bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Empirically Examining the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence: The Revised Domestic Violence Screening Instrument (DVSI-R)
Authors: Williams Kirk R. , Grant Stephen R. 
Published: July 2017

Objective. This study extends recent research on assessing the risk of intimate partner violence by determining the concurrent and predictive validity of a revised version of the Domestic Violence Screening Instrument (DVSI-R) and whether evidence of such validity is sustained independent of perpetrator demographic characteristics and forms of intimate violence. The analyses highlight violent incidents involving multiple victims as an indicator of “severe” violence. Previous research did not address these issues. Methods. Data were analyzed on 14,970 assessments conducted in the State of Connecticut from September 1, 2004 through May 2, 2005. Hierarchical regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to address the objectives of this research. Results. The empirical findings support the concurrent and predictive validity of the DVSI-R and show that it is robust in its applicability. The findings further show that incidents involving multiple victims are highly associated with DVSI-R risk scores and recidivistic violence. Conclusion. Validating and demonstrating the robustness of a risk assessment instrument is only a first step in preventing violence involving intimate partners or others in family or family-like relationships. The challenge is to train professionals responsible for addressing the problem of such violence to link valid risk assessments to well-crafted strategies of supervision and treatment so that the victimized or other potential victims are protected and perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.
Assessing the Offending Activity of Criminal Domestic Violence Suspects: Offense Specialization, Escalation, and De-Escalation Evidence from the Spouse Assault Replication Program
Authors: Piquero Alex R. , Brame Robert , Fagan Jeffrey , Moffitt Terrie E. 
Published: July 2017

Objective. Over the past quarter century, intimate partner violence research has occupied an increasingly important position in the research agenda of criminology, public policy, and public health. Yet, a number of questions about the criminal careers of domestic violence offenders remain unresolved. This study attempts to determine ( 1) the extent to which criminal domestic violence offenders specialize in violence, and ( 2) whether the severity of an offender's attacks against the same victim increase, decrease, or stay about the same over time. Methods. Data from the Spouse Assault Replication Program (SARP) are used to address two questions corresponding to different features of the criminal careers of domestic violence offenders. Results. The specialization analysis reveals that the majority of domestic violence offenders with prior official criminal records have been involved in nonviolent forms of criminal behavior in addition to domestic violence. The escalation analysis identifies groups of escalators and de-escalators as well as individuals who engage in stable low-level aggression and stable high-level aggression. Conclusions. Few SARP domestic violence offenders have been specializing exclusively in violence. There is also a heterogeneous mix of offenders who escalate and de-escalate the severity of their attacks over the short-term follow-up periods. Few studies have presented data consistent with the present study's findings. A longitudinal analysis of the criminal careers of domestic violence offender subtypes is critical for future research.
Household and Neighborhood Contexts of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Fox Greer Litton , Benson Michael L. 
Published: July 2017

Objectives. Two sources of contextual risk on the prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) are investigated: household economic condition and neighborhood disadvantage. There is debate about whether each context is an independent source of IPV risk and whether risks cumulate over contexts. Methods. Data from the second wave of the National Survey of Families and Households are combined with tract level data from the 1990 U.S. Census. A sub-sample of co-resident couples with a child aged 5–17 in the household was selected for analysis ( n=2,273). IPV is measured in three ways: as any physical violence reported by either partner in the year prior to the survey, as gendered violence in which both partners are identified as aggressors, and as severe violence in terms of injury and frequency. Results. Regardless of how IPV is assessed, couples with IPV are more likely to present a vulnerable economic risk profile and to live in neighborhoods of high disadvantage. When economically vulnerable couples living in advantaged versus disadvantaged neighborhoods are compared, there are no significant differences in rates of IPV, regardless of the measure of IPV that is used. Neighborhood context matters, however, in comparisons among economically advantaged couples: rates of IPV are significantly higher among those in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Conclusions. The consistency of effect for economic vulnerability and its invariance across neighborhood settings suggests that reducing economic vulnerability is likely to have beneficial effects in both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Injury Mortality Rates in Native and Non-Native Children: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Harrop A. Robertson , Brant Rollin F. , Ghali William A. , Macarthur Colin 
Published: July 2017

Objectives. To examine injury mortality rates in Native and non-Native children in the province of Alberta, Canada, over a 10-year period, temporal trends in injury mortality rates (Native vs. non-Native), as well as relative risks of injury mortality (Native vs. non-Native) by injury mechanism and intent, were calculated. Methods. An observational, population-based study design was used. Mortality data were obtained from provincial vital statistics, with injury deaths identified using external injury codes (E-codes). The relative risk (RR) of injury mortality (Native vs. non-Native) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Stratified analyses and Poisson regression modeling were used to calculate adjusted relative risk. Results. Injury mortality rates declined over the study period, with no difference in the rate of decline between Native and non-Native children. The adjusted relative risk for all-cause injury death (Native vs. non-Native) was 4.6 (95% CI 4.1 to 5.2). The adjusted relative risks (Native vs. non-Native) by injury intent categories were: unintentional injuries, 4.0 (95% CI 3.5 to 4.6); suicide, 6.6 (95% CI 5.2 to 8.5); and homicide, 5.1 (95% CI 3.0 to 8.5). Injury mortality rates were consistently higher for Native children across all injury mechanism categories. The largest relative risks (Native vs. non-Native) were pedestrian injury (RR=17.0), accidental poisoning (RR=15.4), homicide by piercing objects (RR=15.4), and suicide by hanging (RR=13.5). Conclusion. The burden of injury mortality is significantly greater in Native children compared with non-Native children. Therefore, injury prevention strategies that target both intentional and unintentional injuries are needed.
Racial Misidentification of American Indians/Alaska Natives in the HIV/AIDS Reporting Systems of Five States and One Urban Health Jurisdiction, U.S., 1984–2002
Authors: Bertolli Jeanne , Lee Lisa M. , Sullivan Patrick S. ,   AI/AN Race/Ethnicity Data Validation Workgroup
Published: July 2017

Objectives. We examined racial misidentification of American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) reported to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) Reporting Systems (HARS) of five U.S. states and one county. Methods. To identify AI/AN records with misidentified race, we linked HARS data from 1984 through 2002 to the Indian Health Service National Patient Information and Reporting System (NPIRS), excluding non-AI/AN dependents, using probabilistic matching with clerical review. We used chi-square tests to examine differences in proportions and logistic regression to examine the associations of racial misidentification with HARS site, degree of AI/AN ancestry, mode of exposure to HIV, and urban or rural location of residence at time of diagnosis. Results. A total of 1,523 AI/AN individuals was found in both NPIRS and HARS; race was misidentified in HARS for 459 (30%). The percentages of racially misidentified ranged from 3.7% (in Alaska) to 55% (in California). AI/AN people were misidentified as white (70%), Hispanic (16%), black (11%), and Asian/Pacific Islander (2%); for 0.9%, race was unspecified. Logistic regression results (data from all areas, all variables) indicated that urban residence at time of diagnosis, degree of AI/AN ancestry, and mode of exposure to HIV were significantly associated with racial misidentification of AI/AN people reported to HARS. Conclusions. Our findings add to the evidence that racial misidentification of AI/AN in surveillance data can result in underestimation of AI/AN HIV/AIDS case counts. Racial misidentification must be addressed to ensure that HIV/AIDS surveillance data can be used as the basis for equitable resource allocation decisions, and to inform and mobilize public health action.
An FQHC Research Network in Oral Health: Enhancing the Workforce and Reducing Disparities
Authors: Riedy Christine A. , Ly Kiet A. , Ybarra Vickie , Milgrom Peter 
Published: July 2017

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) contribute greatly to reducing health disparities by providing care to underserved communities. Yet these safety-net clinics face chronic manpower shortages and turnover. Practice-Based Research Networks aid in translating medical science from bench to clinical practice. These networks have been used to understand and improve health-care delivery and reduce disparities. Initiatives to strengthen lagging translational research in dentistry have begun, but there is no FQHC research network that addresses oral health. This article reviews the potential for, and outlines a model of, an Oral Health FQHC Research Network. It characterizes the needs for an FQHC research network, describes a successful FQHC research-oriented program, and outlines an Oral Health FQHC Research Network conceptual model. It argues that strengthening FQHCs through involvement of their dental staff in clinical research may enhance their jobs, draw staff closer to the community, and strengthen their ability to reduce health disparities.
Potential Implications of Missing Income Data in Population-Based Surveys: An Example from a Postpartum Survey in California
Authors: Kim Soowon , Egerter Susan , Cubbin Catherine , Takahashi Eugene R. , Braveman Paula 
Published: July 2017

Objectives. Income data are often missing for substantial proportions of survey participants and these records are often dropped from analyses. To explore the implications of excluding records with missing income, we examined characteristics of survey participants with and without income information. Methods. Using statewide population-based postpartum survey data from the California Maternal and Infant Health Assessment, we compared the age, education, parity, marital status, timely prenatal care initiation, and neighborhood poverty characteristics of women with and without reported income data, overall, and by race/ethnicity/nativity. Results. Overall, compared with respondents who reported income, respondents with missing income information generally appeared younger, less educated, and of lower parity. They were more likely to be unmarried, to have received delayed or no prenatal care, and to reside in poor neighborhoods; and they generally appeared more similar to lower- than higher-income women. However, the patterns appeared to vary by racial/ethnic/nativity group. For example, among U.S.-born African American women, the characteristics of the missing-income group were generally similar to those of low-income women, while European American women with missing income information more closely resembled their moderate-income counterparts. Conclusions. Respondents with missing income information may not be a random subset of population-based survey participants and may differ on other relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Before deciding how to deal analytically with missing income information, researchers should examine relevant characteristics and consider how different approaches could affect study findings. Particularly for ethnically diverse populations, we recommend including a missing income category or employing multiple-imputation techniques rather than excluding those records.
Alaska Native Mortality Rates and Trends
Authors: Day Gretchen Ehrsam , Provost Ellen , Lanier Anne P. 
Published: July 2017

Objectives. This article compared mortality data (1999–2003) for Alaska Natives (AN), U.S. white residents (USW), and Alaska white residents (AKW), and examined changes in mortality rates from 1979 to 2003. Methods. We used SEERStat* software from the National Cancer Institute to calculate age-adjusted mortality rates. Results. The AN all-cause mortality rate was 40% higher (rate ratio [RR]=1.4) than the rate for both the USW and AKW populations. Based on comparisons with USW, the largest disparities in AN mortality were found for unintentional injuries (RR=3.0), suicide (RR=3.1), and homicide (RR=4.4). Disparities were also found for eight of the 10 leading causes of death, including cancer (AN/USW RR=1.3), cerebrovascular disease (RR=1.3), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (RR=1.4), pneumonia/influenza (RR=1.6), and chronic liver disease (RR=2.0). In contrast, the mortality rate for heart disease among AN was significantly lower (RR=0.9) than for USW, and lower—though not significantly lower—for diabetes. Findings were quite similar when rates for AN were compared with AKW. AKW also had high rates of unintentional injury mortality and suicide compared with USW, but the magnitude of the difference was much less for AKW. From 1979 to 2003, mortality rates among AN declined 16% for all causes, similar to the USW decline of 15%. Conclusions. Monitoring mortality rates and their trends is essential not only to understand the health status of a population but also to target areas for prevention and evaluate the impact of policy change or the effect of interventions over time.
Hospital Readmissions for Childhood Asthma: The Role of Individual and Neighborhood Factors
Authors: Liu Sze Yan , Pearlman Deborah N. 
Published: July 2017

Objectives. This study used a Cox proportional hazards model to determine whether neighborhood characteristics are associated with risk of readmission for childhood asthma independently of individual characteristics. Methods. Rhode Island Hospital Discharge Data from 2001 to 2005 were used to identify children younger than 19 years of age at the time of the index (i.e., first) asthma admission, defined as a primary diagnosis of asthma or a primary diagnosis of respiratory illness with a secondary or tertiary diagnosis of asthma ( n=2,919). Hazard ratios of repeat hospitalizations for childhood asthma from 2001 to 2005 were estimated, controlling for individual- and neighborhood-level variables. Results. During the study period, 15% of the sample was readmitted for asthma ( n=451). In the unadjusted cumulative hazard curves, children residing in the census tracts with the highest proportion of crowded housing conditions, racial minority residents, or neighborhood-level poverty had higher cumulative hospital readmission rates as compared with children who resided in less disadvantaged neighborhoods. In the fully adjusted models, children insured by Medicaid at the time of their index admission had readmission rates that were 33% higher than children who were privately insured. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that differences in health-care coverage are associated with higher readmission rates for pediatric asthma, but the relationship between neighborhood inequality and repeat hospitalizations for pediatric asthma requires further exploration. Social indicators such as minority race, Medicaid health insurance, and neighborhood markers of economic disadvantage are tightly interwoven in the U.S. and teasing these relationships apart is important in asthma disparities research.
Partner Notification after STD and HIV Exposures and Infections: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experiences of Massachusetts Men Who Have Sex with Men
Authors: Mimiaga Matthew J. , Reisner Sari L. , Tetu Ashley M. , Bonafide Katherine E. , Cranston Kevin , Bertrand Thomas , Novak David S. , Mayer Kenneth H. 
Published: July 2017

Objectives. We assessed Boston-area men who have sex with men (MSM) in terms of their knowledge of partner notification (PN)/partner counseling and referral services (PCRS) and intentions to use such services if exposed to/infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the future. Methods. The study used a convenience sample of STD clinic patients ( n=48) and a modified respondent-driven sampling method ( n=70) to reach a diverse sample of MSM (total sample n=118) in Massachusetts. Participants completed a one-on-one, open-ended, semistructured qualitative interview and quantitative survey. Results. Overall, white, HIV-infected MSM had the highest level of knowledge about PN activities. MSM who were unfamiliar with PN were disproportionately nonwhite and HIV-uninfected. Participants were more likely to notify past partners of HIV exposure than STD exposure. The preferred method of PN for the majority of MSM was direct person-to-person notification. Notably, nonwhite participants were more likely to endorse Massachusetts Department of Public Health PN services than white MSM, who preferred involvement of primary care providers. Conclusions. PN is an important public health strategy for treating and preventing STDs and HIV among at-risk populations, especially MSM who engage in sexual behavior with anonymous or otherwise non-notifiable sexual partners. Although many MSM had an understanding of the ethical desirability of informing exposed partners and recognized the value of preventative behaviors, they require further education to overcome barriers to PN as well as to gain knowledge of the various methods of both traditional and nontraditional notification, such as Internet PN.
Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations in Tennessee: Analysis of Prevalence Disparities Associated with Gender, Race, and Insurance
Authors: Chang Cyril F. , Pope Rebecca A. 
Published: July 2017

Objectives. We determined ( 1) the relative rates of potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAHs) in Tennessee; ( 2) relative rates of PAHs among gender, race, and insurance subgroups; and ( 3) adjusted population-based relative rates of PAHs, taking into account the influences of unobservable factors such as patient preferences, physician practice patterns, and availability of hospital beds that can also affect PAHs. Methods. We applied the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's definitions of ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) to Tennessee hospitalization records to identify PAHs. Patient discharge records for 2002 came from Tennessee's Hospital Discharge Data System. Population estimates came from the U.S. Census Current Population Survey. Hospital discharges with a complete record from all nonfederal acute-care hospitals in Tennessee were considered. Results. The relative rates of PAHs in Tennessee were higher than the U.S. rates in each of the ACSC categories. The relative rates were sensitive to adjustment for unmeasured factors such as patient preferences, physician practice patterns, and the physician supply that were reflected implicitly in the hospitalization rates of each subgroup for all discharge conditions. Within Tennessee, the type of insurance each person held was the greatest determinant of the likelihood of having a PAH, particularly for a chronic condition. Conclusions. The results indicate poor health of the general population in Tennessee and suggest opportunities to improve the provision of primary care for specific ACSCs and population subgroups to reduce PAHs, particularly the uninsured and individuals enrolled in Tennessee's Medicaid managed care program.
A New Paradigm for Quarantine and Public Health Activities at Land Borders: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Waterman Stephen H. , Escobedo Miguel , Wilson Todd , Edelson Paul J. , Bethel Jeffrey W. , Fishbein Daniel B. 
Published: July 2017

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Quarantine Stations at Ports of Entry: Protecting the Public's Health focused almost exclusively on U.S. airports and seaports, which served 106 million entries in 2005. IOM concluded that the primary function of these quarantine stations (QSs) should shift from providing inspection to providing strategic national public health leadership. The large expanse of our national borders, large number of crossings, sparse federal resources, and decreased regulation regarding conveyances crossing these borders make land borders more permeable to a variety of threats. To address the health challenges related to land borders, the QSs serving such borders must assume unique roles and partnerships to achieve the strategic leadership and public health research roles envisioned by the IOM. In this article, we examine how the IOM recommendations apply to the QSs that serve the land borders through which more than 319 million travelers, immigrants, and refugees entered the U.S. in 2005.
Assessing and Quantifying High Risk: Comparing Risky Behaviors by Youth in an Urban, Disadvantaged Community with Nationally Representative Youth
Authors: Swahn Monica H. , Bossarte Robert M. 
Published: July 2017

Objective. This study examined whether youth who live in an urban, disadvantaged community are significantly more likely than youth representing the nation to engage in a range of health-compromising behaviors. Methods. Analyses were based on the Youth Violence Survey conducted in 2004 and administered to students ( n=4,131) in a high-risk school district. Students in ninth grade ( n=1,114) were compared with ninth-grade students in the 2003 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey ( n=3,674) and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health conducted in 1995/1996 ( n=3,523). Analyses assessed the differences in prevalence of risk and protective factors among ninth-grade students from the three studies using Chi-square tests. Results. The results showed that youth in this urban, disadvantaged community were significantly more likely than their peers across the country to report vandalism, theft, violence, and selling drugs. Youth in this community also reported significantly less support from their homes and schools, and less monitoring by their parents. Moreover, youth in this community were significantly less likely to binge drink or initiate alcohol use prior to age 13 than youth across the U.S. Conclusions. Youth who live in this urban, disadvantaged community reported significantly higher prevalence of some, but not all, risky behaviors than nationally representative U.S. youth. These findings highlight that some caution is justified when defining what might constitute high risk and that demographic and other characteristics need to be carefully considered when targeting certain high-risk behaviors.