Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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While SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus, contagious respiratory illnesses are not a new problem. Limited research has examined the extent to which place- and race-based disparities in severe illness are similar across waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and historic influenza seasons. In this study, we focused on these disparities within a low-income population, those enrolled in Medicaid in New York City. ⋯ Black/white disparities in hospitalization dissipated in the second COVID wave and reversed in the third wave. The commonality of disparities across influenza seasons and the first wave of COVID-19 suggests there are community factors that increase hospitalization risk across novel respiratory illness incidents that emerge in the period before aggressive public health intervention. By contrast, convergence in hospitalization patterns in later pandemic waves may reflect, in part, the distinctive public health response to COVID-19.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted socioeconomic and racial health disparities in the USA. In this study, we examined the COVID-19 pandemic as a threat multiplier for childhood health disparities by evaluating health behavior changes among urban St. Louis, MO, children (ages 6-14) during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The High Impact cluster was more likely to include Black children and children from single-adult households than the Moderate Impact cluster (both p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may be a threat multiplier for childhood health disparities. Further research is needed to better understand the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's health.
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Social participation (SP) is known to have a favorable impact on an individual's health. This study examined whether residing in a neighborhood with a high SP level would be predictive of delayed deterioration in health outcomes, even after controlling for individual SP. With the 14-wave longitudinal data of 32,388 individuals (15,749 men and 16,639 women) aged 50-59 years residing in 2,477 neighborhoods in 2005, we used multilevel Cox proportional hazards models to examine the impact of neighborhood SP on the onset of problems in activities of daily living (ADL), poor self-rated health, and psychological distress. ⋯ The results for other health outcomes showed a similar pattern. These findings suggest that high neighborhood SP has a favorable impact on health among middle-aged adults, independent of individual SP. Policy measures to enhance and promote neighborhood SP are thus needed in terms of public health.