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Quality and quantity: The association of state-level educational policies with later life cardiovascular disease.

ABSTRACT: Education is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While the majority of the literature has focused on years of educational attainment or degree attainment, fewer studies examine the role of educational quality in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We tested the hypothesis that average state-level educational quality was associated with CVD, linking state-level data on educational quality with individual demographic and health data from multiple waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (N?=?34,770). We examined thirteen CVD-related outcomes-including blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart attack-to understand the multiple pathways through which educational quality may influence CVD. The primary predictor was a composite index of educational quality, combining state-level measures of student-teacher ratios, per-pupil expenditures, and school term length. We fit multivariable models, regressing each outcome on the educational quality composite index and adjusting for individual- and state-level covariates. We also assessed whether the association between state educational quality and CVD differed for less educated individuals. Overall, higher educational quality was associated with less smoking (OR?=?0.86, 95%CI: 0.77, 0.97), but there was no statistically significant association for the other 12 outcomes. Interaction tests indicated that less educated individuals benefited less from higher educational quality relative to those with more education for several outcomes. Our study suggests that state-level educational quality is not strongly associated with CVD, and that this null association overall may mask heterogeneous benefits that accrue disproportionately to those with higher levels of education.

SUBMITTER: Hamad R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6697595 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Quality and quantity: The association of state-level educational policies with later life cardiovascular disease.

Hamad Rita R Nguyen Thu T TT Glymour M Maria MM Vable Anusha A Manly Jennifer J JJ Rehkopf David H DH

Preventive medicine 20190611

Education is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While the majority of the literature has focused on years of educational attainment or degree attainment, fewer studies examine the role of educational quality in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We tested the hypothesis that average state-level educational quality was associated with CVD, linking state-level data on educational quality with individual demographic and health data from multiple waves of th ...[more]

PMID: 31195021

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Project description:ImportanceOpioid-reduction policies have been enacted by US states to address the opioid epidemic. Evidence of an association between policy implementation and decreased rates of pediatric opioid poisoning provides further justification for expanded implementation of these policies.ObjectiveTo examine the association of 3 state-level opioid-reduction policies with the rate of opioid poisoning in children and adolescents.Design, setting, and participantsThis interrupted time series analysis used data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS), a database of poisoning information reported to poison control centers across the US. Individuals younger than 20 years who experienced poisoning associated with 1 or more prescription opioids from January 1, 2005, to November 30, 2017, were included. The analysis focused on 3 widespread policy interventions: the prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), pain clinic legislation, and opioid prescribing guidelines. Data analysis was performed from January 30, 2020, to March 30, 2020.ExposuresAny opioid poisoning in individuals younger than 20 years that was reported to the NPDS.Main outcomes and measuresOpioid poisoning rates per million person-months before and after implementation of each of the 3 policies, overall and stratified by age (≤4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years).ResultsA total of 338 476 opioid poisoning incidences in children and young adults were reported to the NPDS within the study period. Of this study population, the mean (SD) age was 9.74 (7.15) years, and 179 011 (52.9%) were female. The implementation of a PDMP was associated with a reduction in the monthly rate of opioid poisoning in children and adolescents (-0.07 per million person-months; 95% CI, -0.09 to -0.04) in the postimplementation period. This reduction was observed for all age groups except for the 10- to 14-year age group (-0.03 per million person-months; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.00). Pain clinic legislation was associated with an immediate reduction in opioid poisoning (-6.22 per million person-months; 95% CI, -8.98 to -3.47). This association was statistically significant across all ages except for the 4 years or younger group. Analysis of the association of implementation of opioid prescribing guidelines was limited because of insufficient follow-up data and did not show an immediate or monthly change in the rate of opioid poisoning.Conclusions and relevanceResults of this study suggest that certain state-level opioid-reduction policies were associated with decreases in pediatric opioid exposures across age groups. Further examination of the underlying mechanisms of these associations, including age group-specific outcomes, may expand and strengthen policies that reduce opioid poisoning, misuse, and overdoses in children and adolescents.

Project description:Policy Points State-level social and economic policies that expand tax credits, increase paid parental leave, raise the minimum wage, and increase tobacco taxes have been demonstrated to reduce adverse perinatal and infant health outcomes. These findings can help prioritize evidence-based legislated policies to improve perinatal and infant outcomes in the United States.ContextRates of preterm birth and infant mortality are alarmingly high in the United States. Legislated efforts may directly or indirectly reduce adverse perinatal and infant outcomes through the enactment of certain economic and social policies.MethodsWe conducted a narrative review to summarize the associations between perinatal and infant outcomes and four state-level US policies. We then used a latent profile analysis to create a social and economic policy profile for each state based on the observed policy indicators.FindingsOf 27 articles identified, nine focused on tax credits, eight on paid parental leave, four on minimum wages, and six on tobacco taxes. In all but three studies, these policies were associated with improved perinatal or infant outcomes. Thirty-three states had tax credit laws, most commonly the earned income tax credit (n = 28, 56%). Eighteen states had parental leave laws. Two states had minimum wage laws lower than the federal minimum; 14 were equal to the federal minimum; 29 were above the federal minimum; and 5 did not have a state law. The average state tobacco tax was $1.76 (standard deviation = $1.08). The latent profile analysis revealed three policy profiles, with the most expansive policies in Western and Northeastern US states, and the least expansive policies in the US South.ConclusionsState-level social and economic policies have the potential to reduce adverse perinatal and infant health outcomes in the United States. Those states with the least expansive policies should therefore consider enacting these evidence-based policies, as they have shown a demonstratable benefit in other states.

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Project description:ImportanceHigher educational attainment is associated with reduced dementia risk, but the role of educational quality is understudied, presenting a major evidence gap, especially as it may contribute to racial inequities.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between state-level educational quality during childhood and dementia risk.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study analyzed longitudinal data collected from January 1, 1997, through December 31, 2019 (23-year follow-up period). The sample comprised members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), a large integrated health care delivery system, who completed an optional survey during 1964-1972. Eligible individuals were US born; non-Hispanic Black or non-Hispanic White; aged 65 years or older as of January 1, 1996; were still alive; and did not have a dementia diagnosis or lapse in KPNC membership greater than 90 days between January 1 and December 31, 1996.ExposuresHistorical state-level administrative indicators of school quality (school term length, student-teacher ratio, and attendance rates) linked to participants using birth state and birth year (with a 6-year lag) and divided into tertiles using the pooled sample.Main outcomes and measuresDementia diagnoses from electronic health records between 1997 and 2019 were analyzed between March 1 and August 31, 2022. The associations of educational quality with incident dementia were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.ResultsAmong 21 450 KPNC members who participated in the optional survey, individuals born before availability of educational quality records (n = 87) and missing educational attainment (n = 585) were excluded. The final analytic sample was 20 778 individuals (56.5% women, 43.5% men; mean [SD] age, 74.7 [6.5] years; 18.8% Black; 81.2% White; 41.0% with less than high school education). Among Black individuals, 76.2% to 86.1% (vs 20.8%-23.3% of White individuals) attended schools in states in the lowest educational quality tertiles. Highest (vs lowest) educational quality tertiles were associated with lower dementia risk (student-teacher ratio: hazard ratio [HR], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.83-0.94]; attendance rates: HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.73-0.88]; term length: HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.73-0.86]). Effect estimates did not differ by race and were not attenuated by adjustment for educational attainment.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study, lower state-average educational quality was more common among Black individuals and associated with higher dementia risk. Differential investment in high-quality education due to structural racism may contribute to dementia disparities.

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Quality and quantity: The association of state-level educational policies with later life cardiovascular disease.

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Quality and quantity: The association of state-level educational policies with later life cardiovascular disease.

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