Exposure to Community Violence and Physical Health Outcomes in Youth: A Systematic Review.

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Exposure to Community Violence and Physical Health Outcomes in Youth: A Systematic Review.

J Pediatr Psychol. 2016 Oct 28;:

Authors: Wright AW, Austin M, Booth C, Kliewer W

Abstract
OBJECTIVE?: To systematically review the evidence for associations between exposure to community violence and physical health outcomes in children and adolescents. METHODS?: A thorough search of multiple online databases and careful consideration of inclusion and exclusion criteria yielded a final 28 studies for detailed review. In addition to review of findings, studies were rated on overall quality based on study design. RESULTS?: Seven categories of physical health outcomes emerged, including asthma/respiratory health, cardiovascular health, immune functioning, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning, sleep problems, weight, and a general health category. There were mixed findings across these categories. Evidence for a positive association between community violence exposure and health problems was strongest in the cardiovascular health and sleep categories. CONCLUSION?: There is reason to believe that community violence exposure has an effect on some areas of physical health. Additional well-designed research that focuses on mechanisms as well as outcomes is warranted.

PMID: 27794530 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Multiple health benefits of urban tree canopy: The mounting evidence for a green prescription.

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Multiple health benefits of urban tree canopy: The mounting evidence for a green prescription.

Health Place. 2016 Sep 14;42:54-62

Authors: Ulmer JM, Wolf KL, Backman DR, Tretheway RL, Blain CJ, O’Neil-Dunne JP, Frank LD

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to enhance the understanding of the health-promoting potential of trees in an urbanized region of the United States. This was done using high-resolution LiDAR and imagery data to quantify tree cover within 250m of the residence of 7910 adult participants in the California Health Interview Survey, then testing for main and mediating associations between tree cover and multiple health measures. The results indicated that more neighborhood tree cover, independent from green space access, was related to better overall health, primarily mediated by lower overweight/obesity and better social cohesion, and to a lesser extent by less type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma. These findings suggest an important role for trees and nature in improving holistic population health in urban areas.

PMID: 27639106 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Differential respiratory health effects from the 2008 northern California wildfires: A spatiotemporal approach.

Differential respiratory health effects from the 2008 northern California wildfires: A spatiotemporal approach.

Environ Res. 2016 Jun 15;150:227-235

Authors: Reid CE, Jerrett M, Tager IB, Petersen ML, Mann JK, Balmes JR

Abstract
We investigated health effects associated with fine particulate matter during a long-lived, large wildfire complex in northern California in the summer of 2008. We estimated exposure to PM2.5 for each day using an exposure prediction model created through data-adaptive machine learning methods from a large set of spatiotemporal data sets. We then used Poisson generalized estimating equations to calculate the effect of exposure to 24-hour average PM2.5 on cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations and ED visits. We further assessed effect modification by sex, age, and area-level socioeconomic status (SES). We observed a linear increase in risk for asthma hospitalizations (RR=1.07, 95% CI=(1.05, 1.10) per 5µg/m(3) increase) and asthma ED visits (RR=1.06, 95% CI=(1.05, 1.07) per 5µg/m(3) increase) with increasing PM2.5 during the wildfires. ED visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were associated with PM2.5 during the fires (RR=1.02 (95% CI=(1.01, 1.04) per 5µg/m(3) increase) and this effect was significantly different from that found before the fires but not after. We did not find consistent effects of wildfire smoke on other health outcomes. The effect of PM2.5 during the wildfire period was more pronounced in women compared to men and in adults, ages 20-64, compared to children and adults 65 or older. We also found some effect modification by area-level median income for respiratory ED visits during the wildfires, with the highest effects observed in the ZIP codes with the lowest median income. Using a novel spatiotemporal exposure model, we found some evidence of differential susceptibility to exposure to wildfire smoke.

PMID: 27318255 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Bronchitis vs. asthma: Differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment options – Bel Marra Health


Bel Marra Health

Bronchitis vs. asthma: Differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment options
Bel Marra Health
An asthmatic attack will not trigger bronchitis, but a bout of bronchitis in an asthmatic patient can cause a flare-up of the asthma symptoms. In fact, this happens so often that many young medical students often ask the question, “can bronchitis lead

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UMass Memorial Health Care Receives National Award for Pediatric Asthma Program – GoLocal Worcester

UMass Memorial Health Care Receives National Award for Pediatric Asthma Program
GoLocal Worcester
In 2014, UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center expanded a pilot program for children with poorly controlled asthma. Under the program, when a clinician or school nurse identifies a child as high risk asthmatic, a specially trained community health …

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Asthma vs. COPD: Differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment options – Bel Marra Health


Bel Marra Health

Asthma vs. COPD: Differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment options
Bel Marra Health
Asthma vs. COPD: Differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment options Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are both respiratory conditions that are chronic and affect a person's breathing. With many shared similarities, the two can …

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Pneumonia vs. asthma: Differences, risk factors, causes, and treatment – Bel Marra Health


Bel Marra Health

Pneumonia vs. asthma: Differences, risk factors, causes, and treatment
Bel Marra Health
Pretty blonde using asthma inhaler Pneumonia and asthma can both impair a person's ability to breathe, but their causes and treatments are vastly different. Asthma is a chronic condition one lives with and manages. Pneumonia, on the other hand, is a …

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