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Objectives: To evaluate the impact of a Community Health Worker (CHW)-led influenza campaign on knowledge and attitudes about vaccination in Latinx migrant and refugee populations. Methods: Twelve online workshops were conducted with 183 participants and 24 CHWs between January 12 and May 12, 2021. Participants were Latinx families living in underserved communities throughout Washington state. The initiative also included radio, animated videos, advertisements, social media, and educational materials. Results: Analysis of pre and post workshop surveys from 155 participants showed statistically significant improvements in all questions about the definition of influenza, symptoms, and risks: and in 7 of 9 questions about treatments and vaccines. Analysis of 2 open-ended questions showed increases in words key to understanding influenza, such as "virus," "illness," "death," and "contagious." There were significant increases in rates of participants identifying vaccination and antibiotics as cures for influenza. Conclusions: CHW-led workshops can be an effective way to increase knowledge about influenza and influenza vaccine. Future curriculum should emphasize the difference between viruses and bacteria, and the use of vaccination for prevention as opposed to treatment for illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As a means of conceptualizing population health, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program developed a methodology to rank counties within each state on Health Outcomes and Health Factors. We built on this framework by introducing an additional application that utilized national percentile scores and population size weighting to compare counties on a national, rather than a state, level. Methods: We created national percentile scores for 3078 US counties and used population size weighting in our calculations so that values for counties with larger populations would be weighted more heavily than values for counties with smaller populations. Results: We demonstrated how this application can be used to 1) compare counties nationally, 2) examine clustering and variability among counties, and 3) compare the health of states and regions. To underscore its utility, we included an example application by Kaiser Permanente. As a form of method validation, the results of this application are in line with other ranking systems (eg, US News and World Report and United Health Foundation; p = 0.39 to 0.91, p < 0.001). Discussion: This application can be used by communities and organizations that may be interested in comparing the health of counties, service areas, and regions in which they operate. We included additional considerations and highlighted some limitations for those interested in utilizing this application. Conclusion: By comparing counties nationally and utilizing population size weighting, community partners can focus on areas that may be of greatest need in moving toward a national Culture of Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interest is growing in interventions to address social needs in clinical settings. However, little is known about patients' perceptions and experiences with these interventions.Objective: To evaluate patients' experiences and patient-reported outcomes of a primary care-based intervention to help patients connect with community resources using trained volunteer advocates.Design: Qualitative telephone interviews with patients who had worked with the volunteer advocates. Sample and recruitment targets were equally distributed between patients who had at least one reported success in meeting an identified need and those who had no reported needs met, based on the database used to document patient encounters.Participants: One hundred two patients.Interventions: Patients at the study clinic were periodically screened for social needs. If needs were identified, they were referred to a trained volunteer advocate who further assessed their needs, provided them with resource referrals, and followed up with them on whether their need was met.Approach: Thematic analysis was used to code the data.Key Results: Interviewed patients appreciated the services offered, especially the follow-up. Patients' ability to access the resource to which they were referred was enhanced by assistance with filling out forms, calling community resources, and other types of navigation. Patients also reported that interacting with the advocates made them feel listened to and cared for, which they perceived as noteworthy in their lives.Conclusions: This patient-reported information provides key insights into a human-centered intervention in a clinical environment. Our findings highlight what works in clinical interventions addressing social needs and provide outcomes that are difficult to measure using existing quantitative metrics. Patients experienced the intervention as a therapeutic relationship/working alliance, a type of care that correlates with positive outcomes such as treatment adherence and quality of life. These insights will help design more patient-centered approaches to providing holistic patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective promotion of physical activity among older adults, and the evaluation of those efforts, requires a better understanding of the impact of seasonal patterns on physical activity. Methods: This article used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, a population-based telephone survey, to examine the association between levels of physical activity among older adults and season of the year, temperature, and rainfall. Results: A statistically significant seasonal pattern was identified for general physical activity; for example, recommended physical activity was 62% higher in relative terms in June than in December (63% active versus 39%). However, no significant association was found between season and walking, and rainfall and temperature did not appear to influence the level of activity over and above the effect of season. Conclusions: Evaluations of walking programs for seniors may not need to make adjustments for seasonality when measuring impact using pre/post surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recognition is growing that to create truly patient‐centred care, health‐care organizations need to partner with patients around care design. More research into the benefits of engaging patients and the most effective ways of partnering with them is needed. Methods: This study assessed the process and impact of a collaborative effort to design a new clinic service that balanced the number of patient and clinical provider/staff codesigners involved and recruited patients to represent diverse perspectives. Data sources included interviews with participants, event observation and participant surveys. Results: Our evaluation found that including patients as equal partners improved the design process by infusing a real‐world, patient perspective. The pre‐event orientation and interactive methods used in the event fostered positive collaboration, as well as personal growth for the patient codesigners. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of including a roughly equal number of patients and clinical providers/staff in design events and ensuring that the patients represent diverse perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental concerns about vaccine safety have grown in the United States and abroad, resulting in delayed or skipped immunizations (often called "vaccine hesitancy"). To address vaccine hesitancy in Washington State, a public-private partnership of health organizations implemented and evaluated a 3-year community intervention, called the "Immunity Community." The intervention mobilized parents who value immunization and provided them with tools to engage in positive dialogue about immunizations in their communities. The evaluation used qualitative and quantitative methods, including focus groups, interviews, and pre and post online surveys of parents, to assess perceptions about and reactions to the intervention, assess facilitators and barriers to success, and track outcomes including parental knowledge and attitudes. The program successfully engaged parent volunteers to be immunization advocates. Surveys of parents in the intervention communities showed statistically significant improvements in vaccine-related attitudes: The percentage concerned about other parents not vaccinating their children increased from 81.2% to 88.6%, and the percentage reporting themselves as "vaccine-hesitant" decreased from 22.6% to 14.0%. There were not statistically significant changes in parental behaviors. This study demonstrates the promise of using parent advocates as part of a community-based approach to reduce vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little attention has been paid to quality improvement (QI) capacity within smaller primary care practices which comprise nearly half of all primary care settings. Strategies for external support to build such capacity include practice facilitation (PF), shared learning opportunities, and educational outreach. Although PF has proven effectiveness, little is known about the comparative effectiveness of combining these strategies. Here, we describe the protocol of the "Healthy Hearts Northwest" (H2N) study, a randomized trial designed to address these questions while improving risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Methods/design: The targeted enrollment is 250 smaller primary care practices across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The study is utilizing a two-by-two factorial design to assess four different combinations of practice support: PF alone, PF with educational outreach, PF with shared learning opportunities, or PF with both. A mixed methods approach is being used for evaluation and will include data from (1) baseline and follow-up practice and staff surveys; (2) baseline and quarterly clinical performance measurement from each practice on four cardiovascular risk factors: appropriate aspirin use, blood pressure control, lipid management and smoking cessation support; and (3) a quality improvement capacity assessment (QICA) survey used by external practice facilitators to guide improvement efforts. Discussion: Results from this study will inform future large-scale practice improvement initiatives by providing comparisons of promising external practice support strategies and advance our understanding of how to build QI capacity in primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Perceptions about low-value care (eg, medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary and/or harmful) among clinicians with capitated salaries are unknown. Objective: Explore clinicians' perceived use of and responsibility for reducing lowvalue care by focusing on barriers to use, awareness of the Choosing Wisely campaign, and response to reports of peer-comparison resource use and practice patterns. Methods: Electronic, cross-sectional survey, distributed in 2013, to 304 salaried primary care physicians and physician assistants at Group Health Cooperative. Main Outcome Measures: Attitudes, awareness, and barriers of low-value care strategies and initiatives. Results: A total of 189 clinicians responded (62% response rate). More than 90% believe cost is important to various stakeholders and believe it is fair to ask clinicians to be cost-conscious. Most found peer-comparison resource-use reports useful for understanding practice patterns and prompting peer discussions. Twothirds of clinicians were aware of the Choosing Wisely campaign; among them, 97% considered it a legitimate information source. Although 88% reported being comfortable discussing low-value care with patients, 80% reported they would order tests or procedures when a patient insisted. As key barriers in reducing low-value care, clinicians identified time constraints (45%), overcoming patient preferences/ values (44%), community standards (43%), fear of patients' dissatisfaction (41%), patients' knowledge about the harms of low-value care (38%), and availability of tools to support shared decision making (37%). Conclusions: Salaried clinicians are aware of rising health care costs and want to be stewards of limited health care resources. Evidence-based initiatives such as the Choosing Wisely campaign may help motivate clinicians to be conscientious stewards of limited health care resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide exposure is a potential risk factor for increased asthma prevalence among children. The authors used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2008) biomarker data to evaluate dialkylphosphate (DAP) urinary concentrations, serum dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and asthma among school-aged children (Mexican American, Non-Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic White). Poisson logistic regression included age, sex, nativity, poverty index ratio, tobacco smoke exposure, and body mass index covariates. No association was found between DAP (N= 2,777) and asthma outcomes; adverse effect of DDE (N= 940) was suggested for Current Wheeze. Subgroup analyses identified positive associations with some asthma outcomes among Non-Hispanic Blacks, whereas inverse associations were identified among Mexican Americans. Results support previous associations observed among children's DDE exposure and wheeze. Characterization of risk factors for pesticide exposure and disease recognition among Mexican Americans is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Differences in cultural and economic status may place ethnic subgroups of children at higher risk for exposure, leading to heightened health risks, and health inequities. Although Latino-Americans represent 22 % of all children in the United States, few studies have explored within-group differences in their exposure to toxicants. Using socio-demographic and biomarker data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2008, we characterized determinants of health and estimated geometric means of environmental contaminant biomarkers (blood concentrations of lead and mercury, serum concentrations of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene [ p,p′-DDE] and cotinine, and urinary metabolites of organophosphate [OP] pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]) among 4,257 Mexican American (MA), 677 Other Latino-American (OL), and 3,370 Non-Hispanic White (NHW) children. MAs had the lowest levels of health insurance coverage and regular access to health care, and largest household size compared to NHWs and OLs. MAs had higher levels of p,p′-DDE, lead, and cadmium while OLs had higher estimates of mercury relative to other groups. MAs had higher urinary metabolite concentrations of 2-hydroxynaphthalene; otherwise MAs and OLs had lower concentrations of PAHs. NHWs had higher levels of cotinine and dimethylthiophosphate. For other OP metabolites, differences among groups were less clear. Lead and p,p′-DDE exposure differences likely reflect later and less regulatory control of these chemicals in Latin America. Additionally, poor quality housing with lead paint is more common in economically disadvantaged subpopulations. Dietary habits are possible sources of differential cadmium, mercury, and organophosphate exposure. Cotinine exposure differences by income and U.S.- vs. foreign-born may represent increased acculturation. These results, coupled with additional research on exposure sources may contribute to refinement of environmental health promotion programs for the fast-growing Latino-American population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the trends in the receipt of recommended diabetes clinical and self-care indicators in the U.S. from 2001 to 2010. The racial/ethnic disparities in the delivery of diabetes care is assessed. The importance of participating in diabetes self-management education (DSME) in improving the receipt of recommended diabetes care is emphasized.

Empowering youth to affect change in their lives and their communities can result in healthier youth and communities. The Food Empowerment Education and Sustainability Team (FEEST) engages youth 12–24 in two ethnically diverse communities in King County, WA around food justice and food systems. At FEEST, youth and adults participate as equals. The core of the program is weekly dinners where youth cook and eat local fresh food while engaging in facilitated discussions about community, local food systems, and the role social determinants of health play in access to healthy food. A second core component is the paid youth internship program. Since FEEST’s inception in 2008 through 2012, there have been over 900 participants in dinners and over 36 paid interns. Key success factors include: egalitarian youth–adult relationships, youth-driven programming, clear roles and expectations, project-based learning with paid internships, and using food and community meals as the convening platform. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Photovoice is a community-based participatory research method that provides participants who traditionally have little voice in community policy decisions, with training in photography, ethics, critical dialogue, photo captioning, and policy advocacy. Photovoice has been used primarily as a needs assessment and advocacy tool and only rarely as a pre-/postintervention evaluation method. This article describes the use of Photovoice as a participatory evaluation method in the Community Health Initiative, a 6-year, multisite community-based obesity prevention initiative, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Fifty community participants (including six youth) from six Community Health Initiative communities used photos and captions to identify, from their perspective, the most significant accomplishments from the initiative at both baseline and follow-up. Accomplishments identified included increased access to fresh/healthy food in local neighborhoods; policy changes supporting a “healthy eating, active living” community; increased access to physical activity; changes to the built environment creating increased neighborhood walkability/safety; and leadership development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nutrition policy advocates have identified many evidence-based strategies that could improve the nutritional health of populations, but progress toward policy enactment is limited. Cross-sector collaboration is a time-tested way to advance the policy process. A group of advocates, practitioners, and researchers examined policy interests across nutrition, agriculture, and environmental sectors. The group then examined how these factors played out in the Local Farms–Healthy Kids legislation in Washington State. Cross-sector advocacy based on shared values regarding healthy food access and mutual interests in production, sales, and consumption of healthy local food strengthened the policy development process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When planning and evaluating community-level initiatives focused on policy and environment change, it is useful to have estimates of the impact on behavioral outcomes of particular strategies (e.g., building a new walking trail to promote physical activity). We have created a measure of estimated strategy-level impact—“population dose”—based on our work in evaluating obesity prevention initiatives that uses elements of the RE-AIM method of combining reach and effectiveness to estimate the impact of a strategy on risk behaviors within a target population. We provide a definition and examples of measuring population dose, discuss measurement options in the face of uncertainty about key parameters, review ways of increasing population dose, and illustrate how the concept of population dose has been used in the Kaiser Permanente Community Health Initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite growing support among public health researchers and practitioners for environmental approaches to obesity prevention, there is a lack of empirical evidence from intervention studies showing a favorable impact of either increased healthy food availability on healthy eating or changes in the built environment on physical activity. It is therefore critical that we carefully evaluate initiatives targeting the community environment to expand the evidence base for environmental interventions. We describe the approaches used to measure the extent and impact of environmental change in 3 community-level obesity prevention initiatives in California. We focus on measuring changes in the community environment and assessing the impact of those changes on residents most directly exposed to the interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative ways must be found to engage both community residents and political leaders around policy and environmental solutions to public health issues. Photovoice is a community-based, participatory approach to documentary photography that provides people with training on photography, ethics, critical discussion, and policy advocacy. Photovoice projects have been implemented across the nation as part of Kaiser Permanente's Community Health Initiative--a community-based obesity prevention effort. This article focuses on the first Photovoice project implemented in three communities in Colorado. Photovoice themes related to healthy eating and active living include a lack of access to healthy food choices in stores and schools, unsafe street crossings and sidewalks, and the need to re develop certain areas to encourage safe recreation. The involvement of policy leaders in the project combined with several dissemination activities has contributed to healthier food offerings in schools and neighborhoods and city planning efforts that emphasize walkability and access to healthy food, and park revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a community organizing approach to promoting physical activity among underserved older adults in southeast Seattle: the Southeast Senior Physical Activity Network (SESPAN). The organizing strategy involves networking with a variety of community-based organizations, with two broad objectives: (a) program objective--to make connections between two (or more) community-based organizations to create senior physical activity programs where none existed before; and (b) coalition objective--to build a broader network or coalition of groups and organizations to assist in making larger scale environmental and policy changes. Networking among organizations led to the creation of a number of potentially sustainable walking and exercise programs that are reaching previously underserved communities within Southeast Seattle. In addition, a major community event led to the establishment of a health coalition that has the potential to continue to generate new broad-based programs and larger scale environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have identified as effective and worthy of broader dissemination a variety of intervention strategies to promote physical activity among older adults. This paper reports results of a community-organizing approach to disseminating evidence-based interventions in a sustainable way: The Southeast Seattle Senior Physical Activity Network (SESPAN). SESPAN was implemented in Southeast Seattle, a group of multicultural neighborhoods extending 8 miles southeast of downtown Seattle, with a population of 56,469 in 2000, with 12% (7,041) aged 65 and older. The SESPAN organizing strategy involved networking to: (1) make connections between two or more community organizations to create new senior physical activity programs; and (2) build coalitions of community groups and organizations to assist in making larger scale environmental and policy changes to increase senior physical activity. The SESPAN evaluation used an uncontrolled prospective design focusing on sustainable community changes, including new or modified programs, policies, and practices. Networking among organizations led to the creation of 16 ongoing exercise classes and walking groups, serving approximately 200 older adults in previously underserved Southeast Seattle communities. In addition, the project's health coalition is sustaining current activities and generating new programs and environmental changes. The success of the SESPAN organizing model depended on identifying and involving champions in partner organizations who provided support and resources for implementing programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined health care utilization and costs of care among Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with depression and with or without symptoms of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: Cross-sectional comparisons of health care utilization and costs were conducted with VA administrative data for a sample of veterans from a randomized trial of collaborative care depression treatment in ten VA primary care clinics across five states. Patients with depression or dysthymia were included in the study, and those who were acutely suicidal or had probable bipolar disorder were excluded. The sample of 606 patients was mainly male, white, and aged 55 or older. Health care utilization, costs, and medication data from VA administrative databases were analyzed over 12 months. Results: Patients with depression and PTSD (screen score ⩾3) were more emotionally distressed, had more frequent mental health specialty visits (6.91 versus 1.68, p<.001), more total outpatient visits (26.16 versus 19.94, p<.001), and correspondingly higher outpatient mental health care costs over the previous 12 months compared with depressed patients without PTSD. Antidepressants were prescribed to a higher proportion of depressed patients with PTSD (61% versus 40%). Conclusions: Patients with PTSD and depression had greater utilization of specialty mental health treatments and antidepressant medications and higher mental health care costs in the previous 12 months than depressed patients without PTSD. As military personnel return from Iraq, both VA and non-VA health care providers need to plan for an increase in outpatient mental health services and costs, particularly among depressed veterans who also have PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To test Web-based care management of glycemic control using a shared electronic medical record with patients who have type 2 diabetes.Research Design and Methods: We conducted a trial of 83 adults with type 2 diabetes randomized to receive usual care plus Web-based care management or usual care alone between August 2002 and May 2004. All patients had GHb > or =7.0%, had Web access from home, and could use a computer with English language-based programs. Intervention patients received 12 months of Web-based care management. The Web-based program included patient access to electronic medical records, secure e-mail with providers, feedback on blood glucose readings, an educational Web site, and an interactive online diary for entering information about exercise, diet, and medication. The primary outcome was change in GHb.Results: GHb levels declined by 0.7% (95% CI 0.2-1.3) on average among intervention patients compared with usual-care patients. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol levels, and use of in-person health care services did not differ between the two groups.Conclusions: Care management delivered through secure patient Web communications improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE -- To test Web-based care management of glycemic control using a shared electronic medical record with patients who have type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -- We conducted a trial of 83 adults with type 2 diabetes randomized to receive usual care plus Web-based care management or usual care alone between August 2002 and May 2004. All patients had GHb ≥7.0%, had Web access from home, and could use a computer with English language-based programs. Intervention patients received 12 months of Web-based care management. The Web-based program included patient access to electronic medical records, secure e-mail with providers, feedback on blood glucose readings, an educational Web site, and an interactive online diary for entering information about exercise, diet, and medication. The primary outcome was change in GHb. RESULTS -- GHb levels declined by 0.7% (95% CI 0.2-1.3) on average among intervention patients compared with usual-care patients. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol levels, and use of in-person health care services did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS -- Care management delivered through secure patient Web communications improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: A 3-year pilot program to expand the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the Washington State workers' compensation system was implemented in 2004 (SHB 1691), amid concern about disparities in access to health care for injured workers in rural areas. SHB 1691 authorized NPs to independently perform most functions of an attending physician. Purpose: The aims of this study were to (1) describe the contribution by NPs to Washington's workers' compensation provider workforce, (2) evaluate change in provider availability attributable to SHB 1691, and (3) evaluate the effect of SHB 1691 on timely accident report filing. Methods: Administrative data were used to evaluate this natural experiment, using a pre-post design with primary care physicians (PCPs) as a nonequivalent comparison group. Findings: NPs served injured workers with characteristics similar to those served by PCPs, but 22.0% of NPs were rural, compared with 17.3% of PCPs. Of claimants with NPs as their attending provider, 53.3% were injured in a rural county, compared with 24.7% for those with PCP attending providers. The number of NPs participating in the workers' compensation system rose after SHB 1691 implementation, more so in rural areas. SHB 1691 implementation was associated with a 16 percentage point improvement in timely accident report filing by NPs in both rural and urban areas. Conclusions: Authorizing NPs to function as attending providers for injured workers may improve provider availability (especially in rural areas) and timely accident report filing, which in turn may improve worker outcomes and system costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving community health "from the ground up" entails a comprehensive ecological approach, deep involvement of community-based entities, and addressing social determinants of population health status. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Surgeon General, and other authorities have called for public health to be an "inter-sector" enterprise, few models have surfaced that feature local health departments as a key part of the collaborative model for effecting community-level change. This paper presents evaluation findings and lessons learned from the Partnership for the Public's Health (PPH), a comprehensive community initiative that featured a central role for local health departments with their community partners. Funded by The California Endowment, PPH provided technical and financial resources to 39 community partnerships in 14 local health department jurisdictions in California to promote community and health department capacity building and community-level policy and systems change designed to produce long-term improvements in population health. The evaluation used multiple data sources to create progress ratings for each partnership in five goal areas related to capacity building, community health improvement programs, and policy and systems change. Overall results were generally positive; in particular, of the 37 partnerships funded continuously throughout the 5 years of the initiative, between 25% and 40% were able to make a high level of progress in each of the Initiative's five goal areas. Factors associated with partnership success were also identified by local evaluators. These results showed that health departments able to work effectively with community groups had strong, committed leaders who used creative financing mechanisms, inclusive planning processes, organizational changes, and open communication to promote collaboration with the communities they served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE -- The purpose of this article was to determine the effects of a managed-Medicare physical activity benefit on health care utilization and costs among older adults with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -- This retrospective cohort study used administrative and claims data for 527 patients from a diabetes registry of a staff model HMO. Participants (n = 163) were enrolled in the HMO for at least 1 year before joining the Enhanced Fitness Program (EFP), a community-based physical activity program for which the HMO pays for each EFP class attended. Control subjects were matched to participants according to the index date of EFP enrollment (n = 364). Multivariate regression models were used to determine 12-month postindex differences in health care use and costs between participants and control subjects while adjusting for age, sex, chronic disease burden, EFP attendance, prevention score, heart registry, and respective baseline use and costs. RESULTS -- Participants and control subjects were similar at baseline with respect to age (75 ± 5.5 years), A1C levels (7.4 ± 1.4%), chronic disease burden, prevention score, and health care use and costs. After exposure to the program, there was a trend toward lower hospital admissions in EFP participants compared with control subjects (13.5 vs. 20.9%, P = 0.08), whereas total health care costs were not different (P = 0.39). EFP participants who attended ≥1 exercise session/week on average had ∼41% less total health care costs compared with those attending <1 session/week (P = 0.03) and with control subjects (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS -- Although elective participation in a community-based physical activity benefit at any level was not associated with lower inpatient or total health care costs, greater participation in the program may lower health care costs. These findings warrant additional investigations to determine whether policies to offer and promote a community-based physical activity benefit in older adults with diabetes can reduce health care costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing rates of childhood overweight have been linked to the rising energy density of the diet. We sought to provide temporal profiles of dietary energy density (DED) in a nationally representative sample of U.S. children and adolescents < or = 19 y old and to describe associations between DED and predictors of overweight. We used a subset of data from the 1994-1996, 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intake for Individuals (CSFII) and a multivariate regression model to determine independent associations between DED and socioeconomic and demographic variables after controlling for covariates. In this cross-sectional data set, DED was positively associated with total energy intakes and varied with both age and gender. DED increased from birth, peaked at 7-8 y of age, and then declined. Boys consumed more energy-dense diets than girls. Among children < or = 4 y old, higher DED was associated in the regression model with lower household incomes and with enrollment in the food stamp program. Among adolescents 12-19 y old, higher DED was associated with being African-American. In contrast, lower DED among children < or = 11 y old was associated with being Asian or Hispanic and with total daily consumption of fluid milk. The quality of the diet for young children, as indexed by high DED, may be adversely affected by limited household economic resources. Although food insecurity and WIC enrollment were not associated with DED in this study sample, milk consumption in children < or = 4 y old was associated with lower DED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Case series demonstrate that bariatric surgery can be performed with a low rate of perioperative mortality (0.5%), but the rate among high-risk patients and the community at large is unknown. Objectives To evaluate the risk of early mortality among Medicare beneficiaries and to determine the relative risk of death among older patients. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting and Patients All fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, 1997-2002. Main Outcome Measures Thirty-day, 90-day, and 1-year postsurgical all-cause mortality among patients undergoing bariatric procedures. Results A total of 16 155 patients underwent bariatric procedures (mean age, 47.7 years [SD, 11.3 years]; 75.8% women). The rates of 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality were 2.0%, 2.8%, and 4.6%, respectively. Men had higher rates of early death than women (3.7% vs 1.5%, 4.8% vs 2.1%, and 7.5% vs 3.7% at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year, respectively; P<.001). Mortality rates were greater for those aged 65 years or older compared with younger patients (4.8% vs 1.7% at 30 days, 6.9% vs 2.3% at 90 days, and 11.1% vs 3.9% at 1 year; P<.001). After adjustment for sex and comorbidity index, the odds of death within 90 days were 5-fold greater for older Medicare beneficiaries (aged ≥75 years; n = 136) than for those aged 65 to 74 years (n = 1381; odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 3.1-8.0). The odds of death at 90 days were 1.6 times higher (95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.0) for patients of surgeons with less than the median surgical volume of bariatric procedures (among Medicare beneficiaries during the study period) after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity index. Conclusions Among Medicare beneficiaries, the risk of early death after bariatric surgery is considerably higher than previously suggested and associated with advancing age, male sex, and lower surgeon volume of bariatric procedures. Patients aged 65 years or older had a substantially higher risk of death within the early postoperative period than younger patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that health disparities may be reduced by increasing the number of ethnic minorities working in health occupations. Establishing health career pathway programs for immigrant and ethnic minority students is one way to address this problem. One such program, Cross-Cultural Education in Public Health (CCEPH), was developed, implemented, and evaluated to determine whether participants expressed greater interest in pursuing health care careers after program completion. A sample of 72 immigrant students in two high schools participated in the program, which was based on Bandura's theory of self-efficacy. Data were gathered using pre- and postprogram surveys that measured academic self-efficacy and career consideration. Results for academic efficacy were not statistically significant, but Interest level in health care careers rose substantially. Although further research needs to be conducted to determine whether such programs increase self-efficacy, programs such as CCEPH can increase the consideration of health careers among immigrant and ethnic minority students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Common bile duct (CBD) injury during cholecystectomy is a significant source of patient morbidity, but its impact on survival is unclear. Objective: To demonstrate the relation between CBD injury and survival and to identify the factors associated with improved survival among Medicare beneficiaries. Design, Setting, and Patients: Retrospective study using Medicare National Claims History Part B data (January 1, 1992, through December 31, 1999) linked to death records and to the American Medical Association's (AMA's) Physician Masterfile. Records with a procedure code for cholecystectomy were reviewed and those with an additional procedure code for repair of the CBD within 365 days were defined as having a CBD injury. Main Outcome Measure: Survival after cholecystectomy, controlling for patient (sex, age, comorbidity index, disease severity) and surgeon (procedure year, case order, surgeon specialty) characteristics. Results: Of the 1 570 361 patients identified as having had a cholecystectomy (62.9% women), 7911 patients (0.5%) had CBD injuries. The entire population had a mean (SD) age of 71.4 (10.2) years. Thirty-three percent of all patients died within the 9.2-year follow-up period (median survival, 5.6 years; interquartile range, 3.2-7.4 years), with 55.2% of patients without and 19.5% with a CBD injury remained alive. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for death during the follow-up period was significantly higher (2.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]; 2.71-2.88) for patients with a CBD injury than those without CBD injury. The hazard significantly increased with advancing age and comorbidities and decreased with the experience of the repairing surgeon. The adjusted hazard of death during the follow-up period was 11% greater (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.20) if the repairing surgeon was the same as the injuring surgeon. Conclusions: The association between CBD injury during cholecystectomy and survival among Medicare beneficiaries is stronger than suggested ... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) may decrease the risk of common bile duct (CBD) injury during cholecystectomy by helping to avoid misidentification of the CBD. Objective: To characterize the relationship of IOC use and CBD injury while controlling for patient and surgeon characteristics. Design, Setting, and Patients: Retrospective nationwide cohort analysis of Medicare patients undergoing cholecystectomy from January 1, 1992, to December 31, 1999. Patients were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes from the Medicare Part B depository. Common bile duct injury was defined by a second surgical procedure to repair the CBD injury within 1 year of cholecystectomy. Surgeon demographic features were obtained from matching the Medicare Part B data to the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile database. Main Outcome Measure: Frequency of CBD injury in patients who did and did not have IOC performed during cholecystectomy, controlling for patient-level (age, sex, race, and case complexity) and surgeon-level (surgeon's age, sex, race, year of surgical procedure, case order, percentage of IOC use in prior surgical procedures, years in medical practice, board certification, and specialization) factors. Results: The database search identified 1 570 361 cholecystectomies and 7911 CBD injuries (0.5%). Common bile duct injury was found in 2380 (0.39%) of 613 706 patients undergoing cholecystectomy with IOC and in 5531 (0.58%) of 956 655 patients undergoing cholecystectomy without IOC (unadjusted relative risk, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-1.57). After controlling for patient-level factors and surgeon-level factors, the risk of injury was increased when IOC was not used (adjusted relative risk, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-2.28). While surgeons performing IOCs routinely had a lower rate of CBD injuries than those who did not, this difference disappeared when IOC was not used. Conclusions: In this study of Medicare patients... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1995 and 2001, the California Center for Health Improvement (CCHI) initiated eight large-scale surveys of public opinion and performed policy analyses on issues and alternatives related to population health. A nonpartisan organization, CCHI aimed to advance the understanding of social factors and behavior as determinants of health and promote this understanding as a factor in policy making. Opinions of persons knowledgeable about policy making in California were obtained. Data included ninety brief interviews and twenty-four in-depth interviews with key informants who were capable of judging the impact of CCHI's activity. The entry of CCHI into the Sacramento policy community constitutes a natural experiment on the deliberate use of polls and policy analysis to influence policy. Key informants indicated that both polls and policy analysis affect the actions of policy makers. More than 48 percent believed that opinion polls "moderately" affected and 42.2 percent believed that opinion polls "strongly" affected the actions of policy makers. More than 58 percent indicated that policy analysis "moderately" affected and 33.7 percent believed that policy analysis "strongly" affected policy decisions. Effects of polling and policy analysis appeared to vary according to several contextual factors, such as the substantive policy issue, point in the legislative cycle, and perceived neutrality of the poll or analysis. Study findings provide evidence that polls and policy analyses affect policy by helping establish visibility and framing issues rather than determining outcomes. Hypotheses under a contingency model of factors in policy decision making are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods are developed that use aggregate data, possibly based on a large number of individuals, and individual level data, from a small fraction of individuals from the same or similar population, to eliminate ecological bias inherent in the analysis of aggregate data. The primary focus is on estimating the individual level correlation coefficient but the proposed methodology can be extended to estimate regression coefficients. Two approaches, the method of moments and the maximum likelihood, are developed for a bivariate distribution, but can be extended to a multivariate distribution. The method of moments develops a corrected estimate of the within-group covariance matrix, which is then used to estimate the individual level correlation and regression coefficients. The second method assumes bivariate normality and maximizes the combined likelihood function based on the two data sets. The maximum likelihood estimates are obtained using the EM-algorithm. A simulation study investigates the repeated sampling properties of these procedures in terms of bias and the mean square error of the point estimates and the actual coverage of the confidence intervals. The maximum likelihood estimates are almost unbiased and the confidence intervals are well calibrated for simulation conditions considered. The method of moments estimates have the same desirable properties for some simulation conditions. Under all conditions, the correlation coefficient between aggregate variables is severely biased as an estimate of the individual level correlation coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To assess the availability and use of Washington State's CHILD (Children's Health, Immunization, Linkages, and Development) Profile and other computerized immunization tracking systems, to determine physicians' attitudes about these systems, and to identify factors associated with using them. Design: Randomized, population-based, crosssectional survey. Participants: Washington family physician and pediatrician specialty organization members providing childhood immunizations in 1998 (N = 2472). Main Outcome Measure: Reported CHILD Profile and other computerized systems use. Results: The adjusted response rate was 75% (n = 1331). Overall, 37.7% of respondents had heard of CHILD Profile, 6.3% used it, and 24.9% used other systems. Groups significantly more likely not to use computerized systems than referent pediatricians in areas fully implementing CHILD Profile were family physicians (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-4.0), private physicians (aOR, 8.0; 95% CI, 3.2-20.1), physicians taking fewest opportunities to immunize (aOR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.4-3.7), and physicians practicing in local health jurisdiction areas with CHILD Profile marketing activity (aOR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.9) or in those areas with little or no registry activity (aOR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.6-4.4). Those with systems agreed that they save time (71.0%), make status checks easier (87.1%), and increase immunization coverage (88.6%). Those without systems agreed that they help practices (90.3%) and increase efficiency (76.5%), but fewer agreed that they reduce costs (30.2%). Conclusions: Although most physicians agreed that computerized systems are useful, few had them or used them. Provider-based systems can improve immunization coverage, but the feasibility and effectiveness of communitywide and statewide systems remain unexplored. Because these systems depend on participation, more understanding is needed to help organizations implement them. Interventions to... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the operation of the Seattle Partners community research center (CRC) and offers examples to illustrate the collaborative approach used by CRC in providing technical assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs) in Seattle, Washington. According to the authors, CBOs are typically active in addressing social determinants of health such as housing, education, community economic development, and job creation and training in the state. It has been noted that the collaboration between CRC and CBOs provides positive impact on the improvement of social determinants of health in Seattle.

The article presents a study which explores the projects of Seattle Partners for Healthy Communities (SPHC) that concentrate on social determinants of health, particularly the development of social support and improvement of housing quality in Washington. SPHC utilizes community-based participatory research methods to address social factors that affect the health of Seattle communities The Seattle-King County Healthy Homes Project intends to improve asthma-related health status by addressing poor housing and indoor environment quality. Meanwhile, the project on domestic violence intervention seeks to increase social support interventions. Implications of the study are presented.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a community mobilization and youth development strategy to prevent drug abuse, violence, and risky sexual activity.Data Sources/study Setting: Primary surveys of youth, parents, and key neighborhood leaders were carried out at baseline (1994) and at the end of the intervention period (1997). The study took place in four intervention and six control neighborhoods in Seattle.Study Design: The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial with neighborhood as the unit of randomization. The intervention consisted of a paid community organizer in each neighborhood who recruited a group of residents to serve as a community action board. Key variables included perceptions of neighborhood mobilization by youth, parents, and key neighborhood leaders.Data Collection/extraction Methods: Youth surveys were self-administered during school hours. Parent and neighborhood leader surveys were conducted over the phone by trained interviewers.Principal Findings: Survey results showed that mobilization increased to the same degree in both intervention and control neighborhoods with no evidence of an overall intervention effect. There did appear to be a relative increase in mobilization in the neighborhood with the highest level of intervention activity.Conclusion: This randomized study failed to demonstrate a measurable effect for a community mobilization intervention. It is uncertain whether the negative finding was because of a lack of strength of the interventions or problems detecting intervention effects using individual-level closed-end surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]