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In rural communities, there are gaps in describing the design and effectiveness of technology interventions for treating diseases and addressing determinants of health.BACKGROUNDIn rural communities, there are gaps in describing the design and effectiveness of technology interventions for treating diseases and addressing determinants of health.The aim of this study is to evaluate literature on current applications, therapeutic areas, and outcomes of telehealth interventions in rural communities in the United States.OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to evaluate literature on current applications, therapeutic areas, and outcomes of telehealth interventions in rural communities in the United States.A narrative review of studies published on PubMed from January 2017 to December 2020 was conducted. Key search terms included telehealth, telemedicine, rural, and outcomes.METHODSA narrative review of studies published on PubMed from January 2017 to December 2020 was conducted. Key search terms included telehealth, telemedicine, rural, and outcomes.Among 15 included studies, 9 studies analyzed telehealth interventions in patients, 3 in health care professionals, and 3 in both patients and health care professionals. The included studies reported positive outcomes and experiences of telehealth use in rural populations including acceptability and increased satisfaction; they also noted that technology is convenient and efficient. Other notable benefits included decreased direct and indirect costs to the patient (travel cost and time) and health care service provider (staffing), lower onsite health care resource utilization, improved physician recruitment and retention, improved access to care, and increased education and training of patients and health care professionals.RESULTSAmong 15 included studies, 9 studies analyzed telehealth interventions in patients, 3 in health care professionals, and 3 in both patients and health care professionals. The included studies reported positive outcomes and experiences of telehealth use in rural populations including acceptability and increased satisfaction; they also noted that technology is convenient and efficient. Other notable benefits included decreased direct and indirect costs to the patient (travel cost and time) and health care service provider (staffing), lower onsite health care resource utilization, improved physician recruitment and retention, improved access to care, and increased education and training of patients and health care professionals.Telehealth models were associated with positive outcomes for patients and health care professionals, suggesting these models are feasible and can be effective. Future telehealth interventions and studies examining these programs are warranted, especially in rural communities, and future research should evaluate the impact of increased telehealth use as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.CONCLUSIONSTelehealth models were associated with positive outcomes for patients and health care professionals, suggesting these models are feasible and can be effective. Future telehealth interventions and studies examining these programs are warranted, especially in rural communities, and future research should evaluate the impact of increased telehealth use as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose Cancer survivors experience a worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than non-cancer survivors. However, it is not fully understood whether social determinants of health (SDOH) and health behaviors are significantly associated with HRQoL among cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of SDOH and health behaviors on HRQoL among cancer survivors. Methods We identified adult (18 years or older) cancer survivors ( n  = 5784) in the 2017 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The primary outcome (HRQoL) was defined as whether cancer survivors reported having poor mental or physical health (e.g., 14 or more mentally or physically unhealthy days). Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression was used to compute the odds ratios and 95% CIs of factors associated with poor HRQoL among the cancer survivors. Results More than half of the cancer survivors were non-Hispanic White, female, and 65 years or older. In the adjusted multivariable logistic regression models, cancer survivors who were physically active and who did not avoid care because of costs had a lower risk of poor mental and physical health. Current smokers were more likely to report poor physical health. Homeowners were less likely to report poor mental health. Daily fruit and vegetable consumption and healthcare coverage were not associated with poor HRQoL. Conclusions Some SDOH (healthcare access, economic stability, and the neighborhood and built environment) and health behavior (physical activity) are associated with lower likelihood of experiencing poor mental and/or physical health in the cancer survivors. The study findings can be used to target survivors who experience suboptimal HRQoL and to inform research, public health policies, and/or programs.

Objectives. We sought to determine if reported racial discrimination was associated with medication nonadherence among African Americans with hypertension and if distrust of physicians was a contributing factor. Methods. Data were obtained from the TRUST project conducted in Birmingham, Alabama, 2006 to 2008. All participants were African Americans diagnosed with hypertension and receiving care at an inner city, safety net setting. Three categories of increasing adherence were defined based on the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Trust in physicians was measured with the Hall General Trust Scale, and discrimination was measured with the Experiences of Discrimination Scale. Associations were quantified by ordinal logistic regression, adjusting for gender, age, education, and income. Results. The analytic sample consisted of 227 African American men and 553 African American women, with a mean age of 53.7 ±9.9 years. Mean discrimination scores decreased monotonically across increasing category of medication adherence (4.1, 3.6, 2.9; P = .025), though the opposite was found for trust scores (36.5, 38.5, 40.8; P < .001). Trust mediated 39% (95% confidence interval = 17%, 100%) of the association between discrimination and medication adherence. Conclusions. Within our sample of inner city African Americans with hypertension, racial discrimination was associated with lower medication adherence, and this association was partially mediated by trust in physicians. Patient, physician and system approaches to increase “earned” trust may enhance existing interventions for promoting medication adherence.

Menstrual health and hygiene are a major public health and social issues in Nepal. Due to inadequate infrastructure to provide education, healthcare, and communication as well as religious teachings, women and girls are excluded from participation in many activities of daily living and community activities during menstruation. Evidence based research addressing menstrual health and hygiene in Nepal is scares. The objective of this paper is to review the current state of knowledge on menstrual health and hygiene in Nepal through a socio-ecological perspective. This systematic review identifies knowledge gaps and targets for future research and interventions. Studies from Nepal that examined factors contributing to menstrual health and hygiene were identified through searches across six databases (Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsychInfo, Nepal Journals Online and Kathmandu University Medical Journal) in January 2019. The SEM is a public health framework that describes how health is impacted at multiple levels including the individual, interpersonal, community, organizational and policy levels. Key themes were identified, and factors contributing to menstrual health and hygiene were categorized as per the level of socio-ecological model (SEM). After a comprehensive literature review, twenty peer-reviewed publications, published between 2003 and January 2019 were included in this review. Eighteen studies were descriptive and two were interventional. The main outcomes reported were reproductive health concerns and menstrual hygiene practices. Nine studies focused on knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding menstruation, seven studies highlighted reproductive health issues, three studies focused on prevalence of culturally restrictive practices, and one on school absenteeism and intimate partner violence. Lack of awareness regarding menstrual health and hygiene, inadequate WASH facilities, no sex education and culturally restrictive practices makes menstruation a challenge for Nepali women. These challenges have negative implications on women and girls’ reproductive as well as mental health and school attendance among adolescent girls. There are gaps in the evidence for high quality interventions to improve menstrual health and hygiene in Nepal. Future research and interventions should address needs identified at all levels of the SEM. Plain language summary Menstrual health and hygiene are major public health and social issues in Nepal, due to a lack of health and education infrastructure, gender-based disparities and restrictive cultural and social norms. This study reviewed the current state of research on menstrual health and hygiene in Nepal. The socio-ecological model (SEM)—a public health framework that examines individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy impacts on health—was employed to describe impacts on menstrual health and hygiene. After a comprehensive literature review, 20 papers were included in this analysis, of which 18 were descriptive and two were interventional. The primary menstrual health and hygiene outcomes reported were reproductive health concerns and menstrual hygiene practices. Key themes identified were knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding menstruation, reproductive health issues, prevalence of culturally restrictive practices, school absenteeism and intimate partner violence. The study results indicated lower menstrual health and hygiene challenges arose from lack of education around menstruation, lack of proper water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, poor sex education, and culturally restrictive practices. These challenges negatively impact women and girls’ reproductive health as well as mental health and school attendance. There is need for high quality, effective interventions to improve menstrual health and hygiene in Nepal. Future research and interventions should address improvements in menstrual health and hygiene at all levels of the socio-ecological model.

A growing body of research demonstrates that psychosocial factors play an important role in the development of hypertension. Previous reviews have identified several key factors (i.e., occupational stress) that contribute to the onset of hypertension; however, they are now outdated. In this review, we provide an updated synthesis of the literature from 2010 to April 2014. We identified 21 articles for inclusion in the review, of which there were six categories of psychosocial stressors: occupational stress, personality, mental health, housing instability, social support/isolation, and sleep quality. Sixteen of the studies reported an association between the psychosocial stressor and blood pressure. While several findings were consistent with previous literature, new findings regarding mediating and moderating factors underlying the psychosocial-hypertension association help to untangle inconsistencies reported in the literature. Moreover, sleep quality is a novel additional factor that should undergo further exploration. Areas for future research based on these findings are discussed.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine whether long-standing racial disparities in lead exposure still exists for children age 1–5 years old. We examined if blood lead levels were higher among non-Hispanic Black children and others compared to non-Hispanic White children.MethodsData from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999-2016 were used. Geometric mean blood lead levels (BLLs) were compared by race/ethnicity using log-transformed simple linear regression. Associations between race and elevated BLL were assessed using weighted Chi-square tests. Log-transformed multiple weighted linear regression was used to assess what factors affected BLLs.ResultsA total of 6772 children were included in this study. In 1999–2000, the geometric mean BLL for non-Hispanic Black children was 3.08 μg/dL, compared to 2.03 μg/dL for non-Hispanic White children (p = 0.01). The difference in geometric mean BLL between non-Hispanic Black children and non-Hispanic White children continued to be statistically significant in later years (all p < 0.05) until 2015-2016 (0.89 μg/dL vs 0.74 μg/dL, p = 0.17). Log-transformed linear regression showed that being non-Hispanic Black and having low family income were independently associated with higher BLL.ConclusionAlthough lead exposure in the general population continued to decline for all racial/ethnic groups, non-Hispanic Black children still had higher BLL than non-Hispanic White children. In more recent years, the racial/ethnic gap was lesser but persisted. Racial/ethnic disparity in childhood BLL could be partially explained by socio-economic factors.

The Nepali-speaking Bhutanese (NSB) community is a rapidly growing population in Central Pennsylvania. A community-based diabetes education pilot program found a large gender disparity with fewer women in attendance; participants reported that primary household cooks and caretakers were women. This may be an indication of women's status in the NSB community, their healthcare access, autonomy, and ability to manage their diabetes. Hence, this study aims to understand the manifestations of patriarchy and its impact on NSB women's diabetes self-management employing a conceptual framework based on Walby's structures of patriarchy. An exploratory feminist qualitative inquiry was conducted. Fifteen NSB women with Type 2 Diabetes were interviewed about their diabetes self-management. Transcripts were coded for key concepts that emerged from the data. A thematic analysis was conducted. Themes were developed inductively through those categories as well as through an a priori approach using the conceptual framework. Cultural influences such as family structure, religious beliefs, traditional healthcare and gender roles determined NSB women's patriarchal upbringing and lifestyle. Unpaid household production was largely dependent on women. Multiple immigrations led to poor socioeconomic indicators and marginalization of NSB women. Women's access to healthcare (including diabetes) was entirely reliant on other family members due to poor autonomy. Women experienced adverse physical and emotional symptoms related to diabetes and their ability and attempts to maintain a healthy diabetes lifestyle was determined by their physical health condition, knowledge regarding good dietary practices and self-efficacy. Patriarchal practices that start early on within women's lives, such as child marriage, religious restrictions as well as women's access to education and autonomy impacted NSB women's access to healthcare, knowledge regarding their diabetes and self-efficacy. Future interventions tailored for diabetes prevention and self-management among NSB women should factor in patriarchy as an important social determinant of health.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between blood lead level (BLL) and hypertension in adults when lead exposure for the general population is low. The study used data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2016. Participants aged 20 to 79 years were included in our study. Weighted multiple linear regression and logistic regression were conducted to test the association between BLL and systolic/diastolic blood pressure and hypertension status, respectively, while controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, body mass index, income level, and education. A total of 30,467 participants were included in this study. There was no association between BLL and hypertension status for the overall sample. Among those who were not taking antihypertensive medication, after adjusting for covariates, systolic blood pressure was positively correlated with BLL in non-Hispanic Whites ( P  = 0.004) and non-Hispanic Blacks ( P  = 0.0005), but not Hispanics ( P  = 0.07) nor Others ( P  = 0.37). The relationship between diastolic blood pressure and lead levels was also significant in non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks. This study showed that higher BLL was associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure in some population groups, but not associated with hypertension status.

Hypertension and vitamin D concentrations have heritable components, although these factors remain uninvestigated in young adults. The objective of this study was to investigate hypertension risk among young adults with respect to family history of hypertension, adjusting for vitamin D status. Resting blood pressure (BP) was measured in 398 individuals aged 18–35 and classified according to the 2017 American Heart Association criteria. Plasma vitamin D metabolite (25(OH)D3; 24,25(OH)2D3; 1,25(OH)2D3) concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Stepwise logistic regression was used to select covariates. Participants' mean age was 21, 30.3% had hypertension, and nearly all unaware of their hypertensive status (90.7%). Compared with no parental history, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for hypertension was elevated among participants with two parents having hypertension (AOR = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.70–11.76), adjusting for sex, body mass index, physical activity, and plasma 25(OH)D3. Results for systolic hypertension (SH) were similar but more extreme (two parents AOR = 7.1, 95% CI: 2.82, 17.66), although dihydroxy metabolites (1,25(OH)2D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3) were significant. There was a strong, independent association with dual parental history and hypertension status, regardless of vitamin D status. Hypertension was prevalent in nearly one-third of the sample and underscores the need for targeted prevention for young adults.

Purpose Physical activity (PA) has been shown to improve quality of life (QoL) in predominantly White cancer survivors. Very few studies have examined the association between PA and QoL among Black breast cancer survivors (BCS). We investigated the association between PA and multiple QoL domains and the effects of race on the proposed association in a racially diverse group of BCS. Methods This was an exploratory study using secondary data from a completed 12-month randomized controlled  trial (RCT). Mixed effects models were tested on a subset of participants in the control and exercise groups of the RCT. The primary outcomes were changes in the QoL domains (baseline to 12 months post baseline). Results There were 173 participants included in this analysis, averaging 59 years of age; about 33% of the participants were Black women. There were no significant differences in the QoL outcomes between the control and exercise groups at 12 months post baseline. Race was not a significant moderator. Exercise improved emotional/mental wellbeing and body image as it relates to social barriers at 12 months post baseline in Black and White BCS, but the changes in these outcomes were only statistically significant in White BCS (p < 0.05). Conclusions Results show that exercise can improve multiple QoL domains over time in Black BCS. However, the significance of the effect on QoL was isolated to White BCS. The small sample size in Black women could constrain the statistical significance of observed effects. Future studies are warranted to assess associations between exercise and QoL in larger samples of Black women.