The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the many broken fragments of US health care and social service systems, reinforcing extant health and socioeconomic inequities faced by structurally marginalized ...immigrant communities. Throughout the pandemic, even during the most critical period of rising cases in different epicenters, immigrants continued to work in high-risk-exposure environments while simultaneously having less access to health care and economic relief and facing discrimination. We describe systemic factors that have adversely affected low-income immigrants, including limiting their work opportunities to essential jobs, living in substandard housing conditions that do not allow for social distancing or space to safely isolate from others in the household, and policies that discourage access to public resources that are available to them or that make resources completely inaccessible. We demonstrate that the current public health infrastructure has not improved health care access or linkages to necessary services, treatments, or culturally competent health care providers, and we provide suggestions for how the Public Health 3.0 framework could advance this. We recommend the following strategies to improve the Public Health 3.0 public health infrastructure and mitigate widening disparities: (1) address the social determinants of health, (2) broaden engagement with stakeholders across multiple sectors, and (3) develop appropriate tools and technologies. (
2021;111(S3):S224-S231. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306433).
Social media has been crucial for seeking and communicating COVID-19 information. However, social media has also promulgated misinformation, which is particularly concerning among Asian Americans who ...may rely on in-language information and utilize social media platforms to connect to Asia-based networks. There is limited literature examining social media use for COVID-19 information and the subsequent impact of misinformation on health behaviors among Asian Americans. This perspective reviews recent research, news, and gray literature to examine the dissemination of COVID-19 misinformation on social media platforms to Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asian Americans. We discuss the linkage of COVID-19 misinformation to health behaviors, with emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and vaccine decision-making in Asian American communities. We then discuss community- and research-driven responses to investigate misinformation during the pandemic. Lastly, we propose recommendations to mitigate misinformation and address the COVID-19 infodemic among Asian Americans.
This exploratory study examines workplace factors, sleep, sleep disorders, and safety among older (age 50 years and above) yellow taxi drivers in New York City (NYC) of South Asian descent.
Using ...street intercept methods, quantitative data was collected among yellow taxi drivers in NYC (n = 27) from January–March 2020.
Among drivers, higher than normal sleepiness was identified in 33%, sleeping fewer than 7 hours on worknights work nights was reported by 52%, and 37% were at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Among drivers, 11% (n = 3) reported a motor vehicle accident in the past year and all drivers who reported an accident were at high risk for OSA.
Findings from this hard-to-reach and understudied population revealed that most drivers did not report sufficient sleep on work nights. Results found over one-third of drivers had high OSA risk and drivers at high risk for OSA contributed to all reports of motor vehicle crashes.
•Taxi driving is a typically low-income occupation due to the sedentary nature of the work, high stress conditions, and shift schedules; it is associated with poor sleep and sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).•With the popularity of low-cost ride-sharing services, demand for traditional taxis (e.g., yellow medallion taxis in New York City), has fallen and exacerbated financial pressures and risk of sleep difficulties and sleep disorders, burnout, and safety concerns (i.e., motor vehicle crashes) among taxi drivers.•Results from our exploratory study showed that 52% of drivers reported an unhealthy amount of sleep during the work week and 37% of taxi drivers were at risk for OSA.•According to our results, taxi drivers who were at high risk for OSA contributed to all reports of motor vehicle crashes.•Findings suggest that risk of OSA among yellow taxi drivers in NYC may be high and efforts to promote awareness about the disorder should be considered in future research.
Limited literature exists on structural racism measures on health outcomes for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AAs and NH/PIs). AAs and NH/PIs make up approximately 6.2% of ...the U.S. population and consist of diverse ethnic subgroups with distinct languages, cultures, religions, socioeconomic statuses, and historical backgrounds. The lack of disaggregated data collection and contextualized measures hinders our understanding of how structural racism affects health outcomes in these populations.
We conducted a scoping review to assess the extent to which measures of structural racism are used in research with AAs and NH/PIs. Databases, including CINAHL, EBSCO, PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Social Science Citation Index, were searched for peer-reviewed articles on the measures of and empirical impacts of structural racism on AA and NH/PI health. We identified 23 full-text articles from a pool of 11,660 screened articles. Four articles were included in the final analysis.
Among the selected studies, two studies identified an association between racial segregation and mental and behavioral health outcomes within AAs and NH/PIs. The other two studies found redlining on chronic health outcomes in these communities. These studies uncovered associations between government systems and policies and AA and NH/PI health outcomes.
Existing measures may not adequately capture the complex relationships between structural racism and health outcomes in AAs and NH/PIs. Future research should contextualize and operationalize the multifaceted manifestations of structural racism unique to AAs and NH/PIs to achieve health equity.
Objective:
Social media platforms are effective tools for promoting public health and implementing impactful health interventions. This study explored social media utilization patterns among young ...Asian American adults and their effect on perceived family influence on lifestyle behaviors.
Methods:
The study analyzes data from Asian American young adults (aged 18–35 years) participating in an online survey in March 2021.
Results:
A total of 739 Asian Americans participated in the survey: 45.6% East Asian, 23.4% Southeast Asian, and 22.7% South Asian. Common social media platforms include Facebook Messenger (60.9%) and Instagram (57.0%). US-born Asian Americans reported higher odds of using Instagram (adjusted odds ratio AOR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.46) than foreign-born Asian Americans. Higher acculturation was associated with lower odds of using Instagram among South Asians (AOR: .46, 95% CI: .24, .83) and greater odds of using Instagram among East Asians (AOR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.75). Interacting with mothers using Facebook and Instagram had a higher perceived influence on one’s ability to improve sleep (AOR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.19, 3.65; AOR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.15, 5.55) and develop stress-management strategies (AOR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.96; AOR: 4.05, 95% CI: 1.83, 9.49). With one’s siblings, Facebook was associated with a lower perceived influence on avoiding risky substances (AOR: .48, 95% CI: .23, .97), and WhatsApp was associated with a higher perceived influence on one’s ability to develop stress-management strategies (AOR: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.26, 7.78) and form/maintain relationships (AOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.02, 6.58). No significant findings with father interactions were observed.
Conclusion:
Findings provide evidence for researchers seeking to tailor social media–based interpersonal health interventions to address the unique needs of diverse Asian American communities.
The aim of the current study was to collect qualitative data to understand the nature of sleep and sleep difficulties among Asian American older adults and identify daily routines that may lend ...insight into modifiable targets for future nursing interventions. We recruited Chinese and Bangladeshi older adults with low English proficiency from community-based settings in New York City. Eligible participants were aged ≥55 years and reported China or Bangladesh as their country of origin. Focus groups were conducted in their native language. Participants completed a questionnaire before joining the discussion. Participants (
= 32) were 57% Chinese American and 43% Bangladeshi American. Average age was 73 years, 50% of the sample reported diabetes, and 22% reported sleep apnea. Our analysis revealed the daily routines among Chinese and Bangladeshi American older adults. Both groups reported general sleep difficulties and sleep difficulties related to health conditions as well as some subgroup differences. Future research may consider designing tailored nursing interventions to improve sleep among these groups.
(12), 35-41..
Adult day care (ADC) centers provide community-based care (including meals) to frail, ethnically diverse older adults, many of whom are at risk for malnutrition. To support the development of ...interventions to benefit ADC users, the authors aimed to identify barriers and facilitators of healthy nutrition among ADC users born in Vietnam and China. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted among ADC stakeholders to identify barriers and facilitators. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step method and organized within the framework of the Social Ecological Model. Facilitators of good nutrition included adherence to traditional diet at the ADC center, peer networks, and access to ethnic grocers. Poor health, family dynamics, and loneliness all contributed to poor nutrition, as did the restrictive nature of nutrition programs serving ADC users in the United States. Individual, relationship, organizational, community, and policy level factors play a role in ADC users' nutritional status. Targeted nutrition interventions should leverage culturally congruent relationships between ADC users and staff and include advocacy for enhancement of federal programs to support this population. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 13(3), 146-157..
A large proportion of recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss is due to mutations in the GJB2 gene encoding connexin 26 (Cx26), a component of a gap junction. Within different ethnic groups there are ...specific common recessive mutations, each with a relatively high carrier frequency, suggesting the possibility of heterozygous advantage. Carriers of the R143W GJB2 allele, the most prevalent in the African population, present with a thicker epidermis than noncarriers. In this study, we show that (R143W)Cx26-expressing keratinocytes form a significantly thicker epidermis in an organotypic coculture skin model. In addition, we show increased migration of cells expressing (R143W)Cx26 compared to (WT)Cx26-overexpressing cells. We also demonstrate that cells expressing (R143W)Cx26 are significantly less susceptible to cellular invasion by the enteric pathogen Shigella flexneri than (WT)Cx26-expressing cells. These in vitro studies suggest an advantageous effect of (R143W)Cx26 in epithelial cells.
Antenatal maternal anxiety is a risk for offspring psychological and cognitive difficulties. The preschool years represent an important time for brain development, and so may be a window for ...intervention. However, electrophysiological investigations of maternal anxiety and preschoolers' brain functioning are lacking. We ask whether anxiety symptoms predict neurophysiology, and consider timing specificity (26-weeks antenatal or 24-months postnatal), form of insult (anxiety symptoms, per se, or also depression symptoms), and offspring gender.
The sample consisted of a subset of 71 mothers and their 3 year old children taking part in the prospective birth cohort, GUSTO. Mothers provided antenatal (26 weeks) and postnatal (2 years) anxiety and depressive symptomatology data, respectively via the "State Trait Anxiety Questionnaire" and the "Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale." Offspring provided electrophysiological data, obtained while they indicated the emotional expression of actors whose facial expressions remained consistent throughout a pre-switch block, but were reversed at "post-switch."
Three electrophysiological components linked to different information processing stages were identified. The two earliest occurring components (i.e., the N1 and P2) differed across blocks. During post-switch, both were significantly predicted by maternal anxiety, after controlling for pre-switch neurophysiology. Similar results were observed with depression. Antenatal mental health remained a significant predictor after controlling for postnatal mental health.
In combination with past work, these findings suggest the importance of reducing symptoms in women prior to and during pregnancy, and offering support to offspring early in development.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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