Influence of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation on Effectiveness of an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention.

Objective: To assess the influence of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation on the effectiveness of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) in the Look AHEAD trial.

Research Design And Methods: Look AHEAD randomized adults with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes to ILI for weight loss, or Diabetes Support and Education (DSE). We linked participant data from four study sites to the 2000 United States Census to generate a neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation score.

Everyday functioning as a predictor of cognitive status in a group of community-dwelling, predominantly Black adults.

Introduction: We examined whether the Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills (PASS) and Everyday Cognition Scale-12 (ECog-12) dichotomized cognitive groups in a sample of predominantly Black adults.

Methods: Two hundred forty-six community-dwelling adults (95% Black, age 50+) completed cognitive testing, the PASS, and the ECog. Cognitive groups (probable vs unlikely cognitive impairment) were determined by performance on the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake and intention of Black adults: A county-wide analysis of an online survey.

Background: There are demonstrated racial inequities in coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease burden, and the initial vaccine rollout did not equitably address these disparities.

Methods: We conducted analyses of a national Facebook survey restricted to Black adult residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania for the period of May 2021 to January 2022. We assessed the associations between demographics, health status, social normative context, perceived racial discrimination, and beliefs about COVID-19 mitigation strategies on vaccine uptake and intention and compared reasons reported for vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine non-intention among the unvaccinated.

A Preliminary Analysis of Stress Burden and Cognitive Function and Clinically Adjudicated Cognitive Outcomes in Black American Adults.

Background: The combination of exposure to multiple stressors and psychological distress may contribute to the disproportionate burden of dementia risk among Black Americans. This study estimates the effect of an index of stress and psychological distress (ie, "stress burden") on cognitive function and clinically adjudicated cognitive outcomes among older Black American adults, and examines sleep as a mediator.

Methods: The sample included 204 Black adults (79% female; mean age = 64 years) from Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Diversity supplements: An underutilized opportunity to improve the diversity of the health sciences research workforce.

Purpose: This paper describes the process developed at the University of Pittsburgh to increase the number of NIH-funded Diversity Supplements.

Method: The authors formed a Diversity in Academia Workgroup where we created the infrastructure and process to increase the number of Diversity Supplements. Each year, the Office of Sponsored Programs provided a list of grants that would be eligible to submit a Diversity Supplement.

A Comprehensive, Community-Based Coalition to Address Racial Disparities in Chronic Disease: REACH in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Background: Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Initiative, Live Well Allegheny: Lifting Wellness for African Americans (LWA) in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, aims to enhance health equity by addressing chronic disease in six African American communities via three key strategies: nutrition, physical activity, and community-clinical linkages.

Objectives: This manuscript describes the coalition's partnership dynamics and evaluation methods with a focus on nutrition strategies.

Methods: We have a network of committed partners implementing the strategies and we are evaluating our efforts using community asset mapping, county population-based survey data, qualitative process interviews, focus groups, and program performance measures.

Correlates of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in Black Adults Residing in Allegheny County, PA.

Introduction: Efforts to address vaccine uptake and access among black adults will be relevant for continued coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) eradication efforts and can be transferable to other prevention efforts in future pandemics. This study investigated factors related to COVID-19 vaccine uptake and access among black residents in Allegheny County, PA.

Methods: Surveys were administered electronically from October 2021 to January 2022 to black Allegheny County residents aged 18 and older.

Examining demographic and psychosocial factors related to self-weighing behavior during pregnancy and postpartum periods.

Black childbearing individuals in the US experience a higher risk of postpartum weight retention (PPWR) compared to their White counterparts. Given that PPWR is related to adverse health outcomes, it is important to investigate predictors of weight-related health behaviors, such as self-weighing (i.e.

Churn in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Changes in Medicaid Expenditure and Acute Care Utilization.

Background: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides financial assistance to low-income individuals and families to help them purchase food. However, when participants experience short-term disenrollment from the program, known as churn, it can disrupt their health care usage patterns or result in acute health care needs due to the loss of financial benefits and time burden required to reapply for SNAP.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the changes in health care expenditures and acute care utilization during periods of SNAP churn compared with nonchurn periods among those who churn during the study period.

Community stressors (violence, victimization, and neighborhood disorder) with cardiometabolic outcomes in urban Jamaica.

Background: Despite limited data on neighborhood factors and health risk in Caribbean populations, previous analyses from Jamaica have shown that neighborhood and home disorder were associated with lower physical activity and higher cumulative biological risk among women, while poorer neighborhood infrastructure was associated with higher overweight/obesity among men.

Design: Cross-sectional survey design.

Objectives: In this study, we explored whether community stressors, as measured by community violence, victimization and neighborhood disorder scores, were associated with cardiometabolic outcomes (obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol) in urban Jamaican communities.

Design of the think PHRESH longitudinal cohort study: Neighborhood disadvantage, cognitive aging, and alzheimer's disease risk in disinvested, black neighborhoods.

Background: Black Americans have disproportionately higher rates and earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) relative to White Americans. We currently lack a comprehensive understanding of how the lived experience and broader societal factors, including cumulative exposure to structural racism and the mechanisms underlying the risks, may contribute to elevated ADRD risk in Black Americans.

Methods: The Think PHRESH study builds on existing, community-based research infrastructure, from the ongoing Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Neighborhood Change and Health (PHRESH) studies, to examine the contributions of dynamic neighborhood socioeconomic conditions across the lifecourse to cognitive outcomes in mid- and late-life adults living in two historically disinvested, predominantly Black communities (anticipated n = 1133).

Examining the Cross-sectional Association Between Neighborhood Conditions, Discrimination, and Telomere Length in a Predominantly African American Sample.

Disproportionate exposure to adverse neighborhood conditions and greater discrimination may contribute to health disparities among African Americans (AAs). We examined whether adverse neighborhood conditions, alone or in conjunction with discrimination, associate with shorter leukocyte telomere length among a predominantly AA cohort. The sample included 200 residents from two low-income neighborhoods (96% AA; mean age = 67 years).

Examining Real-World Therapy Practice of Cognitive Screening and Assessment in Post-Acute Care.

Objectives: Routine implementation of cognitive screening and assessment by therapy providers in post-acute settings may promote improved care coordination. This study examined the frequency of cognitive screening and assessment documentation across post-acute settings, as well as its relationship with contextual factors and outcomes.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study using Medicare claims and electronic health record data from 1 large health system.

Impact of COVID-19 on a Community Health Coalition and Its Residents in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Insights Into Adaptation From Focus Groups and Evaluation Reports.

Live Well Allegheny: Lifting Wellness for African Americans (LWA) is a coalition in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) initiative. LWA consists of partner organizations addressing chronic disease prevention in six Black communities through nutrition, physical activity, and community-clinical linkage strategies. This analysis focuses on qualitative data exploring the influence of COVID-19 on coalition functioning and communities.

An Equity Response to COVID-19 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: The Development and Work of the Black Equity Coalition.

From the onset of the pandemic in the United States, racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes have been evident. In April 2020, several events prompted a concerned group of colleagues to form the Black Equity Coalition (BEC), a Black-led coalition in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which brings together professionals from multiple sectors who aim to ensure an equitable response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several significant milestones have been achieved, and this article describes the development, functioning, and outcomes of the Coalition in the first 15 months of operation (April 2020-June 2021).

Instituting Racial Equity: The Allegheny County Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Initiative.

Introduction: In 2018, The Live Well Allegheny: Lifting Wellness for African Americans (LWA2) Initiative was developed to support six priority, Black communities in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to address health equity in chronic disease. The LWA2 coalition members participated in ongoing anti-racism and racial equity sessions with a nationally recognized anti-racist facilitation team. The sessions included a 2-days experience in January 2020 along with follow up meetings throughout 2020.

Stress during pregnancy: An ecological momentary assessment of stressors among Black and White women with implications for maternal health.

Background: Stress can lead to adverse physiological and psychological outcomes. Therefore, understanding stress during pregnancy provides insight into racial disparities in maternal health, particularly Black maternal health.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe (1) daily exposure to self-reported stress levels during pregnancy, and (2) sources of stress among participants that identified as Black or White using data collected via ecological momentary assessment.

Sleep Disturbances, Changes in Sleep, and Cognitive Function in Low-Income African Americans.

Background: Sleep problems may contribute to the disproportionate burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) among African Americans (AAs).

Objective: To examine the role of sleep problems in contributing to cognitive function and clinically adjudicated cognitive impairment in a predominantly AA sample.

Methods: This study (n = 216, 78.

Social Determinants of Health, Race, and Diabetes Population Health Improvement: Black/African Americans as a Population Exemplar.

Purpose Of Review: To summarize evidence of impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on diabetes risk, morbidity, and mortality and to illustrate this impact in a population context.

Recent Findings: Key findings from the American Diabetes Association's scientific review of five SDOH domains (socioeconomic status, neighborhood and physical environment, food environment, health care, social context) are highlighted. Population-based data on Black/African American adults illustrate persisting diabetes disparities and inequities in the SDOH conditions in which this population is born, grows, lives, and ages, with historical contributors.

Neighborhood Food Environment Associated with Cardiometabolic Health among Predominately Low-income, Urban, Black Women.

Objectives: This study sought to: 1) understand how the perceived food environment (availability, accessibility, and affordability) is associated with cardiometabolic health outcomes in predominately low-income Black residents in urban neighborhoods with limited healthy food access; and 2) examine the association of shopping at specific store types with cardiometabolic health outcomes.

Methods: We report on cross-sectional data from 459 individuals participating in the Pittsburgh, PA Hill/Homewood Research on Neighborhoods and Health (PHRESH) study. Mean participant age was 60.

A Closer Look at Racial Differences in Diabetes Outcomes Among a Community Sample: Diabetes Distress, Self-care, and HbA.

Objective: Approximately 34 million people in the U.S. have diabetes.

Data driven patterns of nutrient intake and coronary artery disease risk in adults with type 1 diabetes.

Aims: Dietary intake provides a potential intervention target to reduce the high risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) in type 1 diabetes. This effort aimed to identify patterns of nutrient intake in young/middle-aged adults with type 1 diabetes and to examine associations between those patterns and development of CAD.

Methods: Principal component analysis was used to derive nutrient intake patterns among 514 individuals with childhood-onset (<17 years old) type 1 diabetes aged 18+ years and free of CAD (defined as CAD death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, ischemia, or study physician diagnosed angina).

Trends in Stress Throughout Pregnancy and Postpartum Period During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Study Using Ecological Momentary Assessment and Data From the Postpartum Mothers Mobile Study.

Background: Stress is associated with adverse birth and postpartum health outcomes. Few studies have longitudinally explored racial differences in maternal stress in a birthing population in the United States during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to do the following: (1) assess changes in reported stress before, during, and after initial emergency declarations (eg, stay-at-home orders) were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) assess Black-White differences in reported stress in a pregnant and postpartum population from Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Mixed Effects of Neighborhood Revitalization on Residents' Cardiometabolic Health.

Introduction: Despite the growing recognition of the importance of neighborhood conditions for cardiometabolic health, causal relationships have been difficult to establish owing to a reliance on cross-sectional designs and selection bias. This is the first natural experiment to examine the impact of neighborhood revitalization on cardiometabolic outcomes in residents from 2 predominantly African American neighborhoods, one of which has experienced significant revitalization (intervention), whereas the other has not (comparison).

Methods: The sample included 532 adults (95% African American, 80% female, mean age=58.