Employment Outcomes of the Clarksdale HOPE VI Program

The HOPE VI initiative aimed to reshape neighborhoods in terms of their resident socioeconomic characteristics, business activity, levels of community collaboration, and economic growth. The goal of this research was to examine the relationship between education and employment while controlling for the type of housing received at relocation. This paper is part of a larger quasi-experimental research evaluation. Data sources included administrative records, baseline and follow-up surveys. The survey data was collected from the main adult in the family during face-to-face interviews two years apart. The questionnaire collected information about residents’ demographics, socioeconomic, health, housing, and satisfaction with the support services. For this paper, the focus was on education, type of housing received at relocation, and employment status at relocation. Even though the follow-up survey was conducted during the 2009 recession, the results show that improvements in education made a significant difference in the employment outcomes, particularly for the residents who were not relocated in another public housing development

Relationship Between Diet and Learning Differences in Children

There is growing recognition that learning disabilities are associated with a variety of factors, including diet. Prior research showed that children in need of special education services eat less home prepared meals and more non-home-prepared meals, which can lead to obesity, inadequate diet, and lethargy. Additional research along with parental health education to promote healthy nutritional decisions and skills for preparing meals is necessary

Marijuana and Depression

Purpose: As the country struggles to address an epidemic of alcohol and E-cigarette, a wide-ranging category of natural substance “marijuana” have provoked a new sense of public urgency over the past decade. Notwithstanding the federal ban, selling and use of non-medical marijuana continues to escalate due to state legalization process. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to determine the relationship between marijuana use and depression. Methods: The 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (CDC) data was used to test the association between marijuana use and depression. This nationally representative weighted sample included N=62,769 adults ages 14 years or older. Traditional descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted; the regression model was adjusted for various demographic factors and related comorbidities. Results: 9489 individuals with an average age of 38.44 (SD= 38.44) years have consumed marijuana. Significant associations were found between demographic characteristics and depression. The adjusted logistic regression models with various covariates shows that people who use marijuana are at significantly higher risk for depression ( χ2 (29) =429.78, p \u3c.001). Conclusion: Result indicates that those who consume marijuana are more likely to have depression than those who do not. Aggressive non-medical use of marijuana may exacerbate cognitive and olfactory disturbance. In contrast, HIV patients who use marijuana seems to have less depressive symptoms compare to the patients who are not using marijuana. As policies shifting towards legalization, it’s wise to assume that marijuana use will increase. Therefore, careful consideration and proper education are essential to ensure safety

Data Analysis of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to identify the relationship between obesity and cancer

Introduction: Obesity and cancer independently are two important causes of death in the USA. A growing number of studies shows that these two chronic illnesses are related. Objective: To examine the relationship of cancer and obesity using BMI and Waist Circumference (WC) as indicators using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset. Method: NHANES (2013-2014) dataset was used to obtain information on BMI, Waist Circumference (WC), and cancer (presence or absence) among the participants. The prevalence of obesity and cancer was tested with Pearson λ^2 test and the relationship of these two with education (5 levels) was examined using logistic regression. The effect of confounding variables (gender and race) was also tested. Results: The participants who had been diagnosed with cancer were 9.5% of the total participants (11483). More than half of the participants (55%) had taken some college courses or graduated from college. The prevalence of cancer was higher (7.8% more) in females than males. The association of cancer with both BMI and Waist Circumference was significant but weak (p\u3c0.05). The effects of age and gender were significant. By adjusting the model with race and gender R2 increased to 10.3 and all variables were significant in the model ( λ^2(11) =490.931, p\u3c0.001). Conclusion: Attention to proper diet and following the recommended guidelines could help individuals to somehow prevent obesity and/or cancer, which eventually would increase the quality of public health

Incidence of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Residential Proximity to Superfund Sites in Kentucky

The rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in Kentucky and the U.S. began to rise in the mid-20th century. Plausible mechanistic explanations exist for linkages between the development of NHL and exposures to specific chemicals. Several of these chemicals are present in sites within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program. This study investigated a possible association between residential proximity to Superfund sites in Kentucky and incidence of NHL over a period of 18 years. Cumulative incidence rates per 100,000 persons were calculated at the census tract level, within 5 km–10 km and \u3c5 km from Superfund sites. Geographically weighted regression was necessary to create best-fitting models due to spatial autocorrelation and nonstationarity. Residential proximity to Superfund sites in Kentucky was associated with higher incidence of NHL; the average cumulative incidence of NHL per 100,000 decreased as the distance to the hazardous sites increased. This study confirmed previous research findings of an association between residential proximity to environmentally hazardous sites and the cumulative incidence rates of NHL. Future research should take into account the chemical profile of each site, to identify the most hazardous sites. Potential intervention strategies are presented based on the results of this study

An Examination of the Relationship between Food Security and Body Weight in Children

This observational study examined the association between food security and healthy weight in children ages 6 to 12, using the 2013-2014 NHANES cross-sectional survey. The relationship between children’s food security and their weight was tested using logistic regression, while controlling for race, gender, physical activity, and poverty level. A significant association was found; children in households with low or very low food security were about 2.4 times more likely to be overweight than those with full or marginally secure food. Hispanic and multi-racial children were more than twice as likely to be overweight than white children. Children from low-income families, yet ineligible for food subsidies, were 62.4% more likely to be overweight or obese than those in higher income brackets. The significant relationship between food security and children’s weight suggests that the current eligibility criteria for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, and the types of approved subsidized foods, should be revised so that low-income children have better access to higher-quality food. Gaps in access to nutritious food are indicative of larger social, political, and economic problems adversely impacting the health of children in economically disadvantaged groups

Male-Female Differences in the Prevalence of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Residential Proximity to Superfund Sites in Kentucky

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a category of cancers that arise from lymphocytes. Previous work by the authors demonstrated a significant association between residential proximity to Superfund sites in Kentucky and cumulative incidence rates of NHL. In both the U.S. and Kentucky, age-adjusted NHL rates in males consistently exceed rates in females, despite NHL often arising later in the lifespan when females outnumber males. The current investigation sought to determine whether the NHL rate difference by sex is associated with proximity to environmental toxicants. Cancer data for a period of 18 years were obtained from the Kentucky Cancer Registry. Superfund geospatial coordinate data were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cumulative incidence rates per l@0,000 males and females were calculated at the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau tract level, within \u3c5 km and 5-10 km buffer zones around Superfund sites. Ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regression analyses were conducted. Significant associations existed between residential proximity to Superfund sites and cumulative NHL incidence rates in male and female populations. At all exposures levels, incidence rates were significantly higher for males than females. Possible reasons for this male-female imbalance in outcomes are presented, along with implications for public health

Source of Stress in Sport: A Rasch Calibration

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of a stress in sport inventory by determining optimal categorization and model-data fit, and calibrate the sources of stress items associated with individual and team sport athletes using Rasch modeling. The study examines the intensity level of various sources of acute stress experienced by competitive athletes. The Sources of Stress in Sport Inventory (SSSI) was generated to measure intensity level of perceived stress in sport. A total of 336 college-aged males (N=167) and females (N=169) who previously competed in high school or college sports participated. Function of the rating scale was tested to determine if the 5 original rating scale categories were the best fit. Intensity levels of stress items for the athletes were analyzed. The existing 5 rating scale categories functioned well. The top three items of intense acute stress were making a physical or mental error (logits= -0.56), being injured and playing in pain (logits= -0.35), and receiving a bad or unfair call from the referee/umpire (logits= -0.25). Results support SSSI as an effective scale assessing acute stress in sport among college students. Researchers must continue to understand the sources of stress in sport among athletes using effective inventories so that coaches and health educators can address effective coping and stress management mechanisms and healthy behavioral changes

Overweight and Underserved in Children: A Contemporary American Paradox

Childhood overweight and obesity trends are serious problems placing children at greater risks for adverse health outcomes and developmental issues. Between 2011 and 2014, obesity prevalence hovered near 17% for children 6-12 years. As of 2014, an estimated 14% of U.S. households were labeled food insecure, with 7.9 million children living within these underserved domains. In recent years, there has been growing concern that food insecurity and overweight and obesity conditions may be associated with each other, especially amongst children