Investigation of predictors of severity of diabetes complications among hospitalized patients with diabetes in Florida, 2016-2019.

BACKGROUND: Severe diabetes complications impact the quality of life of patients and may lead to premature deaths. However, these complications are preventable through proper glycemic control and management of risk factors. Understanding the risk factors of complications is important in guiding efforts to manage diabetes and reduce risks of its complications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify risk factors of severe diabetes complications among adult hospitalized patients with diabetes in Florida. METHODS: Hospital discharge data from 2016 to 2019 were obtained from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration through a Data Use Agreement with the Florida Department of Health. Adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) scores were computed for 1,061,140 unique adult patients with a diagnosis of diabetes. Severe complications were defined as those with an aDCSI ≥ 4. Population average models, estimated using generalized estimating equations, were used to identify individual- and area-level predictors of severe diabetes complications. RESULTS: Non-Hispanic Black patients had the highest odds of severe diabetes complications compared to non-Hispanic White patients among both males (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.17, 1.23) and females (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.31). Comorbidities associated with higher odds of severe complications included hypertension (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 2.23, 2.37), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.31), obesity (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.26) and depression (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.11), while the odds were lower for patients with a diagnosis of arthritis (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.79, 0.82). Type of health insurance coverage was associated with the severity of diabetes complications, with significantly higher odds of severe complications among Medicare (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.80, 1.90) and Medicaid (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.77, 1.90) patients compared to those with private insurance. Residing within the least socioeconomically deprived ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) in the state had a protective effect compared to residing outside of these areas. CONCLUSIONS: Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in the severity of diabetes complications exist among hospitalized patients in Florida. The observed disparities likely reflect challenges to maintaining glycemic control and managing cardiovascular risk factors, particularly for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Interventions to improve diabetes management should focus on populations with disproportionately high burdens of severe complications to improve quality of life and decrease premature mortality among adult patients with diabetes in Florida.

Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) Following Hurricane Michael, Bay and Gulf Counties, Florida, 2019.

CONTEXT: On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, as one of the strongest storms on record to hit the US mainland. Hurricane Michael brought strong winds, heavy rain, and life-threatening storm surge, causing extensive damage across the Florida Panhandle. OBJECTIVES: To assess community preparedness and effects experienced by Panhandle residents, including structural and economic losses, injury and illness, health care access, and suicide risk and ideation in the counties most severely impacted by Hurricane Michael. DESIGN: The Florida Department of Health conducted a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) in October and November 2019, a year after Hurricane Michael made landfall. CASPER is a 2-stage cluster sampling method designed to provide household-level information about a community's needs in a timely, inexpensive, and representative manner. SETTING: A total of 30 clusters were randomly selected from Bay and Gulf Counties, Florida. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 178 face-to-face interviews were completed with adult residents 18 years or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hurricane-related impacts, including structural and economic losses, injury and illness, health care access; and mental health. RESULTS: Almost half of respondents did not evacuate despite mandatory evacuation orders. Most houses (78.1%) received some damage, with more than half still not repaired 1 year later. Access to emergency supply kits, water, nonperishable foods, medications, and health care was common, though many reported needing supplies not included in their kit. Less than half reported having working household carbon monoxide detectors. Injuries and illnesses associated with the hurricane were uncommon; however, anxiety, depression, and insomnia were reported as occurring or worsening by more than one-third of respondents posthurricane. CONCLUSIONS: Increased education and communication regarding hurricane preparedness and recovery, which include clearer messaging on evacuation, improving emergency supply kits, importance of carbon monoxide detectors, and proper generator use, could enhance the safety of the community.

Using social security number to identify sub-populations vulnerable to the health impacts from extreme heat in Florida, U.S.

BACKGROUND: Some socioeconomically vulnerable groups may experience disproportionately higher risk of extreme heat illness than other groups, but no study has utilized the presence/absence of a social security number (SSN) as a proxy for vulnerable sub-populations. METHODS: This study focused on the warm season from 2008 to 2012 in Florida, U.S. With a total number of 8,256,171 individual level health outcomes, we devised separate case-crossover models for five heat-sensitive health outcomes (cardiovascular disease, dehydration, heat-related illness, renal disease, and respiratory disease), type of health care visit (emergency department (ED) and hospitalization), and patients reporting/not reporting an SSN. Each stratified model also considered potential effect modification by sex, age, or race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Mean temperature raised the odds of five heat-sensitive health outcomes with the highest odds ratios (ORs) for heat-related illness. Sex significantly modified heat exposure effects for dehydration ED visits (Males: 1.145, 95 % CI: 1.137-1.153; Females: 1.110, 95 % CI: 1.103-1.117) and hospitalization (Males: 1.116, 95 % CI: 1.110-1.121; Females: 1.100, 95 % CI: 1.095-1.105). Patients not reporting an SSN between 25 and 44 years (1.264, 95 % CI: 1.192-1.340) exhibited significantly higher dehydration ED ORs than those reporting an SSN (1.146, 95 % CI: 1.136-1.157). We also observed significantly higher ORs for cardiovascular disease hospitalization from the no SSN group (SSN: 1.089, 95 % CI: 1.088-1.090; no SSN: 1.100, 95 % CI: 1.091-1.110). CONCLUSIONS: This paper partially supports the idea that individuals without an SSN could experience higher risks of dehydration (for those 25-45 years), renal disease, and cardiovascular disease than those with an SSN.

Heat illness data strengthens vulnerability maps.

BACKGROUND: Previous extreme heat and human health studies have investigated associations either over time (e.g. case-crossover or time series analysis) or across geographic areas (e.g. spatial models), which may limit the study scope and regional variation. Our study combines a case-crossover design and spatial analysis to identify: 1) the most vulnerable counties to extreme heat; and 2) demographic and socioeconomic variables that are most strongly and consistently related to heat-sensitive health outcomes (cardiovascular disease, dehydration, heat-related illness, acute renal disease, and respiratory disease) across 67 counties in the state of Florida, U. S over 2008-2012. METHODS: We first used a case-crossover design to examine the effects of air temperature on daily counts of health outcomes. We employed a time-stratified design with a 28-day comparison window. Referent periods were extracted from ±7, ±14, or ± 21 days to address seasonality. The results are expressed as odds ratios, or the change in the likelihood of each health outcome for a unit change in heat exposure. We then spatially examined the case-crossover extreme heat and health odds ratios and county level demographic and socioeconomic variables with multiple linear regression or spatial lag models. RESULTS: Results indicated that southwest Florida has the highest risks of cardiovascular disease, dehydration, acute renal disease, and respiratory disease. Results also suggested demographic and socioeconomic variables were significantly associated with the magnitude of heat-related health risk. The counties with larger populations working in farming, fishing, mining, forestry, construction, and extraction tended to have higher risks of dehydration and acute renal disease, whereas counties with larger populations working in installation, maintenance, and repair workers tended to have lower risks of cardiovascular, dehydration, acute renal disease, and respiratory disease. Finally, our results showed that high income counties consistently have lower health risks of dehydration, heat-related illness, acute renal disease, and respiratory disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified different relationships with demographic/socioeconomic variables for each heat-sensitive health outcome. Results should be incorporated into vulnerability or risk indices for each health outcome.

Florida neighborhood analysis of social determinants and their relationship to life expectancy.

BACKGROUND: Social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute to unequal life expectancy (LE). Only a handful of papers have analyzed these relationships at the neighborhood level as opposed to the county level. This study draws on both the SDOH and social vulnerability literature to identify relevant factors affecting LE. METHODS: LE was calculated from mortality records for Florida from 2009 to 2013 for 3640 census tracts with reliable estimates. A spatial Durbin error model (SDEM) quantified the direction and magnitude of the factors to LE. The SDEM contains a spatial error term and jointly estimates both local and neighborhood associations. This methodology controls for non-independence between census tracts to provide unbiased statistical estimates. RESULTS: Factors significantly related to an increase in LE, include percentage (%) of the population who identify as Hispanic (beta coefficient [ß]: 0.06, p-value [P] < 0.001) and % of age dependent populations (% population < 5 years old and % population > 65) (ß: 0.13, P < 0.001). Conversely, the following factors exhibited significant negative LE associations, % of households with no automobile (ß: -0.05, P < 0.001), % of mobile homes (ß: -0.02, P < 0.001), and % of female headed households (ß: -0.11, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results from the SDEM demonstrate social vulnerability indicators account for additional geographic LE variability beyond commonly studied SDOH. Empirical findings from this analysis can help local health departments identify drivers of spatial health disparities at the local level.

Using web data to improve surveillance for heat sensitive health outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Elevated and prolonged exposure to extreme heat is an important cause of excess summertime mortality and morbidity. To protect people from health threats, some governments are currently operating syndromic surveillance systems. However, A lack of resources to support time- and labor- intensive diagnostic and reporting processes make it difficult establishing region-specific surveillance systems. Big data created by social media and web search may improve upon the current syndromic surveillance systems by directly capturing people's individual and subjective thoughts and feelings during heat waves. This study aims to investigate the relationship between heat-related web searches, social media messages, and heat-related health outcomes. METHODS: We collected Twitter messages that mentioned "air conditioning (AC)" and "heat" and Google search data that included weather, medical, recreational, and adaptation information from May 7 to November 3, 2014, focusing on the state of Florida, U.S. We separately associated web data against two different sources of health outcomes (emergency department (ED) and hospital admissions) and five disease categories (cardiovascular disease, dehydration, heat-related illness, renal disease, and respiratory disease). Seasonal and subseasonal temporal cycles were controlled using autoregressive moving average-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARMA-GARCH) and generalized linear model (GLM). RESULTS: The results show that the number of heat-related illness and dehydration cases exhibited a significant positive relationship with web data. Specifically, heat-related illness cases showed positive associations with messages (heat, AC) and web searches (drink, heat stroke, park, swim, and tired). In addition, terms such as park, pool, swim, and water tended to show a consistent positive relationship with dehydration cases. However, we found inconsistent relationships between renal illness and web data. Web data also did not improve the models for cardiovascular and respiratory illness cases. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest web data created by social medias and search engines could improve the current syndromic surveillance systems. In particular, heat-related illness and dehydration cases were positively related with web data. This paper also shows that activity patterns for reducing heat stress are associated with several health outcomes. Based on the results, we believe web data could benefit both regions without the systems and persistently hot and humid climates where excess heat early warning systems may be less effective.

Lead Exposure and Developmental Disabilities in Preschool-Aged Children.

CONTEXT: Lead is a preventable environmental toxin that has been previously associated with deficits in cognition, academic performance, attention, and behavior in children. Very few studies, however, have examined the relationship between exposure to lead and documented developmental disabilities. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relative risk of lead exposure on developmental disabilities in preschool-aged children. DESIGN: A statewide lead surveillance data set containing blood lead level (BLL) was integrated with another statewide data set containing developmental disability classifications for special education placement for preschool-aged children. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were the 85 178 children (average age 2.6 years) whose records in both data sets were able to be linked. Forty-six percent of the participants had an identified developmental disability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Developmental disability classification served as the main outcome measure. RESULTS: A high BLL, defined as 5 µg/dL or more, was associated with significantly increased risk for developmental disabilities (risk ratio [RR] = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.01-1.08), particularly intellectual disability (RR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.10-2.25) and developmental delay (DD; RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.06-1.17). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study are consistent with previous research identifying an association between lead exposure and numerous intellectual and educational outcomes and demonstrate that high BLL is associated with meeting eligibility criteria for developmental disabilities in young children. Continued research, surveillance, and prevention efforts are needed to further reduce the negative impacts of lead on individuals and society. Reducing or eliminating lead exposure would improve outcomes for individual children (eg, better academic performance) and reduce the burden to society (eg, lower enrollments in special education systems).

Health Impact Assessments and Extreme Weather-Challenges for Environmental Health.

BACKGROUND: The Florida Department of Health, Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, in collaboration with the Escambia County Health Department and the University of West Florida, used the Health Impact Assessment Framework to examine adverse health outcomes that may be related to an extreme flood event in Pensacola, Florida (Escambia County) during April 29 to May 3, 2014. In this 2014 flood event, portions of Pensacola received more than 15.5 in of rain in a single day. Infrastructure impacts from this extreme event included destroyed bridges and roads and the failure of many sewage lift stations. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there were associated increases in injury, illness, and death, data on reportable diseases, hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and deaths that occurred during the impact period in 2014 were compared with a control period in 2008. DESIGN: We used an ecological design to compare impact and control periods and examined the proportion of hospitalizations, ED visits, and deaths potentially attributable to the extreme flood event. RESULTS: The results of this comparison were mixed, with some Escambia County zip codes showing increased hospitalizations and ED visits, and some zip codes showing a decrease. However, countywide, there were increases in the proportion of both injury- and respiratory-related hospitalizations and ED visits during the impact period. CONCLUSIONS: It is challenging to characterize human health impacts from natural disasters such as extreme floods. Still, it is believed that specific policy changes could result in fewer health impacts during future flood events. For example, this study recommended raising the electric panels on lift stations above the flood elevation to keep them operational during extreme rainfall events. For more maps and tables, consult the complete project report available online at http://www.floridatracking.com/HealthTrackFL/document/Escambia_HIA_Report.pdf.

Associations between exposure to ambient benzene and PM(2.5) during pregnancy and the risk of selected birth defects in offspring.

OBJECTIVE: A growing number of studies have investigated the association between air pollution and the risk of birth defects, but results are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to examine whether maternal exposure to ambient PM2.5 or benzene increases the risk of selected birth defects in Florida. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of singleton infants born in Florida from 2000 to 2009. Isolated and non-isolated birth defect cases of critical congenital heart defects, orofacial clefts, and spina bifida were identified from the Florida Birth Defects Registry. Estimates of maternal exposures to PM2.5 and benzene for all case and non-case pregnancies were derived by aggregation of ambient measurement data, obtained from the US Environmental Protection Agency Air Quality System, during etiologically relevant time windows. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each quartile of air pollutant exposure. RESULTS: Compared to the first quartile of PM2.5 exposure, higher levels of exposure were associated with an increased risk of non-isolated truncus arteriosus (aPR4th Quartile, 8.80; 95% CI, 1.11-69.50), total anomalous pulmonary venous return (aPR2nd Quartile, 5.00; 95% CI, 1.10-22.84), coarctation of the aorta (aPR4th Quartile, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.15-2.57; aPR3rd Quartile, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.07-2.41), interrupted aortic arch (aPR4th Quartile, 5.50; 95% CI, 1.22-24.82), and isolated and non-isolated any critical congenital heart defect (aPR3rd Quartile, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02-1.25; aPR4th Quartile, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07-1.65). Mothers with the highest level of exposure to benzene were more likely to deliver an infant with an isolated cleft palate (aPR4th Quartile, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.13-2.04) or any orofacial cleft (aPR4th Quartile, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.08-1.56). An inverse association was observed between exposure to benzene and non-isolated pulmonary atresia (aPR4th Quartile, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04-0.84). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a few associations between exposure to ambient PM2.5 or benzene and specific birth defects in Florida. However, many related comparisons showed no association. Hence, it remains unclear whether associations are clinically significant or can be causally related to air pollution exposures.

Developing a smartphone interface for the Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Web portal.

As smartphone and tablet devices continue to proliferate, it is becoming increasingly important to tailor information delivery to the mobile device. The Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Program recognized that the mobile device user needs Web content formatted to smaller screen sizes, simplified data displays, and reduced textual information. The Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Program developed a smartphone-friendly version of the state Web portal for easier access by mobile device users. The resulting smartphone-friendly portal combines calculated data measures such as inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits and presents them grouped by county, along with temporal trend graphs. An abbreviated version of the public health messaging provided on the traditional Web portal is also provided, along with social media connections. As a result of these efforts, the percentage of Web site visitors using an iPhone tripled in just 1 year.

Using an environmental public health tracking biomonitoring study to validate safe water restoration efforts in Florida.

CONTEXT: Inorganic arsenic is a carcinogen when consumed over many years and is the type of arsenic that is associated with well water. Private wells in many central Florida counties have been found to contain levels of arsenic above 10 µg/L, which is the maximum contaminant level (MCL) established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test whether individuals living in homes with arsenic levels above the MCL who use bottled water or have a point of use (POU) filter on their main source of water in the house (eg, kitchen sink) are ingesting unsafe levels of arsenic through other unfiltered water sources in the home. DESIGN: Case-control study of residents with private wells above (case) and below (control) the MCL for arsenic in drinking water (10 µg/L) conducted between April and July 2013. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Residents with private wells living in Hernando County, Florida, where nearly 400 unique wells of 1200 tested have been found to have elevated arsenic levels (targeted sampling). INTERVENTION: Participants with elevated water arsenic levels were referred to the Florida Safe Water Restoration Program for assistance in obtaining bottled water vouchers and/or POU filters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Creatinine-corrected total urinary arsenic levels and information on water use and consumption behaviors, dietary intake, and other possible exposure sources. RESULTS: Total urinary arsenic levels were similar for cases using POU filters or bottled water when compared with controls (geometric means of 7.17 and 7.19 µg/L, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The current practice used by the Florida Safe Water Restoration Program of supplying POU filters or bottled water to households with arsenic levels in private wells between 10 and 50 µg/L appears to be sufficient to protect residents from arsenic exposure through tap water.

Fish consumption and hair mercury levels in women of childbearing age, Martin County, Florida.

The health effects of mercury in humans are mostly on the developing nervous system. Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding must be targeted in order to decrease mercury exposure to the populations at highest risk-infants, unborn fetuses, and young children. This purpose of this study is to understand the demographics of fish-consumption patterns among women of childbearing age (including pregnant women) in Martin County, Florida, and to analyze the associations of mercury levels in participants' hair with socio-demographic variables in order to better design prevention messages and campaigns. Mercury concentrations in hair samples of 408 women ages 18-49 were assessed. Data on demographic factors, pregnancy status, fish consumption, and awareness of fish advisories were collected during personal interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. The geometric and arithmetic means of hair mercury concentration were 0.371 and 0.676 µg/g of hair. One-fourth of the respondents had a concentration ≥1 µg/g of hair. Consuming a higher number of fish meals per month, consumption of commercially purchased or locally caught fish higher in mercury, White race and income ≥$75,000 were positively associated with the likelihood of having higher hair mercury levels. This study confirms the existence of a higher overall mean hair mercury level and a higher percentage of women with ≥1 µg/g hair mercury level than those reported at the national level and in other regional studies. This suggests the need for region-specific fish consumption advisories to minimize mercury exposure in humans.

Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) following Hurricane Michael: Gadsden, Calhoun, and Jackson Counties, Florida, 2020.

OBJECTIVES: To assess community preparedness and ongoing recovery efforts in the rural counties most severely impacted by Hurricane Michael, including structural and economic losses, injury and illness, healthcare access, and suicide risk and ideation. DESIGN: The Florida Department of Health conducted a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) in January 2020, 15 months after Hurricane Michael made landfall in October 2018. SETTING: A total of 30 clusters were randomly selected from three rural counties in the Panhandle of Florida, including Jackson (15 clusters), Gadsden (11), and Calhoun (four) counties. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 185 face-to-face and two phone interviews were conducted with residents 18 years of age or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Hurricane preparedness, structural and economic losses, access to care, and physical and mental health. RESULTS: Around 43 percent of respondents evacuated as a result of Hurricane Michael, and at least two-thirds of all respondents reported having an emergency supply kit and enough nonperishable food, water, and medication. Structural damage was extensive with 63 percent reporting home damage, averaging over $32,000. Few injuries or illnesses were reported post-landfall (9 percent), with the most common being minor injuries and bacterial infections. Most respondents reported continued access to healthcare if needed. The most common stress-related issues reported were difficulty sleeping (19 percent) and agitated behaviors (10 percent). Seven percent of respondents reported being at moderate to high risk for suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Rural areas may lack resources, such as healthcare facilities, skilled workers, and supplies, that hinder their ability to recover from storms when compared to more urban counties. Many residents reported that 15 months after the storm, their homes were still not fully repaired. A majority of residents were prepared with adequate supplies, had minimal disruption in employment or healthcare access, and had few illnesses or injuries during the storm or the recovery efforts.

Elevated risk for developmental disabilities in children with congenital heart defects.

BACKGROUND: This study examined risk for developmental disabilities in preschool-aged children with a congenital heart defect (CHD) at the population level. METHODS: Statewide birth, birth defects, and preschool developmental disability records were integrated. The final sample included 1,966,585 children (51.0% male). Children were grouped by type(s) of CHD: critical CHD, noncritical CHD, atrial septal defect, or no major birth defects (groups were mutually exclusive). RESULTS: Children with a CHD (any type) were at increased risk for developmental disability (any type) (RR 2.08, 95% CI 2.03-2.14, P < .001). Children in the critical CHD, noncritical CHD, and atrial septal defect groups were at increased risk for developmental delay, intellectual disability, language impairment, other health impairment, and any disability. Children in the atrial septal defect group were at increased risk for autism spectrum disorder and speech impairment. For all CHD groups, risk was greatest for other health impairment and intellectual disability. CONCLUSIONS: Increased risk for developmental disabilities was identified for children with less severe CHDs as well as for children with more severe (critical) CHDs. All children with CHDs should be closely monitored so that appropriate interventions can be initiated as early as possible to maximize learning outcomes.

Sociodemographic Determinants of Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospitalization Risks in Florida.

Background Identifying social determinants of myocardial infarction (MI) hospitalizations is crucial for reducing/eliminating health disparities. Therefore, our objectives were to identify sociodemographic determinants of MI hospitalization risks and to assess if the impacts of these determinants vary by geographic location in Florida. Methods and Results This is a retrospective ecologic study at the county level. We obtained data for principal and secondary MI hospitalizations for Florida residents for the 2005-2014 period and calculated age- and sex-adjusted MI hospitalization risks. We used a multivariable negative binomial model to identify sociodemographic determinants of MI hospitalization risks and a geographically weighted negative binomial model to assess if the strength of associations vary by location. There were 645 935 MI hospitalizations (median age, 72 years; 58.1%, men; 73.9%, white). Age- and sex-adjusted risks ranged from 18.49 to 69.48 cases/10 000 persons, and they were significantly higher in counties with low education levels (risk ratio [RR]=1.033, P<0.0001) and high divorce rate (RR, 0.995; P=0.018). However, they were significantly lower in counties with high proportions of rural (RR, 0.996; P<0.0001), black (RR, 1.026; P=0.032), and uninsured populations (RR, 0.983; P=0.040). Associations of MI hospitalization risks with education level and uninsured rate varied geographically (P for non-stationarity test=0.001 and 0.043, respectively), with strongest associations in southern Florida (RR for

Disparities in Temporal and Geographic Patterns of Myocardial Infarction Hospitalization Risks in Florida.

Knowledge of geographical disparities in myocardial infarction (MI) is critical for guiding health planning and resource allocation. The objectives of this study were to identify geographic disparities in MI hospitalization risks in Florida and assess temporal changes in these disparities between 2005 and 2014. This study used retrospective data on MI hospitalizations that occurred among Florida residents between 2005 and 2014. We identified spatial clusters of hospitalization risks using Kulldorff's circular and Tango's flexible spatial scan statistics. Counties with persistently high or low MI hospitalization risks were identified. There was a 20% decline in hospitalization risks during the study period. However, we found persistent clustering of high risks in the Big Bend region, South Central and southeast Florida, and persistent clustering of low risks primarily in the South. Risks decreased by 7%-21% in high-risk clusters and by 9%-28% in low-risk clusters. The risk decreased in the high-risk cluster in the southeast but increased in the Big Bend area during the last four years of the study. Overall, risks in low-risk clusters were ahead those for high-risk clusters by at least 10 years. Despite MI risk declining over the study period, disparities in MI risks persist. Eliminating/reducing those disparities will require prioritizing high-risk clusters for interventions.

Tracking childhood exposure to lead and developmental disabilities: examining the relationship in a population-based sample.

Elevated levels of lead detected in the blood are associated with harmful effects on children's learning and behavior. The goal of the current Environmental Public Health Tracking Project was to examine the relationship between selected developmental disabilities and childhood blood lead levels in a population-based sample. Using extant datasets from the Florida Department of Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, and the Florida Department of Education, we were able to isolate a linked dataset of children who were tested for lead poisoning and attended public schools. Special education categories served as a proxy for developmental disabilities; the prevalence of these disabilities in the sample of children with blood lead levels was compared with that in children who attended the same schools but were not tested for lead poisoning. Results indicated that children screened for lead poisoning were more likely to be receiving services for behavior problems, mental retardation, learning disabilities, or a speech-language impairment than other children attending the same schools. Implications for using administrative datasets to examine this relationship are discussed.

Uncertainty in maternal exposures to ambient PM2.5 and benzene during pregnancy: Sensitivity to exposure estimation decisions.

We investigate uncertainty in estimates of pregnant women's exposure to ambient PM2.5 and benzene derived from central-site monitoring data. Through a study of live births in Florida during 2000-2009, we discuss the selection of spatial and temporal scales of analysis, limiting distances, and aggregation method. We estimate exposure concentrations and classify exposure for a range of alternatives, and compare impacts. Estimated exposure concentrations were most sensitive to the temporal scale of analysis for PM2.5, with similar sensitivity to spatial scale for benzene. Using 1-12 versus 3-8 weeks of gestational age as the exposure window resulted in reclassification of exposure by at least one quartile for up to 37% of mothers for PM2.5 and 27% for benzene. The largest mean absolute differences in concentration resulting from any decision were 0.78 µg/m(3) and 0.44 ppbC, respectively. No bias toward systematically higher or lower estimates was found between choices for any decision.