American journal of preventive medicine
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Firearm-related injuries (FRIs) are serious but a preventable public health issue. The objective of this study was to describe FRI inpatient costs by (1) patient insurance payer type and (2) hospital safety-net mix. ⋯ The incidence and costs of FRIs among Medicaid-insured has substantially increased since 2003. Importantly, these increased costs are disproportionately placed on disadvantaged patients and safety-net hospitals.
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More Americans died in 2021 from drug overdose than from vehicle accidents and firearms combined. Unlike earlier phases, the current epidemic is marked by its disproportionate impact on communities of color. This report investigates regional and substance-specific variations in racial disparities to generate possible insights into the various forces shaping these trends. ⋯ The opioid epidemic continues to expand, with particularly rapid acceleration in racially minoritized communities. The growing role of stimulants in opioid overdose deaths is a racialized phenomenon disproportionately impacting Black and Native Americans. Wide variation in state-level disparities suggest that structural racism impacts health in regionally specific ways, highlighting the need for regional solutions.
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The aim of this study is to assess 10-year trends (2010-2020) in household secondhand smoke exposure in Hong Kong adolescents from inside their own homes and from their neighbors and analyze changes by SES. ⋯ Household secondhand smoke exposure in Hong Kong adolescents has increased in recent years, with persistent socioeconomic disparities and a widening in 2018. Targeted policies, such as home smoking bans, are needed to protect adolescents from secondhand smoke exposure and reduce socioeconomic disparities.
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Healthcare avoidance and delay is prevalent among transgender (trans) populations. This study sought to identify patterns of healthcare avoidance and delay and examine their associations with 5 behavioral health outcomes among trans adults: depression, anxiety, tobacco and alcohol use, and intimate partner violence. ⋯ Although the demographic profiles of the Combined Healthcare Avoidance and Delay and Stigma Healthcare Avoidance and Delay classes were distinct, the behavioral health of these groups was comparable. Preventing healthcare avoidance and delay among trans adults and mitigating its potential health consequences requires greater attention to health services affordability and acceptability.