Validation and reliability for the updated REAP-S dietary screener, (Rapid Eating Assessment of Participants, Short Version, v.2).

BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association (AHA) chose the REAP-S dietary screener in 2020 as one of three US dietary screeners recommended for integrating dietary assessment into clinical care. The REAP-S v.2 is an updated version that is aligned with the 2020-2025 US Dietary Guidelines and is easily incorporated into electronic medical records and taught to medical students. METHODS: The University of New England, Institutional Review Board, approved the study protocol. We evaluated the reliability and validity of the REAP-S v.2 scale by having first-year medical students (n = 167) complete both the REAP-S v.2 and a three-day food record and then analyzing their data with the following statistical techniques: Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed with exploratory factor analysis. Criterion validity was evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) that explored the associations between REAP-S v.2 scale item responses and selected nutrient estimates from the food record analyses. The hierarchical cluster analysis classified healthy and unhealthy diet grouping under each subscale. Further using these groupings, cut points for "good" and "bad" diets for each of the three main REAP-S v.2 subscales (Food Sufficiency/Food Insufficiency; Healthy Eating Pattern and Low Nutrient Density Foods) were calculated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. Students analyzed their three-day food intake records using an online USDA application called SuperTracker. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha measuring internal consistency was acceptable for the overall scale at 0.71. The exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors that roughly paralleled the three main subscales, suggesting construct validity. Most selected food record-derived nutrient values were significantly associated with scale items confirming criterion validity. The score cut points suggest that dietary counseling might be needed at ≤ 8, ≤ 10, and ≤ 16 for the above subscales. CONCLUSION: The REAP-S v.2 is intended for clinicians to use as a brief dietary screener with their patients. Tested in a population of first-year medical students, the REAP-S v.2 brief dietary screener showed acceptable internal consistency, criterion, and construct validity. It is easily scored and incorporated into the electronic medical record.

Prevalence and Assessment of Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in an Ethnic Minority Oncology Patient Population.

BACKGROUND: Complicating the COVID-19 pandemic are the healthcare disparities experienced by ethnic minorities, especially those with comorbidities including cancer. The introduction of COVID-19 vaccines has been instrumental in blunting the morbidity and mortality from the pandemic; however, vaccine hesitancy, particularly among ethnic minorities, has been a major concern. Thus, we sought to evaluate the knowledge and perspectives of COVID-19 and vaccines among our ethnic minority cancer patient population. METHODS: Following an IRB approved protocol, questionnaires were completed by patients in a predominantly ethnic minority population at a single institution between 1 February and 30 June 2021. Included were any adult cancer patients with either a solid or hematologic malignancy. RESULTS: Among the 84 patients that were offered the questionnaires, 52 patients responded, with a median age of 63.5 years. Overall, 36% were non-Hispanic Blacks and 30% were Hispanics; 65% were receiving active treatment for their cancer. Seventy-nine percent believed COVID-19 to be dangerous or harmful to them, 61% were concerned about the side effects, yet 65% considered COVID-19 vaccines as safe. Among the seven patients that refused the vaccine, (71%, n = 5) cited side effects and/or (57%, n = 4) believed that the vaccine was not needed. Overall, there was a significantly higher chance of being vaccinated if patients were receiving active cancer treatment, believed COVID-19 was harmful, or that the vaccine was safe, and knew COVID-19 was a virus. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study demonstrates that most ethnic minority cancer patients are receptive to vaccines, with a majority being vaccinated. However, we also discovered various reasons why this group of patients may not want be vaccinated, including concerns about side effects and perception that COVID-19 is not harmful. These findings can help us further understand the complex nature of vaccine hesitancy in ethnic minority cancer patients, and aid in developing future vaccine awareness strategies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

Evaluation of a Mother-Infant Dyadic Video-Feedback Intervention in a Community Health Center in South Bronx, New York City.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates a video-feedback program's effectiveness in promoting responsive and sensitive parenting for families in care in a community health center located in the South Bronx, New York City. METHODS: Change in measures of parent responsiveness/sensitivity (Global Rating Scale), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7), and parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index-Short Form) were analyzed for mother-infant dyads (N=34) completing a six-session videofeedback program between 2014 and 2016. RESULTS: Participants were primarily mothers of color (30% African American; 63% Hispanic) with young infants (mean age 8 months). At program completion, mothers demonstrated a significant improvement of 19% in maternal responsiveness and fewer depressive and anxious symptoms. CONCLUSION: Cost-effectiveness studies are needed to compare parenting interventions by setting (community health center, home, or mental health facility) for acceptability and effectiveness to determine best practice models for communities challenged by poverty, trauma, and health disparities.

Neighborhood Profiles and Body Mass Index Trajectory in Female Adolescents and Young Adults.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify distinct neighborhood profiles patterned by key structural, physical, and social characteristics and test whether living in different profiles are associated with body mass index trajectories during adolescence in racial/ethnic minority female youth. METHODS: Participants were 1,328 sexually active female adolescents and young adults aged 14-23 years, predominately Hispanic and black, enrolled in an human papillomavirus type 4 vaccine (Gardasil) surveillance study at a large adolescent health clinic in New York City between 2007 and 2018. Body mass index was calculated from weight and height every 6 months. A comprehensive set of neighborhood structural, social, and physical characteristics from multiple national and state datasets was linked to each participant based on home address. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis revealed five distinct neighborhood profiles in New York City: High Structural/High Social Advantage, Moderate Advantage/Low Crime, Low SES (Socioeconomic Status)/High Activity, Low SES/High Social Advantage, and High Disadvantage. Results from multilevel growth curve analysis revealed that living in Low SES/High Activity neighborhoods was associated with a lower BMI at age 22 (b = -1.32, 95% confidence interval -2.49, -.16), as well as a slower increase in BMI from age 14 to 22 years (b = -.22, 95% confidence interval -.46, .02), compared to the High Disadvantage profile. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that improving neighborhood structural, social, and physical environments may help promote healthy weight and reduce health disparities during adolescence and young adulthood.

Effect of child abuse and neglect on risk behaviors in inner-city minority female adolescents and young adults.

BACKGROUND: Over six million children each year are referred to child protective services for child abuse (sexual, physical and emotional) and neglect (physical and emotional). OBJECTIVE: While the relationship between child sexual abuse and sexually transmitted infections has been documented, there has been little research regarding the effects of other forms of maltreatment. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 882 inner-city females aged 12-20 years of age seen at a large adolescent and young adult (AYA) health center in New York City between 2012-2017. METHODS: History of maltreatment was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Associations with depressive symptoms, antisocial behavior, peer deviancy, drug/alcohol use, and risky sexual behaviors were assessed. RESULTS: History of maltreatment was common in our cohort of inner-city AYA females, with 59.6 % reporting any type of maltreatment, including sexual abuse (17.5 %), physical abuse (19.5 %) or neglect (26.2 %), and emotional abuse (30.7 %) or neglect (40.4 %). We observed significant associations between all forms of maltreatment and risk of depression, drug/alcohol use, antisocial behaviors, peer deviancy, and risky sexual risk behaviors (including having a higher number of sexual partners, having a sexual partner 5+ years older, and anal sex). Physical and emotional abuse were associated with having unprotected sex while under the influence of drugs/alcohol. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Reporting a history of maltreatment was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in risky sexual and antisocial behaviors, as well as depression in inner-city female youth. These data highlight the broad, lingering repercussions of all types of child maltreatment.

Comparison of Modes of Administration of Screens to Identify a History of Childhood Physical Abuse in an Adolescent and Young Adult Population.

BACKGROUND: Childhood physical abuse is a major public health issue with negative consequences to health and well-being manifested in childhood and adolescence, and persisting into adulthood. Yet much childhood physical abuse is not identified when it occurs and little is known about how to screen for it. METHODS: To address this gap, the effectiveness of 4 modes of administration of screens to identify childhood physical abuse were compared in a sample of 506 adolescents and young adults aged 12-24 years seeking general health services at a primary care clinic. Comparisons were made between paper and pencil screen, audio computer-assisted self-interview screen, face-to-face structured screen (all 3 using the same measure), and face-to-face unstructured interview. FINDINGS: Overall, 44.5% of the sample disclosed that they had been physically abused. Compared to paper and pencil screen, the odds of reporting physical abuse were 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92, 2.58) and 4.3 (95% CI: 2.49, 7.43) higher among participants using face-to-face structured screen and face-to-face unstructured interview methods, respectively. The face-to-face unstructured interview identified significantly more reports than the paper and pencil screen. CONCLUSIONS: Although the unstructured interview was the most effective mode for screening for childhood physical abuse, additional research is needed to confirm whether this holds true in other health care settings. Further research should examine how a health provider's training, experience, and comfort level might influence the identification of physical abuse disclosure in primary care settings using face-to-face unstructured interview.

Model assessment of individual tumor control rate and adverse effects in comparing locally advanced cervical cancer treatment using intracavitary with and without interstitial brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the modeled probability of tumor control and organ at risk toxicities in locally advanced cervical cancer in patients treated by external beam radiation plus brachytherapy using intracavitary combined with interstitial brachytherapy (IC/IS) vs. intracavitary brachytherapy (IC) alone. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty cervical cancer patients with a mean HR-CTV volume of 47.4 cm3 and a mean width of 54 mm were planned with both IC/IS and IC brachytherapy alone. A probit model was utilized to model 3-year (3-yr) local control rate (LC), 3-yr cancer specific survival rate (CSS), and the adverse effect (AE) of the organ at risk by using a modeled data set from multiple institutions. Modeling results were used to estimate the LC, CSS, and AE of the treatments in this study. RESULTS: Using the IC/IS technique, an EQD2 increase of 12.3 Gy to D90 (from 76.1 Gy to 88.3 Gy) of HR-CTV is expected to increase 3-yr LC and 3-yr CSS by 12.5%, and 11.0%, respectively. Comparing IC/IS to IC alone, the expected G2+ AE were 7.7% vs. 7.9% for the bladder, and 5.9% vs. 6.8% for the rectum. CONCLUSIONS: The IC/IS technique improved dose coverage to the HR-CTV without significantly increasing dose to 2 cm3 of the organ at risk (OAR) surrounding it. With different regimens of EBRT combined with BT, IC/IS can be used to increase the probability of LC and CSS, or decrease the risk of AE.

DOWRY DEMAND AND HARASSMENT: PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS IN INDIA.

The practice of dowry is widespread in India and refers to the payment of cash/gifts by the bride's family to the bridegroom's family before marriage. Though prohibited by law, dowry is widely practised, and often contributes to severe injuries and even death of young brides. This study examined the prevalence and risk factors for dowry demand and dowry harassment and its psychosocial correlates across different social strata in India, and also by husband and mother-in-law characteristics. In a cross-sectional survey of 9938 women in rural, urban and urban non-slum sites across India conducted in 1998-99, dowry demand was found to be significantly higher (p<0.001) in the urban non-slum and rural areas (26% and 23% respectively) than in urban slum areas (18%). Overall, 17% of groom's families were not satisfied with the dowry, this being higher in rural areas (21%) than in urban slum and non-slum areas (about 14% in both). The overall prevalence of dowry harassment among this group of women was 13.3%. Mothers-in-law who had themselves experienced dowry demand were 14 (95% CI 5.0-40.4) and 5 (95% CI 1.3-18.9) times more likely to demand and harass daughters-in-law over dowry, respectively. Another significant risk factor for dowry-related harassment was mother-in law's status in the family. Interventions related to modifiable risk factors, such as increased social support at the community level, should help reduce dowry harassment.

Reliability and validity of a mobile phone for radiographic assessment of ankle injuries: a randomized inter- and intraobserver agreement study.

BACKGROUND: Current mobile phone technology may allow orthopaedic surgeons to make clinical decisions using radiographs viewed on a small mobile device screen. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of interpreting ankle fracture images viewed on a mobile device and a computer monitor, with a hypothesis that the agreement in clinical decision making between the mobile device and computer monitor would be high. METHODS: A randomized interobserver and intraobserver reliability study was conducted in which 16 mortise and lateral ankle images representing a severity spectrum of malleolar ankle, plafond, and extra-articular tibial fractures were shown to volunteer orthopaedic surgeons on both an Apple fourth-generation iPod Touch and a 23-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) computer monitor. Participants answered a multiple-choice questionnaire for each image regarding diagnosis, severity, need for higher level imaging, need for acute inpatient versus outpatient management, and plan of treatment. Inter- and intraobserver reliability was assessed by kappa (κ), multirater kappa statistics, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: Ninety-three orthopaedic surgeon volunteers completed the study. Excellent intraobserver agreement (κ ≥ 0.8) was found for all variables measured, including diagnosis (median κ = 0.84), need for computed tomography scan (κ = 0.86), need for reduction (κ = 0.82), treatment setting (κ = 0.82), and treatment type (κ = 0.87). Interobserver agreement was consistent between the mobile device and computer screen. Interobserver agreement for the severity assessment had a slightly higher ICC for the mobile device compared with the computer monitor (ICC = 0.83 vs 0.79). Sixty-seven percent (62/93) said at the completion of the study they were "completely" or "very" comfortable using a mobile device as a primary viewing device for new emergency room, inpatient, or transfer request consults. CONCLUSIONS: Strong reliability for radiographic assessment of ankle injuries existed between a 23-inch computer monitor and a handheld mobile device. Further study is warranted to validate the technology to apply to other anatomic locations and imaging modalities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, diagnostic study.

Intimate partner violence and the role of socioeconomic indicators in WorldSAFE communities in Chile, Egypt, India and the Philippines.

BACKGROUND: The literature documenting the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on health and injury does not provide a clear consensus on how to account for socioeconomic indicators in population and health outcome studies across countries. The World Studies of Abuse in the Family Environment (WorldSAFE) consortium conducted a series of population-based, multi-stage probability sampling cross-sectional surveys in selected communities in five countries from 1997 to 2003 that allows for the examination of the relationship of SES with current physical and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV). METHODS: Women aged 15-49 years (n = 3975) from six urban low- and middle-income communities participating the the WorldSAFE consortium were interviewed. Using a standardized instrument, the following SES indicators were collected: dwelling ownership, land ownership, number of rooms in the house along with number of residents, toilet facilities, ownership of 13 specific individual/household items, current work status of the woman and her husband/partner, and years of formal schooling completed by the woman and her husband/partner. A family asset index was constructed using principal coordinate analysis. The outcome variables utilized in this manuscript were current (past 12 months) physical IPV, and current psychological IPV. Basic bivariate associations between the categorical predictors and outcome variables were followed by a multiple logistic regression analysis to investigate the effect of covariates on the study outcomes. RESULTS: The were considerable variability among the six sampled communities with respect to the relationship between socioeconomic indicators and current physical and psychological IPV. In general, the employment status of the woman was related to her experience of intimate partner violence, and her educational level and family's assets index were protective factors. When considered in multiple logistic regression models, the asset index was the only indicator that was consistently significant across communities. CONCLUSION: The derived asset index as an SES indicator was found to be associated with current psychological and physical IPV against women across the sampled six communities in four countries.