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Full-Text Articles in Place and Environment

Spending Time Socializing In Bars Increases The Risk Of Heavy Drinking, Danielle Rhubart, Jennifer Kowalkowski, Yiping Li Apr 2024

Spending Time Socializing In Bars Increases The Risk Of Heavy Drinking, Danielle Rhubart, Jennifer Kowalkowski, Yiping Li

Population Health Research Brief Series

Bars, pubs, and taverns can provide important spaces for creating and maintaining relationships in a community. This is especially true in rural areas where social infrastructure may be limited. However, bars, pubs, and taverns can also facilitate and normalize alcohol misuse – a health behavior linked to numerous poor health outcomes. This brief uses data from the 2022 Rural Health and Engagement Survey to examine relationships between time spent in bars and heavy drinking. The authors show that individuals who spend time in bars are at greater risk of heavy drinking than those who spend no time in bars, and …


Stronger Regulations On Air Pollution Could Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Rates, Yue Sun Dec 2023

Stronger Regulations On Air Pollution Could Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Rates, Yue Sun

Population Health Research Brief Series

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, but there are large disparities in CVD death rates across the country. Air pollution also plays an important role in shaping geographic disparities in CVD mortality, as air pollutants can become absorbed in human circulation systems, and cause inflammation, damage nervous systems, and trigger poor CVD outcomes. This brief reports the results of a study that used data on air pollution and from death certificates to estimate the association between fine particulate matter and cardiovascular disease mortality rates in the U.S. in 2016-2018. Results show that cutting …


The Chances Of Dying Young Differ Dramatically Across U.S. States, Nader Mehri, Jennifer Karas Montez Jun 2022

The Chances Of Dying Young Differ Dramatically Across U.S. States, Nader Mehri, Jennifer Karas Montez

Population Health Research Brief Series

The chances of dying young differ dramatically across U.S. states. This data slice shows state-level differences in rates of death by ages 30, 50, and 65. Individuals living in Minnesota, California, New York, and Massachusetts have the lowest rates of death by age 65, whereas those living in Southern states, including West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma have the highest rates of premature death. If current conditions remain constant in these states, more than 1 in 5 people born in them will not survive to age 65.


Social Infrastructure (“Third Places”) Is Not Distributed Equally Across The U.S., Danielle Rhubart, Yue Sun, Claire Pendergrast, Shannon M. Monnat May 2022

Social Infrastructure (“Third Places”) Is Not Distributed Equally Across The U.S., Danielle Rhubart, Yue Sun, Claire Pendergrast, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

Third places are the physical spaces in a community where people can gather to connect and share resources, support, and information. They can help support health because they promote social interaction, community trust, and resource and information sharing. This data slice shows that third places are not evenly distributed across the U.S. Results show less availability of third places per capita in neighborhoods (Census tracts) with larger shares of non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics and larger shares of residents in poverty. The authors also found that third places are in shorter supply in rural neighborhoods than in urban neighborhoods, with the …


Rural Adults Report Worse Covid-19 Impacts Than Urban Adults, Shannon M. Monnat Mar 2022

Rural Adults Report Worse Covid-19 Impacts Than Urban Adults, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 infection and mortality rates have been higher in rural than in urban America since late-2020. However, the consequences of COVID-19 extend far beyond the deaths that it has caused. This brief uses data from a national survey of working-age adults (ages 18-64) collected in February and March of 2021 to describe rural-urban differences in reported impacts of COVID-19 on physical and mental health, employment, financial wellbeing, and social relationships. Nearly 3 out of 5 respondents (58%) reported that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their lives. Across most outcomes, rural residents fared worse than their urban peers. Recovery …


Domestic Violence Is Prevalent Among U.S. Adolescents And Young Adults, Mary E. Helander, Xiaoyan Zhang Jun 2021

Domestic Violence Is Prevalent Among U.S. Adolescents And Young Adults, Mary E. Helander, Xiaoyan Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

Rates of domestic violence are high among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. This data slice describes the geographic distribution of reported domestic violence incidents among adolescents and young adults in the U.S in 2019 and identifies the most common types of incidents.


Lyme Disease In The U.S.: Where Is Risk Highest?, Mary E. Helander Apr 2021

Lyme Disease In The U.S.: Where Is Risk Highest?, Mary E. Helander

Population Health Research Brief Series

Over 30,000 Lyme disease cases are reported to the CDC annually. Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks, can lead to numerous debilitating health conditions and even death. This data slice describes the geographic distribution of Lyme disease in the U.S. from 2009-2018 and summarizes prevention strategies.


Battling The Public Health Harms Of Tobacco Takes Time, Persistence, And Political Will: Reflecting On The New York State Clean Indoor Air Act Of 2003, Mary E. Helander Mar 2021

Battling The Public Health Harms Of Tobacco Takes Time, Persistence, And Political Will: Reflecting On The New York State Clean Indoor Air Act Of 2003, Mary E. Helander

Population Health Research Brief Series

New York State’s Clean Indoor Air Act of 2003 (CAA03) and similar state laws are credited with curtailing several smoking-related diseases and deaths in the U.S. Yet smoking remains the top preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S. This issue brief summarizes the history of NY CAA03, discusses the efforts of key players to get the bill passed, and advocates for a more robust national strategy to address the still prevalent but preventable health consequences of smoking in the U.S.


Flooding Negatively Affects Health And Rural America Is Not Immune, Danielle Rhubart Oct 2020

Flooding Negatively Affects Health And Rural America Is Not Immune, Danielle Rhubart

Population Health Research Brief Series

Flooding is on the rise in the US and rural states are not immune. Chronic and one-time flood events can have devastating consequences for financial well-being, with residual impacts on mental and physical health.


Rural Covid-19 Mortality Rates Are Highest In Counties With The Largest Percentages Of Blacks And Hispanics, Kent Jason G. Cheng, Yue Sun, Shannon M. Monnat Sep 2020

Rural Covid-19 Mortality Rates Are Highest In Counties With The Largest Percentages Of Blacks And Hispanics, Kent Jason G. Cheng, Yue Sun, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 mortality risk is not distributed equally across the U.S. Among rural counties, the average daily increase in COVID-19 mortality rates has been significantly higher in counties with the largest percentages of Black and Hispanic residents.


Does Proximity To Fast Food Increase The Incidence Of Childhood Obesity?, Jeehee Han, Amy Ellen Schwartz, Brian Elbel Sep 2020

Does Proximity To Fast Food Increase The Incidence Of Childhood Obesity?, Jeehee Han, Amy Ellen Schwartz, Brian Elbel

Population Health Research Brief Series

Living near fast food has a greater impact on younger children who attend neighborhood schools. Proximity to fast food restaurants increases the probability of childhood obesity or overweight.


Preventing Heat-Related Fatalities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Danielle Rhubart Jul 2020

Preventing Heat-Related Fatalities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Danielle Rhubart

Population Health Research Brief Series

The deadliest weather-related health outcomes in the U.S. are heat-related. Older adults – especially those in the most urban and rural areas of the US - are at high risk of heat-related death.


Screen Media Use Is Higher Among Preschool Children From More Chaotic Homes, Jennifer A. Emon, Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon Jun 2020

Screen Media Use Is Higher Among Preschool Children From More Chaotic Homes, Jennifer A. Emon, Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon

Population Health Research Brief Series

Early childhood is a critical time for children’s growth and development. One factor that may impair healthy development during the preschool years is excessive screen media use. U.S children under the age of 5 average twice the amount of recommended screen time. This research brief shows that screen media use is higher among children from households with more chaos.


Geographic Disparities In Covid-19 Testing: An Urgent Call To Action, Shannon M. Monnat, Kent Jason G. Cheng Apr 2020

Geographic Disparities In Covid-19 Testing: An Urgent Call To Action, Shannon M. Monnat, Kent Jason G. Cheng

Population Health Research Brief Series

This research brief shows that testing rates are lower in states with the unhealthiest populations and worst health care access. Disparities in testing rates are troubling because delays in testing increase the risk of a surge in silent spread and severe COVID-19 cases in these states.


Covid-19 Testing Rates Are Lower In States With More Black And Poor Residents, Shannon M. Monnat, Kent Jason G. Cheng Apr 2020

Covid-19 Testing Rates Are Lower In States With More Black And Poor Residents, Shannon M. Monnat, Kent Jason G. Cheng

Population Health Research Brief Series

This data slice shows that testing rates to date have been lower in states with higher percent black populations and higher poverty rates. Without proper testing and physical distancing protocols, these states risk a surge in severe COVID-19 cases, overwhelming their already resource strapped healthcare systems.


New York State’S Older Adults In Assisted Living Facilities Need All Of Us To Help Them Avoid The Coronavirus, Mary Helander, Claire Pendergrast Mar 2020

New York State’S Older Adults In Assisted Living Facilities Need All Of Us To Help Them Avoid The Coronavirus, Mary Helander, Claire Pendergrast

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adults in assisted living facilities are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus because of how quickly it can spread in close-knit settings. This data slice aims to advocate for the health and safety of older adults and features an interactive map showing the saturation of assisted living facilities in New York State.


Why Coronavirus Could Hit Rural Areas Harder, Shannon M. Monnat Mar 2020

Why Coronavirus Could Hit Rural Areas Harder, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

As rates of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and death continue to rise, it is important to consider how rural areas may be differentially affected. Rural economies may also be affected in different ways than their urban counterparts, which has implications for long-term rural population health outcomes.


The Gender Gap In Alcohol Deaths Is Much Larger In Some States Than Others, Erin Bisesti Mar 2020

The Gender Gap In Alcohol Deaths Is Much Larger In Some States Than Others, Erin Bisesti

Population Health Research Brief Series

Alcohol-related deaths have been on the rise in the U.S. over the past several years. Men have higher rates of alcohol-related death than women, and the gender gap is largest in the western and southern regions of the U.S. This brief describes which states have the highest rates of alcohol-related death among men and women.


The U.S. Has A Serious Shortage Of Affordable Housing, Especially For Younger And Older Adults, Sarah Mawhorter Oct 2019

The U.S. Has A Serious Shortage Of Affordable Housing, Especially For Younger And Older Adults, Sarah Mawhorter

Population Health Research Brief Series

There is a significant shortage of affordable housing throughout the US, especially for older and younger adults. This has important implications for their quality of life and health outcomes.