Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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Rapid urbanization is likely to be associated with suboptimal access to essential health services. This is especially true in cities from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where urbanization is outpacing improvements in infrastructure. We assessed the current situation in regard to several markers of maternal, newborn, and child health, including indicators of coverage of health interventions (demand for family planning satisfied with modern methods, at least four antenatal care visits (ANC4+), institutional birth, and three doses of DPT vaccine[diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus]) and health status (stunting in children under 5 years, neonatal and under-5 mortality rates) among the poor and non-poor in the most populous cities from 38 SSA countries. ⋯ The gaps in coverage between the two groups were reducing, except for ANC4, with similar median average annual rate of change in both groups. Similar rates of change were also observed for stunting and the mortality indicators. Continuation of these positive trends is needed to eliminate inequalities in essential health services and child survival in SSA cities.
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US correctional facilities operate under a binary interpretation of gender, which can yield inherent risks and conflicts for incarcerated transgender people. We conducted a scoping literature review on challenges unique to transgender individuals within US correctional settings. Online databases were searched to identify papers that addressed the challenges of incarcerated transgender adults age 18 + within US correctional institutions. ⋯ Legal analyses supported policy changes such as implementing case-by-case housing classification systems, providing all forms of gender-affirming care, and safeguarding gender expression. Transgender persons face distinct obstacles while incarcerated in US correctional facilities and are in need of expanded protections. Working in tandem with efforts to decarcerate and reduce criminal legal involvement, widespread institutional policy change, such as redefining housing assignment policies, ensuring gender-affirming healthcare, and expanding transgender-specific competency trainings for correctional staff, is necessary.
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Little is known regarding the health outcomes of people who exit from housing assistance and if that experience varies by the circumstances under which a person exits. We asked two questions: (1) does the type of exit from housing assistance matter for healthcare utilization? And (2) how does each exit type compare to remaining in housing assistance in terms of healthcare utilization? This retrospective cohort study of 5550 exits between 2012 and 2018 used data from two large, urban public housing authorities in King County, Washington. Exposures were exiting from housing assistance and type of exit (positive, neutral, negative). ⋯ Neutral and negative exits did not differ substantially from each other, and both exit types appear to be detrimental to health, with higher levels of ED visits and hospitalizations and lower levels of well-child checks. Why people exit from housing assistance matters. Those with negative exits experience poorer outcomes and efforts should be made to both prevent this kind of exit and mitigate its impact.
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Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the most serious public health problems. However, few studies have focused on the effects of exposure to particulate matter and gaseous air pollutants on CHD. This study aimed to explore the relationship between air pollutants and the number of hospitalized patients with CHD in Lanzhou, and we collected daily data on the number of hospitalized patients with CHD, daily air pollutants, and meteorological factors from 2013 to 2020. ⋯ Women and elderly were more susceptible to the impact of air pollution, and the impact was greater during cold seasons. Our results indicate that air pollution increased the risk of hospitalization for CHD in a short term. The research findings can provide strategic insights into the impact of current and future air pollution on CHD.
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The US is facing a severe affordable rental housing crisis that contributes to multiple forms of housing insecurity including homelessness, crowded and poor quality housing conditions, unstable housing arrangements, and cost burdens. A considerable body of evidence finds that housing insecurity is an important determinant of health. However, the existing literature may fall short of conceptualizing and measuring the full impact of housing insecurity on population health and on racial health equity. ⋯ We extend prior work documenting the confluence of ways that racist policies and practices have created unequal burdens of housing insecurity to also discuss the ways that the meanings and impacts of housing insecurity may be shaped by racism. Next, we consider how the health impacts of this unequal burden of housing insecurity can extend beyond individual households to affect networks and communities. Ultimately, we provide a multilevel framework that can inform research, policy, and practice to address housing and health equity.