time preferences for preventive behavior under novel risks and uncertain contexts may differ from timing preferences related to familiar risks. Therefore, it is crucial to examine drivers of preventative health behavior timing in light of new health risks. Using the case of COVID-19, we examine factors affecting vaccination timing plans when vaccines were widely available in the European Union (EU).

Community Health Worker Implementation and Cost Analysis of a Plant-Based Nutrition Program.

Objective: This study describes program implementation through a research-restaurant partnership and assesses participant satisfaction, program costs, and percent body weight changes.

Methods: Participants (n = 60) in a virtual synchronous (n = 43) or virtual asynchronous (n = 17) 12-week plant-based nutrition program received restaurant vouchers. Class satisfaction data were collected weekly.

The use of alternatives assessment in chemicals management policies: Needs for greater impact.

Alternatives assessment is a methodology used to identify, evaluate, and compare potential chemical and nonchemical solutions with a substance of concern. It is required in several chemicals management regulatory frameworks, with the objective of supporting the transition to safer chemistry and avoiding regrettable substitutions. Using expert input from symposium presentations and a discussion group hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment, four case examples of the use of alternatives assessment in regulatory frameworks were evaluated and compared: (1) the US Environmental Protection Agency Significant New Alternatives Policy (USEPA SNAP), (2) authorization provisions in the EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation, (3) the California (CA) Safer Consumer Products (SCP) Program, and (4) the Safer Products for Washington (WA) Program.

Emergency department use and geospatial variation in social determinants of health: a pilot study from South Carolina.

Background: Health systems are increasingly addressing patients' social determinants of health (SDoH)-related needs and investigating their effects on health resource use. SDoH needs vary geographically; however, little is known about how this geographic variation in SDoH needs impacts the relationship between SDoH needs and health resource use.

Methods: This study uses data from a SDoH survey administered to a pilot patient population in a single health system and the electronic medical records of the surveyed patients to determine if the impact of SDoH needs on emergency department use varies geospatially at the US Census block group level.

Ulcerative Colitis Is Associated With Diet-related Inflammation and Physical Activity in the IBD Partners E-cohort.

Background: Individuals with ulcerative colitis (UC) seek complementary treatment methods, including diet and physical activity, to manage the burden of living with UC. This study examined associations between diet-associated inflammation, physical activity (PA), and UC-related health outcomes.

Methods: Data were obtained from 2052 IBD Partners e-cohort participants with UC.

Access to Athletic Trainers and Emergency Medical Services Activations for Sport-Related Injuries.

Context: Having athletic trainers (ATs) employed at secondary schools is associated with improved preparedness for sport-related emergencies. The use of emergency medical services (EMS) in settings with different access to athletic training services remains unknown.

Objective: To compare the incidence of EMS activations for patients with sport-related injuries among zip codes with various levels of access to athletic training services.

The social value of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine: Willingness to pay estimates from four western countries.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines give rise to positive externalities on population health, society and the economy in addition to protecting the health of vaccinated individuals. Hence, the social value of such a vaccine exceeds its market value. This paper estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (or shadow prices), in four countries, namely the United States (US), the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy during the first wave of the pandemic when COVID-19 vaccines were in development but not yet approved.

Understanding the Role of a Technology and EMR-based Social Determinants of Health Screening Tool and Community-based Resource Connections in Health Care Resource Utilization.

Background: Health systems are increasingly investing in social determinants of health (SDoH), but there is limited research on how such efforts impact health care resource use. This study presents pilot work on an SDoH screening and referral platform recently implemented in South Carolina's largest private nonprofit health system.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and sustainability of SDoH screening and SDoH-related referrals in a large health system and examine how they affect health resource use.

NEW Soul in the neighborhood-reach and effectiveness of a dissemination and implementation feasibility study.

Dissemination and implementation (D&I) studies of dietary interventions for African Americans are limited. Restaurants may be an innovative setting to deliver dietary interventions. Purpose: Assess weight loss, self-efficacy for healthy eating, diet quality, and quality of life in African Americans in two groups: virtual synchronous and virtual asynchronous.

A Bayesian susceptible-infectious-hospitalized-ventilated-recovered model to predict demand for COVID-19 inpatient care in a large healthcare system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained healthcare systems in many parts of the United States. During the early months of the pandemic, there was substantial uncertainty about whether the large number of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization would exceed healthcare system capacity. This uncertainty created an urgent need to accurately predict the number of COVID-19 patients that would require inpatient and ventilator care at the local level.

The Association Between Access to Athletic Trainers and Emergency Medical Services Activations for Sport-Related Injuries.

Context: Having athletic trainers (ATs) employed at secondary schools is associated with improved preparedness for sport-related emergencies. Utilization of emergency medical services (EMS) with different access to athletic training services remains unknown.

Objective: Compare the incidence of EMS activations for sport-related injuries between zip-codes with varying access to athletic training services.

Epidemiology of Emergency Medical Services Activations for Sport-Related Injuries in the United States.

Background Literature examining emergency medical services (EMS) activations for sport-related injuries is limited to the pediatric, high school, and collegiate student-athlete populations, excluding older individuals and recreational athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine EMS activations for sport-related injuries using the National EMS Information System Database from 2017-2018. Methods Data were obtained using the National EMS Information System Database from 2017-2018.

Three dimensions of COVID-19 risk perceptions and their socioeconomic correlates in the United States: A social media analysis.

Social media analysis provides an alternate approach to monitoring and understanding risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 over time. Our current understandings of risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 do not disentangle the three dimensions of risk perceptions (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and negative emotion) as the pandemic has evolved. Data are also limited regarding the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on COVID-19-related risk perceptions over time.

Risk perception of COVID-19 and its socioeconomic correlates in the United States: A social media analysis.

Social media analysis provides a new approach to monitoring and understanding risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 over time. Our current understandings of risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 do not disentangle the three dimensions of risk perceptions (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and negative emotion) over a long enough timeframe to cover different pandemic phases. The impact of social determinants of health factors on COVID-19-related risk perceptions over time is also not clear.

'Relative Consent' or 'Presumed Consent'? Organ donation attitudes and behaviour.

Legislation, in the form of presumed consent, has been argued to boost organ donation but most evidence disregards the practice of seeking relative's consent, which can either 'veto' donation decisions, or 'legitimize them', by removing any possible conflict with the donor's family. We study the effect of presumed consent alongside family consent on individuals' willingness to donate (WTD) one's own and relatives' organs, and on actual organ donation behaviours. Using data from 28 European countries for the period 2002-2010, we found that presumed consent (PC) policies are associated with increased willingness to donate organs, but this effect was attenuated once internal family discussions on organ donation were controlled for.

Cost-Effectiveness of Antihypertensive Therapy in Patients Older Than 80 Years: Cohort Study and Markov Model.

Background: Blood pressure and antihypertensive treatment (AHT) generally increase with age, but there is uncertainty concerning the value of treatment at very advanced ages.

Objectives: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of AHT in people aged 80 years and older.

Methods: A Markov model compared AHT with no blood pressure treatment for prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Lessons from the 2018 International Symposium on Alternatives Assessment: Advances and Reflections on Practice and Ongoing Needs to Build the Field.

Alternatives assessment is gaining traction as a systematic method to support the informed substitution of chemicals of concern. The 2nd International Symposium on Alternatives Assessment, on 1-2 November 2018, convened nearly 150 professionals from government agencies, industry, consultant firms, academia, and advocacy organizations to advance a greater understanding of the evolving methods, practices, and challenges in the use of alternatives assessment. This article reviews highlights and lessons from the symposium, including 1) notable advances in methods, 2) shared insights from practitioners on best practices as well as inherent tensions and challenges, and 3) research and practice needs in the field that can be addressed by organizations such as the newly launched Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment.

Enhanced Invitations Using the Question-Behavior Effect and Financial Incentives to Promote Health Check Uptake in Primary Care.

Background: Uptake of health checks for cardiovascular risk assessment in primary care in England is lower than anticipated. The question-behavior effect (QBE) may offer a simple, scalable intervention to increase health check uptake.

Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced invitation methods employing the QBE, with or without a financial incentive to return the questionnaire, at increasing uptake of health checks.