American journal of preventive medicine
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This study aimed to examine the association of county-level racial and economic residential segregation with mortality rates in the U.S. between 2018 and 2022. ⋯ Racial and economic residential segregation was positively associated with mortality rates at the county level in the contemporary U.S. Future study should elucidate the mechanisms underlying associations to inform evidence-based interventions and improve the health of the entire population.
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National surveillance efforts have reported rural-urban disparities in childhood vaccination coverage by metropolitan statistical area designations, measured at the county level. This study's objective was to quantify vaccination trends using more discrete measures of coverage and rurality than prior work. ⋯ Increased efforts are needed to eliminate disparities in routine and on-time vaccination for rural children.
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Introduction Cash bail reforms that end pretrial detention due to the inability to afford bail have been highly debated across the US. A major concern cited by bail reform opponents is that reducing pretrial detention will increase community violence, particularly violence against women. The objective of this study was to assess if New Jersey's cash bail reform was associated with changes in rates of fatal violence against women. ⋯ Conclusion Violence against women and mass incarceration are urgent and interconnected public health crises. These findings demonstrate the potential for policies to reduce the number of people incarcerated pretrial without increasing fatal violence against women. Addressing these public health crises requires holistic structural interventions, like housing and economic support, that reduce violence without criminalization.
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Interest is rapidly growing around screening for health-related social needs (HRSN) in direct patient care settings. The screening and provision of HRSN is often done in the context of trying to address social determinants of health (SDOH). While there is emerging evidence that screening and referral for HRSN can improve health outcomes, there are educational, operational, and systemic gaps that need to be filled in order for HRSN screening and referral to be implemented system-wide and result in meaningful improvement in population health outcomes. ⋯ This paper identifies key considerations to take into account when implementing HRSN screening and referral in health care settings and makes recommendations to address those key considerations. The recommendations also frame the broader need to address SDOH at a population level. Finally, the paper identifies several knowledge and evidence gaps in the existing literature on the topic of HRSN, which will hopefully drive future research in this area, and result in an evidence-based, population approach to the issue.