Does Social Support Moderate the Association Between Income and Food Security Status Among Seniors Living in Southern Nevada?

Background: Income is the strongest predictor of food insecurity among seniors, and social support also an essential factor to help mitigate the effects of food insecurity. However, little is known about the potential role that social support may play as a moderator of the association between income and food insecurity. Thus, we aim to examine social support as a moderator for the relationship between income and food insecurity among seniors. Methods: Logistic regression models were used to analyze data collected in 2019 from seniors residing in Southern Nevada. Predictors of food insecurity, sociodemographic factors, social support variables, and income and social support interaction were included in the analysis. Results: The prevalence rate of food insecurity was about 29%. Seniors with annual household incomes less than $20,000 were more likely to report food insecurity. (OR = 7.67; 95$20,000 (OR = 4.09, 95% CI: 1.03-16.33). Also, seniors who were content with friendships showed a conditional effect on the relationship of income and food insecurity among those with a disability in the lower-income category. Conclusion: This study identified groups at higher risk of food insecurity. Findings can be used to develop targeted interventions and outreach efforts in Southern Nevada

Geographic and Socio-Economic Variation in Markers of Indoor air Pollution in Nepal: Evidence From a Nationally-Representative Data

Background: In low-income countries such as Nepal, indoor air pollution (IAP), generated by the indoor burning of biomass fuels, is the top-fourth risk factor driving overall morbidity and mortality. We present the first assessment of geographic and socio-economic determinants of the markers of IAP (specifically fuel types, cooking practices, and indoor smoking) in a nationally-representative sample of Nepalese households. Methods: Household level data on 11,040 households, obtained from the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, were analyzed.Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the use of fuel types, indoor cooking practices, indoor smoking and IAP with respect to socio-economic indicators and geographic location of the household. Results: More than 80% of the households had at least one marker of IAP: 66% of the household used unclean fuel, 45% did not have a separate kitchen to cook in, and 43% had indoor smoking. In adjusted binary logistic regression, female and educational attainment of household’s head favored cleaner indoor environment, i.e., using clean fuel, cooking in a separate kitchen, not smoking indoors, and subsequently no indoor pollution. In contrast, households belonging to lower wealth quintile and rural areas did not favor a cleaner indoor environment. Households in Province 2, compared to Province 1, were particularly prone to indoor pollution due to unclean fuel use, no separate kitchen to cook in, and smoking indoors. Most of the districts had a high burden of IAP and its markers.Conclusions: Fuel choice and clean indoor practices are dependent on household socio-economic status. The geographical disparity in the distribution of markers of IAP calls for public health interventions targeting households that are poor and located in rural areas

Cancer Mortality Disparities among Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Populations in California

Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) are the fastest growing minority in the US. Cancer is the leading cause of death for AANHPIs, despite relatively lower cancer morbidity and mortality. Their recent demographic growth facilitates a detailed identification of AANHPI populations with higher cancer risk. Age-adjusted, sex-stratified, site-specific cancer mortality rates from California for 2012-2017 were computed for AANHPI groups: Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Southeast Asian (i.e., Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Thai), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI). Regression-derived mortality rate ratios (MRR) were used to compare each AANHPI group to non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). AANHPI men and women (total 40,740 deaths) had lower all-sites-combined cancer mortality rates (128.3 and 92.4 per 100,000, respectively) than NHWs (185.3 and 140.6) but higher mortality for nasopharynx, stomach, and liver cancers. Among AANHPIs, both NHOPIs and Southeast Asians had the highest overall rates including for colorectal, lung (men only), and cervical cancers; South Asians had the lowest. NHOPI women had 41% higher overall mortality than NHWs (MRR:1.41;95%CI:1.25-1.58), including for breast (MRR:1.33; 95%CI:1.08-1.65) and markedly higher for endometrial cancer (MRR:3.34; 95%CI:2.53-4.42). AANHPI populations present with considerable heterogeneous cancer mortality patterns. Heightened mortality for infection, obesity, and tobacco-related cancers in Southeast Asians and NHOPI populations highlight the need for differentiated priorities and public health interventions among specific AANHPI populations. Not all AANHPIs have favorable cancer profiles. It is imperative to expand the focus on the currently understudied populations that bear a disproportionate cancer burden