American journal of preventive medicine
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To mitigate the harms of arrest and incarceration on health and racial equity, jurisdictions are increasingly enacting reforms to decriminalize drug possession through prosecutorial discretion (de facto). Impacts on health outcomes rely on whether this policy can reduce exposure to the carceral system among people who use drugs; however, data evaluating effects on arrest are lacking. This study explores the possible impacts of Baltimore City's enactment of de facto decriminalization on arrests by race. ⋯ De facto decriminalization may be a promising strategy to reduce exposure to the carceral system, an established risk factor for overdose and other drug-related sequelae and a driver of racial disparities in the U.S. Further research is needed to elucidate the drivers of persisting racial disparities and disentangle policy effects from pandemic-related closures.
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Systematic reviews by the WHO have shown an increased risk of morbidity and mortality related to ischemic heart disease and stroke among individuals working an average of ≥55 hours/week. ⋯ A substantial proportion of physicians have work hours previously shown to be associated with adverse personal health outcomes.
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A variety of industry composite indices are employed within health research in risk-adjusted outcome measures and to assess health-related social needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationships among risk adjustment, clinical outcomes, and composite indices of social risk have become relevant topics for research and healthcare operations. Despite the widespread use of these indices, composite indices are often comprised of correlated variables and therefore may be affected by information duplicity of their underlying risk factors. ⋯ A robust method is provided, designed to overcome challenges with current social risk indices, by accounting for redundancy and assigning more meaningful disease and outcome-specific variable weights.
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Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide. Neighborhoods characterized by a high proportion of fast-food outlets may also contribute to hypertension in residents; however, limited research has explored these associations. This cross-sectional study assessed the associations between neighborhood fast-food environments, measured hypertension, and self-reported hypertension. ⋯ Findings suggest that reducing the proportion of fast-food restaurants in neighborhoods may be a factor that could help reduce hypertension rates.
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Review
Economics of Team-based Care for Blood Pressure Control: Updated Community Guide Systematic Review.
This paper examined the recent evidence from economic evaluations of team-based care for controlling high blood pressure. ⋯ Intervention cost and net cost were higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries. Healthcare cost averted did not exceed intervention cost in most studies. The evidence shows that team-based care for blood pressure control is cost-effective, reaffirming the favorable cost-effectiveness conclusion reached in the 2015 systematic review.