The Impact of Immigration Policy Changes on Preterm Birth Rates in Texas: An Examination of Border and Nonborder Regions.

Background: Our study examined the acute and sustained impact of immigration policy changes announced in January 2017 on preterm birth (PTB) rates among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women in Texas's border and nonborder regions.

Methods: Using Texas birth certificate data for years 2008 through 2020, we used a multiple group interrupted time series approach to explore changes in PTB rates.

Results: In the nonborder region, the PTB rate among Hispanic women of any race was 8.

Rural healthy people 2030: New decade, new challenges.

Rural Healthy People is a companion piece to the federal Healthy People initiative released once a decade to identify the most important Healthy People priorities for rural America, as identified by rural stakeholders, for the current decade. This study reports on the findings of Rural Healthy People 2030. The study relied on a survey of rural health stakeholders collected from July 12, 2021, to February 14, 2022, and: 1) identified the 20 Healthy People priorities most frequently selected as priorities for rural America, 2) studied the priorities that were most frequently selected as a "top 3" priority within each Healthy People 2030 category, and 3) investigated Healthy People 2030 priorities in terms of ranked importance for rural Americans.

Cervical Cancer Screening Outcomes Among a Sample of Low-Income Uninsured Women: A Program-Based Study.

Most studies examining cervical cancer screening outcomes have focused on either an age-specific diagnosis and outcomes of abnormal smears or frequency of abnormal outcomes among a sample of insured women. Thus, it is unclear what the distribution outcomes would be when other sociodemographic characteristics are considered. This study examines the variation in cervical cancer screening outcomes and sociodemographic characteristics (patients' age, marital status, race/ethnicity, rurality, and Papanicolaou [Pap] test screening history) within a sample of low-income and uninsured women.

The association between rurality, sociodemographic characteristics, and mammogram screening outcomes among a sample of low-income uninsured women.

Studies have found a positive association between adherence to mammography screening guidelines and early detection of breast cancer lesions, yet the proportion of women who get screened for breast cancer remains below national targets. Previous studies have found that mammography screening rates vary by sociodemographic factors including race/ethnicity, income, education, and rurality. It is less known whether sociodemographic factors are also related to mammography screening in underserved populations.

Rural-urban differences in estimated life expectancy associated with neighborhood-level cumulative social and environmental determinants.

Diverse neighborhood-level environmental and social impacts on health are well documented. While studies typically examine these impacts individually, examining potential health impacts from multiple sources as a whole can provide a broader context of overall neighborhood-level health impacts compared to examining each component independently. This study examined the association between cumulative neighborhood-level potential health impacts on health and expected life expectancy within neighborhoods (census tracts) across Texas using the Neighborhood Potential Health Impact Score tool.

Delivery of Fall Prevention Interventions for At-Risk Older Adults in Rural Areas: Findings from a National Dissemination.

Falls incidence rates and associated injuries are projected to increase among rural-dwelling older adults, which highlights the need for effective interventions to prevent falls and manage fall-related risks. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the geospatial dissemination of eight evidence-based fall prevention programs (e.g.

Dissemination of Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) Programs in the United States: Intervention Delivery by Rurality.

: Alongside the dramatic increase of older adults in the United States (U.S.), it is projected that the aging population residing in rural areas will continue to grow.

Programs and Place: Risk and Asset Mapping for Fall Prevention.

Identifying ways to measure access, availability, and utilization of health-care services, relative to at-risk areas or populations, is critical in providing practical and actionable information to key stakeholders. This study identified the prevalence and geospatial distribution of fall-related emergency medical services (EMS) calls in relation to the delivery of an evidence-based fall prevention program in Tarrant County, Texas over a 3-year time period. It aims to educate public health professionals and EMS first respondents about the application of geographic information system programs to identify risk-related "hot spots," service gaps, and community assets to reduce falls among older adults.

Assessing bottled water nitrate concentrations to evaluate total drinking water nitrate exposure and risk of birth defects.

Previous epidemiologic studies of maternal exposure to drinking water nitrate did not account for bottled water consumption. The objective of this National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) (USA) analysis was to assess the impact of bottled water use on the relation between maternal exposure to drinking water nitrate and selected birth defects in infants born during 1997-2005. Prenatal residences of 1,410 mothers reporting exclusive bottled water use were geocoded and mapped; 326 bottled water samples were collected and analyzed using Environmental Protection Agency Method 300.

Leveraging Administrative Data for Program Evaluations: A Method for Linking Data Sets Without Unique Identifiers.

In community-based wellness programs, Social Security Numbers (SSNs) are rarely collected to encourage participation and protect participant privacy. One measure of program effectiveness includes changes in health care utilization. For the 65 and over population, health care utilization is captured in Medicare administrative claims data.

National dissemination of chronic disease self-management education programs: an incremental examination of delivery characteristics.

With a near 20-year developmental history as an evidence-based program, the suite of Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) programs were selected in 2010 for grand-scale dissemination in a federally supported initiative to improve the health of older Americans. The primary charge of this national effort was to establish a sustainable program delivery system for empowering American adults with one or more chronic conditions to better manage their health. The current study focused on a series of dissemination and implementation science research questions to: (1) examine the geographic distribution of participation in this initiative across the Unites States; (2) describe workshop characteristics engaged to reach program participants in various settings; and (3) describe personal characteristics of the first 100,000 participants.

Prenatal nitrate intake from drinking water and selected birth defects in offspring of participants in the national birth defects prevention study.

Background: Previous studies of prenatal exposure to drinking-water nitrate and birth defects in offspring have not accounted for water consumption patterns or potential interaction with nitrosatable drugs.

Objectives: We examined the relation between prenatal exposure to drinking-water nitrate and selected birth defects, accounting for maternal water consumption patterns and nitrosatable drug exposure.

Methods: With data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, we linked addresses of 3,300 case mothers and 1,121 control mothers from the Iowa and Texas sites to public water supplies and respective nitrate measurements.

The effect of fast-food availability on fast-food consumption and obesity among rural residents: an analysis by race/ethnicity.

Rural areas of the United States tend to have higher obesity rates than urban areas, particularly in regions with high proportions of non-white residents. This paper analyzes the effect of fast-food availability on the level of fast-food consumption and obesity risk among both white and non-white residents of central Texas. Potential endogeneity of fast-food availability is addressed through instrumental variables regression using distance to the nearest major highway as an instrument.

Association between proximity to and coverage of traditional fast-food restaurants and non-traditional fast-food outlets and fast-food consumption among rural adults.

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between residential exposure to fast-food entrées, using two measures of potential spatial access: proximity (distance to the nearest location) and coverage (number of different locations), and weekly consumption of fast-food meals.

Methods: Traditional fast-food restaurants and non-traditional fast-food outlets, such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and grocery stores, from the 2006 Brazos Valley Food Environment Project were linked with individual participants (n = 1409) who completed the nutrition module in the 2006 Brazos Valley Community Health Assessment.

Results: Increased age, poverty, increased distance to the nearest fast food, and increased number of different traditional fast-food restaurants, non-traditional fast-food outlets, or fast-food opportunities were associated with less frequent weekly consumption of fast-food meals.

Focusing on fast food restaurants alone underestimates the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and exposure to fast food in a large rural area.

Background: Individuals and families are relying more on food prepared outside the home as a source for at-home and away-from-home consumption. Restricting the estimation of fast-food access to fast-food restaurants alone may underestimate potential spatial access to fast food.

Methods: The study used data from the 2006 Brazos Valley Food Environment Project (BVFEP) and the 2000 U.

Birth order and risk of childhood cancer: a pooled analysis from five US States.

The causes of childhood cancers are largely unknown. Birth order has been used as a proxy for prenatal and postnatal exposures, such as frequency of infections and in utero hormone exposures. We investigated the association between birth order and childhood cancers in a pooled case-control dataset.

Childhood cancer in relation to parental race and ethnicity: a 5-state pooled analysis.

Background: Children of different racial/ethnic backgrounds have varying risks of cancer. However, to the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have examined cancer occurrence in children of mixed ancestry.

Methods: This population-based case-control study examined cancer among children aged <15 years using linked cancer and birth registry data from 5 US states from 1978 through 2004.

Neighborhood deprivation, vehicle ownership, and potential spatial access to a variety of fruits and vegetables in a large rural area in Texas.

Objective: There has been limited study of all types of food stores, such as traditional (supercenters, supermarkets, and grocery stores), convenience stores, and non-traditional (dollar stores, mass merchandisers, and pharmacies) as potential opportunities for purchase of fresh and processed (canned and frozen) fruits and vegetables, especially in small-town or rural areas.

Methods: Data from the Brazos Valley Food Environment Project (BVFEP) are combined with 2000 U.S.

Occurrence of conotruncal heart birth defects in Texas: a comparison of urban/rural classifications.

Purpose: (1) Determine if there is an association between 3 conotruncal heart birth defects and urban/rural residence of mother. (2) Compare results using different methods of measuring urban/rural status.

Methods: Data were taken from the Texas Birth Defects Registry, 1999-2003.

Urban-rural residence and the occurrence of cleft lip and cleft palate in Texas, 1999-2003.

Purpose: The etiology of orofacial clefts is complex and relatively unknown. Variation in cleft lip with or without palate (CLP) and cleft palate alone (CP) was examined in Texas across urban-rural residence (1999 to 2003).

Methods: Cases came from the Texas Birth Defects Registry (1,949 CLP and 1,054 CP) and denominator data came from vital records (254 counties; 1,827,317 live births).

Cancer risk among children with very low birth weights.

Objective: The risk of hepatoblastoma is strongly increased among children with very low birth weight (<1500 g). Because data on very low birth weight and other childhood cancers are sparse, we examined the risk of malignancy with very low birth weight in a large data set.

Methods: We combined case-control data sets created by linking the cancer and birth registries of California, Minnesota, New York, Texas, and Washington states, which included 17672 children diagnosed as having cancer at 0 to 14 years of age and 57966 randomly selected control subjects.

Parental age and risk of childhood cancer: a pooled analysis.

Background: Few risk factors for childhood cancer are well-established. We investigated whether advancing parental age increases childhood cancer risk.

Methods: We assessed the relationship between parental age and childhood cancer in a case-control study using pooled population-based data.

Urban versus rural residence and occurrence of septal heart defects in Texas.

Background: There is conflicting information on the association between urban/rural residence of mothers and atrial septal defect (ASD) or ventricular septal defect (VSD) in their offspring. Few studies have compared multiple measures of urban/rural residence.

Methods: Data were taken from the Texas Birth Defects Registry, 1999-2003.

Association between neighborhood need and spatial access to food stores and fast food restaurants in neighborhoods of colonias.

Objective: To determine the extent to which neighborhood needs (socioeconomic deprivation and vehicle availability) are associated with two criteria of food environment access: 1) distance to the nearest food store and fast food restaurant and 2) coverage (number) of food stores and fast food restaurants within a specified network distance of neighborhood areas of colonias, using ground-truthed methods.

Methods: Data included locational points for 315 food stores and 204 fast food restaurants, and neighborhood characteristics from the 2000 U.S.