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Background SARS-CoV-2 infection has caused variable clinical outcomes including hospitalization and death. We analyzed state-level data from the North Carolina COVID-19 Surveillance System (NC COVID) to describe demographics of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to describe factors associated with infection-fatality in North Carolina. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using surveillance data on positive SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals (N = 214,179) identified between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020. We present descriptive statistics and associations among demographics, medical comorbidities, and SARS-CoV-2 infection-fatality. Results Median age for residents with reported SARS-CoV-2 was 38 (IQR 23–54). Age was strongly correlated with SARS-CoV-2 infection-fatality. Greater infection-fatality was noted among those who identified as Black across all comorbidities. Coexisting chronic disease was associated with greater infection-fatality, with kidney disease demonstrating the strongest association. Limitations A high percentage of missing data for race/ethnicity and comorbidities limits the interpretation of our findings. Data were not available for socioeconomic measures that could aid in better understanding inequities associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection-fatality. Conclusions Among North Carolinians identified with SARS-CoV-2 via surveillance efforts, age, race, and comorbidities were associated with infection-fatality; these findings are similar to those of studies using different source populations in the United States. In addition to age and other nonmodifiable variables, systematic differences in social conditions and opportunity may increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection-fatality among Black Americans compared to other races/ethnicities.

Using self-reported health and economic behav­iors, this study explores the extent to which experi­ential food activities such as cooking new foods and attending farmers markets impact local food consumption, purchasing, and eating behaviors. This longitudinal survey includes pre/post inter­vention surveys administered to a convenience sample of 55 community members, categorized as “young adults,” “adults,” and “older adults.” The 41-item baseline survey includes closed-ended questions regarding food preference, purchasing habits, and general awareness. The 54-item post survey, administered after participating in the study, includes the same closed-ended questions as the pre-survey, as well as open-ended questions regarding participants’ perceived impact of the intervention on their behaviors. Data was analyzed with paired t tests, one-way ANOVA, paired pro­portional analysis using McNemar’s Test, Bonfer­roni correction tests, and normality tests. Survey results show significant positive change (p

This study showcases the statewide strategies used to implement and sustain an evidence-based fall prevention program, A Matter of Balance (MOB) in North Carolina between 2014 and 2019. Statewide program implementation and data collection support strategies are detailed. The mostly White (not Hispanic/Latino), female participants were 75 years old on average. Pre- and post-self-reported assessments included demographic, health status, quality of life, and falls-related metrics. Survey responses were scaled and analyzed. Statistically significant improvements ( p < .05) across health status measurements, times fallen, and falls resulting in injury were observed. These results offer a model for effective statewide implementation of the MOB program to reduce falls among older adults in community settings with support from a statewide resource center.

This paper discusses the authors' “Festival of Dionysus in the Mountain South” of 2014 and the possibilities and benefits for improved student critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning that emerged from it. The festival comprised multiple elements: a performance of Sophocles' Philoctetes, translated by upper-division Classics majors; a communal feast conceived of and created by students in an experimental class entitled “Foodways of Blue Zones”; and student research on ancient and Appalachian traditions of music, science, and the role of medicinal plants. This paper focuses particularly on the translation and the feast, and discusses the data drawn from surveys of student perceptions of their experiences with creating and participating in the festival.