Digital Redlining-The Invisible Structural Determinant of Health.

This Viewpoint describes digital redlining as racialized inequities in access to technology infrastructure, including access to health care, education, employment, and social services.

Aligning Employee Health and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives in the Workplace: A Call for Synchronization.

Reports of burnout and poor mental health are at all-time highs among working U.S. adults.  Simultaneously, failure to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is among the top characteristics of an unhealthy work culture and has contributed to high rates of employee attrition. Though many organizations across multiple sectors have made pledges to prioritize employee health and invest in DEI in recent years, few have explicitly addressed these two issues as interconnected. The link between the workplace as a determinant of mental and physical health is well-established. Several studies demonstrate that experiencing discrimination in the workplace is associated with detrimental physical and mental health outcomes. Additionally, the way work is structured directly and indirectly contributes to employee health inequities. In this commentary, we make the connection between employee health and organizational DEI and propose guiding principles to synchronize DEI and employee health initiatives in the workplace. These include: investing in DEI as a cornerstone for developing a healthy workforce for all; recognizing differences in employee experiences, needs, and their connection to health; prioritizing systemic approaches to promote employee health and organizational DEI. Embedding employee health and DEI efforts into broader organizational strategy is a crucial step towards fostering equitable practices that promote inclusive work environments andpositive employee well-being.

Job Flexibility, Job Security, and Mental Health Among US Working Adults.

Importance: Understanding the association between job characteristics and mental health can inform policies and practices to promote employee well-being. Objective: To investigate associations between job characteristics and mental health, work absenteeism, and mental health care use among US adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey and included adults aged 18 years or older who reported employment during the past 12 months. Data were analyzed from May 2023 to January 2024. Exposures: Job flexibility was assessed as a summative variable to 3 questions: perceived ease of changing one's work schedule to do things important to oneself or their family, regularity of work schedule changes, and advance notice of work hours. Job security was measured as perceived likelihood of losing one's job. Main Outcomes and Measures: Mental health outcomes included self-reported serious psychological distress and frequency of anxiety. Work absenteeism was assessed using the number of missed workdays due to illness. Mental health care use was examined for both current and past year use. Multivariable logistic and binomial regression analyses were used to examine associations of interest. Results: The analytic sample consisted of 18 144 adults (52.3% [95% CI, 51.5%-53.2%] male; mean age, 42.2 [95% CI, 41.9-42.6] years). Greater job flexibility was associated with decreased odds of serious psychological distress (odds ratio [OR], 0.74 [95% CI, 0.63-0.86]; P < .001) and lower odds of weekly anxiety (OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.81-0.97]; P = .008) or daily anxiety (OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.79-0.96]; P = .005). Greater job security was associated with decreased odds of serious psychological distress (OR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.65-0.87]; P < .001) and lower odds of anxiety weekly (OR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.71-0.88]; P < .001) or daily (OR, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.66-0.81]; P < .001). Greater job flexibility (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.84 [95% CI, 0.74-0.96]; P = .008) and job security (IRR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.65-0.87]; P < .001) were each associated with decreased number of days worked despite feeling ill over the past 3 months. Greater job security was associated with decreased absenteeism in the past year (IRR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.82-0.98]; P < .014). Conclusions and Relevance: Organizational policies that enhance job flexibility and security may facilitate a healthier work environment, mitigate work-related stress, and ultimately promote better mental health.

Physical activity among cancer survivors: do neighborhood walkability and metropolitan size play a role?

PURPOSE: To examine associations between walkability, metropolitan size, and physical activity (PA) among cancer survivors and explore if the association between walkability and PA would vary across United States metropolitan sizes. METHODS: This study used data from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey to examine independent associations of walkability and metropolitan size with engaging in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and to explore the effect modification of metropolitan size using log-binomial regression. The dependent variable was dichotomized as < vs. ≥ 150 min/week of MVPA. The predictors were perceived walkability, a total score comprising eight neighborhood attributes, and metropolitan size. Covariates included sociodemographic and health characteristics, geographic region, cancer type, and time since cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: Engaging in 150 + min/wk of MVPA significantly increased among cancer survivors (n = 3,405) who perceived their neighborhoods as more walkable (prevalence ratio:1.04; p = 0.004). Engaging in 150 + min/wk of MVPA significantly increased among cancer survivors living in medium and small metropolitan areas vs. those living in large central metropolitan areas (prevalence ratio:1.12; p = 0.044). Perceived walkability levels were similar among cancer survivors in nonmetropolitan areas vs. those living in large central metropolitan areas. Association between walkability and PA did not significantly vary across metropolitan sizes. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived neighborhood walkability is positively associated with MVPA among cancer survivors, regardless of metropolitan size. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Findings highlight the importance of investing in the built environment to increase walkability among this population and translating lessons from medium and small metropolitan areas to other metropolitan areas to address the rural-urban disparity in PA among cancer survivors.

Shifts in Child Health Behaviors and Obesity After COVID-19.

This Viewpoint examines recent COVID-19­related behavioral shifts in children's diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time from a health equity perspective and provides upstream interventions to support overall child health.