Cervical Cancer: Preventable Deaths Among American Indian/Alaska Native Communities.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals have twice the mortality rate of cervical cancer than the general US population. Participation in prevention programs such as cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination are under-utilized in this population. There are high rates of established cervical cancer risk factors among this community, with AI/AN people having a higher likelihood of infection with high-risk HPV strains not included in the 9-valent vaccine. There is a need for more robust and urgent prevention and treatment efforts in regard to cervical cancer in the AI/AN community.

Helicobacter pylori Burden in the United States According to Individual Demographics and Geography: A Nationwide Analysis of the Veterans Healthcare System.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There are no contemporary large-scale studies evaluating the burden of Helicobacter pylori in the United States according to detailed demographics. The primary objective was to evaluate H pylori positivity in a large national healthcare system according to individual demographics and geography. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide retrospective analysis of adults in the Veterans Health Administration who completed H pylori testing between 1999 and 2018. The primary outcome was H pylori positivity overall, as well as according to zip code-level geography, race, ethnicity, age, sex, and time period. RESULTS: Among 913,328 individuals (mean, 58.1 years; 90.2% male) included between 1999 and 2018, H pylori was diagnosed in 25.8%. Positivity was highest in non-Hispanic black (median, 40.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 40.0%-40.5%) and Hispanic (36.7%; 95% CI, 36.4%-37.1%) individuals and lowest in non-Hispanic white individuals (20.1%; 95% CI, 20.0%-20.2%). Although H pylori positivity declined in all racial and ethnic groups over the timeframe, the disproportionate burden of H pylori in non-Hispanic black and Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic white individuals persisted. Approximately 4.7% of the variation in H pylori positivity was explained by demographics, with race and ethnicity accounting for the vast majority. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of H pylori is substantial in the United States among veterans. These data should (1) motivate research aimed at better understanding why marked demographic differences in H pylori burden persist so that mitigating interventions may be implemented and (2) guide resource allocation to optimize H pylori testing and eradication in high-risk groups.

Tendência temporal da prevalência de desnutrição em crianças menores de 5 anos assistidas pelo Programa Bolsa Família (2008-2019) / Temporal trend in the prevalence of malnutrition in children under five assisted by the Brazilian Income Transfer Program (2008-2019) / Tendencia temporal de la prevalencia de desnutrición en niños menores de cinco años atendidos por el Programa Bolsa Familia (2008-2019)

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a tendência temporal da desnutrição em crianças menores de 5 anos de idade assistidas pelo Programa Bolsa Família entre 2008 e 2019, explorando desigualdades regionais e buscando determinar o impacto das crises econômica e política agravadas em 2014 e da adesão governamental às políticas de austeridade fiscal na tendência. As análises foram realizadas utilizando dados agregados de lactentes (0-23 meses) e pré-escolares (24-59 meses), extraídos do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional (SISVAN) assistidas pelo Programa Bolsa Família (n = 34.272.024). As tendências foram analisadas por meio de modelos lineares generalizados, com efeitos mistos específicos para as faixas etárias (distribuição binomial negativa e função de ligação log). As desigualdades regionais foram analisadas a partir do agrupamento das Unidades Federativas segundo o Índice de Vulnerabilidade Social (IVS) e a influência das crises e das políticas de austeridade na prevalência de desnutrição por meio da interação entre "ano" e "crise" (2008-2013 vs. 2014-2019). Houve redução na prevalência de desnutrição infantil até meados de 2013, quando as tendências passaram a ser estacionárias para pré-escolares e ascendentes para lactentes. Observou-se, também, maior risco de desnutrição nos estados com média e alta vulnerabilidade social, quando comparadas àqueles com baixa vulnerabilidade social. Os pontos de inflexão nas tendências corroboram a hipótese de que as crises política e econômica, e as respostas governamentais a essas crises, provocaram impacto negativo sobre o estado nutricional de crianças em situação de pobreza e extrema pobreza no Brasil.

This study aimed to analyze the temporal trend of malnutrition in children aged under five years assisted by the Brazilian Income Transfer Program from 2008 to 2019, by exploring regional inequalities and seeking to determine the impact of the economic and political crises aggravated in 2014, and the government's adherence to fiscal austerity policies on the trend. The analyses were performed using aggregated data from infants (0-23 months) and preschoolers (24-59 months), extracted from the Brazilian Food and Nutritional Surveillance System (SISVAN) assisted by the Brazilian Income Transfer Program (n = 34,272,024). Trends were analyzed using generalized linear models with age-specific mixed effects (negative binomial distribution and log linkage function). The regional inequalities were analyzed based on the grouping of Federative Units according to the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and the influence of crises and austerity policies on the prevalence of malnutrition by the interaction between "year" and "crisis" (2008-2013 vs. 2014-2019). There was a reduction in the prevalence of child malnutrition until mid-2013, when the trends became stationary for preschoolers and upward for infants. There was also a higher risk of malnutrition in Federative Units with medium- and high-social vulnerability, when compared to those with low-social vulnerability. The inflection points in the trends corroborate the hypothesis that the political and economic crises, and the governmental responses to these crises, negatively impacted the nutritional status of children in poverty and extreme poverty in Brazil.

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la tendencia temporal de la desnutrición en niños menores de cinco años atendidos por el Programa Bolsa Familia entre los años 2008 y 2019, explorando desigualdades regionales y buscando determinar el impacto de las crisis económica y política que se intensificaron en 2014, así como la adhesión del gobierno a políticas de austeridad fiscal en esta tendencia. Los análisis se realizaron utilizando datos agregados de lactantes (0-23 meses) y preescolares (24-59 meses), extraídos del Sistema de Vigilancia Alimentaria y Nutricional (SISVAN) atendidos por el Programa Bolsa Familia (n = 34.272.024). Se analizaron las tendencias a través de modelos lineales generalizados con efectos mixtos específicos para los grupos de edad (distribución binomial negativa y función de enlace de logaritmo). Se analizaron las desigualdades regionales a partir del agrupamiento de las unidades federativas conforme el Índice de Vulnerabilidad Social (IVS) y la influencia de las crisis y de las políticas de austeridad en la prevalencia de desnutrición a través de la interacción entre "año" y "crisis" (2008-2013 vs. 2014-2019). Hubo una disminución en la prevalencia de desnutrición infantil hasta mediados de 2013, cuando las tendencias se volvieron estacionarias para preescolares y ascendentes para lactantes. También se observó un riesgo más alto de desnutrición en estados con vulnerabilidad social media y alta, en comparación con aquellos con vulnerabilidad social baja. Los puntos de inflexión en las tendencias corroboran la hipótesis de que las crisis política y económica, y las respuestas del gobierno para estas crisis, tuvieron un impacto negativo en el estado nutricional de niños en situación de pobreza y extrema pobreza en Brasil.

Associação entre iniquidades raciais e condição de saúde bucal: revisão sistemática / Association between racial iniquities and oral health status: a systematic review

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo é investigar a associação entre iniquidades raciais e condição de saúde bucal. Trata-se de revisão sistemática com protocolo cadastrado na plataforma prospero (CRD42021228417), com buscas realizadas em bases de dados eletrônicas e na literatura cinzenta. Identificou-se 3.028 publicações e após aplicação dos critérios de elegibilidade e análise do risco de vieses, 18 estudos foram selecionados. Os resultados indicam que indivíduos de raça/cor da pele preta/parda apresentam condições de saúde bucal desfavorável, representada principalmente pela autoavaliação de saúde bucal, perda dentária, cárie e periodontite. Os resultados evidenciaram iniquidades raciais em saúde bucal em diferentes países, para todos os indicadores analisados, com maior vulnerabilidade da população negra.

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate the association between racial iniquities and oral health status. This is a systematic review with a protocol registered on the Prospero Platform (CRD42021228417), with searches carried out in electronic databases and in gray literature. Our study identified 3,028 publications. After applying the eligibility criteria and risk of bias analysis, 18 studies were selected. The results indicate that individuals of black/brown race/skin color have unfavorable oral health conditions, mainly represented by self-rated oral health, tooth loss, caries, and periodontitis. The results showed racial iniquities in oral health in different countries, for all analyzed indicators, with a greater vulnerability of the black population.

Desigualdades sociales urbano-rurales en la mortalidad por siniestros viales en Colombia, 1998-2019

Introducción: Anualmente se pierden 1,35 millones de vidas por causa de siniestros viales; su ocurrencia se ha relacionado, además de factores comportamentales, con desigualdades sociales. Objetivo: Analizar las desigualdades sociales urbano-rurales en la mortalidad por siniestros viales en Colombia para el periodo 1998-2019. Materiales y métodos: Estudio ecológico a partir del análisis de las tasas de mortalidad ajustadas de los grupos poblacionales urbanos y rurales estratificados por sexo. Se hicieron análisis con regresión de Joinpoint y se calcularon medidas de desigualdad simple absoluta y relativa. Resultados: Se registraron 139 323 muertes por siniestros viales, en Colombia la tasa de mortalidad por esta causa se ha venido reduciendo. En contraste con las áreas rurales, en las áreas urbanas esta reducción es más significativa. Existen desigualdades en la mortalidad entre las áreas urbanas y rurales que han venido estrechándose. No obstante, en el caso de hombres y mujeres ha venido incrementándose. Discusión: La reducción de la tasa de mortalidad por siniestros viales sugiere que las intervenciones en seguridad vial han sido efectivas. La mayor mortalidad en hombres puede explicarse a partir de factores comportamentales. Las desigualdades urbano-rurales pueden estar relacionadas con las dinámicas de desarrollo. Conclusiones: Se registra una reducción en la tasa de mortalidad por siniestros viales, la cual es más significativa en áreas urbanas. Existen desigualdades urbano-rurales en la mortalidad por esta causa. Las políticas de seguridad vial deben partir de un enfoque integrador vinculado con otras agendas políticas.

Introduction: Annually, 1,35 million lives are lost due to road accidents; their occurrence has been related, in addition to behavioral factors, to social inequalities. Objective: To analyze urban-rural social inequalities in mortality from traffic accidents in Colombia from 1998-2019. Methods and materials: Ecological study based on the analysis of standardized mortality rates adjusted for age and sex of urban and rural population groups stratified by sex. Joinpoint regression analyses were performed, and absolute and relative simple inequality measures were calculated. Results: There were 139.323 deaths from road accidents; in Colombia mortality rates from this cause has been decreasing. In urban areas, the reduction is more significant than in rural areas. Disparities in mortality between urban and rural areas have been narrowing, however, in the case of men and women, they have been increasing. Discussion: Reducing the mortality rate from road accidents suggests that road safety interventions have been effective. Behavioral factors can explain the higher mortality in men. Urban-rural inequalities can be related to development dynamics. Conclusions: There is a significant reduction in the mortality rate due to road accidents in urban areas. There are urban-rural inequalities in mortality from this cause. Road safety policies must be based on an integrative approach linked to other political agendas.

Surgical care and trauma patients capacity in Piura, Perú - Cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Low and medium income countries face challenges in access and delivery of surgical care, resulting in a high number of deaths and disabled individuals. Objective: To estimate the capacity to provide surgical and trauma care in public hospitals in the Piura region, Perú, a middle income country. Methods: A survey was administered in public hospitals in the Peruvian region of Piura, which combined the Spanish versions of the PIPES and INTACT surveys, and the WHO situational analysis tool. The extent of the event was assessed based in the absolute differences between the medians of the scores estimated, and the Mann-Whitney bilateral tests, according to the geographical location and the level of hospital complexity. Results: Seven public hospitals that perform surgeries in the Piura region were assessed. Three provinces (3/8) did not have any complexity healthcare institutions. The average hospital in the peripheral provinces tended to be smaller than in the capital province in INTACT (8.25 vs. 9.5, p = 0.04). Additionally, water supply issues were identified (2/7), lack of incinerator (3/7), lack of uninterrupted availability of a CT-scanner (5/7) and problems with working hours; in other words, the blood banks in two hospitals were not open 24 hours. Conclusions: There is a significant inequality among the provinces in the region in terms of their trauma care capacities and several shortfalls in the public sector healthcare infrastructure. This information is required to conduct future research on capacity measurements in every public and private institution in the Peruvian region of Piura.

Introducción: Los países de ingresos bajos y medianos tienen problemas en el acceso y la provisión de atención quirúrgica, lo cual ocasiona un alto número de fallecimientos y de personas con discapacidad. Objetivo: Estimar la capacidad para la atención quirúrgica y de pacientes traumatizados en los hospitales públicos en la región de Piura, Perú, un país de ingreso mediano. Métodos: En los hospitales públicos de la región peruana de Piura se aplicó una encuesta que combinaba las versiones en español de las encuestas PIPES e INTACT y de la herramienta de análisis situacional de la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS). Se evaluó la magnitud del evento mediante las diferencias absolutas entre las medianas de los puntajes calculados y pruebas bilaterales de Mann-Whitney según la ubicación geográfica y el nivel de complejidad hospitalaria. Resultados: Se evaluaron siete hospitales públicos que realizan cirugía en la región de Piura. Tres provincias (3/8) no contaban con instituciones sanitarias con complejidad de hospital. La mediana de los hospitales de las provincias periféricas tuvo tendencia a ser menor que la de la provincia capital en la INTACT (8,25 vs. 9,5, p = 0,04). Asimismo, se hallaron problemas de abastecimiento de agua (2/7), ausencia de incinerador (3/7), falta de funcionamiento permanente de tomógrafo (5/7) y problemas con el horario de funcionamiento de los bancos de sangre, ya que no funcionaban las 24 horas del día en 2 hospitales (2/7). Conclusiones: Se describe la alta desigualdad entre las provincias de la región en la capacidad de atención de trauma y varias carencias en la infraestructura sanitaria del sector público. Esta información es necesaria para desarrollar futura investigación de medición de capacidades en todos los establecimientos públicos y privados de la región peruana de Piura.

Adherencia a la atención prenatal en el contexto sociocultural de países subdesarrollados: una revisión narrativa

La atención prenatal tiene como fin preservar y mejorar la salud de la madre y del producto de su gestación, pero la calidad de este servicio y las tasas de asistencias son variables, siendo los países subdesarrollados los que presentan las tasas más bajas. Existen brechas culturales que impiden el adecuado acceso a los cuidados prenatales, y ello pone en riesgo la salud del binomio madre e hijo. El objetivo fue realizar una revisión actualizada sobre las brechas culturales y su repercusión en la atención prenatal. Para la ejecución de la revisión narrativa, se efectuó una búsqueda en las bases de datos en inglés de Pubmed y Scopus, y en español, de Scielo, de todos los artículos que fueron publicados hasta el 17 de diciembre del 2022. Existen diversas situaciones por las cuales las gestantes no acuden a su cita prenatal; entre ellas, destacan el machismo, que ha sido reportado como una causa común de inasistencia a los controles prenatales en países subdesarrollados y, sobre todo, en comunidades rurales; la falta de educación en las familias, razón por la cual las mujeres no asisten a los controles prenatales por ignorancia sobre el cuidado y riesgos del embarazo, así como por sus creencias y costumbres sobre su proceso; las dificultades geográficas para llegar al centro de salud; el maltrato en la atención prenatal, sea por parte del profesional de la salud o por falta de inclusión en el centro de salud; el estado migratorio y el problema de acceso a la salud que esto representa. Reconocer estas situaciones es tan importante como saber sus consecuencias; una vez identificadas, se pueden buscar diferentes alternativas de solución desde el primer nivel de atención. El personal de salud debe capacitarse con el fin de ayudar a la población a entender la importancia del control prenatal, y para ello debe conocer y respetar las costumbres y tradiciones de cada paciente, sin menoscabar sus ideologías.

Prenatal care is intended to preserve and improve maternal and child health; however, the quality of this service and the attendance rates vary, with developing countries having the lowest rates. There are cultural gaps that prevent adequate access to prenatal care, putting the maternal and child health at risk. Our objective was to carry out an updated review on cultural gaps and their impact on prenatal care. This narrative review was conducted by searching all articles published until December 17, 2022, in English databases such as PubMed and Scopus, and Spanish databases such as SciELO. There are various situations that force pregnant women not to attend prenatal appointment, including machismo, reported as a common cause of non-attendance to prenatal checkups in developing countries and especially in rural communities; poor education in families, so women do not attend prenatal checkups due to ignorance about pregnancy care and risks, as well as their beliefs and customs about pregnancy; difficulty accessing health care services due to geographic issues; mistreatment from health professionals while receiving prenatal care or lack of inclusion in the health center; immigration status and the resulting problems with access to health care. Recognizing these situations is as important as knowing their consequences since, once identified, different solution alternatives can be sought from the primary health care. Health personnel must be trained to help the population understand the importance of prenatal care by knowing and respecting the customs and traditions of each patient, and not undermining their ideologies.

Tendencias de la mortalidad femenina por cáncer de mama en Argentina, 2005-2020 / Female breast cancer mortality trends in Argentina, 2005-2020

Introducción: El cáncer de mama es una causa de muerte evitable en las mujeres de hasta 74 años de edad. Sin embargo, es el cáncer más frecuente y la primera causa de muerte por tumores en esa población. Objetivo: Analizar las tendencias de la mortalidad por cáncer de mama en las mujeres de Argentina entre 2005 y 2020, considerando el grupo de edad y la región geográfica. Método: Estudio cuantitativo y descriptivo con perspectiva sociodemográfica. Se calcularon tasas específicas de mortalidad a partir de datos oficiales y se aplicaron modelos de regresión joinpoint para evaluar su tendencia temporal. Resultados: La tasa de mortalidad ajustada por cáncer de mama disminuyó significativamente (PPCA: −1,5%; IC95%: −1,3% a −0,7%); sin embargo, aumentó en las mujeres de 25 a 34 años (PPCA: 2,3%; IC95%: 1,4% a 3,2%). El descenso registrado se trasladó mayormente a las regiones Centro, Cuyo y Noroeste, mientras que las tasas de mortalidad de las regiones Noreste y Patagónica no variaron significativamente. Conclusiones: No obstante los progresos documentados, se evidencian desafíos para reducir la mortalidad por cáncer de mama en las poblaciones más jóvenes. Asimismo, persisten las desigualdades regionales, lo que destaca la importancia de adaptar las acciones a las necesidades del territorio.

Background: Breast cancer is a preventable cause of death among women up to 74 years of age. However, it is the most common cause of cancer death among this population. Objective: To analyze female breast cancer mortality trends in Argentina between 2005 and 2020, taking into account age groups and geographical regions. Method: Quantitative and descriptive study carried out from a socio-demographic perspective. Specific mortality rates were calculated based on official data, and joinpoint regression models were applied to evaluate time trends in mortality. Results: The adjusted mortality rate attributed to breast cancer decreased significantly (AAPC: −1,5%; CI95%: −1,3% to −0,7%); however, it increased among women aged 25-34 (AAPC: 2,3%; CI95%: 1,4% to 3,2%). Besides, the decreasing of mortality took place mainly in Central, Cuyo and Northwest regions meanwhile the mortality rates from Northeast and Patagonia regions didnt vary significantly. Conclusions: Although progress has been made, there are still some challenges regarding the reduction of breast cancer mortality in young women. In addition, regional disparities remain, highlighting the importance to adapt actions to territorial needs.

Comorbidity Patterns in Patients Newly Diagnosed With Colorectal Cancer: Network-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) often present with multiple comorbidities, and many of these can affect treatment and survival. However, previous comorbidity studies primarily focused on diseases in commonly used comorbidity indices. The comorbid status of CRC patients with respect to the entire spectrum of chronic diseases has not yet been investigated. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to systematically analyze all chronic diagnoses and diseases co-occurring, using a network-based approach and large-scale administrative health data, and provide a complete picture of the comorbidity pattern in patients newly diagnosed with CRC from southwest China. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, the hospital discharge records of 678 hospitals from 2015 to 2020 in Sichuan Province, China were used to identify new CRC cases in 2020 and their history of diseases. We examined all chronic diagnoses using ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) codes at 3 digits and focused on chronic diseases with >1% prevalence in at least one subgroup (1-sided test, P<.025), which resulted in a total of 66 chronic diseases. Phenotypic comorbidity networks were constructed across all CRC patients and different subgroups by sex, age (18-59, 60-69, 70-79, and ≥80 years), area (urban and rural), and cancer site (colon and rectum), with comorbidity as a node and linkages representing significant correlations between multiple comorbidities. RESULTS: A total of 29,610 new CRC cases occurred in Sichuan, China in 2020. The mean patient age at diagnosis was 65.6 (SD 12.9) years, and 75.5% (22,369/29,610) had at least one comorbidity. The most prevalent comorbidities were hypertension (8581/29,610, 29.0%; 95% CI 28.5%-29.5%), hyperplasia of the prostate (3816/17,426, 21.9%; 95% CI 21.3%-22.5%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; 4199/29,610, 14.2%; 95% CI 13.8%-14.6%). The prevalence of single comorbidities was different in each subgroup in most cases. Comorbidities were closely associated, with disorders of lipoprotein metabolism and hyperplasia of the prostate mediating correlations between other comorbidities. Males and females shared 58.3% (141/242) of disease pairs, whereas male-female disparities occurred primarily in diseases coexisting with COPD, cerebrovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, heart failure, or renal failure among males and with osteoporosis or gonarthrosis among females. Urban patients generally had more comorbidities with higher prevalence and more complex disease coexistence relationships, whereas rural patients were more likely to have co-existing severe diseases, such as heart failure comorbid with the sequelae of cerebrovascular disease or COPD. CONCLUSIONS: Male-female and urban-rural disparities in the prevalence of single comorbidities and their complex coexistence relationships in new CRC cases were not due to simple coincidence. The results reflect clinical practice in CRC patients and emphasize the importance of measuring comorbidity patterns in terms of individual and coexisting diseases in order to better understand comorbidity patterns.

Trends in Socioeconomic Inequalities in Breast Cancer Incidence Among Women in Canada.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females in Canada. This study examines trends in socioeconomic inequalities in the incidence of breast cancer in Canada over time from 1992 to 2010. METHODS: A census division level dataset was constructed using the Canadian Cancer Registry, Canadian Census of the Population and National Household Survey. A summary measure of the Concentration index (C), which captures inequality across socioeconomic groups, was used to measure income and education inequalities in breast cancer incidence over the 19-year period. RESULTS: The crude breast cancer incidence increased in Canada between 1992 and 2010. Age-standardized C values indicated no income or education inequalities in breast cancer incidence in the years from 1992 to 2004. However, the incidence was significantly concentrated among females in high income and highly educated neighbourhoods almost half the time in the 6 most recent years (2005-2010). The trend analysis indicated an increase in breast cancer incidence among females living in high income and highly educated neighbourhoods. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer incidence in Canada was associated with increased socioeconomic status in some more recent years. Our study findings provide previously unavailable empirical evidence to inform discussions on socioeconomic inequalities in breast incidence.

Socioeconomic and environmental factors associated with waterpipe tobacco smoking among Iranian adults: a PERSIAN cohort-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) is associated with several deleterious health outcomes. We sought to estimate the prevalence of WTS and explore socioeconomic inequalities associated with this culturally-rooted tobacco smoking practice among Iranian adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 20,460 adults (ages 18 and older) enrolled in the PERSIAN cohort study during 2020. Data were collected on socioeconomic status (SES), lifestyle, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and several risk factors related to non-communicable diseases. The concentration curve and relative concentration index (RCI) were administered to assess and quantify the SES-based inequality in WTS. RESULTS: Overall age-adjusted prevalence of past-month WTS was 5.1% (95%CI:4.6-5.8), with about 1% for women and 10.6 for men. Age-adjusted prevalence of WTS was higher among younger adults, men, cigarette smokers, obese adults, and those with higher SES. The RCI estimation showed that WTS is more popular among adults with high income and education. WTS was higher among younger adults, cigarette smokers, obese adults, and those with higher SES. CONCLUSION: There is a clear socioeconomic inequality in WTS, with a higher prevalence among adults with higher income and education. The findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to address this inequality and reduce the prevalence of WTS among high-income communities.

Recent trends in maternal and child health inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean: analysis of repeated national surveys.

BACKGROUND: Although most Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries made important progress in maternal and child health indicators from the 1990s up to 2010, little is known about such progress in the last decade. This study aims at documenting progress for each country as a whole, and to assess how within-country socioeconomic inequalities are evolving over time. METHODS: We identified LAC countries for which a national survey was available between 2011-2015 and a second comparable survey in 2018-2020. These included Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Peru, and Suriname. The 16 surveys included in the analysis collected nationally representative data on 221,989 women and 152,983 children using multistage sampling. Twelve health-related outcomes were studied, seven of which related to intervention coverage: the composite coverage index, demand for family planning satisfied with modern methods, antenatal care (four or more visits and eight or more visits), skilled attendant at birth, postnatal care for the mother and full immunization coverage. Five additional impact indicators were also investigated: stunting prevalence among under-five children, tobacco use by women, adolescent fertility rate, and under-five and neonatal mortality rates. For each of these indicators, average annual relative change rates were calculated between the baseline and endline national level estimates, and changes in socioeconomic inequalities over time were assessed using the slope index of inequality. RESULTS: Progress over time and the magnitude of inequalities varied according to country and indicator. For countries and indicators where baseline levels were high, as Argentina, Costa Rica and Cuba, progress was slow and inequalities small for most indicators. Countries that still have room for improvements, such as Guyana, Honduras, Peru and Suriname, showed faster progress for some but not all indicators, although also had wider inequalities. Among the countries studied, Peru was the top performer in terms of increasing coverage and reducing inequalities over time, followed by Honduras. Declines in family planning and immunization coverage were observed in some countries, and the widest inequalities were present for adolescent fertility and antenatal care coverage with eight or more visits. CONCLUSIONS: Although LAC countries are well placed in terms of current levels of health indicators compared to most low- and middle-income countries, important inequalities remain, and reversals are being observed in some areas. More targeted efforts and actions are needed in order to leave no one behind. Monitoring progress with an equity lens is essential, but this will require further investment in conducting surveys routinely.

The Impact of Socioeconomic Inequality on Mental Health among Adolescents in Qazvin, Iran: Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition Method.

Background: Mental health is integral to public health in adolescents. Although previous studies have shown that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with mental disorders (MD), it is unclear which mental health domains are most important. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the associations between 5 domains of mental disorder and SES inequality in adolescents. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among adolescents (N = 1724). Associations between SES inequality with mental disorders, such as emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior, were examined. We used the concentration index (CI) to determine inequality. The gap between the low and high socioeconomic groups was decomposed into its determinants using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method. Results: Mental health's overall CI was -0.085 (P ˂ 0.001). The emotional problem was primarily caused by SES inequality (-0.094 [P = 0.004]). Decomposition of the gap between the 2 economic groups showed that physical activity, school performance, exercise, parents' smoking status, and gender were the most important determinants of inequality. Conclusion: SES inequality plays a vital role in adolescents' mental health. It seems that the emotional problem domain of mental health might be more amenable to interventions than other domains.

Increasing use of systems science in cardiovascular disease prevention to understand how to address geographic health disparities in communities with a disproportionate burden of risk.

Objective: Marginalized communities shoulder a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) driven by concentrated neighborhood social risk factors. We provide a case study of systems science application to address geographic CVD health disparities at the community level - informing the science of CVD health disparities research. Methods: We conducted a two-phased, multi-methods needs assessment in the Denver, Colorado area. Phase I consisted of a social network analysis to map a two-mode network of existing CVD prevention interventions and their implementing organizations. In Phase II, group model building (GMB) sessions with key community, public health, and healthcare provider stakeholders, were utilized to identify and visualize community factors contributing to disparities in CVD risk, producing a consensus-based causal loop diagram. Results: Between May 2021 and June 2022, we conducted 24 virtual, semi-structured interviews in Phase I to describe CVD prevention interventions, and 7 virtual GMB sessions in Phase II to describe experiences of disparities in CVD risk. For the purposes of this paper, we focus on a subset of results for both phases. In Phase I we identified 89 active CVD prevention interventions, 29 of which addressed tobacco use. In Phase II, causal loop diagrams revealed root causes of disparities in CVD risk. We provide an example of a causal loop diagram that focuses on the community prevalence of tobacco use, identifying stress as a key underlying factor driving disparities. The integration of findings from both phases highlighted the alignment and misalignment between quit tobacco intervention goals and how they are being experienced in marginalized communities. Conclusion: Systems science methods were useful to organize a large number of CVD prevention efforts, and evaluate the root causes of CVD health disparities in a high risk community. By integrating these two aspects, interventions may be reoriented to more effectively address the root causes of CVD health disparities.

Socioeconomic status and cancer survival in Brazil: Analysis of population data from the municipalities of Aracaju and Curitiba, 1996-2012.

INTRODUCTION: The association between socioeconomic status and cancer prognosis has been demonstrated in several countries. Despite the existence of indirect evidence of this phenomenon in Brazil, few studies in this regard are available. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study is to analyse socioeconomic related survival gaps for patients diagnosed with breast, cervical, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer in the cities of Aracaju (SE) and Curitiba (PR). METHODS: Using population-based data, we estimated net survival by tumour site, year of diagnosis, socioeconomic status and local of residence. Net survival estimation was done with multilevel parametric model allowing flexible spline functions do estimate excess mortality hazards. RESULTS: 28,005 cases were included in survival analysis. Five-year net survival showed positive association with SES. Intermunicipal survival gaps favouring Aracaju where prominent for breast (reaching 16,1% in 5 years) OBJECTIVES: Study the impact of socioeconomic factors on cancer survival in two Brazilian capitals. METHODS: Survival analysis using population-based cancer data including patients diagnosed with breast, lung, prostate, cervical and colorectal cancer between 1996 and 2012 in Aracaju and Curitiba. Outcomes were excessive mortality hazard (EMH) and 5- and 8-years net survival (NS). The association of race/skin color and socioeconomic level (SES) with EMH and net survival were analyzed using a multilevel regression model with flexible splines. RESULTS: 28,005 cases were included, 6636 from Aracaju and 21,369 from Curitiba. NS for all diseases studied increased more prominently for Curitiba population. We observed NS gap between the populations of Aracaju and Curitiba that increased or remained stable during the study period, with emphasis on the growth of the difference in NS of lung and colon cancer (among men). Only for cervical cancer and prostate cancer there was a reduction in the intermunicipal gaps. 5-year NS for breast cancer in Aracaju ranged from 55.2% to 73.4% according to SES. In Curitiba this variation was from 66.5% to 83.8%. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggests widening of socioeconomic and regional inequalities in the survival of patients with colorectal, breast, cervical, lung and prostate cancers in Brazil during the 1990 s and 2000 s.

Multilevel Self-Management in Nursing Research: An Approach to Decrease Health Disparities in Chronic Diseases / Intervenciones de autogestión multinivel en la investigación en enfermería: Un enfoque para disminuir las disparidades de salud en enfermedades crónicas / Intervenções multiníveis de autogerenciamento na pesquisa em enfermagem: uma abordagem para reduzir as disparidades de saúde em doenças crônicas

Objective. To discuss multilevel self-management intervention research in nursing to decrease health disparities among people living with chronic diseases. Content synthesis. Multilevel interventions have become the core of nursing research in the last decade. However, a critical limitation of existing interventions targeting health disparities among those living with chronic diseases is the tendency to address single or individual-level factors solely. Conclusions. Nursing research is creating knowledge that may be translated into clinical practice and promoting evidence-based and innovative self-management practices to decrease health disparities and promote health equity among people living with chronic diseases.

Objetivo. Analizar la investigación realizada por enfermería en intervenciones multinivel de automanejo con el fin de disminuir las disparidades de salud entre las personas que viven con enfermedades crónicas. Síntesis de contenido.Las intervenciones multinivel se han convertido en el núcleo de la investigación en enfermería en la última década. Sin embargo, una limitación crítica de las intervenciones existentes que se enfocan en las disparidades de salud entre quienes viven con enfermedades crónicas es la tendencia a abordar factores individuales o de nivel individual únicamente. Conclusiones. La investigación en enfermería está creando conocimiento que puede traducirse en la práctica clínica y promueve prácticas de autocuidado innovadoras y basadas en evidencia para disminuir las disparidades en la salud y promover la equidad en la salud entre las personas que viven con enfermedades crónicas.

Objetivo. Analisar a pesquisa realizada pela enfermagem em intervenções multiníveis de autogestão para reduzir as disparidades de saúde entre pessoas que vivem com doenças crônicas. Síntese de conteúdo. As intervenções multiníveis tornaram-se o núcleo da pesquisa em enfermagem na última década. No entanto, uma limitação crítica das intervenções existentes que visam as disparidades de saúde entre aqueles que vivem com doenças crônicas é a tendência de abordar apenas fatores individuais ou de nível individual. Conclusões.A pesquisa em enfermagem está criando conhecimento que pode ser traduzido para a prática clínica e promovendo práticas de autocuidado inovadoras e baseadas em evidências para diminuir as disparidades de saúde e promover a equidade na saúde entre pessoas que vivem com doenças crônicas.

Regional disparities in cancer survival in Iran: Insight from a National Surveillance of Cancer Survival in Iran (IRANCANSURV).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate geographical disparity in cancer survival in 9 provincial population-based cancer registries in Iran from 2015 to 2016. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In the current study, data from 90,862 adult patients (aged >15 years) diagnosed with cancer were retrieved from 9 population-based cancer registries across Iran. Five-year survival rates were estimated by applying relative survival approaches. We also applied the international cancer survival standard weights for age standardization. Finally, we calculated the excess hazard ratio (EHR) for each province adjusted for age, sex, and cancer sites to estimate the excess hazard ratio of mortality compared to the capital province (Tehran). RESULTS: The largest gap in survival was observed in more curable cancer types, including melanoma (41.4%), ovary (32.3%), cervix (35.0%), prostate (26.7%), and rectum (21.4%), while the observed geographical disparity in lethal cancers such as lung, brain, stomach, and pancreas was less than 15%. Compared to Tehran, we found the highest excess hazard of death in Western Azerbaijan (EHR=1.60, 95% CI 1.51, 1.65), Kermanshah (EHR=1.52, 95% CI=1.44, 1.61), and Kerman (EHR=1.46, 95% CI=1.38, 1.53). The hazard ratio of death was almost identical in Isfahan (EHR=1.04, 95% CI=1.03, 1.06) and Tehran provinces. CONCLUSION: Provinces with higher HDI had better survival rates. IRANCANSURV study showed regional disparities in cancer survival in Iran. Cancer patients in provinces with a higher Human Development Index (HDI) had a higher survival rate and lived longer compared to the patients in provinces with medium and low HDI regions.

Healthier Energy Balance Behaviors Most Important for Health-Related Quality of Life in Rural Cancer Survivors in Central Pennsylvania.

BACKGROUND: Rural cancer survivors face a greater number of health disparities, including poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL), than urban cancer survivors. Engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors also varies between rural and urban cancer survivors. Lifestyle behaviors can improve HRQoL; however, the combination of behaviors most important for HRQoL in rural survivors is unclear. This study examined clusters of lifestyle behaviors in rural cancer survivors, and differences in HRQoL between behavioral clusters. METHODS: Rural cancer survivors in the United States (N = 219) completed a cross-sectional survey. Lifestyle behaviors were classified into unhealthy/healthy binary categories (inactive/active, longer/shorter sedentary time, excessive/acceptable fat intake, very low/higher fruit and vegetable intake, some/no alcohol consumption, and poor/good sleep quality). Behavioral clusters were identified by latent class analysis. HRQoL differences between behavioral clusters were assessed by ordinary least squares regression. RESULTS: The 2-class model demonstrated the best fit and interpretability. The "mostly unhealthy behaviors" class (38.5% of sample) had higher probabilities of all unhealthy behaviors, except alcohol consumption. The "healthier energy balance" class (61.5% of sample) had higher probabilities of active, shorter sedentary, higher fruit and vegetable consumption, excessive fat intake, some alcohol consumption, and poor sleep categories, and reported better HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: Healthier energy balance behaviors were particularly relevant for HRQoL in rural cancer survivors. Multiple behavior change interventions to improve HRQoL in rural cancer survivors should focus on supporting energy balance behaviors. Many rural cancer survivors may lead very unhealthy lifestyles, placing them at high risk of adverse outcomes. This subpopulation should be prioritized to help alleviate cancer health disparities.

Rural-urban disparities in mortality and geriatric assessment among older adults with cancer: The cancer & aging resilience evaluation (CARE) registry.

INTRODUCTION: Rural-urban disparities persist in cancer mortality, despite improvement in cancer screening and treatment. Although older adults represent the majority of cancer cases and are over-represented in rural areas, few studies have explored rural-urban disparities in mortality and age-related impairments among older adults with cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 962 newly-diagnosed older adults (≥60 years) with cancer who underwent geriatric assessment (GA) at their first pre-chemotherapy visit to an academic medical center in the Southeastern United States. We used Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes to classify residence at time of diagnosis into urban and rural areas. We used one-year survival and pre-treatment frailty as outcomes. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate the association between residence and one-year mortality, and logistic regression to evaluate the association between residence and pre-treatment frailty. All tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Median age at GA was 68.0 (interquartile rage [IQR]: 64.0, 74.0) years; most had colorectal cancer (24.3%) with advanced stage (III/IV 73.2%) disease. Overall, 11.4% resided in rural and 88.6% in urban areas. Rural areas had a higher proportion of White and less educated participants. After adjustment for age, sex, race, education, employment status, and cancer type/stage, rural residence was associated with higher hazard of one-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23, 2.57) compared to urban residence. Frailty was an effect modifier of this association (HROverall = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.27, 2.57; HRFrail = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.23, 3.41; HRNot Frail = 1.55, 95% CI = 0.90, 2.68). DISCUSSION: Among older adults with newly diagnosed cancer, rural residence was associated with reduced one-year survival, particularly among frail older adults. The rural-urban disparities observed in the current study may be due to frailty in conjunction with disparities in social determinants of health across rural and urban areas. Future studies should focus on understanding and intervening on underlying causes of these disparities.