Determinants of Telehealth Technologies in a Rural Population.

Background: Telehealth's applicability may be limited for vulnerable populations including rural communities. While broadband access is a known barrier to telehealth use, other factors may influence a person's ability or preference to use telehealth. Objective/Purpose: To compare characteristics of telehealth users versus nontelehealth users in a rural health care network. Methods: We surveyed a stratified random sample of 500 adult patients in August 2021 about telehealth use. We used descriptive statistics to compare characteristics of telehealth users with nontelehealth users. Telehealth was defined in three different ways as follows: (1) phone or video visit, (2) video visit, and (3) patient portal use. Results: Mean age of the 206 respondents was 60 years, 60.7% were female, 60.4% had some college education; 84.9% had home internet, and 73.3% used the internet independently. Video telehealth use was independently associated with younger age (<65), having some college education, being married/partnered, and being enrolled in Medicaid. When telehealth included a phone option, disability was positively associated with telehealth use, and living in a rural town versus metropolitan/micropolitan area was negatively associated with telehealth use. Being younger, married/partnered, and having some college education were significantly associated with patient portal use. Conclusion: Videoconferencing and patient portal use pose barriers to those who are older and have less education. However, these barriers disappear when telehealth is available through telephone.

Impact of pet dog or cat exposure during childhood on mental illness during adolescence: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In our prior study of 643 children, ages 4-11 years, children with pet dogs had lower anxiety scores than children without pet dogs. This follow-up study examines whether exposure to pet dogs or cats during childhood reduces the risk of adolescent mental health (MH) disorders. METHODS: Using a retrospective cohort study design, we merged our prior study database with electronic medical record (EMR) data to create an analytic database. Common MH diagnoses (anxiety, depression, ADHD) occurring from the time of prior study enrollment to 10/27/21 were identified using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. We used proportional hazards regression to compare time to MH diagnoses, between youths with and without pets. From 4/1/20 to 10/27/21, parents and youth in the prior study were interviewed about the amount of time the youth was exposed to a pet and how attached s/he was to the pet. Exposure included having a pet dog at baseline, cumulative exposure to a pet dog or cat during follow-up, and level of pet attachment. The main outcomes were anxiety diagnosis, any MH diagnosis, and MH diagnosis associated with a psychotropic prescription. RESULTS: EMR review identified 571 youths with mean age of 14 years (range 11-19), 53% were male, 58% had a pet dog at baseline. During follow-up (mean of 7.8 years), 191 children received a MH diagnosis: 99 were diagnosed with anxiety (52%), 61 with ADHD (32%), 21 with depression (11%), 10 with combined MH diagnoses (5%). After adjusting for significant confounders, having a pet dog at baseline was associated with lower risk of any MH diagnosis (HR = 0.74, p = .04) but not for anxiety or MH diagnosis with a psychotropic prescription. Among the 241 (42%) youths contacted for follow-up, parent-reported cumulative exposure to pet dogs was borderline negatively associated with occurrence of any MH diagnosis (HR = 0.74, p = .06). Cumulative exposure to the most attached pet (dog or cat) was negatively associated with anxiety diagnosis (HR = 0.57, p = .006) and any MH diagnosis (HR = 0.64, p = .013). CONCLUSION: Cumulative exposure to a highly attached pet dog or cat is associated with reduced risk of adolescent MH disorders.

Evaluating the Implementation of the Diabetes Self-Management Program in a Rural Population.

The evidence-based Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) has been shown to improve a variety of health-related outcomes, but the program has been challenging to implement in rural areas, and rural dissemination has been low. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effect of implementing the DSMP on self-reported outcomes in a rural region. Through a collaboration with multiple partners, the Living Well program delivered 28 DSMP workshops from 2017 to 2019. Data were collected to determine whether there were post-intervention changes in patient-reported outcomes on measures of diabetes distress, self-management, and patient activation. In addition, secondary analysis of A1C was abstracted from the medical records of participants with type 2 diabetes who completed at least four sessions of a DSMP workshop between 2017 and 2019 and whose medical records had an A1C value in the year before the program and at least one A1C value >3 months after the program. Statistically significant improvements were seen for the Diabetes Distress Scale (P = 0.0017), the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (P <0.0001) and the 10-item Patient Activation Measure (P <0.0001). There was no evidence of change in A1C over time in analyses of all participants (P = 0.5875), but a consistent though nonsignificant (P = 0.1087) decline in A1C was seen for a subset of participants with a baseline A1C ≥8%. This evaluation provides preliminary support for implementing the DSMP as part of a comprehensive treatment and self-management plan for people living with diabetes in rural areas.

Number of Months of Baseball in the Previous Year and Preseason Olecranon Tenderness: Risk Factors for Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in High-School Baseball Players.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in high-school baseball position players and pitchers in the preseason history and physical examination. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Community high-school baseball. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred seventy-one male baseball players' mean age 15.0 ± 1.8 years. OUTCOME MEASURES: A preseason history and physical examination was performed on all athletes. Injury information was collected by weekly self-report and athletic trainer injury logs throughout the season. Comparisons between injured and noninjured players were performed using t tests and χ 2 analyses. Binary logistic regression models were developed to identify risk factors for injury. RESULTS: Seventy-six injuries were recorded over the season. In univariate analysis, the injured group had greater months of baseball participation ( P = 0.007) and shoulder visual analog scale for the past year ( P = 0.003). The injured group also had more olecranon tenderness ( P < 0.0001, odds ratio [OR] 2.9) and decreased elbow arc of motion. All other factors were not significantly different ( P > 0.05). In multivariable logistic regression, months per year of baseball participation was the only factor significantly associated with injuries ( P = 0.010, OR = 1.21). CONCLUSIONS: Baseball players who developed arm injuries during a season were more likely to play more months of baseball and report shoulder pain in the previous year. The presence of preseason olecranon tenderness was associated with nearly triple the risk of injury during the season. Every additional month of baseball participation in the previous year was associated with a 1.2× increased odds of injury. The presence of glenohumeral internal rotation deficit was not a predictor of injury.

PNPLA3 Gene Polymorphism and Liver- and Extrahepatic Cancer-Related Mortality in the United States.

The palatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 G allele is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hepatocellular carcinoma,1 and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality in the general population.2 One recent Italian study reported an association between PNPLA3 polymorphism and liver-related events and mortality in biopsy-confirmed NAFLD.3 Regarding extrahepatic cancer-related mortality, one study showed that only women carrying the G allele without hepatic steatosis had a 60% lower risk for cancer-related mortality.4 However, owing to insufficient follow-up and selected populations, the results from these studies cannot generalize about the association between PNPLA3 polymorphism and liver- and extrahepatic cancer-related mortality at a population level. Thus, we investigated the association between PNPLA3 polymorphism and liver- and extrahepatic cancer-related mortality based on the presence of NAFLD in the U.S. general population.

PNPLA3 gene polymorphism and overall and cardiovascular mortality in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The association between palatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) I148M (rs738409) polymorphism and mortality is not well understood. We investigated the impact of PNPLA3 I148M (rs738409) polymorphism on overall and cardiovascular mortality based on the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1991 to 1994 and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III-linked mortality data through 31 December 2015 were utilized in this study. RESULTS: Of 4814 participants, 50.7% were homozygous for the C-allele and 12.6% were homozygous for the G-allele. During a follow up of 20 years, there were a total of 1255 deaths, 422 attributed to cardiovascular disease. There was a significant association with overall mortality among those with the PNPLA3 I148M (rs738409) GG genotype (hazard ratio [HR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.77) or G-allele (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.09-1.36) in the general population. NAFLD with homozygous PNPLA3 I148M (rs738409) GG genotype had higher overall mortality after adjusting for multiple metabolic risk factors (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.01-2.08). The PNPLA3 I148M (rs738409) G-allele had a tendency of increased cardiovascular mortality in the total population. This association was not noted in those with NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: The homozygous PNPLA3 I148M (rs738409) GG genotype showed an increase in overall mortality in the general population and NAFLD independent of multiple metabolic risk factors.

Health-related quality of life among transgender and gender expansive youth at a rural gender wellness clinic.

PURPOSE: To address a critical gap in the existing Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) literature by quantifying and describing HRQOL among transgender and gender expansive (TG/GE) youth at a rural gender clinic and comparing the HRQOL of these youth to age-stratified United States (U.S.) population standards. METHODS: This cross-sectional study includes results of the baseline HRQOL assessment of 141 TG/GE patients enrolled in the Gender Wellness Center (GWC) Pediatric Patient Registry. HRQOL was assessed using the Child Health Questionnaire-Child Form 87 (CHQ-CF87; ages < 18) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36v2; ages 18-21). Mean subscale scores were compared to the most current U.S. population standards available. RESULTS: On all but one of the CHQ-CF87 subscales, TG/GE youth scored significantly lower than 2015-2016 U.S. general population youth and youth with two chronic conditions. On the SF-36v2, TG/GE youth scored significantly higher than 2009 U.S. standards on all physical health domains but lower on all but one of the mental health domains. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional HRQOL data from a registry of TG/GE youth indicate significantly poorer mental health measures as compared with the U.S. general population. Longitudinal assessments are needed to evaluate whether HRQOL improves with gender-affirming care. Future studies should aim to identify sociocultural factors at the intersection of rurality and health that contribute to diminished HRQOL among rural TG/GE youth.

Rural context, single institution prospective outcomes after enhanced recovery colorectal surgery protocol implementation.

BACKGROUND: Rural hospitals face unique challenges to adopting Enhanced Recovery protocols after colorectal surgical procedures. There are few examples of successful implementation in the United States, and fewer yet of prospective, outcomes-based trials. METHODS: This study drew data from elective bowel resection prospectively collected, retrospectively analyzed cases 2 years prior (n = 214) and 3 years after (n = 224) implementing an ERAS protocol at a small, rural health network in upstate New York. Primary outcomes were cost, length-of-stay, readmission rate, and complications. RESULTS: The implementation required changes and buy-in at multiple levels of the institution. There was a statistically significant reduction in mean length of stay (6.9 versus 5.1 days) and per-patient savings to hospital ($3000) after implementation of ERAS protocol. There was no significant change in rate of 30-day readmissions or complications. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that for rural-specific barriers to implementation of Enhanced Recovery protocols there are specific organizational strategies that can ultimately yield sustainable endpoints.

Patients with depression and anxiety symptoms from adjustment disorder related to their shoulder may be ideal patients for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND: Mood symptoms may be due to shoulder-related depression or anxiety or clinical anxiety/depression. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of shoulder-related and pre-existing diagnosis of depression or anxiety with changes in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score after rotator cuff repair. METHODS: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data on subjects undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair was reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative ASES, questions from the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff index questions directed to feelings of depression/anxiety related to the shoulder, and pre-existing diagnoses of depression and/or anxiety were recorded. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare changes, and Spearman's correlation was used to correlate changes in mood and ASES between male and female subjects and those with and without anxiety and/or depression. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one subjects (53 female; mean age, 58.0 years; standard deviation [SD], 8.5) who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were evaluated with the mean follow-up of 36.6 months (SD, 17.5). Forty-six subjects (mean age, 58.8 years; SD, 8.2) had pre-existing diagnoses of depression and/or anxiety and 125 subjects (mean age, 57.7 years; SD, 8.7) did not. Patients showed improvement in Western Ontario Rotator Cuff shoulder-related depression (Δ 22.3) and anxiety (Δ 24.7). There was a strong correlation between the change in mood symptoms and the change in ASES score, for depression (r = 0.74) and anxiety (r = 0.71). Patients with and without clinical diagnosis of anxiety or depression experienced similar changes in mood symptoms related to the shoulder and ASES scores (P = .65, P = .39). Patients' ASES scores were less correlated with changes in shoulder-related mood symptoms; however, if patients had clinical depression/anxiety compared with those without (r = 0.68 vs. 0.75, P < .0001 for depression; r = 0.56 vs. r = 0.74, P < .0001 for anxiety). CONCLUSIONS: After rotator cuff repair, symptoms of depression/anxiety related to the shoulder improved dramatically with or without pre-existing clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety. As the patient-reported functional outcomes of those with pre-existing clinical diagnosis of anxiety/depression improved, they did not experience as strong as an improvement in their mood symptoms as those without prior diagnoses and may benefit from directed treatment of these symptoms. Patients with shoulder-related mood symptoms only, conversely, experience a strong relationship between their improvement in function with their mood symptoms and may be ideal candidates for rotator cuff surgery. It is important for clinicians to separate mood symptoms related to adjustment disorder from the rotator cuff injury from clinical depression and anxiety.

Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) correlates with American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff index in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcomes continue to grow in importance. This study compared the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score with the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index score in patients before and after primary rotator cuff repair. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of a prospectively filled database of 333 subjects who underwent primary rotator cuff repair by a single surgeon between 2010 and 2017. The database included preoperative and postoperative SANE, ASES, and WORC evaluations. The mean follow-up time was 37.5 months. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated comparing each score preoperatively and at least 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: A strong correlation was found between the SANE and ASES scores of subjects in the preoperative period (r = 0.769, P < .0001) and the follow-up period of at least 1 year (r = 0.781, P < .0001). A similarly strong correlation was found between the SANE and WORC scores of subjects in the preoperative period (r = 0.757, P < .0001) and the follow-up period of at least 1 year (r = 0.813, P < .0001). On stratification analysis, correlation of SANE scores with ASES and WORC scores was found when subjects were grouped by sex, age, cuff tear size, and workers' compensation status. CONCLUSION: This study shows a significant correlation between the SANE, ASES, and WORC scores of primary rotator cuff repair subjects in the preoperative and long-term follow-up periods. We recommend the SANE score as an adjunct to clinical outcome data that can be used in patients regardless of sex, cuff tear size, or workers' compensation status.

The interaction of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and smoking on mortality among adults in the United States.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common liver disease in Western countries. Smoking and diabetes mellitus (DM) have been shown to increase mortality; however, whether NAFLD adds to the detrimental effect of smoking in DM and non-DM patients is unknown. We evaluated the possible interactive effect of NAFLD and smoking on mortality risk in a US population-based sample. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 11 205 participants in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analysed. NAFLD was defined as ultrasonographic hepatic steatosis without evidence of other liver diseases. Proportional hazards regression modelling was used to test for the multiplicative interaction of NAFLD and smoking on overall mortality, controlling for DM. RESULTS: 36.5% of the participants had NAFLD of whom 21.1% were current smokers, while among non-NAFLD subjects, 26.2% reported current smoking. Smoking was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.23 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.87-2.65) among non-NAFLD subjects, and 2.31 (95% CI: 1.33-2.92, P < 0.01) among NAFLD patients. In contrast, the HR for NAFLD was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.78-1.31, P = 0.96) among smokers and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.87-1.10, P = 0.73) among non-smokers. There was no evidence of interaction between NAFLD and smoking (HR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.74-1.38, P = 0.94) in the combined model. CONCLUSION: We found that smoking increased mortality by two-fold among the US population. Although the magnitude of the increase in mortality did not differ from that in non-NAFLD subjects, smoking represents a modifiable determinant of long-term outcomes in NAFLD patients.

Biceps tenotomy has earlier pain relief compared to biceps tenodesis: a randomized prospective study.

PURPOSE:  Surgical management for long head of the biceps (LHB) tendinopathy with either biceps tenotomy or tenodesis is a reliable, but debated treatment option. The aim of this prospective, randomized, single-blinded study is to evaluate differences in pain relief and subjective outcomes between biceps tenotomy versus tenodesis for LHB tendinopathy. METHODS:  Subjects were randomized and blinded to biceps tenotomy versus arthroscopic tenodesis intra-operatively. Outcomes evaluated included subjective patient outcome scores, pain, and cosmetic deformity. Subjective outcomes scores and pain were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA, controlling for concomitant rotator cuff repair. Binary outcomes were compared using Chi-square tests. RESULTS:  Thirty-four subjects (31 male, 3 female) with a median age of 56 (range 30-77) were enrolled. Twenty subjects were randomized to tenotomy and 14 to tenodesis. Fifty-six percent had concomitant rotator cuff repairs. The mean VAS pain score at 3 months was lower with tenotomy versus tenodesis. 2-year follow-up demonstrated no statistically significant differences for VAS, ASES, or SANE. 15/20 (75%) subjects with biceps tenotomy reported no pain medication use at the 2-week postoperative visit versus 5/14 (33%) for biceps tenodesis. Popeye deformity was found in 5/20 (25%) of tenotomy subjects versus 1/14 (7%) in tenodesis subjects. CONCLUSION: Outcomes appear similar between biceps tenotomy versus tenodesis; however, the tenotomy group demonstrated greater incidence of cosmetic deformity but an earlier improvement in postoperative pain. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Treatment Studies, Level II.

Frequency of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with practice among rural-based, group-employed physicians and non-physician practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Widespread dissatisfaction among United States (U.S.) clinicians could endanger ongoing reforms. Practitioners in rural/underserved areas withstand stressors that are unique to or accentuated in those settings. Medical professionals employed by integrating delivery systems are often distressed by the cacophony of organizational change(s) that such consolidation portends. We investigated the factors associated with dis/satisfaction with rural practice among doctors/non-physician practitioners employed by an integrated healthcare delivery network serving 9 counties of upstate New York, during a time of organizational transition. METHODS: We linked administrative data about practice units with cross-sectional data from a self-administered multi-dimensional questionnaire that contained practitioner demographics plus valid scales assessing autonomy/relatedness needs, risk aversion, tolerance for uncertainty/ambiguity, meaningfulness of patient care, and workload. We targeted medical professionals on the institutional payroll for inclusion. We excluded those who retired, resigned or were fired during the study launch, plus members of the advisory board and research team. Fixed-effects beta regressions were performed to test univariate associations between each factor and the percent of time a provider was dis/satisfied. Factors that manifested significant fixed effects were entered into multivariate, inflated beta regression models of the proportion of time that practitioners were dis/satisfied, incorporating clustering by practice unit as a random effect. RESULTS: Of the 473 eligible participants. 308 (65.1 %) completed the questionnaire. 59.1 % of respondents were doctoral-level; 40.9 % mid-level practitioners. Practitioners with heavier workloads and/or greater uncertainty intolerance were less likely to enjoy top-quintile satisfaction; those deriving greater meaning from practice were more likely. Higher meaningfulness and gratified relational needs increased one's likelihood of being in the lowest quintile of dissatisfaction; heavier workload and greater intolerance of uncertainty reduced that likelihood. Practitioner demographics and most practice unit characteristics did not manifest any independent effect. CONCLUSIONS: Mutable factors, such as workload, work meaningfulness, relational needs, uncertainty/ambiguity tolerance, and risk-taking attitudes displayed the strongest association with practitioner satisfaction/dissatisfaction, independent of demographics and practice unit characteristics. Organizational efforts should be dedicated to a redesign of group-employment models, including more equitable division of clinical labor, building supportive peer networks, and uncertainty/risk tolerance coaching, to improve the quality of work life among rural practitioners.

Impact of preparing for OSHA local emphasis program inspections of New York dairy farms: Case studies and financial cost analysis.

BACKGROUND: OSHA inspection of dairy farms began in July 1, 2014 in New York State. As of September 2014, a total of eight farms were randomly selected for inspection. This case study addresses how dairy farm managers prepared for these inspections, and identifies farm level costs preparing for inspection and/or being inspected. METHODS: Four farms that were OSHA inspected and 12 farms that were not inspected were included in this mixed method evaluation using a multimodal (telephone, email, or mail) survey. Descriptive analysis was carried out using frequencies, proportions, means, and medians. RESULTS: Overall, the impact of OSHA inspections was positive, leading to improved safety management and physical changes on the farm and worker trainings, although the farmers' perspectives about OSHA inspection were mixed. CONCLUSIONS: The cost of compliance was low relative to estimated overall production costs. Clarifications and engineering solutions for specific dairy farm hazard exposures are needed to facilitate compliance with OSHA regulations.

Comparisons of weight change, eating habits and physical activity between women in Northern Sweden and Rural New York State- results from a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has focused exclusively on weight loss or weight maintenance following weight loss, i.e. secondary weight maintenance (SWM). The long-term results of SWM have been modest, suggesting that preventing initial weight gain among normal weight or overweight individuals, i.e. primary weight maintenance (PWM), may be more successful. The aim of this study was to compare the pattern of weight change between Swedish and US women and to contrast eating and physical activity between the two countries. METHODS: A questionnaire of attitudes, strategies and behaviours regarding physical activity, food habits, body image and demands to maintain weight was mailed to 4021 Swedish and 3199 US individuals. Subjects had weight measurements taken 10 years apart in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme in northern Sweden, and self-reported weight as part of the Upstate Health and Wellness Study in Upstate New York. The mean 10-year percent weight change, and weight change in kilograms, were calculated between the two countries for nine female age (30, 40, 50 years at baseline) by BMI (20-25, 25-30, 30-35) groups. For the Swedish/US pair showing the largest differences in these two endpoints, analysis of variance, correlations and chi-square tests identified likely contributors to the observed differences in weight change. RESULTS: For all subgroups combined, the mean percent weight changes for Swedish women and US women were 4.9% (SD = 5.8) and 9.1% (SD = 13.7) respectively (p<0.001). Differences in 10 year weight change between the two countries were largest among normal weight 30 year olds. Eight variables were identified as likely contributors to this difference. A significantly higher proportion of Swedish women selected the healthy alternatives for these eight variables. Percent weight change varied considerably over healthy versus unhealthy response levels in the US, but not in Sweden. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of obesity among the Swedish women did not progress as rapidly as among the US. The greatest weight gain occurred predominantly among the 30 year old groups. The Swedish women tended to select healthier alternatives than their US counterparts, and women in the US appeared to be more vulnerable to the effects of unhealthy habits than women in Sweden.

Pet Dogs and Children's Health: Opportunities for Chronic Disease Prevention?

INTRODUCTION: Positive associations between having a pet dog and adult health outcomes have been documented; however, little evidence exists regarding the benefits of pet dogs for young children. This study investigates the hypothesis that pet dogs are positively associated with healthy weight and mental health among children. METHODS: This cross-sectional study accrued a consecutive sample of children over 18 months in a pediatric primary care setting. The study enrolled 643 children (mean age, 6.7 years); 96% were white, 45% were female, 56% were privately insured, and 58% had pet dogs in the home. Before an annual visit, parents of children aged 4 to 10 years completed the DartScreen, a comprehensive Web-based health risk screener administered using an electronic tablet. The screener domains were child body mass index (BMI), physical activity, screen time, mental health, and pet-related questions. RESULTS: Children with and children without pet dogs did not differ in BMI (P = .80), screen time of 2 hours or less (P = 0.99), or physical activity (P = .07). A lower percentage of children with dogs (12%) met the clinical cut-off value of Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders (SCARED-5) of 3 or more, compared with children without dogs (21%, P = .002). The mean SCARED-5 score was lower among children with dogs (1.13) compared with children without dogs (1.40; P = .01). This relationship was retained in multivariate analysis after controlling for several covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Having a pet dog in the home was associated with a decreased probability of childhood anxiety. Future studies need to establish whether this relationship is causal and, if so, how pet dogs alleviate childhood anxiety.

Community views and public health priority setting: how do health department priorities, community views, and health indicator data compare?

OBJECTIVES: New York, like many other states, provides county-level health statistics for use in local priority settings but does not provide any data on public views about priority health issues. This study assessed whether health department priorities are notably different from community concerns about health, and how both groups' priorities compare with local health statistics. METHOD: Data from a 2009 rural survey on community health concerns were compared to priorities named by the seven area county health departments, and to local health indicator data. RESULTS: Health care/insurance cost (60%), obesity (53%), and prescription cost (41%) were leading community concerns, regardless of age, education, sex, or Internet in the home. Six of seven county health departments selected access to quality health care (which includes health care/insurance cost) as a leading public health priority, but only three identified obesity. The following leading local health issues were suggested by health indicators: Physical activity and nutrition, Smoking, and Unintentional injury. CONCLUSIONS: Health departments diverged from community priorities, from health indicator data, and from one another in choosing priorities. Adding a question about community health priorities to existing state telephone surveys on health behavior and lifestyle would provide an important tool to local health departments.

Bronchodilators for bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND: Bronchiolitis is an acute, viral lower respiratory tract infection affecting infants and is sometimes treated with bronchodilators. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of bronchodilators on clinical outcomes in infants (0 to 12 months) with acute bronchiolitis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL 2013, Issue 12, MEDLINE (1966 to January Week 2, 2014) and EMBASE (1998 to January 2014). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing bronchodilators (other than epinephrine) with placebo for bronchiolitis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors assessed trial quality and extracted data. We obtained unpublished data from trial authors. MAIN RESULTS: We included 30 trials (35 data sets) representing 1992 infants with bronchiolitis. In 11 inpatient and 10 outpatient studies, oxygen saturation did not improve with bronchodilators (mean difference (MD) -0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.92 to 0.06, n = 1242). Outpatient bronchodilator treatment did not reduce the rate of hospitalization (11.9% in bronchodilator group versus 15.9% in placebo group, odds ratio (OR) 0.75, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.21, n = 710). Inpatient bronchodilator treatment did not reduce the duration of hospitalization (MD 0.06, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.39, n = 349).Effect estimates for inpatients (MD -0.62, 95% CI -1.40 to 0.16) were slightly larger than for outpatients (MD -0.25, 95% CI -0.61 to 0.11) for oximetry. Oximetry outcomes showed significant heterogeneity (I(2) statistic = 81%). Including only studies with low risk of bias had little impact on the overall effect size of oximetry (MD -0.38, 95% CI -0.75 to 0.00) but results were close to statistical significance.In eight inpatient studies, there was no change in average clinical score (standardized MD (SMD) -0.14, 95% CI -0.41 to 0.12) with bronchodilators. In nine outpatient studies, the average clinical score decreased slightly with bronchodilators (SMD -0.42, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.06), a statistically significant finding of questionable clinical importance. The clinical score outcome showed significant heterogeneity (I(2) statistic = 73%). Including only studies with low risk of bias reduced the heterogeneity but had little impact on the overall effect size of average clinical score (SMD -0.22, 95% CI -0.41 to -0.03).Sub-analyses limited to nebulized albuterol or salbutamol among outpatients (nine studies) showed no effect on oxygen saturation (MD -0.19, 95% CI -0.59 to 0.21, n = 572), average clinical score (SMD -0.36, 95% CI -0.83 to 0.11, n = 532) or hospital admission after treatment (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.33, n = 404).Adverse effects included tachycardia, oxygen desaturation and tremors. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Bronchodilators such as albuterol or salbutamol do not improve oxygen saturation, do not reduce hospital admission after outpatient treatment, do not shorten the duration of hospitalization and do not reduce the time to resolution of illness at home. Given the adverse side effects and the expense associated with these treatments, bronchodilators are not effective in the routine management of bronchiolitis. This meta-analysis continues to be limited by the small sample sizes and the lack of standardized study design and validated outcomes across the studies. Future trials with large sample sizes, standardized methodology across clinical sites and consistent assessment methods are needed to answer completely the question of efficacy.

Evaluation of a community-based participatory farmworker eye health intervention in the "black dirt" region of New York state.

BACKGROUND: Eye irritation is a constant hazard for migrant and seasonal farmworkers, but there are few studies of the problem or how to address it. Researchers evaluated the effect of a community-based participatory eye health intervention on farmworker eye symptoms in the Hudson Valley, NY. METHODS: A randomized pre-post intervention with 2, 4-week follow-up periods was implemented with a sample of 97 farmworkers. Five eye symptoms were measured, along with utilization of protective eyewear and eye drops. RESULTS: Leading baseline eye symptoms were redness (49%), blurred vision (43%), itching (43%), and eye pain (29%). Significant reductions in eye pain (P = 0.009), and non-significant reductions in redness were observed for the intervention group while controls experienced increases in both. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention was effective in significantly reducing eye pain, and to a lesser extent, redness. Future eyewear promotion programs should offer a range of eye wear, tailor offerings to local climate and tasks, evaluate eyewear durability, and include eye drops.

Examining differences in time to appointment and no-show rates between rural telehealth users and non-users.

Background: Telehealth has undergone widespread implementation since 2020 and is considered an invaluable tool to improve access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas. However, telehealth's applicability may be limited for certain populations including those who live in rural, medically underserved communities. While broadband access is a recognized barrier, other important factors including age and education influence a person's ability or preference to engage with telehealth via video telehealth or a patient portal. It remains unclear the degree to which these digital technologies lead to disparities in access to care. Purpose: The purpose of this analysis is to determine if access to healthcare differs for telehealth users compared with non-users. Methods: Using electronic health record data, we evaluated differences in "time to appointment" and "no-show rates" between telehealth users and non-users within an integrated healthcare network between August 2021 and January 2022. We limited analysis to patient visits in endocrinology or outpatient behavioral health departments. We analyzed new patients and established patients separately. Results: Telehealth visits were associated with shorter time to appointment for new and established patients in endocrinology and established patients in behavioral health, as well as with lower no-show rates for established patients in both departments. Conclusions: The findings suggest that those who are unwilling or unable to engage with telehealth may have more difficulty accessing timely care.