Maternal Urinary Fluoride and Child Neurobehavior at Age 36 Months.

Importance: Recent studies in Canadian and Mexican populations suggest an association of higher prenatal fluoride exposure with poorer neurobehavioral development, but whether this association holds for US-based populations is unknown. Objective: To examine associations of third trimester maternal urinary fluoride (MUF) with child neurobehavior at age 3 years in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study utilized urine samples archived from 2017 to 2020 and neurobehavioral data assessed from 2020 to 2023 from the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) pregnancy cohort, which consisted of predominately Hispanic women residing in Los Angeles, California. Cohort eligibility criteria at recruitment included being 18 years of age or older, less than 30 weeks' gestation, and a fluent English or Spanish speaker. Exclusion criteria included having a disability preventing participation or provision of informed consent, being HIV positive or incarcerated, and having a multiple gestation pregnancy. There were 263 mother-child pairs who completed the 3-year study visit. In this analysis, women who reported prenatal smoking were excluded. Data analysis was conducted from October 2022 to March 2024. Exposure: Specific gravity-adjusted MUF (MUFSG), a biomarker of prenatal fluoride exposure. Main Outcomes and Measures: Neurobehavior was quantified using the Preschool Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), which included composite scores for Total Problems, Internalizing Problems, and Externalizing Problems. CBCL composite T scores range from 28 to 100. T scores from 60 to 63 are in the borderline clinical range, whereas scores above 63 are in the clinical range. Linear and logistic regression models adjusted for covariates were conducted. Results: A total of 229 mother-child pairs (mean [SD] maternal age, 29.45 [5.67] years; 116 female children [50.7%] and 113 male children [49.3%]) who had MUFSG measured were included in the study. Median (IQR) MUFSG was 0.76 (0.51-1.19) mg/L, and 32 participants (14.0%) had a Total Problems T score in the borderline clinical or clinical range. A 1-IQR (0.68 mg/L) increase in MUFSG was associated with nearly double the odds of the Total Problems T score being in the borderline clinical or clinical range (odds ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.17-2.86; P = .008), as well as with a 2.29-point increase in T score for the Internalizing Problems composite (B = 2.29; 95% CI, 0.47-4.11; P = .01) and a 2.14-point increase in T score for the Total Problems composite (B = 2.14; 95% CI, 0.29-3.98; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance: In this prospective cohort study of mother-child pairs in Los Angeles, California, prenatal fluoride exposure was associated with increased neurobehavioral problems. These findings suggest that there may be a need to establish recommendations for limiting fluoride exposure during the prenatal period.

Influence of Anatomic Locations of T1b Melanomas and Patient Age on Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: There are no guidelines on when to more strongly recommend sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for T1b melanomas. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether anatomic locations of T1b melanomas and patient age influence metastases. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using data from two hospitals in Los Angeles County from January 2010 through January 2020. RESULTS: Out of 620 patients with primary melanomas, 566 melanomas were staged based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition melanoma staging. Forty-one were T1b, of which 13 were located on the face/ear/scalp and 28 were located elsewhere. T1b melanomas located on the face/ear/scalp had an increased risk of lymph node or distant metastasis compared with other anatomic sites (31% vs 3.6%, P=0.028). For all melanomas, the risk of lymph node or distant metastasis decreased with age of 64 years or greater (P<0.001 and P=0.034). For T1b melanomas, the risk of distant metastasis increased with increasing age (P=0.047). LIMITATIONS: Data were from a single county.  Conclusion: T1b melanomas of the face/ear/scalp demonstrated a higher risk of lymph node or distant metastasis and may help guide the recommendation of SLNB, imaging, and surveillance. Younger patients may be more strongly considered for SLNB and older patients with T1b melanomas may warrant imaging.  J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(5):306-310. doi:10.36849/JDD.7667.

In flux: Associations of substance use with instability in housing, employment, and income among young adults experiencing homelessness.

Young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) are faced with instabilities in many areas of their lives, including their living situation, employment, and income. Little is known about how the experience of instability in these different domains might be associated with substance use. Leveraging data collected on 276 YAEH in Los Angeles County, regression analyses examine associations between three distinct types of instability (housing, employment, income) and participants' self-reported alcohol use, alcohol consequences, non-cannabis drug use, and substance use symptoms. Results indicated that recent instability in income, employment, and secure housing for those with access to it (but not housing in general or non-secure housing) were significantly associated with greater alcohol/drug use or substance use symptoms. Depression was also found to moderate the association between employment instability and alcohol use. Our findings suggest that efforts to reduce instability in income, employment, and secure housing may have positive benefits for substance using YAEH, especially those with depressive symptoms.

Community Engagement, Jurisdictional Experience, and Previous Tobacco-Related Ordinances in Neighboring Communities as Drivers of Flavored Tobacco Bans in Los Angeles County.

We examined whether a community engagement approach and jurisdictional attributes were associated with local action to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products in Los Angeles County during 2019-2022. We estimated crude and adjusted risk ratios to examine these associations. Jurisdictions that used an active community engagement approach to adopt a flavored tobacco ban ordinance, those with previous experience adopting other tobacco-related ordinances, and those located next to communities that have an existing tobacco retail license ordinance were more likely than jurisdictions without these attributes to adopt a new ordinance to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products. Efforts to adopt such an ordinance were generally more successful in jurisdictions where community members were engaged and policy makers were familiar with the adoption of public health ordinances.

A qualitative analysis of post-hoc interviews with multilevel participants of a randomized controlled trial of a community-based intervention.

INTRODUCTION: Community-based health interventions often demonstrate efficacy in clinical trial settings but fail to be implemented in the real-world. We sought to identify the key operational and contextual elements of the Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS), an objectively successful community-based health intervention primed for real-world implementation. LABBPS was a cluster randomized control trial that paired the barbers of Black-owned barbershops with clinical pharmacists to manage uncontrolled hypertension in Black male patrons, demonstrating a substantial 21.6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure. Despite this success, the LABBPS intervention has not expanded beyond the original clinical trial setting. The aim of this study was to determine the facilitating and limiting factors to expansion of the LABBPS intervention. METHODS: We undertook a qualitative assessment of semi-structured interviews with study participants performed after trial completion. Interviews included a total of 31 participants including 20 (6%) of the 319 LABBPS program participants ("patrons"), 10 (19%) barbers, and one (50%) clinical pharmacist. The semi-structured interviews were focused on perceptions of the medical system, study intervention, and influence of social factors on health. RESULTS: Several common themes emerged from thematic analysis of interview responses including: importance of care provided in a convenient and safe environment, individual responsibility for health and health-related behaviors, and engagement of trusted community members. In particular, patrons reported that receiving the intervention from their barber in a familiar environment positively influenced the formation of relationships with clinical pharmacists around shared efforts to improve medication adherence and healthy habits. All interviewee groups identified the trust diad, comprising the familiar environment and respected community member, as instrumental in increasing health-related behaviors to a degree not usually achieved by traditional healthcare providers. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, participants of an objectively successful community-based intervention trial consistently identified key features that could facilitate wider implementation and efficacy: social trust relationships, soliciting insights of trust bearers, and consistent engagement in a familiar community setting. These findings can help to inform the design and operations of future community-based studies and programs aiming to achieve a broad and sustainable impact.

Statin use for cardiovascular disease prevention: perceptions among people living with HIV in the United States.

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV (PLWH) may be at heightened risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Statin use and lifestyle changes reduce the risk of CVD but remain under-prescribed among PLWH. The objective of this study was to characterize knowledge of CVD and statin use, current usage, barriers to taking statins, and information desired by PLWH to improve statin uptake among PLWH in Los Angeles, CA. METHODS: Between April 2019 and April 2020, we conducted four focus group discussions (n = 37) with patients across three public community health clinics that serve PLWH in Los Angeles County, California. All clinics participated in a larger study to improve statin prescribing for PLWH. We asked about knowledge of statins, willingness to take a statin, possible barriers to statin usage, preferred information sources for health information, and desired information about statins. We utilized standard qualitative content analysis methods to identify themes. RESULTS: We found a range in the awareness of statins, with some participants reporting never having heard of statins while others had a history of statin use. There were concerns about the potential long-term effect of statin use, but participants expressed willingness to use CVD medications generally and statins specifically, especially if recommended by their healthcare provider. Participants also expressed interest in potential alternatives to statin usage such as exercising regularly and nutritious eating. CONCLUSIONS: More interventions are needed to increase statin use among PLWH to improve CVD outcomes, which also has implications for HIV progression. Clinics should aim to increase patient and provider knowledge about CVD risk and statin use for PLWH and provide shared decision-making tools that are easy to use and culturally appropriate.

Creating and Implementing a Community-Focused, Culturally Tailored Health Marketing Campaign to Address Menthol Cigarette Use in Los Angeles County.

Introduction: Menthol tobacco products have been marketed disproportionately to communities of color for decades. Methods: In Los Angeles County, California, a health marketing campaign, which used glossy visuals and attractive people in appealing poses, reminiscent of tobacco marketing tactics, was created and implemented to educate smokers on the health risks of using menthol cigarettes. The campaign encouraged smokers to make a quit attempt by offering access to free or low-cost resources through the Kick It California quitline and the LAQuits website (laquits.com). A survey tailored for public health professionals and community members from the approximately 382,000 people in the county who smoked menthol cigarettes and were exposed to their smoke (our primary audience) was administered to generate insights about this problem. Survey data were used to finesse the campaign creative materials prior to launch. Advertisement exposures, website visits, and quitline call volume were monitored and tabulated to assess the performance of the campaign. Results: At the conclusion of its initial run (February-April 2021), the "Done with Menthol" campaign had garnered more than 66 million impressions, received approximately 56,000 clicks on its various digital media platforms, and had click-through rates that surpassed industry benchmarks. The quitline call volume for African American and Latino subgroups were 1.9 and 1.8 times higher than the average inbound call volume for corresponding months during 2018 and 2019, respectively. In its second run (May-June 2023), the campaign garnered approximately 11 million additional impressions. Conclusions: Despite having a lower budget and fewer resources than the tobacco industry, the "Done with Menthol" campaign attained excellent reach and offered free, low-cost, and accessible resources to county residents interested in tobacco use cessation.

From art to health action: lessons from a community-based, culturally tailored arts-meets-health educational campaign in Hispanic communities.

Introduction: Robust digital and community-led approaches are needed to combat health misinformation, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such gaps in public health outreach, compounded by systemic health barriers, contributed to higher rates of COVID-19 infection, mortality, and mental health effects among Hispanics during the peak of the pandemic. Thus, we conducted a community-based art-meets-health intervention [Stay Connected Los Angeles (SCLA)] to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hispanic communities. Methods: Led by local artists in collaboration with public health specialists and community members, SCLA used multimedia to promote infection mitigation behaviors and psychological well-being among the 120,000 residents of Eastern Los Angeles. Campaign materials were designed with input from community representatives and included digital media, large-scale murals, and comic-book style pieces. Two semi-structured focus groups (one in English and another in Spanish) were conducted to solicit participants' views on attributes of the campaign. Independent coders analyzed transcripts and applied thematic analysis to summarize key learnings regarding central health and mitigation messages, media modalities, how health information would be communicated, and the ideal spokespersons for delivering health-related messages. Results: Focus group participants emphasized the effectiveness of social media, GIFs, and references to popular media. Further, youth involvement in the creative process was deemed to be important. Participants highlighted the need for clarity in public health messaging and adaptation of visual campaigns to the preferences of diverse age groups through different art styles. Finally, community leaders were found to be critical health information sources. Discussion: As a model of a culturally tailored arts-meets health public education campaign, SCLA yielded valuable information on how to structure future public health messaging and media to create a meaningful improvement in health knowledge, mental well-being, and compliance with mitigation behaviors in communities that are often overlooked. Contributions from local artists can heighten appeal and acceptability of messages.

Optimizing the Selection of Mass Vaccination Sites: Access and Equity Consideration.

In the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine accessibility was limited, impacting large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles County, which has over 10 million residents but only nine initial vaccination sites, which resulted in people experiencing long travel times to get vaccinated. We developed a mixed-integer linear model to optimize site selection, considering equitable access for vulnerable populations. Analyzing 277 zip codes between December 2020 and May 2021, our model incorporated factors such as car ownership, ethnic group disease vulnerability, and the Healthy Places Index, alongside travel times by car and public transit. Our optimized model significantly outperformed actual site allocations for all ethnic groups. We observed that White populations faced longer travel times, likely due to their residences being in more remote, less densely populated areas. Conversely, areas with higher Latino and Black populations, often closer to the city center, benefited from shorter travel times in our model. However, those without cars experienced greater disadvantages. While having many vaccination sites might improve access for those dependent on public transit, that advantage is diminished if people must search among many sites to find a location with available vaccines.

A collaboration team to build social service partnerships within a safety-net health system.

BACKGROUND: To facilitate safety-net healthcare system partnerships with community social service providers, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) created a new collaboration team to spur cross-agency social and medical referral networks and engage communities affected by health disparities as part of a Sect. 1115 Medicaid waiver in Los Angeles County entitled Whole Person Care-Los Angeles (WPC-LA). METHODS: This observational research reviews three years of collaboration team implementation (2018-2020) through Medicaid-reportable engagement reports, a collaboration team qualitative survey on challenges, facilitators, and recommendations for community engagement. Member reflections for survey findings were conducted with the collaboration team and LAC DHS WPC-LA leadership. RESULTS: Collaboration team Medicaid engagement reports (n = 144) reported > 2,700 events, reaching > 70,000 individuals through cross-agency and community-partnered meetings. The collaboration team survey (n = 9) and member reflection sessions portrayed engagement processes through outreach, service assessments, and facilitation of service partnerships. The collaboration team facilitated community engagement processes through countywide workgroups on justice-system diversion and African American infant and maternal health. Recommendations for future safety net health system engagement processes included assessing health system readiness for community engagement and identifying strategies to build mutually beneficial social service partnerships. CONCLUSIONS: A dedicated collaboration team allowed for bi-directional knowledge exchange between county services, populations with lived experience, and social services, identifying service gaps and recommendations. Engagement with communities affected by health disparities resulted in health system policy recommendations and changes.

Intervention to promote preventive dental care for older Korean-American Medi-Cal enrollees in Los Angeles.

BACKGROUND: In California, preventive dental care is covered by Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program). However, many beneficiaries do not use their dental benefits. Given that a lack of knowledge about oral health and insurance coverage contributes to this underutilization, promoting the use of dental benefits among eligible individuals via an educational program is imperative. Responding to the particular needs of older immigrants with limited English proficiency, we developed a digital oral health intervention for older Korean-American Medi-Cal enrollees in Los Angeles. This educational intervention is designed to be delivered via computers and the Internet. It consists of a 15-min self-running PowerPoint presentation narrated in Korean with links to additional information on the Internet. The slides contain information about the basic etiology of oral diseases, oral hygiene, common myths about oral health and dental care, Medi-Cal coverage of preventive dental care, and how to find a dental clinic. METHODS: We pilot tested the intervention with 12 participants to examine its feasibility and acceptability. We also obtained participants' qualitative feedback about the intervention. RESULTS: A post-intervention quantitative assessment yielded high participant satisfaction and improved oral health and dental care knowledge. Participant responses to the intervention yielded four themes: (1) content and structure, (2) linguistic and cultural aspects, (3) delivery mode, and (4) additional concerns and suggestions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the intervention's feasibility and acceptability and suggest further refinement.

Neighborhood Deprivation, Race and Ethnicity, and Prostate Cancer Outcomes Across California Health Care Systems.

Importance: Non-Hispanic Black (hereafter, Black) individuals experience worse prostate cancer outcomes due to socioeconomic and racial inequities of access to care. Few studies have empirically evaluated these disparities across different health care systems. Objective: To describe the racial and ethnic and neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) disparities among residents of the same communities who receive prostate cancer care in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system vs other settings. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study obtained data from the VA Central Cancer Registry for veterans with prostate cancer who received care within the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VA cohort) and from the California Cancer Registry (CCR) for nonveterans who received care outside the VA setting (CCR cohort). The cohorts consisted of all males with incident prostate cancer who were living within the same US Census tracts. These individuals received care between 2000 and 2018 and were followed up until death from any cause or censoring on December 31, 2018. Data analyses were conducted between September 2022 and December 2023. Exposures: Health care setting, self-identified race and ethnicity (SIRE), and nSES. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was all-cause mortality (ACM). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios for associations of SIRE and nSES with prostate cancer outcomes in the VA and CCR cohorts. Results: Included in the analysis were 49 461 males with prostate cancer. Of these, 1881 males were in the VA cohort (mean [SD] age, 65.3 [7.7] years; 833 Black individuals [44.3%], 694 non-Hispanic White [hereafter, White] individuals [36.9%], and 354 individuals [18.8%] of other or unknown race). A total of 47 580 individuals were in the CCR cohort (mean [SD] age, 67.0 [9.6] years; 8183 Black individuals [17.2%], 26 206 White individuals [55.1%], and 13 191 individuals [27.8%] of other or unknown race). In the VA cohort, there were no racial disparities observed for metastasis, ACM, or prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM). However, in the CCR cohort, the racial disparities were observed for metastasis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.22-1.52), ACM (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.04-1.24), and PCSM (AHR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.05-1.25). Heterogeneity was observed for the racial disparity in ACM in the VA vs CCR cohorts (AHR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.76-1.06] vs 1.13 [95% CI, 1.04-1.24]; P = .01). No evidence of nSES disparities was observed for any prostate cancer outcomes in the VA cohort. However, in the CCR cohort, heterogeneity was observed for nSES disparities with ACM (AHR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.80-0.84; P = .002) and PCSM (AHR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.82-0.89; P = .007). Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this study suggest that racial and nSES disparities were wider among patients seeking care outside of the VA health care system. Health systems-related interventions that address access barriers may mitigate racial and socioeconomic disparities in prostate cancer.

An Affordable and Sustainable Thrifty-Like Meal Plan, FoodRx, That Meets the Recommended Dietary Allowances.

There is considerable controversy as to whether a healthy diet is affordable given recent inflation. In order to determine whether a healthy, climate-friendly sustainable diet can be obtained within the allotments of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), we created and purchased 26 weeks of meal plans designed to meet the EAT-Lancet sustainability guidelines and > 90% of the RDAs for 23 macro/micronutrients for households with at least 2 adults and 1-3 children. We compared the food quantities and cost of a healthy sustainable diet purchased in Los Angeles, 2023, to the Thrifty Food Plan, 2021. We compared the volume of food and cost of basic groceries to those recommended in the Thrifty Food Plan, 2021. The costs of the sustainable diet fell within the 2023 SNAP allotments as long as the average calories required per person did not exceed 2000. The volume of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds were considerably higher for the sustainable diet compared to the Thrifty Food Plan. Given that calorie needs are the determinants of food quantity and costs, the USDA may consider offering supplemental coverage for individuals with higher calorie needs to make healthy eating affordable.

Situational and Victim Correlates of Increased Case Fatality Rates in Los Angeles Shootings, 2005-2021.

The gun assault case fatality rate measures the fraction of shooting victims who die from their wounds. Considerable debate has surrounded whether gun assault case fatality rates have changed over time and what factors may be involved. We use crime event data from Los Angeles to examine the victim and situational correlates of gun assault case fatality rates over time. We estimated log binomial regression models for the probability of death in each year from 2005 to 2021, conditioned on situational and victim characteristics of the crime. Case fatality rates increased by around 1.3% per year between 2005 and 2021 from around 15.9 to 19.7%. Baseline case fatality rates differed systematically by most situational and victim but followed similar temporal trends. Only victim age significantly covaried with the temporal trend in case fatality rates. An individual shot in Los Angeles in 2021 was 23.7% more likely to die than the equivalent victim in 2005. The steady increase in case fatality rates suggests that there were around 394 excess fatalities over what would have occurred if case fatality rates remained at the 2005 level. Increases in the average age of victims over time may contribute to the general temporal trend. We hypothesize that older victims are more likely to be shot indoors where lethal close-range wounds are more likely.

Increased Risk of Gestational Hypertension by Periconceptional Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Effect Modification by Prenatal Depression.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution has been associated with gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia, but susceptible windows of exposure and potential vulnerability by comorbidities, such as prenatal depression, remain unclear. METHODS: We ascertained GH and preeclampsia cases in a prospective pregnancy cohort in Los Angeles, CA. Daily levels of ambient particulate matters (with a diameter of ≤10 µm [PM10] or ≤2.5 µm [PM2.5]), nitrogen dioxide, and ozone were averaged for each week from 12 weeks preconception to 20 gestational weeks. We used distributed lag models to identify susceptible exposure windows, adjusting for potential confounders. Analyses were additionally stratified by probable prenatal depression to explore population vulnerability. RESULTS: Among 619 participants, 60 developed preeclampsia and 42 developed GH. We identified a susceptible window for exposure to PM2.5 from 1 week preconception to 11 weeks postconception: higher exposure (5 µg/m3) within this window was associated with an average of 8% (95% CI, 1%-15%) higher risk of GH. Among participants with probable prenatal depression (n=179; 32%), overlapping sensitive windows were observed for all pollutants from 8 weeks before to 10 weeks postconception with increased risk of GH (PM2.5, 16% [95% CI, 3%-31%]; PM10, 39% [95% CI, 13%-72%]; nitrogen dioxide, 65% [95% CI, 17%-134%]; and ozone, 45% [95% CI, 9%-93%]), while the associations were close to null among those without prenatal depression. Air pollutants were not associated with preeclampsia in any analyses. CONCLUSIONS: We identified periconception through early pregnancy as a susceptible window of air pollution exposure with an increased risk of GH. Prenatal depression increases vulnerability to air pollution exposure and GH.

Understanding food insecurity in Los Angeles County during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath: A qualitative interview study.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought increases in food insecurity in Los Angeles (L.A.) County, defined as lacking household access to adequate food because of limited money or other resources. Here, we aimed to understand the lived experiences of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. In August-December 2022, we interviewed 30 residents of L.A. County who were participants in an ongoing internet panel and had reported experiencing food insecurity between April 2020 and July 2021. A stratified-sampling approach was used to recruit a diverse sample with and without government food assistance. We report five key findings, which underscore the stress and worry associated with the experience of food insecurity, and the coping strategies people implemented: (1) The pandemic prompted food insecurity as well as stressful shifts in eating behaviors compared to before the pandemic, with some eating much less food, some eating less nutritious food, and some eating much more due to being stuck at home; (2) Buying food became more effortful and financially challenging; (3) Government food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was important for reducing food insecurity, but was sometimes insufficient, inconsistent, and didn't cover all retailers or food items; (4) Interviewees had to rely on their social networks, food banks or pantries, churches, and schools to meet their food needs and cope with food insecurity, but some faced barriers in doing so; (5) For some, food insecurity was worse in late 2022, almost two years after the pandemic started. We conclude with implications for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the importance of meeting the needs of diverse residents and addressing food insecurity in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New insights into grocery store visits among east Los Angeles residents using mobility data.

In this study, we employed spatially aggregated population mobility data, generated from mobile phone locations in 2021, to investigate patterns of grocery store visits among residents east and northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, in which 60% of the census tracts had previously been designated as "food deserts". Further, we examined whether the store visits varied with neighborhood sociodemographics and grocery store accessibility. We found that residents averaged 0.4 trips to grocery stores per week, with only 13% of these visits within home census tracts, and 40% within home and neighboring census tracts. The mean distance from home to grocery stores was 2.2 miles. We found that people visited grocery stores more frequently when they lived in neighborhoods with higher percentages of Hispanics/Latinos, renters and foreign-born residents, and a greater number of grocery stores. This research highlights the utility of mobility data in elucidating grocery store use, and factors that may facilitate or be a barrier to store access. The results point to limitations of using geographically constrained metrics of food access like food deserts.

Heterogeneity in COVID-19 vaccine uptake within low-income minority communities: evidence from the watts neighborhood health study.

BACKGROUND: The literature on disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake focuses primarily on the differences between White versus non-White individuals or differences by socioeconomic status. Much less is known about disparities in vaccine uptake within low-income, minority communities and its correlates. METHODS: This study investigates disparities in COVID-19 vaccination uptake within racial and ethnic minoritized communities with similar socioeconomic backgrounds and built environments, specifically focusing on Black-Hispanic disparities and disparities within the Hispanic community by country of origin. Data are analyzed from the fourth wave (June 2021- May 2022) of the Watts Neighborhood Health Study, a cohort study of public housing residents in south Los Angeles, CA. Linear probability models estimated the association between vaccine uptake and participants' race/ethnicity, sequentially adding controls for sociodemographic characteristics, health care access and insurance, prior infection, and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines. Differences in reasons for vaccination status by race/ethnicity were also tested. RESULTS: Mexican Hispanic and non-Mexican Hispanic participants were 31% points (95% CI: 0.21, 0.41, p < 0.001) and 44% points (95% CI: 0.32, 0.56, p < 0.001) more likely to be vaccinated than non-Hispanic Black participants, respectively. The disparity between Black and Hispanic participants was reduced by about 40% after controlling for attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines. Among Hispanic participants, non-Mexican participants were 13% points (95% CI: 0.03, 0.24, p = 0.01) more likely to be vaccinated than Mexican participants, however, these differences were no longer significant after controlling for individual and household characteristics (ß = 0.04, 95% CI: -0.07, 0.15, p = 0.44). CONCLUSION: There are sizeable racial and ethnic COVID-19 vaccination disparities even within low-income and minoritized communities. Accounting for this heterogeneity and its correlates can be critically important for public health efforts to ensure vaccine equity.

Hepatitis A Exposure Response and Outbreak Prevention in a Large Urban Jail - Los Angeles County, California, May-July 2023.

Correctional settings provide a high-risk environment for hepatitis A transmission because of the high proportion of homelessness and injection drug use among persons who are incarcerated. On May 30, 2023, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health informed the Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control (CDSC) unit of the Los Angeles County Jail system that a symptomatic incarcerated person had received a positive test result for acute hepatitis A. Upon learning the next day that the patient was a food handler, CDSC staff members identified 5,830 potential contacts of the index patient, 1,702 of whom had been released from the jail. During June 1-12, a total of 2,766 contacts who did not have a documented history of hepatitis A serology or vaccination that could be confirmed from the electronic health record or state immunization registry were identified. These persons were offered hepatitis A vaccination as postexposure prophylaxis; 1,510 (54.6%) accepted vaccination. Contacts who were food handlers without confirmed evidence of immunity and who declined vaccination were removed from food-handling duties for the duration of their potential incubation period. No additional cases were identified. Identifying contacts promptly and using immunization and serology records to ensure rapid delivery of postexposure prophylactic vaccine can help prevent hepatitis A transmission during exposures among incarcerated populations.