Violence: A Prescription of Hope for a Vulnerable Population

Violence is a preventable disease that has long term effects on health. In the United States, violence has become an epidemic that disproportionately affects the African American community. Risk factors that contribute to the perpetration of youth violence include a combination of individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. Individual risk factors include a personal history of victimization of violence, high emotional stress, and exposure to violence and conflict. Family risk factors include low parental education, low income, poor family functioning and low parental involvement. Community risk factors include diminished economic opportunities, high concentration of poor residents, and socially disorganized neighborhoods – all of which are prevalent in communities with high rates of violence. Preventive strategies aimed at reducing violence need to be collaborative and community based. This multi-city project, A Prescription of Hope, aims to educate community members from Illinois and Missouri on the long- term effects of exposure to violence. The target population for Missouri is Ferguson, a small community with an approximate population of 21,035 (2017); however, it is recognized nationally for the demonstrations and unrest that erupted after the August 9, 2014 shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Worldwide, an estimated 200,000 homicides occur each year among youth aged 10–29 years, accounting for 43% of all homicide annually.

A Study on Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment among the Bengali Hindu Caste Population and Tribal Population of Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

Obesity has been considered a complex and multifactorial disease that has almost affected one-third of the total world’s population. The present trend related to obesity has revealed that nearly 38% of the adults of the world’s population will suffer from the issues of being overweight by the year 2030. As per the ICMR-India study in the year 2015, the prevalence rate of obesity in India varies between 11.8% to 31.3%. The risk of cardiovascular diseases is prevalent around the world, and estimated CVD cases in the year 2015 were approximately 422.7 million, causing 17.6 million deaths (32%of global deaths) as per WHO statistics in 2016. The Indian health data of 2017 has revealed that 25.27% of the population have suffered mortality rate due to the occurrence of CVD in India. Hence, the implementation of health programs for identifying the community risk factors for preventing these diseases has evolved.

Repeated Testing Necessary: Assessing Negative Predictive Value of SARS-CoV-2 qPCR in a Population of Young Adults

Determining when individuals should be released from quarantine is critical for successfully managing a COVID-19 outbreak and local protocols frequently call for testing during the quarantine period, generally after a reasonable incubation period, which raises a question about the interpretation of test results during the quarantine period. We report the negative predictive value of SARS-CoV-2 qPCR tests based on a retrospective longitudinal analysis of 5349 qPCR tests collected from 1227 US service members infected with COVID-19 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) aircraft carrier. In our retrospective evaluation of recovering qPCR-positive quarantined crew members undergoing repeated testing, the negative predictive value is 80% for tests occurring as late as seven weeks following an initial positive qPCR test result. Repeated qPCR testing is necessary to ensure that a once-infected person is no longer shedding viral RNA. When deciding the stringency of exit criteria, we recommend considering local operational and community risk factors.

Quantification of occupational and community risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among healthcare workers in a large U.S. healthcare system

BackgroundQuantifying occupational risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers can inform efforts to improve healthcare worker and patient safety and reduce transmission. This study aimed to quantify demographic, occupational, and community risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among healthcare workers in a large metropolitan healthcare system.MethodsWe analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey conducted from April through June of 2020 linking risk factors for occupational and community exposure to COVID-19 with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to quantify risk factors for infection. Participants were employees and medical staff members who elected to participate in SARS-CoV-2 serology testing offered to all healthcare workers as part of a quality initiative, and who completed a survey on exposure to COVID-19 and use of personal protective equipment. Exposures of interest included known demographic risk factors for COVID-19, residential zip code incidence of COVID-19, occupational exposure to PCR test-positive healthcare workers or patients, and use of personal protective equipment. The primary outcome of interest was SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity.ResultsSARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was estimated to be 5.7% (95% CI: 5.2%-6.1%) among 10,275 healthcare workers. Community contact with a person known or suspected to have COVID-19 (aOR=1.9, 95% CI:1.4-2.5) and zip code level COVID-19 incidence (aOR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0-2.0) increased the odds of infection. Black individuals were at high risk (aOR=2.0, 95% CI:1.6-2.4). Overall, occupational risk factors accounted for 27% (95% CI: 25%-30%) of the risk among healthcare workers and included contact with a PCR test-positive healthcare worker (aOR=1.2, 95% CI:1.0-1.6).ConclusionsCommunity risk factors, including contact with a COVID-19 positive individual and residential COVID-19 incidence, are more strongly associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among healthcare workers than exposure in the workplace.

Girls in Gangs: Exploring Risk in a British Youth Context

The existing literature on gangs has largely focused on boys from the United States. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), this study investigated select individual, peer, and community risk factors that differentiate gang and nongang girls in the United Kingdom. We find that 48.3% of gang-involved youth were girls, and that gang girls commit more crime than nongang girls. Furthermore, girls who live in socially disorganized neighborhoods are more likely to be members of gangs. The current research suggests that focusing on girls’ community environments may be beneficial to reducing gangs in the United Kingdom.

Social Impact of the Fiscal Crisis Upon the Livelihood Conditions of the Children of Greece

This chapter focuses on the effects of the fiscal crisis, which is assumed as a stressor or traumatic event, on children's emotional, physical and developmental well-being. Emphasis is placed on how individual, family and community risk factors and resources might be critical in increasing children's psychological vulnerability in times of such acute crisis. The key issues related to the provision of mental health services in times of increased pressure put upon them are discussed.