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Viewing the US presidential electoral map through the lens of public health.

ABSTRACT: Health, disease, and mortality vary greatly at the county level, and there are strong geographical trends of disease in the United States. Healthcare is and has been a top priority for voters in the U.S., and an important political issue. Consequently, it is important to determine what relationship voting patterns have with health, disease, and mortality, as doing so may help guide appropriate policy. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between voting patterns and over 150 different public health and wellbeing variables at the county level, comparing all states, including counties in 2016 battleground states, and counties in states that flipped from majority Democrat to majority Republican from 2012 to 2016. We also investigated county-level health trends over the last 30+ years and find statistically significant relationships between a number of health measures and the voting patterns of counties in presidential elections. Collectively, these data exhibit a strong pattern: counties that voted Republican in the 2016 election had overall worse health outcomes than those that voted Democrat. We hope that this strong relationship can guide improvements in healthcare policy legislation at the county level.

SUBMITTER: Hamamsy T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8294501 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Viewing the US presidential electoral map through the lens of public health.

Hamamsy Tymor T Danziger Michael M Nagler Jonathan J Bonneau Richard R

PloS one 20210721 7

Health, disease, and mortality vary greatly at the county level, and there are strong geographical trends of disease in the United States. Healthcare is and has been a top priority for voters in the U.S., and an important political issue. Consequently, it is important to determine what relationship voting patterns have with health, disease, and mortality, as doing so may help guide appropriate policy. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between voting patterns and over 150 ...[more]

PMID: 34288913

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Project description:Vaginal dysbiosis is implicated in persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer. Yet, there is a paucity of data on the vaginal microbiome in Native American communities. Here, we aimed to elucidate the relationships between microbiome, HPV, sociodemographic, and behavioral risk factors to better understand an increased cervical cancer risk in Native American women. In this pilot study, we recruited 31 participants (16 Native American and 15 non-Native women) in Northern Arizona and examined vaginal microbiota composition, HPV status, and immune mediators. We also assessed individuals' sociodemographic information and physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health. Overall, microbiota profiles were dominated by common Lactobacillus species (associated with vaginal health) or a mixture of bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria. Only 44% of Native women exhibited Lactobacillus dominance, compared with 58% of non-Native women. Women with vaginal dysbiosis also had elevated vaginal pH and were more frequently infected with high-risk HPV. Furthermore, we observed associations of multiple people in a household, lower level of education, and high parity with vaginal dysbiosis and abundance of specific bacterial species. Finally, women with dysbiotic microbiota presented with elevated vaginal levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Altogether, these findings indicate an interplay between HPV, vaginal microbiota, and host defense, which may play a role in the cervical cancer disparity among Native American women. Future longitudinal studies are needed to determine the mechanistic role of vaginal microbiota in HPV persistence in the context of social determinants of health toward the long-term goal of reducing health disparities between non-Hispanic White and Native American populations. Prevention Relevance: Cervical cancer disproportionally affects Native American women. Sociodemographic and behavioral factors might contribute to this disparity via alteration of vaginal microbiota. Here, we show the association between these factors and vaginal dysbiosis and immune activation, which can be implicated in high-risk HPV infection among Native American and other racial/ethnic populations.

Project description:BackgroundQuarantine is one of the most effective interventions to contain an infectious disease outbreak, yet it is one of the most disruptive. We investigated the quarantine of an entire village to better understand risk communication requirements for groups.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey study on a single cohort of adult residents in Neustadt am Rennsteig, Germany, six weeks after the removal of a 14-day mandatory community quarantine. The survey response rate was 33% (289/883 residents).FindingsSurvey participants reported a lack of information on the quarantine implementation process. What authorities communicated was not necessarily what residents desired to know. While inhabitants used social media and telephones to communicate with each other, the official information sources were regional radio, television, newspapers and official websites. Public health authorities did not employ social media communication to engage with their communities. Despite a lack of information, the majority of respondents stated that they had complied with the quarantine and they expressed little sympathy for those who violated the quarantine. After lifting the quarantine, many respondents continued to avoid places where they suspected a significant risk of infection, such as family and friends' homes, doctor's offices and grocery stores.InterpretationThe survey participants utilised existing social networks to disseminate vital information and stabilise its group identity and behaviour (quarantine compliance). The authorities communicated sparsely in a unidirectional, top-down manner, without engaging the community. Despite the lack of official information, the social coherency of the group contributed to considerate and compliant conduct, but participants expressed dissatisfaction with official leadership and asked for more attention.ConclusionPublic health risk communication must engage with communities more effectively. This necessitates a deeper comprehension of groups, their modes of communication and their social needs.

Dataset Information

Viewing the US presidential electoral map through the lens of public health.

Publications

Viewing the US presidential electoral map through the lens of public health.

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