Epidemiology Commons^™

West Nile Virus Transmission Suitability Modeling For Culex Pipiens Via Temperature And Humidity, Hunter Jones, David Brett-Major, Joseph R. Fauver, Yeongjin Gwon, Jesse E. Bell

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

West Nile Virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States, yet predicting its transmission remains a significant challenge for public health officials. Many studies use correlative statistical models to predict disease cases using temperature and humidity, but accessible mechanistic approaches that simulate mosquito behavior traits can capture more of the transmission process. This study adapts an existing R-language package, the Mosquito-borne Viral Suitability Estimator (MVSE), which was created to model Aedes aegypti mosquito transmission of dengue, and tunes it to Culex pipiens transmission of WNV. Equations for mortality, biting rate, and incubation period were updated, …

Factors Affecting Detection And Quantification Of Schistosoma Haematobium Eggs In Pooled Urine Samples, Abraham Degarege, Bruno Levecke, Christopher R. Bilder, David Brett-Major, Abebe Animut, Yohannes Negash, M. Jana Broadhurst, Tzeyu L. Michaud, Berhanu Erko

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Building on our previous work showing that pooled urine testing can rapidly detect Schistosoma haematobium infections but has limited sensitivity in low-intensity settings or with large pool sizes, this study evaluated how urine volume, pool size, infection intensity, and diagnostic method affect the detection and quantification of S. haematobium eggs in pooled samples.

METHODS: Between July 2022 and April 2023, 2,134 urine samples from school-age children living in three regional states of Ethiopia were individually examined by deploying urine filtration microscopy (UFM). Subsequently, 5, 10, 20 and 40 individual samples were strategically pooled and examined by deploying UFM and …

The Mediating Effect Of Socioeconomic Status And Persistent Poverty On Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Pediatric Cancer Mortality In The United States, Josiane Kabayundo, Apu Das, Cheng Zheng, Emma Hymel, Krishtee Napit, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic (SE) factors have been shown to mediate racial and ethnic disparities in adult cancer mortality. However, evidence in pediatric cancer is limited, especially at finer geographic levels.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the mediating effect of socioeconomic status (SES) and persistent poverty in racial and ethnic disparities in childhood cancer mortality using census tract-level data.

METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2006-2020 SEER Incidence Data with Census Tract Attributes Database and included children 0-19 years. Neighborhood-level SES was measured using a composite variable with five categories. Census tracts were classified as persistently poor if 20% or more of the population lived …

Ebola In The Drc: A Different Problem Compounded By Violence, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) has been declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to Ebola disease from Bundibugyo virus. Non-health-focused factors should be fundamental to how DRC and its partners respond to and recover from the current emergency. Filovirus emergencies are violent in every sense-the disease experience of patients and their caregivers, the tumult in impacted communities, sometimes the physical manifestations of frustration against healthcare services, the fits and starts of concerted response, and the milieu of conflict in which this emergency occurred. Yet, interpersonal and organized violence may contribute to frequency of health …

Outbreak Preparedness And Response In A Globalized World: Are We Ready?, Francesca F. Norman, David Brett-Major, Chiara Sepulcri, Emmanuel Bottieau, Theresa Sepulveda, Federica Toscanini, Laura A. Nicolini, Jesse J. Waggoner, Sami Alcedo, Davidson H. Hamer, Ralph Huits, Michael Libman, Geosentinel Network, Tropnet Network, Kevin O'Laughlin

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Recent global epidemics and pandemics have highlighted the need for adequate diagnostic capacities to respond to emerging threats. Strengthening operational capacities can lead to improved preparation; investing in emergency response infrastructure may diminish progression of outbreaks and prevent escalation.

METHODS: An email-linked survey was sent January-March-2025 to two global infectious disease surveillance networks' (GeoSentinel and TropNet) participating clinics assessing capacity for Oropouche virus (OROV) diagnostic testing. Data on testing capacity for other arboviruses was also requested.

RESULTS: Responses were obtained for 58 GeoSentinel/TropNet sites (58/104, 55.8%): 50% responding sites (29/58) had OROV diagnostic testing available at a public reference …

Health Insurance As A Mediator Of Neighborhood Deprivation And Pediatric Cancer Survival: An Analysis Of State Cancer Registry Data, Emma Hymel, Cheng Zheng, Jenna Allison, Kendra L. Ratnapradipa, Edward S. Peters, Sarah H. Nash, Mei-Chin Hsieh, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: To develop interventions to reduce neighborhood-level disparities in pediatric cancer outcomes, it is necessary to understand their underlying mechanisms. It has been suggested that individual-level health insurance is a mediator of neighborhood deprivation and pediatric cancer survival.

METHODS: This study was a population-based longitudinal study of children with cancer from 2000 to 2020 in the Iowa Cancer Registry and Louisiana Tumor Registry. Neighborhood deprivation was measured using the Area Deprivation Index. Log-binomial regression models were used to identify predictors of health insurance status at diagnosis. Cox regression models were used to assess the association between health insurance status at …

Behavioral And Psychological Financial Hardship Among Caregivers Of Pediatric Cancer Patients, Josiane Kabayundo, Cheng Zheng, Edward S. Peters, Don W. Coulter, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Financial hardship encompasses material, behavioral, and psychological domains; however, most research among caregivers of pediatric cancer patients has focused on material hardship. This study examined factors associated with behavioral and psychological financial hardship among caregivers of pediatric cancer patients in Nebraska.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of caregivers of children diagnosed within the past 5 years and treated at two pediatric oncology specialty clinics. Behavioral hardship was defined as delaying medical or mental healthcare due to cost, while psychological hardship was measured by worry about ability to pay medical bills. Descriptive statistics and poisson regression with robust variance …

Climate And Other Environmental Factors Predict Tick Abundance And Lyme Cases In Minnesota One And Two Years In Advance, Kathleen E. Angell, Janet Jarnefeld, Elizabeth K. Schiffman, M. Jana Broadhurst, Jianghu James Dong, Abraham Degarege, Roberto Cortinas, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors, like weather and host abundance influence tick populations which in turn affect tickborne disease in endemic regions. It is important to understand how these factors are associated with tick abundance, and whether they can predict disease. We assessed associations between environmental factors, tick abundance, and human Lyme disease cases in the same year and with one- and two-year lags in Minnesota. In parallel, we compare conventional analytical methods with a novel machine learning approach to evaluate their relative strengths and potential for integration.

METHODS: Environmental and tick abundance relationships were examined using generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLMM), …

Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Nucleoprotein Iga Is Associated With Worse Disease Severity In Critically Ill Covid-19 Pneumonia Patients, David Brett-Major, Dylan S. George, Eric D. Morrell, Carmen Mikacenic, Julie Carstens, Laura E. Evans, Mark M. Wurfel, Pavan K. Bhatraju, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

While humoral responses to vaccination and infection have largely focused on IgG, there is an evolving literature on ways in which IgA may drive neutrophil activity in lung injury secondary to viral infections, including COVID-19. We evaluated 238 immune-naïve, critically ill patients in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a laboratory-developed, multiplexed antibody testing, clinical history, medical record, and machine learning, we pursued relationships between systemic IgA and disease severity. Individuals with elevated anti-N IgA had 4-fold odds of more severe disease. This work emphasizes the importance of continued work to understand how different elements of the immune …

Beyond The Bruise: Understanding Injury Risk Factors Among Livestock Workers In Cattle Feedyards And Animal Handling Farms And Ranches, Rishad Ahmed

Theses & Dissertations

Cattle feeding and livestock production are central to U.S. agriculture and represent some of the most hazardous occupational environments. Workers in feedyards and on cattle farms and ranches face elevated risks of injury due to physically demanding labor, frequent animal handling, and exposure to environmental and ergonomic hazards. Many feedyard workers are Hispanic/Latino immigrants who may experience additional barriers related to language, healthcare access, and job security. Similarly, injury risks among cattle producers are compounded by seasonal workload fluctuations, limited rest opportunities, and psychosocial stressors. Beyond individual impacts, agricultural injuries also pose a substantial economic burden. Recent estimates indicate that …

Symptom Clusters And Their Association With Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pediatric Cancer Survivors After Treatment Completion, Krishtee Napit

Theses & Dissertations

A critical area of cancer research, symptom management, has evolved from focusing on individual symptoms to recognizing the complexity of co-occurring symptoms, commonly referred to as symptom clusters. However, most studies on pediatric cancer symptom clusters have focused primarily on the treatment phase or long-term survivorship, overlooking the early post-treatment period. This dissertation examines the prevalence of multiple symptoms and symptom clusters in pediatric cancer survivors post-treatment; factors associated with the total number of symptoms and symptom clusters; and the association of the total number of symptoms and symptom clusters with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We developed and tested …

From Vector To Consequence: Integrating Vector Surveillance, Environmental Drivers, And Public Health Impact Into Lyme Disease Risk Management, Kathleen E. Angell

Theses & Dissertations

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America. This dissertation examines (1) how crowd-sourced compares to active vector surveillance and whether they are associated with Lyme disease, (2) how ecological factors relate to tick abundance and whether they can predict high disease years, and (3) estimated health and economic burden of Lyme disease and savings when interventions are applied. Tick abundance data from active and passive surveillance were compared and tested for association with Lyme disease in the first aim. We found differences in tick life-stage, species, and seasonality. Tick observations were positively correlated with Lyme disease. …

Schistosoma Haematobium Infection In Ethiopian Children: Evaluating Praziquantel Efficacy, Nutritional Effects, And Diagnosis Using Flukecatcher, Louis Fok

Theses & Dissertations

Urogenital schistosomiasis continues to impact the wellbeing of hundreds of millions of people worldwide and remains a significant public health challenge across Ethiopia. Despite existing knowledge on the disease, there remain significant unanswered questions with regard to its treatment and diagnosis. This dissertation evaluated the efficacy of praziquantel at treating urogenital schistosomiasis, improving nutritional parameters among children and the performance of FlukeCatcher at detecting and determining the intensity of infection. In effecting this, a total of 977 children aged 5 through 15 from the Afar and Gambella regions of Ethiopia were screened for S. haematobium infection using urine filtration microscopy …

A Comprehensive Literature Review Of Barriers To Hormone Therapy Utilization: Strategies For Improving Menopause Management In Women Aged 40-60, Suhan Lee

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Menopause is a natural transition marked by the cessation of ovarian activity, often accompanied by vasomotor symptoms (VMS), genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), and psychological changes that significantly impact women’s quality of life. Hormone therapy (HT) has been the primary treatment for managing menopausal symptoms, particularly VMS, providing substantial relief when initiated within 10 years of menopause. Despite its effectiveness, HT usage has declined dramatically over the past two decades primarily due to barriers such as stigma, safety, misinformation, provider hesitancy, financial barriers, and cultural beliefs. This comprehensive literature review explores key factors influencing HT decision-making, including the media’s role …

Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (Ossn) Risk Factors In Lusaka, Zambia: The Role Of Hiv And Socioeconomic Status, Stepfanie N. Siyumbwa, Peter Julius, Tabitha Nkhata, Obvious N. Chilyabanyama, Abraham Mengist, Gleb Haynatzki, Charles Wood

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective

To identify and evaluate potential risk factors for OSSN at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka, Zambia.

Methods

Data from 475 patients were analyzed retrospectively, and it included 390 with OSSN and 85 with benign biopsies. Variables with significance values

Results

Several key predictors of OSSN were identified after controlling for confounders in the household cooks sub-population, these were, a lower household income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.46–0.90, p = .009), a Lab confirmed HIV-positive status (aOR = 3.56, 95% CI: 1.72–7.21, p = .001) and exposure to biomass smoke (aOR = 2.47, 95% …

Evaluating Medical Usage And Injury Prevalence At The 2024 College World Series, Roarick Schollmeyer, Jd Gregerson, Benjamin Stevens, Katie Weaver, Joseph Lippert

EMET Projects

Large-scale events such as the College World Series (CWS) pose unique challenges for medical services due to high crowd density, prolonged event durations, and variable environmental conditions. This study aimed to assess the medical usage rate (MUR) and injury prevalence at the 2024 CWS to inform future event planning and emergency medical preparedness. A retrospective analysis was conducted using patient encounter data collected between June 14 and June 24, 2024. Data sources included Union Medical event services, which documented on-site treatments and dispositions, and Omaha Fire Department EMS records detailing prehospital care. The MUR was calculated as the number of …

Representation And Outcomes Of Catheter Ablation For Treatment Of Atrial Fibrillation Among Patients With Obesity: A Systematic Review Of Randomized Control Trials, Danielle Dircks, Eh M. Khaing, James Aguto, Jmaylia Mimms, William Schleifer, Jason Payne, Arthur Easley, Faris Khan Md, John Windle, Shane Tsai, Daniel Anderson Md, Gleb Haynatzki, Niyada Naksuk

EMET Projects

Background: The prevalence and impact of obesity on outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been well studied.

Objective: To examine the proportion of participants with obesity enrolled in RCTs of AF ablation and outcomes of ablation when subgroup analysis of participants with obesity were available.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE for AF ablation RCTs published between January 1, 2015 to May 31, 2022. When body mass index (BMI) data were available, normal distribution was assumed and a z score was used to estimate the proportion of obesity. Results categorized by BMI or …

Temporal Trends And Patterns For Early- And Late-Onset Adult Liver Cancer Incidence Vary By Race/Ethnicity, Subsite, And Histologic Type In The United States From 2000 To 2019, Mei-Chin Hsieh, Kendra L. Ratnapradipa, Laura Rozek, Shengdi Wen, Yu-Wen Chiu, Edward S. Peters

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

PURPOSE: To examine incidence trends and patterns for early- and late-onset liver cancer.

METHODS: Liver and intrahepatic bile duct (IBD) cancers diagnosed between 2000 and 2019 were acquired from 22 SEER registries. Variables included early-onset (20-49) vs. late-onset (50+), anatomic subsite, histologic type (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] and IBD cholangiocarcinoma [ICC]), sex, and race/ethnicity. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated using SEER*Stat. Jointpoint regression analysis was employed to estimate the annual percent change (APC) and the average APC (AAPC) with pairwise comparisons for trend by sex and by race/ethnicity stratified by age and subsite.

RESULTS: Liver cancer incidence decreased among early-onset (AAPC …

Effect Of Praziquantel Treatment On The Nutritional Status Of Children Infected With Schistosoma Haematobium, Louis Fok, Hongying Dai, David Brett-Major, Abebe Animut, Berhanu Erko, John Linville, Yohannes Negash, Abraham Degarege

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

This quasi-experimental trial examined the relationship between Schistosoma haematobium infection and nutritional status, and the impact of single dose praziquantel (PZQ) therapy on undernutrition. A total of 353 children were examined, 112 of which were infected with S. haematobium and treated with PZQ. Children's heights, weights, and mid-upper arm circumferences (MUAC) were measured at baseline and one month post-treatment. Infected children had significantly smaller mean BMI-for-age z-scores (BAZ) (-1.16 vs. 0.11, p < 0.01) and weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) (-0.61 vs. -0.31, p = 0.03) than the uninfected ones at baseline. S. haematobium infection was associated with underweight (adjusted OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.63-1.90). One month after treatment, BAZ, WAZ, …

Transportation Barriers To Healthcare Access: A Scoping Review Of Measurement Approaches And Associated Health Outcomes, Josiane Kabayundo, Muskan Ahuja, Snehal Jadhav, Lisa C. Smith, Farzana A. Bithi, Shamim Shahi, George Johnson, Siddhi Munde, Kendra L. Ratnapradipa

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background

Objectives

Methods

Hpv Vaccination In The U.S. Midwest: Barriers And Facilitators Of Initiation And Completion In Adolescents And Young Adults, Kristyne D. Mansilla Dubon, Edward S. Peters, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Abraham Degarege

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background/Objectives: HPV vaccination uptake among adolescents and young adults in the US remains low, and coverage in the Midwest falls short of the Healthy People 2030 goal of 80%. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of adolescents and young adults was conducted to identify facilitators and barriers to HPV vaccination uptake among adolescents and young adults in the Midwest. Results: Out of 1306 individuals aged 13-26 years, 397 (30.4%) were fully vaccinated (2-3 doses), 124 (9.5%) had received one dose, 324 (24.8%) were unvaccinated, and 461 (35.3%) were unsure of their vaccination status. Awareness of HPV vaccines (OR: 2.4, …

Performance Of Urine Reagent Test Strips In Detecting Schistosoma Haematobium Infection In Individual And Pooled Urine Samples, Abraham Degarege, Berhanu Erko, David Brett-Major, Bruno Levecke, Abebe Animut, Yohannes Negash, M. Jana Broadhurst, Tzeyu L. Michaud, Christopher R. Bilder

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

This study evaluated the performance of urine reagent strips (URSs) in detecting Schistosoma haematobium infection in individual and pooled urine samples. Between June 2022 and April 2023, 2634 urine samples (10 mL each) from school-age children (5-15 years) in 15 villages across Ethiopia's Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Gambella regions were tested using urine filtration microscopy (UFM) and URSs for blood, a marker of S. haematobium eggs. Pooled samples from 5, 10, 20, and 40 individuals (one positive, others negative) were examined with both methods. UFM results were used to calculate URSs' sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for detecting infection. A total …

Quantifying The Public Health Impact Of Lyme Disease In Minnesota: A Simulation Analysis Of Reported And Unreported Cases, Kathleen Angell, M. Jana Broadhurst, Jianghu James Dong, Tzeyu L. Michaud, Abraham Degarege, Roberto Cortinas, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background: Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in Minnesota, is estimated to be underreported by a factor of 10. Delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis may lead to health complications and increased personal and societal costs. Environmental factors can help to predict high disease years, allowing for early intervention to decrease disease burden. Objective: To estimate the health and cost burdens of Lyme disease and the extent to which they could be diminished by public health intervention when high-incidence Lyme disease years are forecasted. Methods: We used 5 two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations to estimate (1) average annual expected burden of Lyme …

Lower Electronic Health Record Adoption And Interoperability In Rural Versus Urban Physician Participants: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Cms Quality Payment Program, Alfred J. Anzalone, Carol R. Geary, Ran Dai, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, James C. Mcclay, James Campbell

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 introduced the Meaningful Use program to incentivize the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in the U.S. This study investigates the disparities in EHR adoption and interoperability between rural and urban physicians in the context of federal programs like the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 and the 21st Century Cures Act.

METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the 2021 Quality Payment Program Experience Report Public Use File to compare EHR adoption and Promoting Interoperability scores (PISs) between urban and rural physician participants. Data …

Ambient Air Pollution And Survival Among Black Women With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Across Diverse Geographical Regions Of The United States, Ekaterina Chirikova, Courtney E. Johnson, Anke Huels, Pushkar P. Inamdar, Elisa V. Bandera, Lawrence H. Kushi, Jennifer A. Doherty, Joellen M. Schildkraut, Hari S. Iyer, Melissa Bondy, Edward S. Peters, Kendra L. Ratnapradipa, Jeffrey Marks, Christopher Pierson, Theresa Hastert, Kristin Haller, Grace Christensen, Salma Shariff-Marco, Scarlett L. Gomez, Andrew Lawson

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background: Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of gynecologic cancer mortality, with Black women experiencing 5-year survival rates of only 41%. Disproportionate air pollution exposure may impact survival. We evaluated associations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) exposure with survival among Black women with epithelial ovarian cancer using data from the California Cancer Registry (CCR, n = 540) and the multi-state African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES, n = 766).

Methods: Annual PM_2.5 and NO₂ levels were estimated at a 1 km resolution using well-validated ensemble-based prediction models derived from the …

Sars-Cov-2 Genomic Surveillance Using Self-Collected Saliva Specimens During Occupational Testing Programs, Andy T. Schnaubelt, David Brett-Major, Janet Williamson, Bailey Barcal, Julie Carstens, Ashley Peer, Michael R. Wiley, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Continually emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants pose challenges to clinical and public health interventions, necessitating sustainable approaches to real-time variant monitoring. This case study describes an innovative SARS-CoV-2 screening and surveillance program that demonstrates the utility of sequencing-based variant monitoring using self-collected saliva specimens. We conducted saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 screening in occupational settings in Omaha, Nebraska from December 2021 through November 2022. 8,372 saliva specimens collected from 1,480 participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by extraction-free PCR, with 334 positive samples referred for whole-genome sequencing analysis. Program utilization, quality metrics, and sequencing outputs were compared across sites. Specimen quality was high across program …

Understanding The Pathogenesis Of Uveitis In Ebola Virus Disease Survivors: An Observational Cohort And Cross-Sectional Study Protocol For Clinical, Molecular Virologic And Immunologic Characterisation, Caleb D. Hartley, Susanne Linderman, Tolulope Fashina, Laura Ward, Carolyn Drews-Botsch, Catherine Pratt, Sanjana Kuthyar, Alcides Filho Fernandes, Ye Huang, Charlene Choo, Nam Nguyen, Jessica Carag, Jill Morgan, Colleen S. Kraft, Angela L. Hewlett, David Brett-Major, John S. Schieffelin, Robert F. Garry, Donald Grant, Grant A. Justin, Christopher D. Conrady, Justine R. Smith, Brent R. Hayek, Shiama Balendra, Nisha Acharya, Thuy Doan, Anais Legand, Pierre Formenty, Xiankun Zeng, Ibrahim Conteh, Matthew Jusu Vandy, Lloyd Harrison-Williams, Jalikatu Mustapha, Zikan Koroma, Michael R. Wiley, Ian Crozier, Jean-Claude Mwanza, Jessica G. Shantha, Rafi Ahmed, Steven Yeh, Smile And Evict-Vr Investigator Study Groups

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: The 2013-2016 Western African outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), the largest recorded outbreak since the discovery of Ebola virus (EBOV) in 1976, destabilised local health systems and left thousands of survivors at risk for postacute sequelae, including vision-threatening uveitis. In an EVD survivor with severe panuveitis, the detection of persistent EBOV in the aqueous humour, long after clearance of acute viremia, focused clinical and research attention on the host-EBOV interaction in the unique terrain of ocular immune privilege. Despite the recognition that uveitis is common and consequential in EVD survivors, our understanding of pathogenesis is extremely limited, …

App Assisted Depression Self-Management In Integrated Primary Care: A Pilot Study Exploring Patient And Provider Experiences, David J. Johnson, Margaret R. Emerson, Danae Dinkel, Robbin Thomas, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Maria S. Mickles, Carli Culjat

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The integrated primary care (IPC) setting is currently the de facto institution for accessing mental healthcare among underserved populations. However, many barriers exist for these populations when seeking regular and adequate mental healthcare, including provider availability and transportation challenges. This study piloted the incorporation of mindLAMP, a mHealth app, into IPC treatment to offer a low-resource intervention designed to improve and expand access to mental healthcare for underserved patients between face-to-face visits. This study gathered data from a sample of both behavioral health providers and patients (N = 6) in IPC settings to pilot the use of the mindLAMP app …

Association Between Rurality And Race/Ethnicity And Pediatric Cancer Early Mortality: A Population-Based Cohort Study Using Seer Data From 2000 To 2021, Kiersten Preuss, Emma Hymel, Melissa Acquazzino, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Pediatric cancer mortality rates have steadily declined since 2009, but over a thousand deaths still occur annually. While existing research highlights the effects of race/ethnicity and rurality on overall survival, few studies have specifically analyzed these factors in relation to early mortality, defined as death within 12 months of diagnosis.

PROCEDURE: This study utilized SEER Research Plus Limited-Field Data (2000-2021) to examine the association between race/ethnicity, rurality, and early mortality in pediatric cancer patients. A cohort of 138,648 individuals was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS: The results …

Integrating Human And Animal Health In The Stop Spillover Outbreak Scenarios, Kathleen E. Angell, He Julia Bai, Katherine C. Prager, Janetrix H. Amuguni, Felicia B. Nutter, Jonathan D. Gass Jr, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: To generate and employ scenarios of sentinel human and animal outbreak cases in local contexts that integrate human and animal health interests and practices and facilitate outbreak risk management readiness.

METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of past outbreaks and the strengths and weaknesses of response efforts in USAID STOP Spillover program countries. This information and iterative query-and-response with country teams and local stakeholders led to curated outbreak scenarios emphasizing One Health human:animal interfaces at sub-national levels.

RESULTS: Two core scenarios were generated adapted to each of 4 countries’ pathogen priorities and workflows in Africa and Asia, anchoring on …