The cost-efficacy of a healthy food box for managing hypertension within a native American population: a group randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dietary interventions are used for the treatment of hypertension. We evaluated the cost-efficacy of delivering boxes of healthy, culturally tailored foods and checks that can only be spent on produce in a Native American population. METHODS: We conducted a group randomized controlled trial from 2018 to 2020 with N = 2 treatment counties and N = 2 control counties and a total of N = 160 Native American adults with baseline stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension. Participants in the intervention group received monthly boxes of food that adheres to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet as well as checks that could only be spent on produce for 6 months. We measured blood pressure and quality of life at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up in both intervention and control groups. We used ordered logistic regression to estimate the effect of treatment on probability of blood pressure improvements. We then conducted a cost-efficacy analysis. RESULTS: We found that treatment was effective in reducing blood pressure in women with stage 1 hypertension at baseline. Based on this finding, we also estimate that this intervention satisfies normative cost-effectiveness thresholds, even when lifetime treatment is needed to preserve the impact, so long as treatment is only continued in those who respond to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Direct delivery of healthy foods and checks that can only be spent on produce are a potentially cost-effective intervention for the management of hypertension among Native American women with stage 1 hypertension. Further research is needed to understand why we found an impact only for this group.

The Cost-Efficacy of a Healthy Food Box for Managing Hypertension Within a Native American Population: The Chickasaw Healthy Eating Environment Research Study.

Background Dietary interventions are used for the treatment of hypertension. We evaluated the cost-efficacy of delivering boxes of healthy, culturally tailored foods and checks that can only be spent on produce in a Native American population. Methods We conducted a group randomized controlled trial from 2018-2020 with N = 2 treatment counties and N = 2 control counties and a total of N = 160 Native American adults with baseline stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension. Participants in the intervention group received monthly boxes of food that adheres to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet as well as checks that could only be spent on produce for 6 months. We measured blood pressure and quality of life at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up in both intervention and control groups. We used ordered logistic regression to estimate the effect of treatment on probability of blood pressure improvements. We then conducted a cost-efficacy analysis. Results We found that treatment was effective in women with stage 1 hypertension at baseline. Based on this finding, we also estimate that this intervention satisfies normative cost-effectiveness thresholds, even when lifetime treatment is needed to preserve the impact, so long as treatment is only continued in those who respond to treatment. Conclusions Direct delivery of healthy foods and checks that can only be spent on produce are a potentially cost-effective intervention for the management of hypertension among Native American women with stage 1 hypertension. Further research is needed to understand why we found an impact only for this group.

Diet Quality and Kidney Outcomes in Adolescent and Adult American Indians: the Strong Heart Family Study.

BACKGROUND: The burden of kidney disease is exceedingly high among American Indians (AIs). We sought to examine the relationship of diet quality, a modifiable risk factor, and kidney outcomes in AI adolescents and adults, hypothesizing that healthier diets are associated with lower odds of incident albuminuria and eGFR decline. METHODS: This is an analysis from the Strong Heart Family Study, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among AIs from Arizona, North and South Dakota, and Oklahoma (n = 1720, mean age 39 + / - 16 years, 16% adolescents at baseline). Participants completed two exams (baseline: 2001-2003; follow-up: 2007-2009). The primary exposure was diet quality, expressed as the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI), on a 110-point scale (assessed using a 119-item Block food frequency questionnaire). The primary outcomes were as follows: 1) incident albuminuria (albumin to creatinine ratio 30 mg/g or greater); and 2) eGFR decline of 30% or greater. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the association of AHEI (in quartiles) with outcomes. RESULTS: Ten percent of participants (6% of adolescents) had incident albuminuria and 2% of participants (2% of adolescents) had eGFR decline. For those with normal fasting glucose levels, the odds ratio (OR) for incident albuminuria comparing extreme quartiles of diet quality (least healthy [reference] versus healthiest quartiles) was 0.48 (95% CI 0.28, 0.81) after adjustment for demographics and comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: For American Indians with normal fasting glucose, higher diet quality decreases the odds of developing albuminuria. These findings inform future efforts to prevent CKD in American Indian adolescents and young adults.

Adapting a cooking, food budgeting and nutrition intervention for a rural community of American Indians with type 2 diabetes in the North-Central United States.

American Indian (AI) communities experience persistent diabetes-related disparities, yet few nutrition interventions are designed for AI with type 2 diabetes or address socio-contextual barriers to healthy eating. We describe our process of adapting the evidence-based Cooking Matters® program for use by AI adults with type 2 diabetes in a rural and resource-limited setting in the North-Central United States. We conducted three focus groups with AI adults with diabetes to (i) identify Cooking Matters® adaptations and (ii) gather feedback on appropriateness of the adapted intervention using Barrera and Castro's cultural adaptation framework. Transcripts were coded using an inductive, constant comparison approach. Queries of codes were reviewed to identify themes. Contextual considerations included limited access to grocery stores and transportation barriers, reliance on government food assistance and the intergenerational burden of diabetes. Adaptations to content and delivery included incorporating traditional and locally available foods; appealing to children or others in multigenerational households and prioritizing visual over written content. Our use of Barrera and Castro's framework adds rigor and structure to the cultural adaptation process and increases the likelihood of future intervention success. Other researchers may benefit from using this framework to guide the adaptation of evidence-based interventions in AI communities.

Blood cadmium, lead, manganese, mercury, and selenium levels in American Indian populations: The Strong Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: Many American Indian (AI) communities are in areas affected by environmental contamination, such as toxic metals. However, studies assessing exposures in AI communities are limited. We measured blood metals in AI communities to assess historical exposure and identify participant characteristics associated with these levels in the Strong Heart Study (SHS) cohort. METHOD: Archived blood specimens collected from participants (n = 2014, all participants were 50 years of age and older) in Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota during SHS Phase-III (1998-1999) were analyzed for cadmium, lead, manganese, mercury, and selenium using inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. We conducted descriptive analyses for the entire cohort and stratified by selected subgroups, including selected demographics, health behaviors, income, waist circumference, and body mass index. Bivariate associations were conducted to examine associations between blood metal levels and selected socio-demographic and behavioral covariates. Finally, multivariate regression models were used to assess the best model fit that predicted blood metal levels. FINDINGS: All elements were detected in 100% of study participants, with the exception of mercury (detected in 73% of participants). The SHS population had higher levels of blood cadmium and manganese than the general U.S. population 50 years and older. The median blood mercury in the SHS cohort was at about 30% of the U.S. reference population, potentially due to low fish consumption. Participants in North Dakota and South Dakota had the highest blood cadmium, lead, manganese, and selenium, and the lowest total mercury levels, even after adjusting for covariates. In addition, each of the blood metals was associated with selected demographic, behavioral, income, and/or weight-related factors in multivariate models. These findings will help guide the tribes to develop education, outreach, and strategies to reduce harmful exposures and increase beneficial nutrient intake in these AI communities.

Does a Care Bundle Reduce Racial Disparities in Postcesarean Surgical Site Infections?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of a care bundle on racial disparities in surgical site infections (SSIs). STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of women undergoing cesarean delivery at ≥23 weeks' gestation. The care bundle included routine antibiotics (both cefazolin and azithromycin), chlorhexidine skin preparation, clippers, vaginal cleansing, placental removal by cord traction, subcutaneous tissue closure, suture skin closure, dressing removal in 24 to 48 hours, and postoperative chlorhexidine soap. Our primary outcome was SSI (superficial incisional, deep incisional, and organ/space) occurring up to 6 weeks. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated, adjusting for predefined covariates. RESULTS: Of 2,696 women, 1,947 were black (1,014 in the preimplementation period and 933 in the postimplementation period) and 749 were nonblack (370 in the preimplementation period and 379 in the postimplementation period). Regardless of race, women in the postimplementation period had lower rates of SSI compared with those in the preimplementation period (black: 2.9 vs. 5.2%, aOR: 0.53 [95% CI: 0.33-0.85]; nonblack: 1.1 vs. 3.5%, aOR: 0.28 [95% CI: 0.09-0.89]). There was no interaction by race (p for interaction = 0.94). CONCLUSION: The care bundle decreased SSI in both black and nonblack women but did not reduce racial disparities.

High tobacco use prevalence with significant regional and sex differences in smokeless tobacco use among Western Alaska Native people: the WATCH study.

Tobacco use prevalence among Alaska Native (AN) people living in Alaska is greater than the general population prevalence statewide and nationally. Better understanding of regional tobacco use is needed to improve cessation efforts and reduce prevalence. Using self-reported baseline data from the Western Alaska Tribal Collaborative for Health study, we describe tobacco use patterns among AN people in two western Alaska regions. Data were stratified by age group and sex. Dual- and multi-product use in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region was stratified by concurrent vs sequential use. Overall, 87% of the cohort reported having used tobacco. In Norton Sound, cigarette (98%) was the predominant tobacco type. In Y-K 71% smoked, 76% used smokeless tobacco (ST), with 47% reporting use of both products. ST use in Y-K consisted of commercial ST and homemade iqmik. Y-K women reported more ST product use, while men reported more cigarette use. Among dual- and multi-product users, the majority reported concurrent use, with no significant differences between men and women. Distinct regional differences include high smoking prevalence in Norton Sound and frequent use of smoking and ST products in Y-K. Findings support modification of cessation programmes to address regional variations in tobacco use patterns.

The proposed GDM diagnostic criteria: a difference, to be a difference, must make a difference.

The new criteria for diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus proposed by the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) transports back the controversy and the lack of agreement to the frontlines. The recommended criteria are based on results of the observational hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcome study (HAPO). These criteria will increase the frequency of gestational diabetes diagnosis by 2-8 folds, depending upon ethnicity, and prevalence of obesity. Do the costs and implied resources justify using the proposed endpoints that will define pregnancy outcome and severity especially when the appropriate outcomes and odds ratio used to define the diagnosis are questionable? Furthermore, due to the large disparity around the globe in relation to the prevalence of gestational diabetes raises the question if single diagnostic criteria can be made to fit all?!? The current review analyzes the risks, costs and benefits that may influence the rate of gestational diabetes in relation to the worldwide prevalence.

Perspectives on the proposed gestational diabetes mellitus diagnostic criteria.

To date, The International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have not been analyzed systematically for medical, social, and economic ramifications if used in substitution for the current GDM diagnostic criteria. The IADPSG dependence on expert opinion and consensus rather than on rigorously obtained outcome measures is concerning given the dramatic changes in clinical intervention and medical-resource reallocation that would follow their wide adoption. This commentary attempts to highlight needed research as well as the key knowledge gaps that should prevent adoption of the revised criteria until their effect on perinatal outcomes and health care costs is determined. In light of the overall, ethnic, and regional variation in GDM prevalence and the demands of increased GDM diagnosis on clinical resources, it may not be realistic and practical to impose universal strategies and standards for diagnosis. The newly proposed criteria may affect medical care negatively, unnecessarily stigmatize patients with a "sick label," and adversely affect health care costs without ensuring the desired improvements in maternal and neonatal outcomes. This commentary serves as a caution to not promote a new endeavor until it has been compared rigorously with current practice and its implications are understood fully.

Social- and behavioral-specific genetic effects on blood pressure traits: the Strong Heart Family Study.

BACKGROUND: Population studies have demonstrated an important role of social, behavioral, and environmental factors in blood pressure (BP) levels. Accounting for the genetic interaction of these factors may help to identify common BP susceptibility alleles. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied the interaction of additive genetic effects and behavioral (physical activity, smoking, alcohol use) and socioeconomic (education) factors on BP in approximately 3600 American Indian participants of the Strong Heart Family Study, using variance component models. The mean and SD of resting systolic and diastolic BPs were 123 + or - 17 and 76 + or - 11 mm Hg, respectively. We detected evidence for distinct genetic effects on diastolic BP among ever smokers compared with never smokers (P = 0.01). For alcohol intake, we observed significant genotype-by-environment interactions on diastolic (rhog = 0.10, P = 0.0003) and on systolic BPs (rhog = 0.59, P = 0.0008) among current drinkers compared with former or never drinkers. We also detected genotype-by-physical activity interactions on diastolic BP (rhog = 0.35, P = 0.0004). Finally, there was evidence for distinct genetic effects on diastolic BP among individuals with less than high school education compared with those with 12 or more years of education (rhog = 0.41, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that behavioral and socioeconomic factors can modify the genetic effects on BP phenotypes. Accounting for context dependent factors may help us to better understand the complexities of the gene effects on BP and other complex phenotypes with high levels of genetic heterogeneity.