Area-level credit scores and symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults.

Area-level credit scores may capture aspects of a neighborhood's resources and history that may affect population mental health beyond income and other demographic determinants. Using a sample of 511,363 adults in 1,438 Pennsylvania ZIP codes who completed the COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey, we assessed the relationship between area-level VantageScores (nine categories from <675 to ≥850) and individual mental health. We estimate odds and predicted probability of depression and anxiety symptoms, adjusting for demographics and median household income. Given a history of discrimination and unequal access to the benefits of assets, we assess whether the relationship between area credit scores and individual mental health was different for different gender, age, race and ethnicity, and education groups. Persons who lived in ZIP codes with average credit scores of 700-725 reported 1.31 (95% CI 1.13, 1.52) and 1.22 (95% CI 1.07, 1.40) times the odds of frequent feelings of depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively, relative to persons living in ZIP codes with an average area level credit score ≥850. This translated to a difference of 2.8 and 2.5 percentage points in the predicted probability of symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively, for persons living in lower versus higher area credit score ZIP codes. Stratified models appeared to show differences in the association of depression and anxiety with credit scores across demographic groups, but tests of interaction did not show significant differences between most groups. Findings suggest that area credit scores may capture assets that shape mental health over and above income and other demographic determinants.

Consistency between Household and County Measures of Onsite Schooling during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The academic, socioemotional, and health impacts of school policies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have been a source of many questions that require accurate information about the extent of onsite schooling occurring. This article investigates school operational status datasets during the pandemic, comparing (1) self-report data collected nationally on the household level through a Facebook-based survey, (2) county-level school policy data, and (3) a school-level closure status dataset based on phone GPS tracking. The percentage of any onsite instruction within states and counties are compared across datasets from December 2020 to May 2021. Sources were relatively consistent at the state level and for large counties, but key differences were revealed between units of measurement, showing differences between policy and household decisions surrounding children's schooling experiences. The consistency levels across sources support the usage of each of the school policy sources to answer questions about the educational experiences, factors, and impacts related to K-12 education across the nation during the pandemic, but it remains vital to think critically as to which unit of measurement is most relevant to targeted research questions.