Understanding Barriers and Strategies to Accessing Healthy Food in Urban Agriculture for Community Residents in Predominantly Black Communities.

BACKGROUND: Some residents in predominantly Black communities face significant challenges in accessing healthy food. However, urban agriculture is a growing sector that aims to increase overall food production, access to affordable and nutritious produce, and potentially improve community food security. PURPOSE: This study aimed to provide insight into barriers and strategies that urban agriculture growers and advocates identified for accessing urban agriculture markets in their communities. RESEARCH DESIGN AND STUDY SAMPLE: We interviewed and conducted focus groups with 17 urban growers and local food advocates that work in predominantly Black communities in Chicago. DATA COLLECTION AND/OR ANALYSIS: Understanding the complexities of access to healthy food can be challenging; therefore, we used the concept of access - accessibility, availability, affordability, accommodation, and acceptability - to better understand these barriers. RESULTS: Key barriers were the lack of accessibility to traditional food retailers, high availability of processed foods, and cultural acceptability of urban-produced foods. CONCLUSION: Building urban agriculture networks to support growers, connect with consumers, and emphasize political engagement can help to diversify and grow urban agriculture.

Cardiovascular Disease-Related Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalization among Women with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: The risk of developing cardiovascular disease is higher for women who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy than for women without a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. However, it is unknown whether the emergency department visits and hospitalization differ between women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and women without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The objective of this study was to characterize and compare cardiovascular disease-related emergency department visits, hospitalization rates, and diagnoses in women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with those in women without. METHODS: This study included participants from the California Teachers Study (N=58,718) with a history of pregnancy and data from 1995 through 2020. Incidence of cardiovascular disease-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations based on linkages with hospital records were modeled using multivariable negative binomial regression. Data were analyzed in 2022. RESULTS: A total of 5% of the women had a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (5.4%, 95% CI=5.2%, 5.6). A total of 31% of women had 1 or more cardiovascular disease-related emergency department visits (30.9%), and 30.1% had 1 or more hospitalizations. The incidence of cardiovascular disease-related emergency department visits (adjusted incident rate ratio=8.96, p<0.001) and hospitalizations (adjusted incident rate ratio=8.88, p<0.001) were significantly higher for women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy than for those without, adjusting for other related characteristics of the women. CONCLUSIONS: History of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is associated with higher cardiovascular disease-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations. These findings underscore the potential burden on women and the healthcare system of managing complications associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Evaluating and managing cardiovascular disease risk factors in women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is necessary to avoid cardiovascular disease-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in this group.

Appraisal of Clinical Care Practices for Child Obesity Treatment. Part II: Comorbidities.

The objective of this technical report is to provide clinicians with actionable evidence-based information upon which to make treatment decisions. In addition, this report will provide an evidence base on which to inform clinical practice guidelines for the management and treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. To this end, the goal of this report was to identify all relevant studies to answer 2 overarching key questions: (KQ1) "What are effective clinically based treatments for obesity?" and (KQ2) "What is the risk of comorbidities among children with obesity?" See Appendix 1 for the conceptual framework and a priori Key Questions.

Appraisal of Clinical Care Practices for Child Obesity Treatment. Part I: Interventions.

The objective of this technical report is to provide clinicians with evidence-based, actionable information upon which to make assessment and treatment decisions for children and adolescents with obesity. In addition, this report will provide an evidence base to inform clinical practice guidelines for the management and treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. To this end, the goal of this report was to identify all relevant studies to answer 2 overarching key questions: (KQ1) "What are clinically based, effective treatments for obesity?" and (KQ2) "What is the risk of comorbidities among children with obesity?" See Appendix 1 for the conceptual framework and a priori key questions.

Prevalence of food insecurity among students attending four Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Objective: This study examined the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) among students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States. Participants: Students attending four HBCUs (N = 351) completed an anonymous Web-based survey. Methods: Food insecurity was assessed using the 2-item Hunger Vital Sign Tool. Summary statistics were used to quantify FI experiences. Logistic regression was conducted to determine if student demographic characteristics were significantly associated with FI outcomes. Results: Nearly 3 in 4 students (72.9%) reported some level of FI in the past year. Students representing all levels of postsecondary education reported FI. Meal plan participation did not prevent FI. Conclusions: Students attending HBCUs experience FI at levels that exceed estimates reported among students attending predominantly White institutions. More work is needed to understand the lived experience of food-insecure HBCU students as a means to ensure institution-level food policies support student academic success and wellbeing.

Food insecurity among university students in the United States amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports on food insecurity (FI) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: College students in four regions of the US completed the two-item validated Hunger Vital Sign™ screening tool on Qualtrics. RESULTS: FI increased significantly after March 2020 among US students (worry about food running out: 25% to 35%; food did not last: 17% to 21%) with significant regional increase in the Midwest and South. An adjusted multivariable logistic regression model indicated students that ran out of food were significantly at greater odds of experiencing hardship with paying bills (AOR: 5.59, 95% CI =3.90-8.06). CONCLUSIONS: The findings identified an increase in the prevalence of FI among college students during the pandemic. Suggestions of how to address FI are discussed.

Correlates of Blood Pressure Awareness, Treatment, and Control Among Adults 50 Years or Older by HIV Status in Northwestern Tanzania.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The objective of this study was to describe the increasing incidence and risk of cardiovascular disease among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Sub-Saharan Africa. We also used data to compare hypertension (a common NCD among PLWH) outcomes between PLWH and HIV-uninfected individuals among older adults in Northwestern Tanzania. RECENT FINDINGS: Hypertension is increasingly common in Sub-Saharan Africa and a leading cause of cardiovascular disease for PLWH. Among those with hypertension, PLWH have a 50% higher risk of incident myocardial infarction compared to the general population. In response to the rising incidence of these non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among PLWH, recently, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS supported the integration of NCD care into routine clinical care for HIV. However, data are lacking on levels of awareness of hypertension status, diagnosis, and antihypertensive medication adherence. Given the higher likelihood of elevated blood pressure among PLWH, there is an urgent need to implement interventions to improve blood pressure control in this population. Researchers should evaluate treatment barriers at multiple levels including health system, healthcare providers, and patients' level and tailor evidence-based interventions to increase achievement of blood pressure control for PLWH.

Lessons learned: Implementing and adapting a multimedia campaign to promote heart health to college students.

Objective: This one-year pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a multimedia campaign, Heart Healthy U (HHU), to increase awareness about the link between unhealthy behaviors and risk for heart disease among emerging adults on a college campus. This paper describes the implementation of HHU. Participants: The HHU campaign was implemented from the Fall of 2019 through Spring 2020 and during this time there were approximately 15,043 enrolled students at the south eastern U.S. college campus. Methods: The HHU campaign employed print (e.g., banners, posters, and yard signs) and electronic formats (e.g., email, Instagram). We designed the methods across three phases: (1) relationship building and formative research, (2) campaign development, and (3) the Heart Healthy U campaign launch. Results: The HHU encountered challenges when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19 or SARS-co-V2) interrupted campus life, however we relied on the electronic formats to reach students during the state-wide lockdown/quarantine mandates. In addition, there were two changes to the HHU health messages. First, we updated the health messages to illustrate that eating healthy and engaging in physical activity supports immune function. Next, we developed new health messages to address effects of physical isolation and anxiety by promoting psychological well-being during this historic public health crisis. Conclusions: We asked whether a multimedia campaign on a college campus could encourage emerging adults to consume fruits and vegetables and engage in physical activity according to the federally-recommended guidelines. It is essential that interventions intended to reach today's emerging adults be presented in formats that they use (e.g., social media platforms), supported by campus administrators, and endorsed by peer influencers. In conclusion, more intervention studies are needed to counter the unhealthy social norm behaviors common to college campus life that increase heart disease risk, particularly among marginalized populations.

Using geographic information systems to characterize food environments around historically black colleges and universities: Implications for nutrition interventions.

ObjectiveTo understand the distribution of healthy and unhealthy food stores near historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Participants and methods: Using ArcGIS Pro's network analysis tools and ReferenceUSA database, this study characterized the healthy (favorable) and unhealthy (unfavorable) retail food stores within a 5-mile radius, 15-min driving, and 15-min walking distance from each HBCU in North Carolina. Results: Most retail food stores within a 5-mile buffer radius of the 10 HBCUs in North Carolina were unfavorable. Within 15-min driving from each HBCU, 1082 stores (76.0%) were unfavorable food stores, while 332 (24.0%) were favorable. Additionally, there were four favorable and 35 unfavorable retail food stores within the 15-min walking distance of each HBCU. Conclusions: Favorable food retail stores around HBCUs in North Carolina are limited. Researchers, policy makers, and community stakeholders should work together to improve food environments surrounding HBCUs.

PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON STUDENTS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.

Students at higher institutions of learning are more susceptible to psychosocial problems compared to the general public. These may further be exacerbated by the measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. This mixed methods study examined the factors associated with the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on students' financial stability, interpersonal relationships and worries related to achieving academic milestones. Data comprised of a series of closed and open-ended questions collected via Qualtrics from students in the United States and Africa (Central and West). The quantitative data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and chi-square, while the qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. More than 90% of the students resided in the United States, 72.5% were females and 78.4% were undergraduates. Financial hardship was experienced by 26.4% of the students, 55.8% indicated that COVID-19 negatively affected their relationship with friends and over 40% worried over delays in achieving academic milestones. Continent of residence, employment status and financial hardship were significantly associated with the negative impact of COVID-19 on one or more of the students' relationships and with worries about achieving academic milestones. Qualitative data support the findings that financial hardship contributed to experience of psychological distress by students. It also revealed negative (compromised relationships - broken or fractured relationships and loneliness) and positive (bonding) impact of COVID-19 on interpersonal relationships. School administrators should provide students with resources to access economic relief packages and tele-counseling services to help meet their financial and psychosocial support needs amidst COVID-19.

THE DUAL ROLE OF STUDENTS PURSUING A HIGHER DEGREE AND PROVIDING CARE TO THEIR CHILDREN AND FAMILY MEMBERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the psychological well-being of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight their experience as caregivers. A total of 1444 college students responded to the questionnaire on the impact of COVID-19 on their lives. Qualitative responses from 25 female and 7 male college students who serve as caregivers were analyzed. Data were assessed using thematic analyses. The analysis revealed that college students' caregiving experiences impacted every aspect of their lives, including psychological health, academic performance, and career. Students who served as caregivers indicated that the mandated "Stay-at-Home" order resulted in homeschooling children, working from home, and attending school via online at home, limiting space for work, school, childcare, and homeschool. This led to increased stress, difficulty finding childcare, a drop in GPA for some, fear of delayed graduation, and financial distress. Conclusion: University students serving as caregivers were negatively affected during the pandemic. These individuals play a significant role in the workforce; therefore, rethinking resources and policies promoting their success as they serve their loved ones is in society's best interest.

Medication rebates and health disparities: Mind the gap.

Compared to white patients in the United States, people of racial and ethnic minority groups face higher rates of chronic disease including diabetes, obesity, stroke, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Minority groups are also less likely to receive medication therapy to manage complications of chronic disease as well as be adherent to these therapies. A recently announced proposed rule by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS OIG), which would discourage rebates between manufacturers and payers in favor of discounts directly provided to patients, has received significant attention for its anticipated impact on prescription drug pricing and reimbursement in Medicare. This commentary describes the proposed rule and how it may impact adherence among patients of racial minority groups through an illustrative case study and discussion.

Using Telehealth to Disseminate Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary CVD Interventions to Rural Populations.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This study aims to review the evidence on telehealth interventions in rural communities that use primary, secondary, or tertiary strategies for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). RECENT FINDINGS: Studies focused on the reduction of CVD risk factors and mitigation of disease progression among rural populations using telehealth are limited in number but appear to be increasing in the last 5 years. These studies suggest primary-, secondary-, and tertiary-level interventions can impact CVD risk and management. The current review found more studies addressing primary CVD intervention strategies, although the evidence for efficacy at all intervention levels is in the early stages. Leveraging prevention strategies via telehealth may be an effective vehicle to facilitate improved CVD outcomes among populations traditionally marginalized by geographic location.

Opportunities to Leverage Telehealth Approaches Along the Hypertension Control Cascade in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the current literature on use of telehealth at different stages of the hypertension control cascade in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and to discuss opportunities to harness technology infrastructure in SSA to improve population-level blood pressure control. RECENT FINDINGS: Despite the high burden of hypertension in SAA, strategies to improve awareness, diagnosis, and management are inadequate. In high-income countries, telehealth has increased patient access to high-quality care at reduced costs. Notwithstanding the limited evidence on the use of telehealth at the different stages of the hypertension control cascade in SSA, the few published interventions in this review reported reduction of blood pressure and increase in the proportion of individuals with controlled blood pressure. Telehealth use across the hypertension control cascade in SSA is promising. These under-resourced settings provide opportunity to better understand the demand for these interventions in order to achieve meaningful clinical outcomes.

Potential impact of pharmaceutical industry rebates on medication adherence.

Many patients struggle to take their prescription medications as prescribed. Multiple interacting factors influence medication nonadherence. The cost of medications, particularly a patient's out-of-pocket cost, spans several of these domains. One proposed option for reducing a patient's out-of-pocket cost involves directly sharing manufacturer rebates with patients to lower their out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter. Rebates are widely used across industries (eg, pharmaceutical manufacturers, tourism taxes, automobile manufacturers) in negotiations between sellers and buyers for a particular product. Medication rebates play an important role in the current US pharmaceutical marketplace. However, rebate contract terms are not publicly reported, so it is difficult for patients to determine if, and how, a rebate is reflected in their out-of-pocket costs. This commentary addresses the role of rebates in the current US healthcare landscape and their relationship with medication adherence.

Trends in African Americans' Attitudes and Behaviors About Living Donor Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Due to marginal efforts to increase living donor kidney transplantation, it is unclear whether interventions to improve African Americans' interest and pursuit of living donation should be tailored to address patients' exposure to or familiarity with dialysis or transplant settings. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data from 3 separate randomized clinical trials among African Americans with varying degrees of experience with dialysis or transplantation (predialysis, on dialysis but not on transplant list, and on transplant wait-list) settings. METHODS: Interest in living donation was described using a 0 to 10 scale and pursuit of living donor kidney transplantation by achievement of at least 1 pursuant behavior. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, we assessed the association of knowledge, health literacy, and trust in health care with interest in or pursuit of living donation. RESULTS: Interest among the 3 study cohorts was high (predialysis, 62.9%; dialysis, 67.4%; and transplant wait-list, 74.2%). The dialysis and transplant wait-list study cohorts pursued living donation more readily than those not on dialysis (73%, 92%, and 45%, respectively). Interest and pursuit were not statistically significantly associated with knowledge, health literacy, or the 3 factors reflecting medical mistrust. CONCLUSION: Interest and pursuit of living donation were greater among study participants with greater exposure to dialysis or transplant settings. Efforts to promote patients' early interest and pursuit of living donor transplants may consider novel strategies to educate patients with less experience about the benefits of living donor kidney transplantation.

Effectiveness of informational decision aids and a live donor financial assistance program on pursuit of live kidney transplants in African American hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: African Americans have persistently poor access to living donor kidney transplants (LDKT). We conducted a small randomized trial to provide preliminary evidence of the effect of informational decision support and donor financial assistance interventions on African American hemodialysis patients' pursuit of LDKT. METHODS: Study participants were randomly assigned to receive (1) Usual Care; (2) the Providing Resources to Enhance African American Patients' Readiness to Make Decisions about Kidney Disease (PREPARED); or (3) PREPARED plus a living kidney donor financial assistance program. Our primary outcome was patients' actions to pursue LDKT (discussions with family, friends, or doctor; initiation or completion of the recipient LDKT medical evaluation; or identification of a donor). We also measured participants' attitudes, concerns, and perceptions of interventions' usefulness. RESULTS: Of 329 screened, 92 patients were eligible and randomized to Usual Care (n = 31), PREPARED (n = 30), or PREPARED plus financial assistance (n = 31). Most participants reported interventions helped their decision making about renal replacement treatments (62%). However there were no statistically significant improvements in LDKT actions among groups over 6 months. Further, no participants utilized the living donor financial assistance benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest these interventions may need to be paired with personal support or navigation services to overcome key communication, logistical, and financial barriers to LDKT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov [ NCT01439516 ] [August 31, 2011].

The Economic Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease.

The growing prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) raises concerns about our capacity to manage its economic burden to patients, caregivers, and society. The societal direct and indirect costs of CKD and end-stage renal disease are substantial and increase throughout disease progression. There is significant variability in the evidence about direct and indirect costs attributable to CKD and end-stage renal disease, with the most complete evidence concentrated on direct health care costs of patients with advanced to end-stage CKD. There are substantial gaps in evidence that need to be filled to inform clinical practice and policy.

Perspectives of Stakeholders on Implementing a Farm-to-University Program at an HBCU.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the perspectives of various stakeholders on whether an HBCU has the resources to establish a farm-to-university program that can improve fruits and vegetables intake among African American students. Additionally, this study assessed students' satisfaction with fruits and vegetables served in University dining halls, and their desire for changes in policies to increase local fruits and vegetables access on campus. METHODS: This study employed a mixed method data collection strategy. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the stakeholders' perspectives and self-administered questionnaires were used to assess students' satisfaction with fruits and vegetables and desire for policy changes. RESULTS: Barriers reported by both food service administrators and farmers were cost and variation in supply and demand. Students expressed lack of satisfaction with fresh produce served in campus dining halls and a desire for change in policies to increase local fruits and vegetables access on campus. CONCLUSION: While there is student desire for improved access to fresh produce on campus, there are perceived barriers to overcome. University partnerships are needed to address the desired nutritional improvements.

Obesity literacy and culture among African American women in Florida.

OBJECTIVE: To explore causal explanations of obesity among African-American women of diverse weight across the life spectrum. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with adult African-American women of healthy weight (N = 10), overweight (N = 10), and obese weight (N = 20) to evaluate the relationship between causal explanations of obesity and weight. RESULTS: Generally overlooked dimensions of health definitions were discovered. Differences in weight definitions were detected between women of different weights. Terminology, symptoms, and solutions to obesity were detected between the women of different weights and public health recommendations. CONCLUSION: Identified causal discrepancies will help bridge the disconnection between public health recommendations and African-American women's perceptions with tailored interventions.