Population Health News Roundup: July 2021

IAPHS Members in the News

Sandro Galea in Psychology Today: Four narratives are emerging from the COVID-19 era, including the success of the vaccines, health inequities, and a loss of faith in our institutions. (July 6, 2021)

Tia Palermo hosts the Buffalo HealthCast: Dr. Palermo talks with Dr. Terri Watson about educational outcomes and health in historically excluded children and families.  (June 24, 2021)

Ana Diez Roux receives the Kenneth Rothman Career Accomplishment Award: The Society of Epidemiological Research (SER) presented Dr. Diez Roux with the award at their annual conference. The award is sponsored by the Boston University School of Public Health. (June 28, 2021)

Anjum Hajat in Social Science and Medicine:  Hajat and the other authors present a conceptual model on how policing effects population health, both directly and indirectly, at the individual, community, and systems levels. (July 2021)

Disparities

Hospital quality linked to Black/White COVID-19 disparities: “…increased mortality among Black patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is associated with the hospitals at which Black patients disproportionately received care.” (JAMA Network Open, June 17, 2021)

History has contributed to health disparities in Filipino American communities: A higher proportion of healthcare workers, plus a history of colonialism, may contribute to the disparities. (NBC News, June 28, 2021)

Black and Latina women disproportionately experiencing postpartum depression: Particularly during and after the pandemic, women of color are experiencing postpartum depression, but many are not being screened or seeking help. (Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2021) 

Place & Built Environments

Border communities experienced COVID-19 disparities: “In Texas, covid death rates for border residents younger than 65 were nearly three times the national average for that age group and more than twice the state average.” (Kaiser Health News, June 23, 2021) 

Black Americans are disproportionately killed in traffic accidents: The disparities in Black Americans harmed by “car culture” have grown during the pandemic. Causes include arterials cutting through Black and other non-White areas, reduced rates of car ownership, and even interpersonal racism. (Grist, July 7, 2021)

Environmental Health & Justice

Living by an airport can make you sick: Ultra ultrafine particles, newly identified by University of Washington researchers, can be inhaled by residents living by airports, who can have a lower life expectancy and a higher risk of stroke, heart disease, and respiratory problems. (University of Washington News, June 15, 2021)

FEMA climate grants leave some communities behind: So far, more than half of FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program money is headed to California, New Jersey, and Washington State, leaving many vulnerable communities—many disproportionately impacted by climate change—to fend for themselves. (NBC News, July 20, 2021)

Health Policy & Programs

North Carolina sends Juul a $40 million bill: After a 70% increase in teen vaping, North Carolina sued Juul for marketing to teenagers. (AlJazeera, June 28, 2021)

Vaccine lotteries don’t increase vaccination rates: The State of Ohio’s vaccine lottery incentive system had little impact on the vaccination rate. (JAMA, July 2, 2021)

Changing demographics in immigrant communities: How should public policies to change to respond to noncitizen immigrants and to the increasing number of older immigrants?  (Health Affairs, July 2021)