Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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Federal data indicate that assaults on transit workers resulting in fatalities or hospitalizations tripled between 2008 and 2022. The data indicated a peri-pandemic surge of assault-related fatalities and hospitalizations, but assaults with less dire outcomes were not recorded. In collaboration with the Transport Workers Union, Local 100, we conducted an online survey in late 2023 through early 2024 of New York City public-facing bus and subway workers that focused on their work experiences during the 2020-2023 period of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Physical assault was significantly more common among women in the bus division compared to female subway workers, male bus workers, and male subway workers (adjusted PR (aPR) = 3.54; reference = male subway workers; Wald test p < .001). With the same reference group, sexual assault/harassment was more frequently reported among female subway workers (aPR = 5.15; Wald test, p < .001), but verbal assault/intimidation and experiencing theft were least common among women in the bus division (aPR = 0.22 and 0.13, respectively; Wald tests, p < .001). These data point to the need for greater attention to record and report on victimization against workers in both buses and subway.
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Neighborhood safety is crucial for the well-being of residents; however, longitudinal evidence is scarce. This study explored the association between neighborhood safety concerns and depressive symptoms among women. A nationally representative sample of 10,008 women was surveyed in 2016. ⋯ In the longitudinal analysis, a 1-SD increase in neighborhood safety concern score was associated with 1.15-fold (95% CI: 1.03-1.29) increase in the odds of experiencing the onset of depressive symptoms at the follow-up year. This study suggests that neighborhood safety concerns are risk factors for the development of depressive symptoms of female residents. Policy efforts are necessary to ensure community safety.
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Drug overdose death rates are the highest recorded in New York City (NYC). Substance use disorder (SUD) treatment termination can confer increased risk of drug overdose death. Our objective was to determine the probability of, and factors associated with, drug overdose death following SUD treatment termination. ⋯ In adjusted Cox proportional hazard model examining death ≤ 14 days, those unemployed (compared to employed) and those terminated from residential treatment (compared to medically supervised withdrawal, opioid treatment programs, and outpatient treatment) were more likely to have had a drug overdose death (all p-values < 0.01). In adjusted Cox proportional hazard model examining death ≤ 90 days, non-Hispanic White people (compared to non-Hispanic Black people), those not stably housed (compared to stably housed), those unemployed and those terminated from residential treatment were more likely to have had a drug overdose death (all p-values < 0.01). Strategies to improve retention including the reassessment of program treatment termination criteria along with strategies to promote ongoing OUD treatment, engagement in harm reduction, and distribution of naloxone are needed.