Immigrant Health Inequalities in the United States: Use of Eight Major National Data Systems

Eight major federal data systems, including the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Survey of Children’s Health, National Longitudinal Mortality Study, and American Community Survey, were used to examine health differentials between immigrants and the US-born across the life course. Survival and logistic regression, prevalence, and age-adjusted death rates were used to examine differentials. Although these data systems vary considerably in their coverage of health and behavioral characteristics, ethnic-immigrant groups, and time periods, they all serve as important research databases for understanding the health of US immigrants. The NVSS and NHIS, the two most important data systems, include a wide range of health variables and many racial/ethnic and immigrant groups. Immigrants live 3.4 years longer than the US-born, with a life expectancy ranging from 83.0 years for Asian/Pacific Islander immigrants to 69.2 years for US-born blacks. Overall, immigrants have better infant, child, and adult health and lower disability and mortality rates than the US-born, with immigrant health patterns varying across racial/ethnic groups. Immigrant children and adults, however, fare substantially worse than the US-born in health insurance coverage and access to preventive health services. Suggestions and new directions are offered for improvements in health monitoring and for strengthening and developing databases for immigrant health assessment in the USA

Latent Tuberculosis Infection in a Migrant Agricultural Community in Baja California, Mexico

The objectives were to estimate the prevalence and identify correlates of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among residents of a migrant agricultural community in San Quintín, Baja-California, Mexico. Residents completed a questionnaire and had their blood tested for LTBI using the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) assay. Among 133 participants, 39.8% (95% CI 31.5–48.7%) tested QFT-positive. Having crossed the U.S.-Mexican border since living in San Quintin (P = 0.03), consuming unpasteurized milk (P = 0.02) and receiving health care at IMSS-Oportunidades in the last 6 months (P = 0.03) were independently associated with QFT-positivity. High LTBI prevalence in this community emphasizes the need for TB education and LTBI treatment for its residents. Association with travel to the U.S. suggests the potential for TB transmission across borders. Higher QFT-positivity among those consuming unpasteurized milk could indicate M. bovis infection, previously reported among Mexican migrants living in U.S. border cities

Use of lead-glazed ceramic ware and lead-based folk remedies in a rural community of Baja California, Mexico

© 2016, © The Author(s) 2016. Background: Lead exposure from lead-glazed ceramics (LGCs) and traditional folk remedies have been identified as significant sources of elevated blood lead levels in Mexico and the United States. This study took place from 2005 to 2012 in a rural community in Baja California, Mexico. Objectives: 1) Investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to lead and lead exposures from LGCs and two lead-based folk remedies (azarcon and greta); and 2) evaluate a pilot intervention to provide alternative lead-safe cookware. Methods: A baseline household survey was conducted in 2005, followed by the pilot intervention in 2006, and follow-up surveys in 2007 and 2012. For the pilot intervention, families who reported using LGCs were given lead-safe alternative cookware to try and its acceptance was evaluated in the following year. Results: The community was mostly of indigenous background from Oaxaca and a high proportion of households had young children. In 2006, all participants using traditional ceramic ware at the time (n = 48) accepted lead-safe alternative cookware to try, and 97% reported that they were willing to exchange traditional ceramic ware for lead-safe alternatives. The use of ceramic cookware decreased from over 90% during respondents’ childhood household use in Oaxaca to 47% in 2006 among households in Baja California, and further reduced to 16.8% in 2012. While empacho, a folk illness, was widely recognized as an intestinal disorder, there was almost universal unfamiliarity with the use and knowledge of azarcon and greta for its treatment. Conclusion: This pilot evaluation provides evidence 1) for an effective and innovative strategy to reduce lead exposure from LGCs and 2) of the feasibility of substituting lead-free alternative cookware for traditional ceramic ware in a rural indigenous community, when delivered in a culturally appropriate manner with health education. This strategy could complement other approaches to reduce exposure to lead from LGCs

Papillomatous digital dermatitis in Chilean dairies and evaluation of a screening method

Outbreaks of papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) have been reported from many countries, but there is little information on prevalence and geographic distribution of the disease. Our objectives were to describe prevalence of PDD on dairies belonging to the two main dairy-producer associations in Chile, and to evaluate a milking-parlor screening method for detection of PDD in dairy cows. First, a self-administered questionnaire was sent to all 214 association dairy managers. Seventy percent of the 119 respondents had observed PDD on their dairies. About 83% of the 63 responding managers had first seen PDD during the previous 10 years. Subsequently, a random sample of 43 dairies stratified by association was selected from the total 214 for PDD screening. During milking, we inspected cows' feet for PDD lesions; 91% of dairies had cows affected by PDD; median PDD prevalence for milking cows in dairies was 6.1%. Finally, in one dairy, PDD screening at the parlor was compared to PDD diagnosis by inspecting restrained cows in a chute. The screening method had a sensitivity of 0.72, and a specificity of 0.99. This study demonstrated that PDD was widespread on study dairies in Chile. The screening test presented can be used as a cost efficient method to estimate prevalence of PDD either on individual dairies or in large-scale survey

Prevalencia y factores de riesgo para dermatitis papilomatosa digital en ganado lechero en la X Region, Chile.

In order to determine herd-level risk factors for papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) among dairy cows in Region X, Chile, 3884 lactating cows on 23 dairy farms were screened for PDD lesions. Herd prevalence was determined for each participating farm by examining the feet of all lactating cows during milking. Overail prevalence of PDD for all cows examined was 8.5 % (SE:1.1). Introduction of replacement heifers from another premises was a statistically significant (pCon el objeto de determinar la presencia y los factores de riesgo de la dermatitis digital papilomatosa en ganado lechero de la X Región de Chile, se examinaron 3.884 vacas en lactancia en 23 granjas lecheras. La prevalencia de PDD en los hatos participantes se obtuvo examinando las patas de todas las vacas en lactancia durante el ordeño. La prevalencia de PDD en vacas en lactancia fue de 8,5% (e.s.=1.1).La introducción de vaquillas de reemplazo provenientes de otros predios fue un factor de riesgo estadísticamente asociado (P< 0.05) con una alta prevalencia en hatos. El confinamiento de las vacas y el uso de establos de cama caliente también fueron factores de riesgo significativo en comparación con granjas que usaron pastoreo durante todo el año. Esta asociación estadística se mantuvo cuando la variable dependiente se analiza en forma continua y en forma binaria. También se encontró una diferencia en prevalencia de PDD en hatos dependiendo de la raza de ganado (overo negro=9%; overo colorado=6%); aunque la diferencia no fue estadísticamente significati­va.El examen histológico de biopsias obtenidas de 31 vacas confirma que las lesiones diagnosticadas clínicamente como PDD realmente fueron PDD.Estos resultados sugieren que la prevalencia de PDD y los factores de riesgo en granjas lecheras de la X Región de Chile no han cambiado significativamente desde que se realizó un estudio similar en 1996.Keywords: Dairy cattle, Papillomatous digital dermatitis, Digital dermatitis, Lameness, Chile Palabras claves: Vacas lecheras, Dermatitis digital papilomatosa, Dermatitis digital, Cojeras, Chile

Prevalencia y factores de riesgo para dermatitis papilomatosa digital en ganado lechero en la X Region, Chile.

In order to determine herd-level risk factors for papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) among dairy cows in Region X, Chile, 3884 lactating cows on 23 dairy farms were screened for PDD lesions. Herd prevalence was determined for each participating farm by examining the feet of all lactating cows during milking. Overail prevalence of PDD for all cows examined was 8.5 % (SE:1.1). Introduction of replacement heifers from another premises was a statistically significant (pCon el objeto de determinar la presencia y los factores de riesgo de la dermatitis digital papilomatosa en ganado lechero de la X Región de Chile, se examinaron 3.884 vacas en lactancia en 23 granjas lecheras. La prevalencia de PDD en los hatos participantes se obtuvo examinando las patas de todas las vacas en lactancia durante el ordeño. La prevalencia de PDD en vacas en lactancia fue de 8,5% (e.s.=1.1).La introducción de vaquillas de reemplazo provenientes de otros predios fue un factor de riesgo estadísticamente asociado (P< 0.05) con una alta prevalencia en hatos. El confinamiento de las vacas y el uso de establos de cama caliente también fueron factores de riesgo significativo en comparación con granjas que usaron pastoreo durante todo el año. Esta asociación estadística se mantuvo cuando la variable dependiente se analiza en forma continua y en forma binaria. También se encontró una diferencia en prevalencia de PDD en hatos dependiendo de la raza de ganado (overo negro=9%; overo colorado=6%); aunque la diferencia no fue estadísticamente significati­va.El examen histológico de biopsias obtenidas de 31 vacas confirma que las lesiones diagnosticadas clínicamente como PDD realmente fueron PDD.Estos resultados sugieren que la prevalencia de PDD y los factores de riesgo en granjas lecheras de la X Región de Chile no han cambiado significativamente desde que se realizó un estudio similar en 1996.Keywords: Dairy cattle, Papillomatous digital dermatitis, Digital dermatitis, Lameness, Chile Palabras claves: Vacas lecheras, Dermatitis digital papilomatosa, Dermatitis digital, Cojeras, Chile

Use of Eight Major National Data Systems

US-born across the life course. Survival and logistic regression, prevalence, and age-adjusted death rates were used to examine differentials. Although these data systems vary considerably in their coverage of health and behavioral characteristics, ethnic-immigrant groups, and time periods, they all serve as important research databases for understanding the health of US immigrants. The NVSS and NHIS, the two most important data systems, include a wide range of health variables and many racial/ethnic and immigrant groups. Immigrants live 3.4 years longer than the US-born, with a life expectancy ranging from 83.0 years for Asian/Pacific Islander immigrants to 69.2 years for US-born blacks. Overall, immigrants have better infant, child, and adult health and lower disability and mortality rates than the US-born, with immigrant health patterns varying across racial/ethnic groups. Immigrant children and adults, however, fare substantially worse than the US-born in health insurance coverage and access to preventive health services. Suggestions and new directions are offered for improvements in health monitoring and for strengthening and developing databases for immigrant health assessment in the USA

US-Mexico binational COVID-19 cases in southern California border counties, California, February–June 2020

Background: COVID-19 has had a significant public health impact on both the United States and Mexico. Cross-border mobility between southern California and Mexico raises questions of transmission trends between these jurisdictions. The objective of this project was to describe binational cases amongst California US-Mexico border county COVID-19 cases and compare incidence trends to cross-border Mexico jurisdictions. Methods: Interview data from persons with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections in San Diego County, CA and Imperial County, CA from February to June 2020 were reviewed for binational cases; demographics and connection to COVID-19 outbreaks were assessed. Graphs of COVID-19 incidence in San Diego County and Imperial County were compared to incidence graphs in cross-border Mexico jurisdictions of Tijuana and Mexicali. Results: Persons with COVID-19 and a binational case were older, more likely to be Hispanic, and reside in a border ZIP code than those without. Binational cases were a small proportion and tracked with overall cases during the study period. Conclusions: Binational cases had different trends than non-binational cases of SARS-CoV-2 in San Diego and Imperial counties from February to June 2020. Findings could inform SARS-CoV-2 mitigation strategies specific to the US-Mexico land border, particularly recommendations regarding cross-border land travel