Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Hospital-Level Nicu Capacity, Utilization, And 30-Day Outcomes In Texas, David C Goodman, Patrick Stuchlik, Cecilia Ganduglia-Cazaban, Jon E Tyson, Joanna Leyenaar, Elenir B C Avritscher, Mathew Rysavy, Kanekal S Gautham, David Lynch, Therese A Stukel

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: Risk-adjusted neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) utilization and outcomes vary markedly across regions and hospitals. The causes of this variation are poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the association of hospital-level NICU bed capacity with utilization and outcomes in newborn cohorts with differing levels of health risk.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based retrospective cohort study included all Medicaid-insured live births in Texas from 2010 to 2014 using linked vital records and maternal and newborn claims data. Participants were Medicaid-insured singleton live births (LBs) with birth weights of at least 400 g and gestational ages between 22 and 44 weeks. …

Baseline Characteristics Of Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine Non-Responders In A Large Population-Based Sample, Ashraf Yaseen, Stacia M Desantis, Rachit Sabharwal, Yashar Talebi, Michael D Swartz, Shiming Zhang, Luis Leon Novelo, Cesar L Pinzon-Gomez, Sarah E Messiah, Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker, Harold W Kohl, Jessica Ross, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen J Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: Studies indicate that individuals with chronic conditions and specific baseline characteristics may not mount a robust humoral antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. In this paper, we used data from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (Texas CARES), a longitudinal state-wide seroprevalence program that has enrolled more than 90,000 participants, to evaluate the role of chronic diseases as the potential risk factors of non-response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a large epidemiologic cohort.

METHODS: A participant needed to complete an online survey and a blood draw to test for SARS-CoV-2 circulating plasma antibodies at four-time points spaced at least three months …

Beyond Scale-Free Networks: Integrating Multilayer Social Networks With Molecular Clusters In The Local Spread Of Covid-19, Kayo Fujimoto, Jacky Kuo, Guppy Stott, Ryan Lewis, Hei Kit Chan, Leke Lyu, Gabriella Veytsel, Michelle Carr, Tristan Broussard, Kirstin Short, Pamela Brown, Roger Sealy, Armand Brown, Justin Bahl

Journal Articles

This study evaluates the scale-free network assumption commonly used in COVID-19 epidemiology, using empirical social network data from SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant molecular local clusters in Houston, Texas. We constructed genome-informed social networks from contact and co-residence data, tested them for scale-free power-law distributions that imply highly connected hubs, and compared them to alternative models (exponential, log-normal, power-law with exponential cutoff, and Weibull) that suggest more evenly distributed network connections. Although the power-law model failed the goodness of fit test, after incorporating social network ties, the power-law model was at least as good as, if not better than, the alternatives, implying …

Adverse Birth Outcomes Of Adolescent And Young Adult Women Diagnosed With Cancer During Pregnancy, Andrea C Betts, L Aubree Shay, Philip J Lupo, Sandi L Pruitt, Michael E Roth, Marlyn A Allicock, Barbara A Cohn, Caitlin C Murphy

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: We examined adverse birth outcomes among adolescent and young adult women diagnosed with cancer (AYA women, ages 15-39 years) during pregnancy.

METHODS: We linked data from the Texas Cancer Registry, vital records, and Texas Birth Defects Registry to identify all singleton births to AYA women diagnosed during pregnancy from January 1999 to December 2016. We compared prevalence of adverse live birth outcomes between AYA women and women without cancer (matched 1:4 on age, race and ethnicity, and year). Among AYA women, we used log-binomial regression to identify factors associated with these outcomes. Statistical tests were 2-sided.

RESULTS: AYA women …

Geographic Variations And The Associated Factors In Adherence To And Persistence With Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy For The Privately Insured Women Aged 18-64 With Breast Cancer In Texas, Junghyun Kim, Man S Kim, Suja S Rajan, Xianglin L Du, Luisa Franzini, Tae Gi Kim, Sharon H Giordano, Robert O Morgan

Journal Articles

The purpose of this study is to examine the geographical patterns of adjuvant hormonal therapy adherence and persistence and the associated factors in insured Texan women aged 18-64 with early breast cancer. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 5-year claims data for the population insured by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). Women diagnosed with early breast cancer who were taking tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for adjuvant hormonal therapy with at least one prescription claim were identified. Adherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy and persistence with adjuvant hormonal therapy were calculated as outcome measures. Women without a …

Geographic Variations And The Associated Factors In Adherence To And Persistence With Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy For The Privately Insured Women Aged 18-64 With Breast Cancer In Texas, Junghyun Kim, Man S Kim, Suja S Rajan, Xianglin L Du, Luisa Franzini, Tae Gi Kim, Sharon H Giordano, Robert O Morgan

Journal Articles

The purpose of this study is to examine the geographical patterns of adjuvant hormonal therapy adherence and persistence and the associated factors in insured Texan women aged 18-64 with early breast cancer. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 5-year claims data for the population insured by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). Women diagnosed with early breast cancer who were taking tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for adjuvant hormonal therapy with at least one prescription claim were identified. Adherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy and persistence with adjuvant hormonal therapy were calculated as outcome measures. Women without a …

Clinical Outcomes Of A Large-Scale, Partnership-Based Regional Food Prescription Program: Results Of A Quasi-Experimental Study, Nalini Ranjit, Jennifer N Aiyer, Jack D Toups, Esther Liew, Kenia Way, Henry Shelton Brown, John Wesley Mcwhorter, Shreela V Sharma

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Food prescription programs are gaining interest from funders, policy makers, and healthcare payers as a way to provide value-based care. A small body of research suggests that such programs effectively impact health outcomes; however, the quality of existing studies is variable, and most studies use small samples. This study attempts to address these gaps by utilizing a quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent controls, to evaluate clinical outcomes among participants enrolled in a food prescription program implemented at scale.

METHODS: We completed a secondary analysis of participant enrollment and utilization data collected between May 2018 and March 2021, by the Houston …

Relationships Between Urinary Metals And Diabetes Traits Among Mexican Americans In Starr County, Texas, Usa, Margaret C Weiss, Yu-Hsuan Shih, Molly Scannell Bryan, Brian P Jackson, David Aguilar, Craig L Hanis, Maria Argos, Robert M Sargis

Journal Articles

Hispanics/Latinos have higher rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and the origins of these disparities are poorly understood. Environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including some metals and metalloids, are implicated as diabetes risk factors. Data indicate that Hispanics/Latinos may be disproportionately exposed to EDCs, yet they remain understudied with respect to environmental exposures and diabetes. The objective of this study is to determine how metal exposures contribute to T2D progression by evaluating the associations between 8 urinary metals and measures of glycemic status in 414 normoglycemic or prediabetic adults living in Starr County, Texas, a Hispanic/Latino community with high rates of …

Acculturation, Dietary Behaviors, And Macronutrient Intake Among Mexican Americans With Prediabetes: The Starr County Diabetes Prevention Initiative, Sharon A Brown, Heather A Becker, Alexandra A García, Mary M Velasquez, Hirofumi Tanaka, Mary A Winter, William B Perkison, Eric L Brown, David Aguilar, Craig L Hanis

Journal Articles

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine the influences of sex and acculturation on dietary behaviors, macronutrient intake, and dietary quality in participants enrolled in a diabetes prevention initiative in Starr County, Texas.

METHODS: Baseline data from the Starr County diabetes prevention study (N = 300) were analyzed-acculturation (country of origin, years in Starr County, language and food preferences), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), healthy eating self-efficacy (Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire-Short Form), diet quality (USDA Healthy Eating Index), fat avoidance (Fat Avoidance Scale, Spanish version), and macronutrients. Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis of covariance were used to examine …

Antibody Duration After Infection From Sars-Cov-2 In The Texas Coronavirus Antibody Response Survey, Michael D Swartz, Stacia M Desantis, Ashraf Yaseen, Frances A Brito, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Sarah E Messiah, Luis G Leon-Novelo, Harold W Kohl, Cesar L Pinzon-Gomez, Tianyao Hao, Shiming Zhang, Yashar Talebi, Joy Yoo, Jessica R Ross, Michael O Gonzalez, Leqing Wu, Steven H Kelder, Mark Silberman, Samantha Tuzo, Stephen J Pont, Jennifer A Shuford, David Lakey, Eric Boerwinkle

Journal Articles

Understanding the duration of antibodies to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that causes COVID-19 is important to controlling the current pandemic. Participants from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody Response Survey (Texas CARES) with at least 1 nucleocapsid protein antibody test were selected for a longitudinal analysis of antibody duration. A linear mixed model was fit to data from participants (n = 4553) with 1 to 3 antibody tests over 11 months (1 October 2020 to 16 September 2021), and models fit showed that expected antibody response after COVID-19 infection robustly increases for 100 days postinfection, and predicts …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Recovery Capital Among Recovery Residents Taking Medication For Opioid Use Disorder In Texas, Elizabeth O Obekpa, Sheryl A Mccurdy, Vanessa Schick, Christine M Markham, Kathryn R Gallardo, Johnny Michael Wilkerson

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) includes improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and is supported by recovery capital (RC). Little is known about RC and HRQOL among recovery residents taking medication for OUD. We described HRQOL and RC and identified predictors of HRQOL.

METHODS: Project HOMES is an ongoing longitudinal study implemented in 14 recovery homes in Texas. This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from 358 participants' on HRQOL (five EQ-5D-5L dimensions-mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) and RC (Assessment of Recovery Capital scores) collected from April 2021 to June 2023. Statistical analyses were conducted …

Examining Neighborhood-Level Hot And Cold Spots Of Food Insecurity In Relation To Social Vulnerability In Houston, Texas, Ryan Ramphul, Linda Highfield, Shreela Sharma

Journal Articles

Food insecurity is prevalent and associated with poor health outcomes, but little is known about its geographical nature. The aim of this study is to utilize geospatial modeling of individual-level food insecurity screening data ascertained in health care settings to test for neighborhood hot and cold spots of food insecurity in a large metropolitan area, and then compare these hot spot neighborhoods to cold spot neighborhoods in terms of the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index. In this cross-sectional secondary data analysis, we geocoded the home addresses of 6,749 unique participants screened for food insecurity at health care locations participating in CMS's …

A Novel Bayesian Spatial-Temporal Approach To Quantify Sars-Cov-2 Testing Disparities For Small Area Estimation, Cici Bauer, Xiaona Li, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Esmeralda Guajardo, Susan Fisher-Hoch, Joseph Mccormick, Maria E Fernandez, Belinda Reininger

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Food Safety Attitudes, Behaviors, And Hygiene Measures Among Predominantly Low-Income Parents In Houston, Texas, Christina K Carstens, Joelle K Salazar, Shreela V Sharma, Wenyaw Chan, Charles Darkoh

Journal Articles

ABSTRACT: Foodborne infections in the United States affect racial-ethnic minority and low-income populations at higher rates than the general population. to identify the prevalence of food safety behaviors and demographic characteristics associated with food handling practices among a susceptible, high-risk population, a cross-sectional survey was administered to 106 parents with children enrolled at two elementary schools serving predominantly low-income families in Houston, Texas. Relationships between demographic characteristics and food safety behavioral outcomes were examined using cross-tabulations and Fisher's exact test. Most respondents were female (93.4%), Hispanic, Latino, or Mexican American (94.9%), and had no previous food handling employment experience (75.0%). …

Association Of Puberty Stage And Weight Status With Cardiometabolic Risk In Children And Adolescents Living On The Texas-Mexico Border, Ee Vien Low, Miryoung Lee, Cici Bauer, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan Abughosh, Ekere J Essien, Jessica Rodriguez, Hua Chen

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Ethnic Disparities In Early-Onset Gastric Cancer: A Population-Based Study In Texas And California, Anna Tavakkoli, Sandi L Pruitt, Anh Q Hoang, Hong Zhu, Amy E Hughes, Thomas A Mckey, B Joseph Elmunzer, Richard S Kwon, Caitlin C Murphy, Amit G Singal

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Incidence rates of gastric cancer are increasing in young adults (age <50 >years), particularly among Hispanic persons. We estimated incidence rates of early-onset gastric cancer (EOGC) among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White persons by census tract poverty level and county-level metro/nonmetro residence.

METHODS: We used population-based data from the California and Texas Cancer Registries from 1995 to 2016 to estimate age-adjusted incidence rates of EOGC among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White persons by year, sex, tumor stage, census tract poverty level, metro versus nonmetro county, and state. We used logistic regression models to identify factors associated with distant stage diagnosis.

RESULTS: Of …

Clinical Epidemiology Of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales In The Greater Houston Region Of Texas: A 6-Year Trend And Surveillance Analysis, Bekana K Tadese, Charles Darkoh, Stacia M Desantis, Osaro Mgbere, Kayo Fujimoto

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVES: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) remain an urgent public health priority in the United States. CRE poses a major threat to patients in healthcare and a potential risk to the community. This study examined the epidemiological trends, clinical, and microbiological data of CRE in the Greater Houston region of Texas.

METHODS: A multi-institutional retrospective observational study was conducted using surveillance data collected from 2015 to 2020. Predictors of incidence rates of CRE were determined by a negative binomial regression fit using a generalized estimation equation.

RESULTS: Over a 6-year period, 4236 CRE cases were reported, of which Klebsiella pneumoniae accounted for …

Birth Defect Co-Occurrence Patterns In The Texas Birth Defects Registry, Renata H Benjamin, Angela E Scheuerle, Daryl A Scott, Maria Luisa Navarro Sanchez, Peter H Langlois, Mark A Canfield, Hope Northrup, Christian P Schaaf, Joseph W Ray, Scott D Mclean, Han Chen, Michael D Swartz, Philip J Lupo, A J Agopian

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: The population-level landscape of co-occurring birth defects among infants without a syndromic diagnosis is not well understood.

METHODS: We analyzed data from 40,771 infants with two or more major birth defects in the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR; 1999-2014). We calculated adjusted observed-to-expected (O/E) ratios for all two, three, four, and five-way combinations of 138 major defects.

RESULTS: Among 530 patterns with the highest adjusted O/E ratios (top 5% of 10,595 patterns), 66% included only defects co-occurring within one organ system and 28% were suggestive of known patterns (e.g., midline developmental defects). Of the remaining patterns, the combination of …

Effects Of Road Traffic On The Accuracy And Bias Of Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensor Measurements In Houston, Texas, Temitope Oluwadairo, Lawrence Whitehead, Elaine Symanski, Cici Bauer, Arch Carson, Inkyu Han

Journal Articles

Although PM2.5 measurements of low-cost particulate matter sensors (LCPMS) generally show moderate and strong correlations with those from research-grade air monitors, the data quality of LCPMS has not been fully assessed in urban environments with different road traffic conditions. We examined the linear relationships between PM2.5 measurements taken by an LCPMS (Dylos DC1700) and two research grade monitors, a personal environmental monitor (PEM) and the GRIMM 11R, in three different urban environments, and compared the accuracy (slope) and bias of these environments. PM2.5 measurements were carried out at three locations in Houston, Texas (Clinton Drive largely with diesel trucks, US-59 …

Epidemiology Of Antibiotic Use And Drivers Of Cross-Border Procurement In A Mexican American Border Community, Heather T Essigmann, David A Aguilar, William B Perkison, Katherine G Bay, Magdalena R Deaton, Sharon A Brown, Craig L Hanis, Eric L Brown

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: The U.S.-Mexico Border is an area of opportunity for improved health care access; however, gaps remain as to how and where U.S. border residents, particularly those who are underinsured, obtain care. Antibiotics are one of the most common reported drivers of cross-border healthcare access and a medication of particular concern since indiscriminate or inappropriate use is associated with antimicrobial resistance. In addition, many studies assessing preferences for Mexican pharmaceuticals and healthcare in U.S. border residents were done prior to 2010 when many prescription medications, including antibiotics, were available over the counter in Mexico.

METHODS: Data used in this study …

Racism And Cancer Screening Among Low-Income, African American Women: A Multilevel, Longitudinal Analysis Of 2-1-1 Texas Callers, Lynn N Ibekwe, Maria Eugenia Fernández-Esquer, Sandi L Pruitt, Nalini Ranjit, Maria E Fernández

Journal Articles

Although racism is increasingly being studied as an important contributor to racial health disparities, its relation to cancer-related outcomes among African Americans remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to help clarify the relation between two indicators of racism-perceived racial discrimination and racial residential segregation-and cancer screening. We conducted a multilevel, longitudinal study among a medically underserved population of African Americans in Texas. We assessed discrimination using the Experiences of Discrimination Scale and segregation using the Location Quotient for Racial Residential Segregation. The outcome examined was "any cancer screening completion" (Pap test, mammography, and/or colorectal cancer screening) at follow-up …

Real-Time Geospatial Analysis Identifies Gaps In Covid-19 Vaccination In A Minority Population, Cici Bauer, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Michelle Jones, Arturo Rodriguez, Isela De La Cerda, Belinda Reininger, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B Mccormick

Journal Articles

COVID-19 vaccination is being rapidly rolled out in the US and many other countries, and it is crucial to provide fast and accurate assessment of vaccination coverage and vaccination gaps to make strategic adjustments promoting vaccine coverage. We reported the effective use of real-time geospatial analysis to identify barriers and gaps in COVID-19 vaccination in a minority population living in South Texas on the US-Mexico Border, to inform vaccination campaign strategies. We developed 4 rank-based approaches to evaluate the vaccination gap at the census tract level, which considered both population vulnerability and vaccination priority and eligibility. We identified areas with …

Census Tract Patterns And Contextual Social Determinants Of Health Associated With Covid-19 In A Hispanic Population From South Texas: A Spatiotemporal Perspective, Cici Bauer, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Susan Fisher-Hoch, Esmeralda Guajardo, Joseph Mccormick, Isela De La Cerda, Maria E Fernandez, Belinda Reininger

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that various social determinants of health (SDOH) may have contributed to the disparities in COVID-19 incidence and mortality among minorities and underserved populations at the county or zip code level.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis was carried out at a granular spatial resolution of census tracts to explore the spatial patterns and contextual SDOH associated with COVID-19 incidence from a Hispanic population mostly consisting of a Mexican American population living in Cameron County, Texas on the border of the United States and Mexico. We performed age-stratified analysis to identify different contributing SDOH and quantify their effects by …

Risk And Clinical Risk Factors Associated With Late Lower Cranial Neuropathy In Long-Term Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Survivors, Puja Aggarwal, Ryan P Goepfert, Adam S Garden, Naveen Garg, Jhankruti S Zaveri, Xianglin L Du, Michael D Swartz, Stephen Y Lai, C David Fuller, Renata Ferrarotto, Erich M Sturgis, Linda B Piller, Katherine A Hutcheson

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: Lower cranial neuropathy (LCNP) is a rare, but permanent, late effect of radiotherapy and other cancer therapies. Lower cranial neuropathy is associated with excess cancer-related symptoms and worse swallowing-related quality of life. Few studies have investigated risk and clinical factors associated with late LCNP among patients with long-term survival of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC survivors).

OBJECTIVE: to estimate the cumulative incidence of and identify clinical factors associated with late LCNP among long-term OPSCC survivors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This single-institution cohort study included disease-free adult OPSCC survivors who completed curative treatment from January 1, 2000, to December 31, …

An Economic And Disease Transmission Model Of Human Papillomavirus And Oropharyngeal Cancer In Texas, Chengxue Zhong, Li Xu, Ho-Lan Peng, Samantha Tam, Li Xu, Kristina R Dahlstrom, Chi-Fang Wu, Shuangshuang Fu, Wenyaw Chan, Erich M Sturgis, Lois M Ramondetta, Libin Rong, David R Lairson, Hongyu Miao

Journal Articles

In 2017, 46,157 and 3,127 new oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) cases were reported in the U.S. and Texas, respectively. About 70% of OPC were attributed to human papillomavirus (HPV). However, only 51% of U.S. and 43.5% of Texas adolescents have completed the HPV vaccine series. Therefore, modeling the demographic dynamics and transmission of HPV and OPC progression is needed for accurate estimation of the economic and epidemiological impacts of HPV vaccine in a geographic area. An age-structured population dynamic model was developed for the U.S. state of Texas. With Texas-specific model parameters calibrated, this model described the dynamics of HPV-associated OPC …

Patterns And Risk Factors Of Opioid-Suspected Ems Overdose In Houston Metropolitan Area, 2015-2019: A Bayesian Spatiotemporal Analysis, Cici Bauer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Christine Bakos-Block, Kehe Zhang, David Persse, James R Langabeer

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Opioid-related overdose deaths are the top accidental cause of death in the United States, and development of regional strategies to address this epidemic should begin with a better understanding of where and when overdoses are occurring.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this study, we relied on emergency medical services data to investigate the geographical and temporal patterns in opioid-suspected overdose incidents in one of the largest and most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas (Houston Texas). Using a cross sectional design and Bayesian spatiotemporal models, we identified zip code areas with excessive opioid-suspected incidents, and assessed how the incidence risks were associated …

Examining Social Vulnerability And The Association With Covid-19 Incidence In Harris County, Texas, Guillermo A Tortolero, Marcia De Oliveira Otto, Ryan Ramphul, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Alison Rector, Michael Brown, Melissa F Peskin, Dania Mofleh, Eric Boerwinkle

Journal Articles

Studies have investigated the association between social vulnerability and SARS-CoV-2 incidence. However, few studies have examined small geographic units such as census tracts, examined geographic regions with large numbers of Hispanic and Black populations, controlled for testing rates, and incorporated stay-at-home measures into their analyses. Understanding the relationship between social vulnerability and SARS-CoV-2 incidence is critical to understanding the interplay between social determinants and implementing risk mitigation guidelines to curtail the spread of infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and SARS-CoV-2 incidence while controlling for testing rates and …

The Post Hurricane Harvey Respiratory Protection Training Program, Yiyao Li, Christine Bakos-Block, Amal Rammah, Rotem Magal, Joel Adekanye, Shari Esquenazi, Michelle R Mcdaniel, Kai Zhang, Elaine Symanski, William B Perkison

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the effectiveness of an outreach program which included safety training and the distribution of personal protection kits in the Houston area in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

METHODS: Outreach: 71 volunteers conducted training sessions at 19 different sites and distributed a total of 1187 kits. Follow-up study: We conducted telephonic interviews to collect data on respiratory symptoms and obtain perceptions of the quality of the safety training provided among 83 participants.

RESULTS: Participants reported an increase in airway symptoms four weeks after Hurricane Harvey. Outreach efforts were felt to be effective by a majority of participants. …

Individual And Community Social Determinants Of Health Associated With Diabetes Management In A Mexican American Population, Kehe Zhang, Belinda Reininger, Miryoung Lee, Qian Xiao, Cici Bauer

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Exposures At Day Labor Corners: Using Existing Georeferenced Data To Describe Features Of Urban Environments, Maria Eugenia Fernández-Esquer, Amy E Hughes, Sandi L Pruitt

Journal Articles

PURPOSE: Latino day laborers are male immigrants from mainly Mexico and Central America who congregate at corners, that is, informal hiring sites, to solicit short-term employment. Studies describing the occupational environment of Latino day laborers traditionally measure jobsite exposures, not corner exposures. We sought to elucidate exposures at corners by describing their demographic, socioeconomic, occupational, business, built, and physical environmental characteristics and by comparing corner characteristics with other locations in a large urban county in Texas.

METHODS: We used multiple publicly available data sets from the U.S. Census, local tax authority, Google's Nearby Places Application Programming Interface, and Environmental Protection …