Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) are drivers of women's morbidity and mortality in urban environments yet remain among the most underreported crimes in the USA. We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with women who experienced past-year IPV or SV, to explore structural and community influences on police contact in Baltimore, MD. Results indicate that gender-based and race-based inequities intersected at the structural and community levels to discourage women from police contact following IPV/SV. ⋯ Race-based inequity undermines women's safety and access to justice and pits women's safety against community priorities of averting police contact and disproportionate incarceration. A social determinants framework is valuable for understanding access to justice for IPV/SV. Enhancing access to justice for IPV/SV requires overcoming deeply entrenched racial discrimination in the justice sector, and historical minimization of violence against women.
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Review Meta Analysis
Individual-Level Predictors for Becoming Homeless and Exiting Homelessness: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Homelessness remains a societal problem. Compiled evidence of predictors for becoming homeless and exiting homelessness might be used to inform policy-makers and practitioners in their work to reduce homeless-related problems. We examined individual-level predictors for becoming homeless and exiting homelessness by searching PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science up to January 2018. ⋯ In conclusion, sociodemographic factors, adverse life events, criminal behaviour, and psychiatric problems were individual-level predictors for becoming homeless and/or exiting homelessness. Focus on individual-level vulnerabilities and early intervention is needed. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42014013119 .
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Calibrating Local Population-Based Blood Pressure Data from NYC HANES 2013-2014.
New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES) was a population-based cross-sectional survey of NYC adults conducted twice, in 2004 and again in 2013-2014, to monitor the health of NYC adults 20 years or older. While blood pressure was measured in both surveys, an auscultatory mercury sphygmomanometer was used to measure blood pressure in clinics in 2004, and an oscillometric LifeSource UA-789AC monitor was used in homes in 2013-2014. To assess comparability of blood pressure results across both surveys, we undertook a randomized study comparing blood pressure (BP) readings by the two devices. ⋯ The Bland-Altman graphs showed that the between-device difference did not vary as a function of the average of the two devices for systolic blood pressure and was larger in the lower and upper ends for diastolic blood pressure. Given the observed differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings between the two blood pressure measurement approaches, we calibrated NYC HANES 2013-2014 blood pressure data by predicting mercury blood pressure values from LifeSource blood pressure values. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in NYC HANES 2013-2014 were lower when data were calibrated.
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The objectives of this study were to determine if neighborhood measures were associated with physical activity cross-sectionally during late pregnancy (27-30 weeks' gestation), 3 months postpartum, and 12 months postpartum, and longitudinally with an increase in physical activity from late pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. Data are from the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition (PIN3) and Postpartum Prospective Cohort Study. Dichotomized self-reported recreation and total physical activity hours/week were explored cross-sectionally at three time points, and as an increase over time. ⋯ Living the furthest distance from the nearest park was inversely associated with an increase in recreation physical activity from pregnancy to 3 months postpartum (tertile 3 OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29, 0.85). The findings of this study indicate that several aspects of the neighborhood environment, such as walkability, access to transit, distance to recreation facilities, and road networks, are associated with physical activity during different stages of pregnancy and postpartum. Since physical activity may result in long-term health benefits for both the woman and child, environments that support this activity should be encouraged.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between built and social environment and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among adults living in an urban center. The individual data was from the household survey and the environmental data was assessed through systematic social observation by trained observers on street segments of respondents' residences. ⋯ Individuals living in census tracts with higher walking environment indicators (OR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.40) and safety (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.38) were more likely to be active during leisure time, even after adjusting for individual variables. Improving the built and social environment is an important step for achieving higher levels of LTPA in the population in a middle-income country.