Sex-Specific Depressive Symptom Trajectories Among Adolescents in Los Angeles County, 2013 to 2017.

Objective: After remaining stable for many years, the prevalence of depression among adolescents increased over the past decade, particularly among girls. In this study, we used longitudinal data from a cohort of high school students to characterize sex-specific trajectories of depressive symptoms during this period of increasing prevalence and widening gender gap in adolescent depression. Method: Using data from the Health and Happiness Cohort, a longitudinal 8-wave study of high school students residing in Los Angeles County from 2013 to 2017 (N = 3,393), we conducted a multiple-group, latent class growth analysis by sex to differentiate developmental trajectories in depressive symptoms scores measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies- Depression (CES-D) scale (range, 0-60). Results: A 4-class solution provided the best model fit for both girls and boys. Trajectories among girls included low stable (35.1%), mild stable (42.8%), moderate decreasing (16.2%), and high arching (5.9%). Trajectories among boys included low stable (49.2%), mild increasing (34.7%), moderate decreasing (12.2%), and high increasing (3.9%). Average scores consistently exceeded or crossed the threshold for probable depression (≥16). Across comparable sex-specific trajectory groups, the average CES-D scores of girls were higher than those of boys, whose average scores increased over time. Conclusion: In a diverse cohort of students in Los Angeles County, depressive symptom trajectories were comparable to prior time periods but with a higher proportion of students in trajectories characterized by probable depression. Trajectories differed by sex, suggesting that future research should consider differential severity and onset of depression between boys and girls.

Examining racial and ethnic heat exposure disparities in New York City (NYC) across different spatial and political scales through geographic effect measure modification.

Structural racism in the United States has resulted in neighborhoods with higher proportions of non-Hispanic Black (Black) or Hispanic/Latine residents having more features that intensify, and less that cool, the local-heat environment. This study identifies areas of New York City (NYC) where racial/ethnic heat exposure disparities are concentrated. We analyzed data from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey, U.S Landsat-8 Analysis Ready Data on summer surface temperatures, and NYC Land Cover Dataset at the census tract-level (n = 2098). Four cross-sectional regression modeling strategies were used to estimate the overall City-wide association, and associations across smaller intra-city areas, between tract-level percent of Black and percent Hispanic/Latine residents and summer day surface temperature, adjusting for altitude, shoreline, and nature-cover: overall NYC linear, borough-specific linear, Community District-specific linear, and geographically weighted regression models. All three linear regressions identified associations between neighborhood racial and ethnic composition and summer day surface temperatures. The geographically weighted regression models, which address the issue of spatial autocorrelation, identified specific locations (such as northwest Bronx, central Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan) within which racial and ethnic disparities for heat exposures are concentrated. Through examining the overall effects and geographic effect measure modification across spatial scales, the results of this study identify specific geographic areas for intervention to mitigate heat exposure disparities experienced by Black and Hispanic/Latine NYC residents.

Association of long COVID with housing insecurity in the United States, 2022-2023.

Objectives: To assess the association of Long COVID with housing insecurity in the United States. Methods: To compare the prevalence of 3 binary indicators of housing insecurity between people with Long COVID (symptoms >3 months) and COVID-19 survivors who did not report long-term symptoms, we used survey-weighted regression models on 206,969 responses from the Household Pulse Survey, a representative cross-sectional survey of US households collected September 2022-April 2023. Among people with Long COVID, we additionally assessed whether functional impairment, current COVID-19 related symptoms, and symptom impact on day-to-day life were associated with a higher prevalence of housing insecurity. Results: During the study period, 56,353 respondents with prior COVID-19 experienced symptoms lasting 3 months or longer (27%), representing an estimated 28 million US adults. After adjusting for demographic factors, people with Long COVID were 1.5-2 times as likely to experience significant difficulty with household expenses (Prevalence ratio [PR] 1.48, 95% CI 1.42-1.55), be behind on housing payments (PR 1.48, 95% CI 1.36-1.60), and face likely eviction or foreclosure (PR 1.86, 95% CI 1.58-2.18). The risk of housing insecurity was highest among low-income adults with Long COVID. Among people with Long COVID, functional limitation and current symptoms which impact day-to-day life were associated with higher prevalence of housing insecurity. Conclusions: Compared with COVID-19 survivors who do not experience long-term symptoms, people with Long COVID are more likely to report indicators of housing insecurity, particularly those of lower socio-economic status, and those with functional limitations or long-term COVID-19 related symptoms impacting day-to-day life. Policies are needed to support people living with chronic illnesses following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Association of Long COVID with housing insecurity in the United States, 2022-2023.

Objectives: To assess the association of Long COVID with housing insecurity in the United States. Methods: To compare the prevalence of 3 binary indicators of housing insecurity between people with Long COVID (symptoms > 3 months) and COVID-19 survivors who don't report long-term symptoms, we used survey-weighted regression models on 203,807 responses from the Household Pulse Survey, a representative cross-sectional survey of US households collected September 2022 - April 2023. Among people with Long COVID, we assessed whether functional impairment, current COVID-19 related symptoms, and symptom impact on day-today life were associated with a higher prevalence of housing insecurity. Results: During the study period, 54,446 (27.2%) respondents with COVID-19 experienced symptoms lasting 3 months or longer, representing an estimated 27 million US adults. People with Long COVID were nearly twice as likely to experience significant difficulty with household expenses (Prevalence ratio [PR] 1.85, 95% CI 1.74-1.96), be behind on housing payments (PR 1.76, 95% CI 1.57-1.99), and face likely eviction or foreclosure (PR 2.12, 95% CI 1.58-2.86). Functional limitation and current symptoms which impact day-to-day life were associated with higher prevalence of housing insecurity. Conclusions: Compared with COVID-19 survivors who don't experience long-term symptoms, people with Long COVID are more likely to report indicators housing insecurity, particularly those with functional limitations and long-term COVID-19 related symptoms impacting day-today life. Policies are needed to support people living with chronic illnesses following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Impact of in-Station Medication Automated Dispensing Systems on Prehospital Pain Medication Administration.

INTRODUCTION: Medication automatic dispensing systems (ADS) have been implemented in many settings, including fire-based EMS stations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of in-station ADSs on controlled substance administration rates and EMS response intervals. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of data from a single fire-based EMS agency. Medication administration rates and EMS response intervals were compared before ADS implementation (P1; 6/1/15 to 5/31/16) and after ADS implementation (P3; 6/1/17-5/31/19). Cases with missing data and during a one-year implementation period were excluded. RESULTS: 4045 cases were identified in P1 and 8168 in P3. The odds of morphine or versed administration increased following ADS implementation: OR = 1.77 (95% CI: 1.53, 2.03) and OR = 1.53 (95%CI: 1.18, 2.00) respectively. There were statistically, but likely not operationally significant increases in median response interval and transport interval from P1 to P3 of 14 seconds, (p < 0.001) and 39 seconds (p < 0.001) respectively. Time at hospital for all calls decreased by more than 11 minutes for all transports, from a median of 34 minutes (IQR; 23.7, 45.5) to 22.7 minutes (IQR:18.5, 27.6) in P3, p < 0.001 and by 27.9 minutes for calls in which a controlled substance was given: P1 = 50.6 minutes (IQR: 34.6, 63.2), P3 = 22.7 minutes (IQR: 18.3, 27.4), p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: In this system, medication ADS implementation was associated with an increase in the rates of controlled substance administration and a decrease in the time units were at hospitals.

Psychological distress prevalence and associated stressors and supports among urban-displaced Congolese adults in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: There is limited understanding of the prevalence of psychological distress and associated stressors and supports among displaced adults in low- and middle-income first asylum countries. METHOD: This article reports the findings of a cross-sectional study. We recruited 245 Congolese adults (18-80 years) residing in Nairobi, Kenya using snowball sampling. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), and a locally developed stressors and supports survey. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine associations among sociodemographic, stressor, and support variables and the likelihood of experiencing psychological distress. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (52.8%) reported symptoms indicative of psychological distress. Factors associated with increased psychological distress included perceiving to have a useful role in one's family or community, AOR = 1.85; 95% CI [1.1.17, 3.11], p = .012, feeling confused or not knowing what to do, AOR = 2.13; 95% CI [1.20, 4.6], p = .014, and feeling afraid to leave home for medical/health care to help with an illness, AOR = 1.57; 95% CI [1.17, 2.15], p < .01. Additionally, ethnic Banyamulenge Congolese adults without legal refugee status had an increased likelihood of experiencing psychological distress, AOR = .07; 95% CI [0, .74], p = .035. CONCLUSION: Future research is warranted to understand how to implement targeted mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to improve urban-displaced adults' sense of safety and belonging. Our findings suggest that legal refugee status is an important structural determinant of mental health, which should be considered in MHPSS practice and policy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

High cytomegalovirus serology and subsequent COPD-related mortality: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Positive serology for cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been associated with all-cause mortality risk but its role in COPD mortality is unknown. The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between CMV serology and COPD mortality. METHODS: We analysed data from 806 participants in the Tucson Epidemiological Study of Airway Obstructive Disease who, at enrolment, were aged 28-70 years and had completed lung function tests. We tested CMV serology in sera from enrolment and defined "high CMV serology" as being in the highest tertile. Vital status, date and cause of death were assessed through death certificates and/or linkage with the National Death Index up to January 2017. The association of CMV serology with all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk was tested in Cox models adjusted for age, sex, level of education, body mass index, smoking status and pack-years. RESULTS: High CMV serology was marginally associated with all-cause mortality (p=0.071) but the effect was inversely dependent on age, with the association being much stronger among participants <55 years than among participants ≥55 years at enrolment (p-value for CMV-by-age interaction <0.001). Compared with low CMV serology, high CMV serology was associated with mortality from COPD among all subjects (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 2.38, 95% CI 1.11-5.08; p=0.025) and particularly in subjects <55 years old at enrolment (HR 5.40, 95% CI 1.73-16.9; p=0.004). Consistent with these results, high CMV serology also predicted mortality risk among subjects who already had airflow limitation at enrolment (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.20-3.68; p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: We report a strong relationship between CMV serology and the risk of dying from COPD, and thus identify a novel risk factor for COPD mortality.