Sinus inflammation and chronic rhinosinusitis are associated with a diagnosis of new onset asthma in the following year.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma commonly co-occur. No studies have leveraged large samples needed to formally address whether preexisting CRS is associated with new onset asthma over time. METHODS: We evaluated whether prevalent CRS [identified in two ways: validated text algorithm applied to sinus computerized tomography (CT) scan or two diagnoses] was associated with new onset adult asthma in the following year. We used electronic health record data from Geisinger from 2008 to 2019. For each year we removed persons with any evidence of asthma through the end of the year, then identified those with new diagnosis of asthma in the following year. Complementary log-log regression was used to adjust for confounding variables (e.g., sociodemographic, contact with the health system, comorbidities), and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 35,441 persons were diagnosed with new onset asthma and were compared to 890,956 persons who did not develop asthma. Persons with new onset asthma tended to be female (69.6%) and younger (mean [SD] age 45.9 [17.0] years). Both CRS definitions were associated (HR, 95% CI) with new onset asthma, with 2.21 (1.93, 2.54) and 1.48 (1.38, 1.59) for CRS based on sinus CT scan and two diagnoses, respectively. New onset asthma was uncommonly observed in persons with a history of sinus surgery. CONCLUSION: Prevalent CRS identified with two complementary approaches was associated with a diagnosis of new onset asthma in the following year. The findings may have clinical implications for the prevention of asthma.

Strong and consistent associations of precedent chronic rhinosinusitis with risk of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and bronchiectasis commonly co-occur, but most prior studies were not designed to evaluate temporality and causality. OBJECTIVES: In a sample representing the general population in 37 counties in Pennsylvania, and thus the full spectrum of sinonasal and relevant lung diseases, we aimed to evaluate the temporality and strength of associations of CRS with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. METHODS: We completed case-control analyses for each of 3 primary bronchiectasis case finding methods. We used electronic health records to identify CRS and bronchiectasis with diagnoses, procedure orders, and/or specific text in sinus or chest computerized tomography scan radiology reports. The controls never had any indication of bronchiectasis and were frequency-matched to the 3 bronchiectasis groups on the basis of age, sex, and encounter year. There were 5,329 unique persons with bronchiectasis and 33,363 without bronchiectasis in the 3 analyses. Important co-occurring conditions were identified with diagnoses, medication orders, and encounter types. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations (odds ratios [ORs] and 95% CIs) of CRS with bronchiectasis while adjusting for confounding variables. RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, CRS was consistently and strongly associated with all 3 bronchiectasis definitions. The strongest associations for CRS (ORs and 95% CIs) were those that were based on the text of sinus computerized tomography scan reports; the associations were generally stronger for CRS without nasal polyps (eg, OR = 4.46 [95% CI = 2.09-9.51] for diagnosis-based bronchiectasis). On average, CRS was identified more than 6 years before bronchiectasis. CONCLUSION: Precedent CRS was strongly and consistently associated with increased risk of bronchiectasis.

Association between Gentrification and Health and Healthcare Utilization.

There is tremendous interest in understanding how neighborhoods impact health by linking extant social and environmental drivers of health (SDOH) data with electronic health record (EHR) data. Studies quantifying such associations often use static neighborhood measures. Little research examines the impact of gentrification-a measure of neighborhood change-on the health of long-term neighborhood residents using EHR data, which may have a more generalizable population than traditional approaches. We quantified associations between gentrification and health and healthcare utilization by linking longitudinal socioeconomic data from the American Community Survey with EHR data across two health systems accessed by long-term residents of Durham County, NC, from 2007 to 2017. Census block group-level neighborhoods were eligible to be gentrified if they had low socioeconomic status relative to the county average. Gentrification was defined using socioeconomic data from 2006 to 2010 and 2011-2015, with the Steinmetz-Wood definition. Multivariable logistic and Poisson regression models estimated associations between gentrification and development of health indicators (cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, asthma, depression) or healthcare encounters (emergency department [ED], inpatient, or outpatient). Sensitivity analyses examined two alternative gentrification measures. Of the 99 block groups within the city of Durham, 28 were eligible (N = 10,807; median age = 42; 83% Black; 55% female) and 5 gentrified. Individuals in gentrifying neighborhoods had lower odds of obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81-0.99), higher odds of an ED encounter (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01-1.20), and lower risk for outpatient encounters (incidence rate ratio = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87-1.00) compared with non-gentrifying neighborhoods. The association between gentrification and health and healthcare utilization was sensitive to gentrification definition.

Urban-Rural Differences in Health Care Utilization and COVID-19 Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Two studies in Pennsylvania aimed to determine whether community type and community socioeconomic deprivation (CSD) 1) modified associations between type 2 diabetes (hereinafter, diabetes) and COVID-19 hospitalization outcomes, and 2) influenced health care utilization among individuals with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The hospitalization study evaluated a retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 through 2020 for COVID-19 outcomes: death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, elevated D-dimer, and elevated troponin level. We used adjusted logistic regression models, adding interaction terms to evaluate effect modification by community type (township, borough, or city census tract) and CSD. The utilization study included patients with diabetes and a clinical encounter between 2017 and 2020. Autoregressive integrated moving average time-series models evaluated changes in weekly rates of emergency department and outpatient visits, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) laboratory tests, and antihyperglycemic medication orders from 2018 to 2020. RESULTS: In the hospitalization study, of 2,751 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 1,020 had diabetes, which was associated with ICU admission and elevated troponin. Associations did not differ by community type or CSD. In the utilization study, among 93,401 patients with diabetes, utilization measures decreased in March 2020. Utilization increased in July, and then began to stabilize or decline through the end of 2020. Changes in HbA1c tests and medication order trends during the pandemic differed by community type and CSD. CONCLUSION: Diabetes was associated with selected outcomes among individuals hospitalized for COVID-19, but these did not differ by community features. Utilization trajectories among individuals with diabetes during the pandemic were influenced by community type and CSD and could be used to identify individuals at risk of gaps in diabetes care.

Risk factors for Lyme disease stage and manifestation using electronic health records.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about risk factors for early (e.g., erythema migrans) and disseminated Lyme disease manifestations, such as arthritis, neurological complications, and carditis. No study has used both diagnoses and free text to classify Lyme disease by disease stage and manifestation. METHODS: We identified Lyme disease cases in 2012-2016 in the electronic health record (EHR) of a large, integrated health system in Pennsylvania. We developed a rule-based text-matching algorithm using regular expressions to extract clinical data from free text. Lyme disease cases were then classified by stage and manifestation using data from both diagnoses and free text. Among cases classified by stage, we evaluated individual, community, and health care variables as predictors of disseminated stage (vs. early) disease using Poisson regression models with robust errors. Final models adjusted for sociodemographic factors, receipt of Medical Assistance (i.e., Medicaid, a proxy for low socioeconomic status), primary care contact, setting of diagnosis, season of diagnosis, and urban/rural status. RESULTS: Among 7310 cases of Lyme disease, we classified 62% by stage. Overall, 23% were classified using both diagnoses and text, 26% were classified using diagnoses only, and 13% were classified using text only. Among the staged diagnoses (n = 4530), 30% were disseminated stage (762 arthritis, 426 neurological manifestations, 76 carditis, 95 secondary erythema migrans, and 76 other manifestations). In adjusted models, we found that persons on Medical Assistance at least 50% of time under observation, compared to never users, had a higher risk (risk ratio [95% confidence interval]) of disseminated Lyme disease (1.20 [1.05, 1.37]). Primary care contact (0.59 [0.54, 0.64]) and diagnosis in the urgent care (0.22 [0.17, 0.29]), compared to the outpatient setting, were associated with lower risk of disseminated Lyme disease. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between insurance payor, primary care status, and diagnostic setting with disseminated Lyme disease suggest that lower socioeconomic status and less health care access could be linked with disseminated stage Lyme disease. Intervening on these factors could reduce the individual and health care burden of disseminated Lyme disease. Our findings demonstrate the value of both diagnostic and narrative text data to identify Lyme disease manifestations in the EHR.

Proximity to freshwater blue space and type 2 diabetes onset: the importance of historical and economic context.

Salutogenic effects of living near aquatic areas (blue space) remain underexplored, particularly in non-coastal and non-urban areas. We evaluated associations of residential proximity to inland freshwater blue space with new onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) in central and northeast Pennsylvania, USA, using medical records to conduct a nested case-control study. T2D cases (n=15,888) were identified from diabetes diagnoses, medication orders, and laboratory test results and frequency-matched on age, sex, and encounter year to diabetes-free controls (n=79,435). We calculated distance from individual residences to the nearest lake, river, tributary, or large stream, and residence within the 100-year floodplain. Logistic regression models adjusted for community socioeconomic deprivation and other confounding variables and stratified by community type (townships [rural/suburban], boroughs [small towns], city census tracts). Compared to individuals living ≥1.25 miles from blue space, those within 0.25 miles had 8% and 17% higher odds of T2D onset in townships and boroughs, respectively. Among city residents, T2D odds were 38-39% higher for those living 0.25 to <0.75 miles from blue space. Residing within the floodplain was associated with 16% and 14% higher T2D odds in townships and boroughs. A post-hoc analysis demonstrated patterns of lower residential property values with nearer distance to the region's predominant waterbody, suggesting unmeasured confounding by socioeconomic disadvantage. This may explain our unexpected findings of higher T2D odds with closer proximity to blue space. Our findings highlight the importance of historic and economic context and interrelated factors such as flood risk and lack of waterfront development in blue space research.

Radiologic sinus inflammation and symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis in a population-based sample.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) epidemiology has been largely studied using symptom-based case definitions, without assessment of objective sinus findings. OBJECTIVE: To describe radiologic sinus opacification and the prevalence of CRS, defined by the co-occurrence of symptoms and sinus opacification, in a general population-based sample. METHODS: We collected questionnaires and sinus CT scans from 646 participants selected from a source population of 200 769 primary care patients. Symptom status (CRSS ) was based on guideline criteria, and objective radiologic inflammation (CRSO ) was based on the Lund-Mackay (L-M) score using multiple L-M thresholds for positivity. Participants with symptoms and radiologic inflammation were classified as CRSS+O . We performed negative binomial regression to assess factors associated with L-M score and logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with CRSS+O . Using weighted analysis, we calculated estimates for the source population. RESULTS: The proportion of women with L-M scores ≥ 3, 4, or 6 (CRSO ) was 11.1%, 9.9%, and 5.7%, respectively, and 16.1%, 14.6%, and 8.7% among men. The respective proportion with CRSS+O was 1.7%, 1.6%, and 0.45% among women and 8.8%, 7.5%, and 3.6% among men. Men had higher odds of CRSS+O compared to women. A greater proportion of men (vs women) had any opacification in the frontal, anterior ethmoid, and sphenoid sinuses. CONCLUSION: In a general population-based sample in Pennsylvania, sinus opacification was more common among men than in women and opacification occurred in different locations by sex. Male sex, migraine headache, and prior sinus surgery were associated with higher odds of CRSS+O .

Peridomestic and community-wide landscape risk factors for Lyme disease across a range of community contexts in Pennsylvania.

Land use and forest fragmentation are thought to be major drivers of Lyme disease incidence and its geographic distribution. We examined the association between landscape composition and configuration and Lyme disease in a population-based case control study in the Geisinger health system in Pennsylvania. Lyme disease cases (n = 9657) were identified using a combination of diagnosis codes, laboratory codes, and antibiotic orders from electronic health records (EHRs). Controls (5:1) were randomly selected and frequency matched on year, age, and sex. We measured six landscape variables based on prior literature, derived from the National Land Cover Database and MODIS satellite imagery: greenness (normalized difference vegetation index), percent forest, percent herbaceous, forest edge density, percent forest-herbaceous edge, and mean forest patch size. We assigned landscape variables within two spatial contexts (community and ½-mile [805 m] Euclidian residential buffer). In models stratified by community type, landscape variables were modeled as tertiles and flexible splines and associations were adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates. In general, we observed positive associations between landscape metrics and Lyme disease, except for percent herbaceous, where associations differed by community type. For example, compared to the lowest tertile, individuals with highest tertile of greenness in residential buffers had higher odds of Lyme disease (odds ratio: 95% confidence interval [CI]) in townships (1.73: 1.55, 1.93), boroughs (1.70: 1.40, 2.07), and cities (3.71: 1.74, 7.92). Similarly, corresponding odds ratios (95% CI) for forest edge density were 1.34 (1.22, 1.47), 1.56 (1.33, 1.82), and 1.90 (1.13, 3.18). Associations were generally higher in residential buffers, compared to community, and in cities, compared to boroughs or townships. Our results reinforce the importance of peridomestic landscape in Lyme disease risk, particularly measures that reflect human interaction with tick habitat. Linkage of EHR data to public data on residential and community context may lead to new health system-based approaches for improving Lyme disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Effect of Financial Incentives to Physicians, Patients, or Both on Lipid Levels: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Financial incentives to physicians or patients are increasingly used, but their effectiveness is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether physician financial incentives, patient incentives, or shared physician and patient incentives are more effective than control in reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) among patients with high cardiovascular risk. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Four-group, multicenter, cluster randomized clinical trial with a 12-month intervention conducted from 2011 to 2014 in 3 primary care practices in the northeastern United States. Three hundred forty eligible primary care physicians (PCPs) were enrolled from a pool of 421. Of 25,627 potentially eligible patients of those PCPs, 1503 enrolled. Patients aged 18 to 80 years were eligible if they had a 10-year Framingham Risk Score (FRS) of 20% or greater, had coronary artery disease equivalents with LDL-C levels of 120 mg/dL or greater, or had an FRS of 10% to 20% with LDL-C levels of 140 mg/dL or greater. Investigators were blinded to study group, but participants were not. INTERVENTIONS: Primary care physicians were randomly assigned to control, physician incentives, patient incentives, or shared physician-patient incentives. Physicians in the physician incentives group were eligible to receive up to $1024 per enrolled patient meeting LDL-C goals. Patients in the patient incentives group were eligible for the same amount, distributed through daily lotteries tied to medication adherence. Physicians and patients in the shared incentives group shared these incentives. Physicians and patients in the control group received no incentives tied to outcomes, but all patient participants received up to $355 each for trial participation. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Change in LDL-C level at 12 months. RESULTS: Patients in the shared physician-patient incentives group achieved a mean reduction in LDL-C of 33.6 mg/dL (95% CI, 30.1-37.1; baseline, 160.1 mg/dL; 12 months, 126.4 mg/dL); those in physician incentives achieved a mean reduction of 27.9 mg/dL (95% CI, 24.9-31.0; baseline, 159.9 mg/dL; 12 months, 132.0 mg/dL); those in patient incentives achieved a mean reduction of 25.1 mg/dL (95% CI, 21.6-28.5; baseline, 160.6 mg/dL; 12 months, 135.5 mg/dL); and those in the control group achieved a mean reduction of 25.1 mg/dL (95% CI, 21.7-28.5; baseline, 161.5 mg/dL; 12 months, 136.4 mg/dL; P < .001 for comparison of all 4 groups). Only patients in the shared physician-patient incentives group achieved reductions in LDL-C levels statistically different from those in the control group (8.5 mg/dL; 95% CI, 3.8-13.3; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In primary care practices, shared financial incentives for physicians and patients, but not incentives to physicians or patients alone, resulted in a statistically significant difference in reduction of LDL-C levels at 12 months. This reduction was modest, however, and further information is needed to understand whether this approach represents good value. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01346189.

Dispensaries and Medical Marijuana Certifications and Indications: Unveiling the Geographic Connections in Pennsylvania, USA.

Introduction: Pennsylvania opened its first medical marijuana (MMJ) dispensary in 2018. Qualifying conditions include six conditions determined to have no or insufficient evidence to support or refute MMJ effectiveness. We conducted a study to describe MMJ dispensary access in Pennsylvania and to determine whether dispensary proximity was associated with MMJ certifications and community demographics. Methods: Using data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we geocoded MMJ dispensary locations and linked them to US Census Bureau data. We created dispensary access measures from the population-weighted centroid of Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs): distance to nearest dispensary and density of dispensaries within a 15-min drive. We evaluated associations between dispensary access and the proportion of adults who received MMJ certification and the proportion of certifications for low evidence conditions (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, epilepsy, glaucoma, Huntington's disease, opioid use disorder, and Parkinson's disease) using negative binomial modeling, adjusting for community features. To evaluate associations racial and ethnic composition of communities and distance to nearest dispensary, we used logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for median income. Results: Distance and density of MMJ dispensaries were associated with the proportion of the ZCTA population certified and the proportion of certifications for insufficient evidence conditions. Compared to ZCTAs with no dispensary within 15 min, the proportion of adults certified increased by up to 31% and the proportion of certifications for insufficient evidence decreased by up to 22% for ZCTAs with two dispensaries. From 2018 to 2021, the odds of being within five miles of a dispensary was up to 20 times higher in ZCTAs with the highest proportions of individuals who were not White (2019: OR: 20.14, CI: 10.7-37.8) and more than double in ZCTAs with the highest proportion of Hispanic individuals (2018: OR: 2.81, CI: 1.51-5.24), compared to ZCTAs with the lowest proportions. Conclusions: Greater dispensary access was associated with the proportions of certified residents and certifications for low evidence conditions. Whether these patterns are due to differences in accessibility or demand is unknown. Associations between community demographics and dispensary proximity may indicate MMJ access differences.

Community profiles in northeastern and central Pennsylvania characterized by distinct social, natural, food, and physical activity environments and their relation to type 2 diabetes.

Background: Understanding geographic disparities in type 2 diabetes (T2D) requires approaches that account for communities' multidimensional nature. Methods: In an electronic health record nested case-control study, we identified 15,884 cases of new-onset T2D from 2008 to 2016, defined using encounter diagnoses, medication orders, and laboratory test results, and frequency-matched controls without T2D (79,400; 65,069 unique persons). We used finite mixture models to construct community profiles from social, natural, physical activity, and food environment measures. We estimated T2D odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic generalized estimating equation models, adjusted for sociodemographic variables. We examined associations with the profiles alone and combined them with either community type based on administrative boundaries or Census-based urban/rural status. Results: We identified four profiles in 1069 communities in central and northeastern Pennsylvania along a rural-urban gradient: "sparse rural," "developed rural," "inner suburb," and "deprived urban core." Urban areas were densely populated with high physical activity resources and food outlets; however, they also had high socioeconomic deprivation and low greenness. Compared with "developed rural," T2D onset odds were higher in "deprived urban core" (1.24, CI = 1.16-1.33) and "inner suburb" (1.10, CI = 1.04-1.17). These associations with model-based community profiles were weaker than when combined with administrative boundaries or urban/rural status. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in urban areas, diabetogenic features overwhelm T2D-protective features. The community profiles support the construct validity of administrative-community type and urban/rural status, previously reported, to evaluate geographic disparities in T2D onset in this geography.

Using electronic health records to enhance surveillance of diabetes in children, adolescents and young adults: a study protocol for the DiCAYA Network.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional survey-based surveillance is costly, limited in its ability to distinguish diabetes types and time-consuming, resulting in reporting delays. The Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults (DiCAYA) Network seeks to advance diabetes surveillance efforts in youth and young adults through the use of large-volume electronic health record (EHR) data. The network has two primary aims, namely: (1) to refine and validate EHR-based computable phenotype algorithms for accurate identification of type 1 and type 2 diabetes among youth and young adults and (2) to estimate the incidence and prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes among youth and young adults and trends therein. The network aims to augment diabetes surveillance capacity in the USA and assess performance of EHR-based surveillance. This paper describes the DiCAYA Network and how these aims will be achieved. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The DiCAYA Network is spread across eight geographically diverse US-based centres and a coordinating centre. Three centres conduct diabetes surveillance in youth aged 0-17 years only (component A), three centres conduct surveillance in young adults aged 18-44 years only (component B) and two centres conduct surveillance in components A and B. The network will assess the validity of computable phenotype definitions to determine diabetes status and type based on sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the phenotypes against the gold standard of manually abstracted medical charts. Prevalence and incidence rates will be presented as unadjusted estimates and as race/ethnicity, sex and age-adjusted estimates using Poisson regression. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The DiCAYA Network is well positioned to advance diabetes surveillance methods. The network will disseminate EHR-based surveillance methodology that can be broadly adopted and will report diabetes prevalence and incidence for key demographic subgroups of youth and young adults in a large set of regions across the USA.

Risk of new-onset and prevalent disease in chronic rhinosinusitis: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is accompanied by burdensome comorbid conditions. Understanding the relative timing of the onset of these conditions could inform disease prevention, detection, and management. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between CRS and new-onset and prevalent asthma, noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFBE), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study among primary care patients using a detailed medical and symptom questionnaire in 2014 and again in 2020. We used questionnaire and electronic health record (EHR) data to determine CRS status: CRSSE (moderate to severe symptoms with EHR evidence), CRSE (limited symptoms with EHR evidence), CRSS (moderate to severe symptoms without EHR evidence), CRSneg (limited symptoms and no EHR evidence; reference). We evaluated the association between CRS status and new-onset and prevalent disease using logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: There were 7847 and 4445 respondents to the 2014 and 2020 questionnaires, respectively. CRSSE (vs CRSneg ) was associated with increased odds of new-onset asthma (OR, 1.74 [CI, 1.09-2.77), NCFBE (OR, 1.87 [CI, 1.12-3.13]), COPD (OR, 1.73 [CI, 1.14-2.68]), GERD (OR, 1.95 [CI, 1.61-2.35]), and OSA (OR, 1.91 [CI, 1.39-2.62]). Similarly, increased odds were observed for associations with the prevalence of these conditions. CONCLUSION: The findings from the study support further exploration of CRS as a target for the prevention and detection of asthma, NCFBE, COPD, GERD, and OSA.

Age and sex differences in the association between neighborhood socioeconomic environment and incident diabetes: Results from the diabetes location, environmental attributes and disparities (LEAD) network.

Objective: Worse neighborhood socioeconomic environment (NSEE) may contribute to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We examined whether the relationship between NSEE and T2D differs by sex and age in three study populations. Research design and methods: We conducted a harmonized analysis using data from three independent longitudinal study samples in the US: 1) the Veteran Administration Diabetes Risk (VADR) cohort, 2) the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, and 3) a case-control study of Geisinger electronic health records in Pennsylvania. We measured NSEE with a z-score sum of six census tract indicators within strata of community type (higher density urban, lower density urban, suburban/small town, and rural). Community type-stratified models evaluated the likelihood of new diagnoses of T2D in each study sample using restricted cubic splines and quartiles of NSEE. Results: Across study samples, worse NSEE was associated with higher risk of T2D. We observed significant effect modification by sex and age, though evidence of effect modification varied by site and community type. Largely, stronger associations between worse NSEE and diabetes risk were found among women relative to men and among those less than age 45 in the VADR cohort. Similar modification by age group results were observed in the Geisinger sample in small town/suburban communities only and similar modification by sex was observed in REGARDS in lower density urban communities. Conclusions: The impact of NSEE on T2D risk may differ for males and females and by age group within different community types.

Mediation of an association between neighborhood socioeconomic environment and type 2 diabetes through the leisure-time physical activity environment in an analysis of three independent samples.

INTRODUCTION: Inequitable access to leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) resources may explain geographic disparities in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We evaluated whether the neighborhood socioeconomic environment (NSEE) affects T2D through the LTPA environment. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted analyses in three study samples: the national Veterans Administration Diabetes Risk (VADR) cohort comprising electronic health records (EHR) of 4.1 million T2D-free veterans, the national prospective cohort REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) (11 208 T2D free), and a case-control study of Geisinger EHR in Pennsylvania (15 888 T2D cases). New-onset T2D was defined using diagnoses, laboratory and medication data. We harmonized neighborhood-level variables, including exposure, confounders, and effect modifiers. We measured NSEE with a summary index of six census tract indicators. The LTPA environment was measured by physical activity (PA) facility (gyms and other commercial facilities) density within street network buffers and population-weighted distance to parks. We estimated natural direct and indirect effects for each mediator stratified by community type. RESULTS: The magnitudes of the indirect effects were generally small, and the direction of the indirect effects differed by community type and study sample. The most consistent findings were for mediation via PA facility density in rural communities, where we observed positive indirect effects (differences in T2D incidence rates (95% CI) comparing the highest versus lowest quartiles of NSEE, multiplied by 100) of 1.53 (0.25, 3.05) in REGARDS and 0.0066 (0.0038, 0.0099) in VADR. No mediation was evident in Geisinger. CONCLUSIONS: PA facility density and distance to parks did not substantially mediate the relation between NSEE and T2D. Our heterogeneous results suggest that approaches to reduce T2D through changes to the LTPA environment require local tailoring.

Assessing Measurement Invariance of a Land Use Environment Construct Across Levels of Urbanicity.

Variation in the land use environment (LUE) impacts the continuum of walkability to car dependency, which has been shown to have effects on health outcomes. Existing objective measures of the LUE do not consider whether the measurement of the construct varies across different types of communities along the rural/urban spectrum. To help meet the goals of the Diabetes Location, Environmental Attributes, and Disparities (LEAD) Network, we developed a national, census tract-level LUE measure which evaluates the road network and land development. We tested for measurement invariance by LEAD community type (higher density urban, lower density urban, suburban/small town, and rural) using multiple group confirmatory factor analysis. We determined that metric invariance does not exist; thus, measurement of the LUE does vary across community type with average block length, average block size, and percent developed land driving most shared variability in rural tracts and with intersection density, street connectivity, household density, and commercial establishment density driving most shared variability in higher density urban tracts. As a result, epidemiologic studies need to consider community type when assessing the LUE to minimize place-based confounding.

Associations of four indexes of social determinants of health and two community typologies with new onset type 2 diabetes across a diverse geography in Pennsylvania.

Evaluation of geographic disparities in type 2 diabetes (T2D) onset requires multidimensional approaches at a relevant spatial scale to characterize community types and features that could influence this health outcome. Using Geisinger electronic health records (2008-2016), we conducted a nested case-control study of new onset T2D in a 37-county area of Pennsylvania. The study included 15,888 incident T2D cases and 79,435 controls without diabetes, frequency-matched 1:5 on age, sex, and year of diagnosis or encounter. We characterized patients' residential census tracts by four dimensions of social determinants of health (SDOH) and into a 7-category SDOH census tract typology previously generated for the entire United States by dimension reduction techniques. Finally, because the SDOH census tract typology classified 83% of the study region's census tracts into two heterogeneous categories, termed rural affordable-like and suburban affluent-like, to further delineate geographies relevant to T2D, we subdivided these two typology categories by administrative community types (U.S. Census Bureau minor civil divisions of township, borough, city). We used generalized estimating equations to examine associations of 1) four SDOH indexes, 2) SDOH census tract typology, and 3) modified typology, with odds of new onset T2D, controlling for individual-level confounding variables. Two SDOH dimensions, higher socioeconomic advantage and higher mobility (tracts with fewer seniors and disabled adults) were independently associated with lower odds of T2D. Compared to rural affordable-like as the reference group, residence in tracts categorized as extreme poverty (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.11 [1.02, 1.21]) or multilingual working (1.07 [1.03, 1.23]) were associated with higher odds of new onset T2D. Suburban affluent-like was associated with lower odds of T2D (0.92 [0.87, 0.97]). With the modified typology, the strongest association (1.37 [1.15, 1.63]) was observed in cities in the suburban affluent-like category (vs. rural affordable-like-township), followed by cities in the rural affordable-like category (1.20 [1.05, 1.36]). We conclude that in evaluating geographic disparities in T2D onset, it is beneficial to conduct simultaneous evaluation of SDOH in multiple dimensions. Associations with the modified typology showed the importance of incorporating governmentally, behaviorally, and experientially relevant community definitions when evaluating geographic health disparities.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Environment and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Associations and Mediation Through Food Environment Pathways in Three Independent Study Samples.

OBJECTIVE: We examined whether relative availability of fast-food restaurants and supermarkets mediates the association between worse neighborhood socioeconomic conditions and risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: As part of the Diabetes Location, Environmental Attributes, and Disparities Network, three academic institutions used harmonized environmental data sources and analytic methods in three distinct study samples: 1) the Veterans Administration Diabetes Risk (VADR) cohort, a national administrative cohort of 4.1 million diabetes-free veterans developed using electronic health records (EHRs); 2) Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS), a longitudinal, epidemiologic cohort with Stroke Belt region oversampling (N = 11,208); and 3) Geisinger/Johns Hopkins University (G/JHU), an EHR-based, nested case-control study of 15,888 patients with new-onset T2D and of matched control participants in Pennsylvania. A census tract-level measure of neighborhood socioeconomic environment (NSEE) was developed as a community type-specific z-score sum. Baseline food-environment mediators included percentages of 1) fast-food restaurants and 2) food retail establishments that are supermarkets. Natural direct and indirect mediating effects were modeled; results were stratified across four community types: higher-density urban, lower-density urban, suburban/small town, and rural. RESULTS: Across studies, worse NSEE was associated with higher T2D risk. In VADR, relative availability of fast-food restaurants and supermarkets was positively and negatively associated with T2D, respectively, whereas associations in REGARDS and G/JHU geographies were mixed. Mediation results suggested that little to none of the NSEE-diabetes associations were mediated through food-environment pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Worse neighborhood socioeconomic conditions were associated with higher T2D risk, yet associations are likely not mediated through food-environment pathways.

Relations of peri-residential temperature and humidity in tick-life-cycle-relevant time periods with human Lyme disease risk in Pennsylvania, USA.

How weather affects tick development and behavior and human Lyme disease remains poorly understood. We evaluated relations of temperature and humidity during critical periods for the tick lifecycle with human Lyme disease. We used electronic health records from 479,344 primary care patients in 38 Pennsylvania counties in 2006-2014. Lyme disease cases (n = 9657) were frequency-matched (5:1) by year, age, and sex. Using daily weather data at ~4 km2 resolution, we created cumulative metrics hypothesized to promote (warm and humid) or inhibit (hot and dry) tick development or host-seeking during nymph development (March 1-May 31), nymph activity (May 1-July 30), and prior year larva activity (Aug 1-Sept 30). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) of Lyme disease by quartiles of each weather variable, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and other weather variables. Exposure-response patterns were observed for higher cumulative same-year temperature, humidity, and hot and dry days (nymph-relevant), and prior year hot and dry days (larva-relevant), with same-year hot and dry days showing the strongest association (4th vs. 1st quartile OR = 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.36, 0.43). Changing temperature and humidity could increase or decrease human Lyme disease risk.