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Public health officials promoted COVID-19 vaccines to limit burdens placed on the U.S. healthcare system and end the pandemic. People in some closed religious communities refused to vaccinate and likely acquired temporary immunity through infection. This paper compares the death rates in Amish, Old Order Mennonites, and conservative Mennonite groups to a rate estimated for the U.S. population. Approximately two-thirds of the U.S. population was immunized against COVID-19, while few in the Amish/Mennonite community were. We find divergent patterns. Once vaccines became available, excess deaths declined in the general population and remained elevated among Amish and Mennonites. Vaccination campaigns must consider and value the cultural beliefs of closed religious communities to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amish and Mennonite (Plain) communities have increased prevalence of many recessively inherited disorders due to founder variants that can be identified using next-generation sequencing (NGS). We assessed newborn screening (NBS) utilization, prior genetic testing, and perceptions of genetic testing among Wisconsin Plain communities to guide implementation and utilization of a population-specific NGS gene panel testing. A mailed paper survey (N = 959) of demographics, NBS utilization, prior genetic testing, and preferences for categorical genetic disorder and defined clinical context testing was developed. Overall response rate was 39% (N = 378; 183 Amish, 193 Mennonite; 2 not Amish/Mennonite). Mennonites were more likely to respond in favor of carrier screening for metabolic disorders and other surgical conditions and less likely to respond in favor of asymptomatic testing for neurologic disorders and lethal disorders compared to Amish. Reported utilization of NBS was positively associated with stated interest in genetic testing for an asymptomatic child. Reported prior genetic testing was positively associated with stated interest in carrier screening and negatively associated with testing a symptomatic child. Although Plain community members share many common outward characteristics, our survey responses suggest diversity in their views of genetic testing and support laboratory methods that can be flexible to varied needs of individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociologists define power as one party's capacity to influence another's action. Thus, power is a relational property of interpersonal interaction. However, its dynamics embed within institutions such as the church and the state. This paper explores power dynamics using a case study of the conflict between an Old Order Amish church and the civil law of Ohio. The church excommunicated a member for violating community rules. The member countered by suing the church in state court. We trace power within and across these spheres of influence, showing how each party defined the situation according to institutional vectors of power. While one might expect the state to possess greater power in this situation, we demonstrate that ultimately neither party had total power, and both lost to some extent. This case study identifies the importance of viewing power as interactional, dynamic, and contextual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the lethal impact of a pandemic on a religious community with significant barriers to outsiders can be exceedingly difficult. Nevertheless, Stein and colleagues (2021) developed an innovative means of arriving at such an estimate for the lethal impact of COVID-19 on the Amish community in 2020 by counting user-generated death reports in the widely circulated Amish periodical The Budget. By comparing monthly averages of reported deaths before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stein and colleagues were able to arrive at a rough estimate of "excess deaths" during the first year of the pandemic. Our research extends the same research method, applying it to the years during and immediately preceding the global influenza pandemic of 1918. Results show similarly robust findings, including three notable "waves" of excess deaths among Amish and conservative Mennonites in the USA in 1918, 1919, and 1920. Such results point to the promise of utilizing religious periodicals like The Budget as a relatively untapped trove of user-generated data on public health outcomes among religious minorities more than a century in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairying among Wisconsin's Amish and Old Order Mennonite farmers expanded through 2017, and by early 2018 Amish farms contained 12.9 percent of the state's total dairy herds of cows, goats, and sheep. Old Order Mennonite herds comprised 5.0 percent. Faced with a variety of challenges, Wisconsin lost 198 Amish herds between April 2018 and July 2020, yet its number of Old Order Mennonite herds grew. Together, these groups operated over half of the dairy farms within 59 of Wisconsin's towns in 2020. The paper examines the spatial patterns of expansion and contraction of Old Order dairying between 2012 and 2020, noting and explaining differences between the Amish and Mennonite farmers, as well as among the three conferences of Old Order Mennonites. Losses among the Amish were the greatest for can milk producers, yet 19 percent of Wisconsin's Amish dairy herds were on certified organic farms in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do the North American Amish maintain high fertility when surrounding populations have nearly all completed the demographic transition? Using the same theoretical predictors and methods as a 1996 Population Studies paper, we explore fertility changes, specifically changes in mean parity, between 1988 and 2015 among one sizeable Amish population in Ohio. Findings suggest that wealth flow shifts (as measured by a decline in farming families) and institutional changes (reflected in Amish denominational gradations) help to explain a decline in mean parity from 5.3 to 4.85, while ideological pronatalism (represented by higher fertility among church leaders) helps to explain why fertility has not been more responsive to structural incentives to limit family size. While this restudy confirms the trend of a slow decline in Amish fertility, it also invites a more methodologically expansive inquiry into Amish fertility patterns.

In the last couple of decades, Chronic Wasting Disease (“CWD”) has become a topic of concern for conservationists, animal welfare advocates, and fair-chase hunters, alike. The untreatable nature of CWD combined with its long incubation time makes the disease a threat to the health and welfare of cervids, like deer and elk. Furthermore, the rise of the cervid breeding industry has coincided with and exacerbated the spread of CWD through- out the United States and Canada. On top of this, the outsized representation and prevalence of Amish adherents in the cervid breeding raises concerns about the effectiveness of any efforts by Federal and State agriculture agencies to effectively regulate cervid breeding and curb the transmission of CWD. Therefore, due to the unique issues with non-compliance that stem from enforcing regulations on Amish communities and the internal expertise of wildlife agencies, it is recommended that states within the “Amish Belt,” a term coined by the author to refer to the states with the highest Amish populations that border the Great Lakes, adopt a regulatory framework that completely aligns with the public trust doctrine view of wildlife management and gives full authority to State wildlife agencies to regulate all cervids within the state. By solely granting state wildlife agencies the power to regulate cervids, regardless of origin, CWD manage- ment and mitigation efforts can be left to those with the most institutional knowledge on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exhaustive review of Amish mental health conditions research suggests that studies are well-executed by methodological protocols but that (1) findings are inconsistent or limited in generalizability, (2) instrument validity remains contested, and (3) study investigation into Amish cultural-religious dynamics is limited. We present a case study from a sizeable Amish settlement finds that documents how competing ideologies – notably old Amish religious theology, the scientific-psychological, and the Evangelical Protestant – have generated Amish-internal controversies over defining and treating mental health conditions, suggesting that Amish mental health conditions research may produce inconsistent findings if not accounting for internal cultural-religious dynamics. Future research should include pre-study investigations into the targeted population's cultural and religious dynamics, consist of more nuanced case reports from therapists and psychiatrists, and include replication studies at different times and places, with deliberate attention to contextual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory, qualitative research study explores (a) the motivations of Plain Anabaptist (Plain Mennonite and Amish) families to foster mainstream (non-Plain) children, (b) families' experiences in the training and home study process, and (c) characteristics and practices of Plain Anabaptist families who provide foster care. Findings support the recommendation for child welfare systems to explore the possibility of Plain Mennonite and Amish families providing foster care for children. Plain Anabaptist families are receptive to learning and adapting in order to provide foster care, especially for babies, young children, and children with special needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars and activists have called for a recognition of a "third way" of farming which is beyond the binary between organic and conventional agriculture and instead represents a spectrum of practices. In this paper, we ask if the way Plain (conservative Amish and Mennonite) farmers manage antibiotic use and natural remedies is an example of these middle paths. Antibiotic use in managing herd health is a practice with significant environmental and health implications. Regulations and use patterns may enhance potential bifurcation between conventional and organic production in the US compared to the European context. The data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with 29 Plain dairy producers and nine veterinary health professionals in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Interviews focused on attitudes and behavior around herd health and possible connections to family healthcare management. Overall, our results indicate that the Plain farmers, especially the Amish, combined minimal antibiotics with a mixture of natural remedies. This indicates that delineations between organic and conventional agriculture and natural healthcare and mainstream healthcare may be more nuanced and complex than has been characterized in previous literature. • Amish and Mennonite dairy farmers offer an example of "middle paths" in managing antibiotic use. • Amish and Mennonite dairy farmers use a "third way" between organic and conventional management. • Amish and Mennonite dairy farmers combine antibiotics and natural remedies for animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: An important measure of brain health is the integrity of white matter connectivity structures that link brain regions. Studies have found an association between poorer sleep quality and decreased white matter integrity. Stress is among the strongest predictors of sleep quality. This study aimed to evaluate the association between sleep quality and white matter and to test if the relationship persisted after accounting for stress. White matter microstructures were measured by diffusion tensor imaging in a population of Old Order Amish/Mennonite (N = 240). Sleep quality was determined by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Current stress levels were measured by the perceived stress scale. Exposure to lifetime stress was measured by the lifetime stressor inventory. Microstructures of four white matter tracts: left and right anterior limbs of internal capsule, left anterior corona radiata, and genu of corpus callosum were significantly correlated with sleep quality (all p ≤ 0.001). The current stress level was a significant predictor of sleep quality (p ≤ 0.001) while lifetime stress was not. PSQI remained significantly associated with white matter integrity in these frontal tracts (all p < 0.01) after accounting for current stress and lifetime stress, while current and lifetime stress were not significant predictors of white matter in any of the four models. Sleep quality did not have any substantial mediation role between stress and white matter integrity. Sleep quality was significantly associated with several frontal white matter tracts that connect brain structures important for sleep regulation regardless of current or past stress levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship finds linkages between religiosity and vaccination practices but neglects the role of religious, social structural influences. The relationship between religious beliefs and immunization in the context of closed religious communities remains understudied. We use a survey of Amish and Old Order Mennonite parents to explore relationships between religious belief, group closure, perceived vaccine effectiveness, and vaccine uptake. The results indicate higher group and individual closure levels are positively related to having unvaccinated children and vaccine hesitancy. Perceptions of vaccine effectiveness partially explain these associations. Healthcare providers should consider constructing culturally competent programs to reach closed communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eclectic collection of Christian traditions and communities that may be considered Free Church, and the decentralized structures of these Christian communities, result in Free Church worship practices that are difficult to predict. I then explore two movements that have shaped worship in Free Church traditions in recent decades, and consider four scholarly approaches to Free Church worship. When considering liturgical renewal in retrospect in Free Church traditions, it is crucial to recognize that significant work remains to be done in decolonizing Free Church worship in ways that empower all individuals in congregations to draw deeply on local culture in shaping local practice that can challenge oppressive structures. The overlapping traits that characterize the Free Church family of Christian traditions contribute to the unpredictable nature of Free Church worship, and the multiplicity of free-spirited ways that liturgical renewal can emerge and develop. [Extracted from the article]

Identifying the genetic determinants of inter-individual variation in lipid species (lipidome) may provide deeper understanding and additional insight into the mechanistic effect of complex lipidomic pathways in CVD risk and progression beyond simple traditional lipids. Previous studies have been largely population based and thus only powered to discover associations with common genetic variants. Founder populations represent a powerful resource to accelerate discovery of previously unknown biology associated with rare population alleles that have risen to higher frequency due to genetic drift. We performed a genome-wide association scan of 355 lipid species in 650 individuals from the Amish founder population including 127 lipid species not previously tested. To the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time the lipid species associated with two rare-population but Amish-enriched lipid variants: APOB_rs5742904 and APOC3_rs76353203. We also identified novel associations for 3 rare-population Amish-enriched loci with several sphingolipids and with proposed potential functional/causal variant in each locus including GLTPD2_rs536055318, CERS5_rs771033566, and AKNA_rs531892793. We replicated 7 previously known common loci including novel associations with two sterols: androstenediol with UGT locus and estriol with SLC22A8/A24 locus. Our results show the double power of founder populations and detailed lipidome to discover novel trait-associated variants. A GWAS of 355 lipid species in the Old Order Amish founder population reveals associations between Amish-enriched loci and several sphingolipids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines well-documented benefits of widespread access to contraceptives with a number of religious exemptions and religious accommodations to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) contraceptive mandate. Topics include Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) wide ranging effects indirectly inhibits social growth and encourages inherent sexism; and contraceptives are excluded under their particular healthcare plan to obtain a job with health insurance.

"Excess deaths" is a means to estimate the lethality of COVID-19 (directly and indirectly). Assessing "excess death" in closed religious communities provides information on how COVID-19 impacted these communities. We use obituary information published in an Amish/Mennonite newspaper to examine excess death among the Amish/Mennonites in 2020. Our results indicate the Amish/Mennonite excess death rates are similar to the national trends in the USA. The excess death rate for Amish/Mennonites spiked with a 125% increase in November 2020. The impact of COVID-19 on this closed religious community highlights the need to consider religion to stop the spread of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, governments restricted social life to slow the spread of COVID-19. Several conservative Protestant sects resisted these policies in the United States. We do not yet know if theology shaped the resistance or if it was more a product of a polarized national political context. We argue that the country context likely shapes how conservative Protestants' moral worldview affects their perceptions of the pandemic and government restrictions. Countries implementing more regulations, those with limited access to healthcare, food, and other essential services, and those with past histories of epidemics may all shape residents' perceptions. Drawing on the case of American Amish and Mennonite missionaries stationed abroad, we content-analyzed accounts of the pandemic from an international Amish and Mennonite correspondence newspaper. We found that the missionaries' perceptions of the pandemic and governmental restrictions differ from those of their U.S. counterparts, which suggests that context likely shapes how religious moral worldviews express themselves concerning public health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]