Connect: Cultivating Academic-Community Partnerships to Address Our Communities' Complex Needs During Public Health Crises.

BACKGROUND: Black and Latino communities have been disproportionately impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 and we sought to understand perceptions and attitudes in four heavily impacted New Jersey counties to develop and evaluate engagement strategies to enhance access to testing. OBJECTIVE: To establish a successful academic/community partnership team during a public health emergency by building upon longstanding relationships and using principles from community engaged research. METHODS: We present a case study illustrating multiple levels of engagement, showing how we successfully aligned expectations, developed a commitment of cooperation, and implemented a research study, with community-based and health care organizations at the center of community engagement and recruitment. LESSONS LEARNED: This paper describes successful approaches to relationship building including information sharing and feedback to foster reciprocity, diverse dissemination strategies to enhance engagement, and intergenerational interaction to ensure sustainability. CONCLUSIONS: This model demonstrates how academic/community partnerships can work together during public health emergencies to develop sustainable relationships.

Community- Versus Health Care Organization-Based Approaches to Expanding At-Home COVID-19 Testing in Black and Latino Communities, New Jersey, 2021.

At-home COVID-19 testing offers convenience and safety advantages. We evaluated at-home testing in Black and Latino communities through an intervention comparing community-based organization (CBO) and health care organization (HCO) outreach. From May through December 2021, 1100 participants were recruited, 94% through CBOs. The odds of COVID-19 test requests and completions were significantly higher in the HCO arm. The results showed disparities in test requests and completions related to age, race, language, insurance, comorbidities, and pandemic-related challenges. Despite the popularity of at-home testing, barriers exist in underresourced communities. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S9):S918-S922. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306989).

Experiences of Black and Latinx health care workers in support roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

Black and Latinx individuals, and in particular women, comprise an essential health care workforce often serving in support roles such as nursing assistants and dietary service staff. Compared to physicians and nurses, they are underpaid and potentially undervalued, yet play a critical role in health systems. This study examined the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from the perspective of Black and Latinx health care workers in support roles (referred to here as HCWs). From December 2020 to February 2021, we conducted 2 group interviews (n = 9, 1 group in English and 1 group in Spanish language) and 8 individual interviews (1 in Spanish and 7 in English) with HCWs. Participants were members of a high-risk workforce as well as of communities that suffered disproportionately during the pandemic. Overall, they described disruptive changes in responsibilities and roles at work. These disruptions were intensified by the constant fear of contracting COVID-19 themselves and infecting their family members. HCWs with direct patient care responsibilities reported reduced opportunities for personal connection with patients. Perspectives on vaccines reportedly changed over time, and were influenced by peers' vaccination and information from trusted sources. The pandemic has exposed the stress endured by an essential workforce that plays a critical role in healthcare. As such, healthcare systems need to dedicate resources to improve the work conditions for this marginalized workforce including offering resources that support resilience. Overall working conditions and, wages must be largely improved to ensure their wellbeing and retain them in their roles to manage the next public health emergency. The role of HCWs serving as ambassadors to provide accurate information on COVID-19 and vaccination among their coworkers and communities also warrants further study.

Psychosocial correlates of sun protection behaviors among U.S. Hispanic adults.

The incidence of skin cancer among U.S. Hispanics increased 1.3% annually from 1992 to 2008. However, little research has focused on skin cancer prevention among the rapidly growing Hispanic population. In this study, we examined theory-driven, psychosocial correlates of sun protection behaviors in a population-based sample of 787 Hispanic adults (49.6% female, mean age = 41.0 years) residing in five southern or western U.S. states. Participants completed an English- or Spanish-language online survey in September 2011. The outcomes of focus were sunscreen use, shade seeking, and use of sun protective clothing. The correlates included suntan benefits, sun protection benefits and barriers, skin color preference, perceived natural skin protection, photo-aging concerns, perceived skin cancer risk, skin cancer worry, skin cancer fatalism, and sun protection descriptive norms. Results of multiple linear regression analyses revealed the following: sun protection barriers were negatively associated with each outcome; descriptive norms were positively associated with each outcome; perceived natural skin protection was inversely associated with sunscreen use; skin cancer worry was positively associated with shade seeking and use of sun protective clothing; skin cancer fatalism was negatively associated with shade seeking; and skin color preference was negatively associated with use of sun protective clothing. A number of additional statistically significant associations were identified in bivariate correlation analyses. This study informs the potential content of interventions to promote engagement in sun protection behaviors among U.S. Hispanics.

Linguistic acculturation and skin cancer-related behaviors among Hispanics in the southern and western United States.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between linguistic acculturation (assessed using the Language Use and Linguistic Preference subscales from the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics) and skin cancer-related behaviors among US Hispanic adults to determine whether, compared with Hispanics denoted as Spanish-acculturated, English-acculturated Hispanics would report less frequent shade seeking and use of sun protective clothing and higher rates of sunscreen use, sunbathing, and indoor tanning. DESIGN: Online survey study conducted in September 2011. SETTING: Five southern and western US states. PARTICIPANTS: A population-based sample of 788 Hispanic adults drawn from a nationally representative web panel. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported sunscreen use, shade seeking, use of sun protective clothing, sunbathing, and indoor tanning. RESULTS: Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine predictors of the skin cancer-related behaviors. As hypothesized, English-acculturated Hispanics had lower rates of shade seeking and use of sun protective clothing and reported higher rates of sunbathing and indoor tanning than Spanish-acculturated Hispanics. English-acculturated Hispanics and bicultural Hispanics (ie, those with high Spanish and high English acculturation) reported comparably high rates of sunbathing and indoor tanning. Results suggested that bicultural Hispanics seek shade and wear sun protective clothing less often than Spanish-acculturated Hispanics but more often than English-acculturated Hispanics. Acculturation was not associated with sunscreen use. CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic adults do not routinely engage in behaviors that reduce their risk of skin cancer. Bicultural and English-acculturated Hispanics are particularly in need of skin cancer prevention interventions.

Skin cancer surveillance behaviors among US Hispanic adults.

BACKGROUND: Little skin cancer prevention research has focused on the US Hispanic population. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of skin cancer surveillance behaviors among Hispanic adults. METHODS: A population-based sample of 788 Hispanic adults residing in 5 southern and western states completed an online survey in English or Spanish in September 2011. The outcomes were ever having conducted a skin self-examination (SSE) and having received a total cutaneous examination (TCE) from a health professional. The correlates included sociodemographic, skin cancer-related, and psychosocial factors. RESULTS: The rates of ever conducting a SSE or having a TCE were 17.6% and 9.2%, respectively. Based on the results of multivariable logistic regressions, factors associated with ever conducting a SSE included older age, English linguistic acculturation, a greater number of melanoma risk factors, more frequent sunscreen use, sunbathing, job-related sun exposure, higher perceived skin cancer risk, physician recommendation, more SSE benefits, and fewer SSE barriers. Factors associated with ever having a TCE were older age, English linguistic acculturation, a greater number of melanoma risk factors, ever having tanned indoors, greater skin cancer knowledge, higher perceived skin cancer severity, lower skin cancer worry, physician recommendation, more TCE benefits, and fewer SSE barriers. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design limits conclusions regarding the causal nature of observed associations. CONCLUSIONS: Few Hispanic adults engage in skin cancer surveillance behaviors. The study highlights Hispanic subpopulations that are least likely to engage in skin cancer surveillance behaviors and informs the development of culturally appropriate interventions to promote these behaviors.

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy presenting as unilateral cellulitis with successful treatment using pamidronate disodium.

Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy is a paraneoplastic syndrome seen in patients with lung cancer. This condition is characterized by the presence of digital clubbing, periosteal thickening, synovial thickening, and severe pain of the affected joints. Other syndromes exhibiting clubbing may or may not have underlying diseases causing their manifestation. An example is primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, or pachydermoperiostosis. While clubbing makes up part of the clinical picture in both hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, the latter has no underlying disease associations. Rather, primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is familial, idiopathic, and has a chronic course often beginning during puberty in males. Secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is an acquired form of clubbing that is classically associated with lung disease. However, it has also been associated with diseases of the heart, liver, and intestines. In the setting of pulmonary malignancy, secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is known as hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy. Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy has a distinct constellation of clinical findings that includes intractable pain often refractory to treatments other than resolution of the underlying disease process. The authors herein report a case of hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy masquerading as recurrent lower extremity cellulitis with chronic hand and foot pain in the setting of pulmonary malignancy that responded dramatically to intravenous pamidronate disodium (a bisphosphonate). Given the rarity of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy associated with lung cancer and the difficulty with pain management in such circumstances, the authors present the following case in which pain was mitigated by treatment with bisphosphonate therapy.

Pagetoid reticulosis after radiotherapy of primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

We describe a 60-year-old man with a history of primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma on the chest, who presented with a new scaly red plaque on the same site 11 years after radiation therapy. Histological examination revealed a dense epidermotropic infiltrate of atypical mononuclear cells consistent with pagetoid reticulosis. Immunohistochemistry revealed the infiltrate to be CD4, CD8, and CD30. Remarkably, all the atypical cells were strongly CD30, and furthermore, the CD30 cells were found exclusively in the epidermis. In the initial cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma lesion, the CD4, CD8, and focally CD30 atypical cells were well confined within the dermis with no epidermal component. To our knowledge, the present case seems to be the first description of pagetoid reticulosis presenting at the site of a previously treated dermal anaplastic large cell lymphoma. This case also represents an extreme presentation of epidermotropism and CD30 expression in pagetoid reticulosis.

Water content and other aspects of brittle versus normal fingernails.

BACKGROUND: Previous authors have claimed that dehydration of the nail plate causes brittle nails. Some experts claim that normal nails contain 18% water, and brittle nails contain less than 16%. OBJECTIVE: We sought to test the hypothesis that brittle nails contain 2% less water than normal nails. We also examined the relationship between a number of health and behavioral variables and brittle nails. METHODS: In all, 102 participants with either brittle or normal nails had two nails clipped and then analyzed for water content by a blinded investigator in the laboratory. Participants filled out a detailed questionnaire designed to reveal information about health and behavior. RESULTS: The mean water content for normal nails was 11.90% and for brittle nails was 12.48%. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The odds of having brittle nails was 3.23 times greater among participants who received a professional manicure (95% confidence interval 1.21, 8.59). The frequency of professional manicures was associated with the likelihood of having brittle nails. Frequency of hand moisturizer use was significantly associated with nail brittleness (95% confidence interval 1.35, 32.10). Family history was significantly associated with the likelihood of having brittle nails (95% confidence interval 1.65, 21.11). LIMITATIONS: Analyzing nails from living participants is limiting because samples can only be collected from the distal unattached nail plate. A small subanalysis was performed and showed that the nails were losing water between the time of clipping and laboratory analysis. Therefore, our water percentage results may not be representative of in vivo nail plate water contents. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in water content of brittle compared with normal nails.

Calcinosis cutis in a patient with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome: case report.

Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) often is a disabling disorder caused by the consumption of contaminated L-tryptophan. Affected patients present with an array of symptoms, including cutaneous manifestations, peripheral eosinophilia, myalgias, and long-term neurocognitive disability. This article is the first reported case of a patient with EMS who developed calcinosis cutis. While many long-term sequelae of EMS are reported in the literature, there are no reports of the development of dystrophic calcification in these patients. The calcinosis cutis in this patient with EMS may represent a new manifestation of EMS that has not been documented to date. If more patients with EMS develop calcinosis cutis, it will present a therapeutic challenge to the physicians managing these patients.

A conservative approach to the nonsurgical rejuvenation of the face.

With ever-increasing frequency, dermatology patients are requesting information and treatments that improve the appearance of their skin. Corresponding to this trend, there is an ever-increasing number of products and procedures available that claim to aid in this pursuit. Finding a suitable regimen is a challenge for patients and physicians alike. Many different approaches may be helpful. This article outlines one general approach to choosing effective and safe treatments and procedures.

Cutaneous oncologic and cosmetic surgery in geriatric patients.

A wide array of surgical procedures is available to geriatric patients. These interventions can enhance the appearance of patients and facilitate the removal of skin cancers. Pre-existing medical conditions of geriatric patients must be considered comprehensively when selecting and performing cutaneous surgical procedures. Many older patients suffer from a variety of diseases and take a variety of medications and herbal supplements to ameliorate the consequences of such diseases. In general, skin surgery can be performed safely on even very old patients, provided precautions are followed. The biopsychosocial well-being and essence of patients must also be addressed when performing dermatologic surgery. If patients are treated holistically and comprehensively, their surgical experience can be enhanced and their health and appearance improved.

Nonablative dermal remodeling with a 585-nm, 350-microsec, flashlamp pulsed dye laser: clinical and ultrastructural analysis.

BACKGROUND: A nonablative 350-microsec, 585-nm, flashlamp pulsed dye laser is currently being used for the treatment of rhytides. OBJECTIVE: To analyze both clinical rhytid improvement and electron microscopic evidence of ultrastructural changes after treatment with a nonablative 350-microsec, 585-nm, flashlamp pulsed dye laser. RESULTS: At 6 months after two treatments, 40% of the treated subjects noted mild improvement in rhytid appearance. Nontreating physician evaluation revealed some degree of improvement in 50% of the treated subjects. Mild improvement in quality and texture of the skin was also reported by 50% of the subjects. Electron microscopic evaluation showed ultrastructural changes that are consistent with new collagen formation. CONCLUSION: Treatment with a nonablative 350-microsec, 585-nm, flashlamp pulsed dye laser can lead to both clinical and electron microscopic evidence of improvement in photo-damaged skin.

Botulinum B treatment of the glabellar and frontalis regions: a dose response analysis.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin injections represent the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the US. There is an enormous reported experience documenting the efficacy of botulinum toxin A injections. There is very limited published information about the efficacy and appropriate dosage of botulinum toxin B injections. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the dosage response and side effect profile of botulinum toxin B injections. METHOD: Twenty-six subjects received botulinum B injections to their glabellar area. Eighteen subjects received botulinum B injections to their frontalis region. Three different dosages were used. In the glabellar treated subjects the low dose group received a total of 1875 units; the medium dose group received a total of 2500 units; and the high dose group received a total of 3125 units. In the frontalis treated group, the low dose group received a total of 2250 units; the medium dose group received a total of 3000 units; and the high dose group received a total of 3750 units of botulium B toxin. RESULTS: In the glabellar group, most subjects showed some evidence of paralysis at 2 months. Only in the high dose group did a significant cadre of treated subjects still show a significant response at 3 months after treatment. In the frontalis group, response was often still seen at 2 months. However, at 3 months most subjects showed no continued effect from botulinum B toxin. CONCLUSION: Botulinum B toxin injections represent an alternative to botulinum A treatment for glabellar and frontalis hyperkinetic wrinkles. At the doses utilized in this study, the effect does not generally appear to last as long as has been reported with botulinum A injections. However, the onset of action may be sooner with botulinum B injections.