Preventive medicine
-
Preventive medicine · May 2021
Association and potential mediators between socioeconomic status and childhood overweight/obesity.
The associations between socioeconomic status and childhood overweight/obesity are inconsistent, and potential underlying factors are unclear. In China, Hukou status is an important attribute of individual's socioeconomic circumstances, but previously received less consideration as a socioeconomic indicator. This study aimed to investigate the association between comprehensive socioeconomic status and childhood overweight/obesity. ⋯ Indirect effects of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, and infant birth weight were identified for the association. In conclusion, socioeconomic status may impact childhood obesity through maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, and infant birth weight. Hukou should be considered in the evaluation of socioeconomic status in China.
-
Preventive medicine · May 2021
Gaps between recommendations and their implementation: A register-based study of follow-up after abnormalities in cervical cancer screening.
Follow-up after screen-detected abnormalities is crucial for the success of cervical cancer screening programs but is usually not closely monitored in official screening statistics. We determined how the follow-up deviated from the recommendations in the Danish organized program. Using Danish nationwide population-based registers, the follow-up pathways of 60,199 women aged 23-59 with non-negative screening samples from 2012 to 2014 were mapped until end of 2018. ⋯ These proportions varied by screening diagnosis, woman's age, type of health care provider, region, and history of abnormalities. On average, women underwent more tests of each type than recommended by the guidelines. Deviations from follow-up recommendations are very frequent even in organized cervical screening programs and should be routinely monitored by screening program statistics.
-
Preventive medicine · May 2021
Community health workers and non-clinical patient navigators: A critical COVID-19 pandemic workforce.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial morbidity and mortality and challenged public health agencies and healthcare systems worldwide. In the U. S., physical distancing orders and other restrictions have had severe economic and societal consequences. ⋯ Members of this workforce are more than prepared to conduct contact tracing. State, local, tribal, and territorial public health agencies and healthcare systems should be collaborating with national, state, and local organizations that represent and employ CHWs/non-clinical patient navigators to determine how to better mobilize this workforce to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and individual states need to adopt policies to sustainably fund their critically needed services in the long term.