Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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In the COVID-19 era, movement restrictions are crucial to slow virus transmission and have been implemented in most parts of the world, including Japan. To find new insights on human mobility and movement restrictions encouraged (but not forced) by the emergency declaration in Japan, we analyzed mobility data at 35 major stations and downtown areas in Japan-each defined as an area overlaid by several 125-meter grids-from September 1, 2019 to March 19, 2021. Data on the total number of unique individuals per hour passing through each area were obtained from Yahoo Japan Corporation (i.e., more than 13,500 data points for each area). ⋯ We demonstrated that monitoring dynamic geographic and temporal mobility information stratified by detailed population characteristics can help guide not only exit strategies from an ongoing emergency declaration, but also initial response strategies before the next possible resurgence. Combining such detailed data with data on vaccination coverage and COVID-19 incidence (including the status of the health care delivery system) can help governments and local authorities develop community-specific mobility restriction policies. This could include strengthening incentives to stay home and raising awareness of cognitive errors that weaken people's resolve to refrain from nonessential movement.
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Improved understanding of perinatal psychoneuroimmunology is needed, particularly to combat the high rates of maternal and infant mortality witnessed among Black Americans. We compared the success of recruitment by advertisement, in person, or by phone during the course of a prospective cohort study of perinatal psychoneuroimmunology among Black American women. Over 24 months, 363 women were assessed and 96 were enrolled. ⋯ Considering all women (n = 363), odds of enrollment did not significantly differ among the recruitment groups (p values ≥ 0.09). Most (93.8%) enrolled women consented to biological specimen banking. Findings from this brief report provide a starting point for perinatal scientists to critically consider not only how to maximize research efforts but also how research team actions may perpetuate or assuage the research mistrust introduced by long-standing social inequities.
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This study's objective was to assess which caring recruitment behaviors correlate with the successful recruitment of older African-American adults-a two-step cross-sectional design employing a vignette-based survey methodology. Kristen Swanson's middle-range theory of caring was used to guide the examination of African-American adults' (65 years of age and older) perceptions of research-study-recruiter recruitment behaviors. ⋯ Older African-Americans who received the hypothetical caring vignette were twice as likely to indicate their willingness to enroll in a research study with a high commitment (i.e., brain donation) compared to their counterparts who received the hypothetical uncaring recruitment scenario. Vignette-based survey methodology holds promise as a tool for informing the recruitment of older African-American adults and other minorities into federally funded health-related research studies.
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New York City (NYC) has experienced large reductions in violent crime over the last two decades, but gun-related violence continues to pose a threat to public safety. Despite strong gun laws, high-risk individuals in NYC neighborhoods are unfortunately still able to access and misuse firearms. This research analyzes NYC's underground gun market by closely examining the flow of guns into the two boroughs where gun violence and crime gun recoveries are most prevalent: the Bronx and Brooklyn. ⋯ Findings suggest that guns recovered in the Bronx and Brooklyn were significantly more likely to originate in states with less restrictive gun laws and more likely to have changed ownership in unregulated transactions relative to guns recovered elsewhere in NYC. Interviews revealed three primary avenues for illegal guns reaching Bronx and Brooklyn neighborhoods: high-volume gun brokers, middlemen, and individuals who make episodic low-level acquisitions from straw purchasers in other states. No subjects identified theft as a meaningful source of crime guns.
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The USA leads the world in healthcare spending but trails dozens of countries in life expectancy. Government spending may reduce overall mortality by redistributing resources from the rich to the poor. We linked mortality data from 2006 to 2015 to municipal and state government spending in 149 of the largest American cities. ⋯ However, among Whites, increases in city government spending were associated with a reduction in mortality of 4.8% (2.1-7.5%), but among Blacks and Asians, increased city government spending was associated with respective mortality increases of 1.7% (0.6-2.9%) and 5.1% (2.1-6.2%). State government spending is associated with reduced mortality in American cities. City government spending appears to benefit White longevity and hurt non-White longevity.