Dataset Information

COVID-19 and Slums: A Pandemic Highlights Gaps in Knowledge About Urban Poverty.

ABSTRACT: According to the United Nations, about 1 billion persons live in so-called slums. Numerous studies have shown that this population is particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emphatically underlines this problem. The often high-density living quarters coupled with a large number of persons per dwelling and the lack of adequate sanitation are reasons why measures to contain the pandemic only work to a limited extent in slums. Furthermore, assignment to risk groups for severe courses of COVID-19 caused by noncommunicable diseases (eg, cardiovascular diseases) is not possible due to inadequate data availability. Information on people living in slums and their health status is either unavailable or only exists for specific regions (eg, Nairobi). We argue that one of the greatest problems with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of slums in the Global South is the lack of data on the number of people, their living conditions, and their health status.

SUBMITTER: Friesen J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7486000 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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COVID-19 and Slums: A Pandemic Highlights Gaps in Knowledge About Urban Poverty.

Friesen John J Pelz Peter F PF

JMIR public health and surveillance 20200904 3

According to the United Nations, about 1 billion persons live in so-called slums. Numerous studies have shown that this population is particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emphatically underlines this problem. The often high-density living quarters coupled with a large number of persons per dwelling and the lack of adequate sanitation are reasons why measures to contain the pandemic only work to a limited extent ...[more]

PMID: 32877347

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Project description:BackgroundIndividuals living at-risk-of-poverty have an increased risk of poor mental health. The pandemic and its societal impacts might have negative effects especially on this group widening the gap between rich and poor and also exacerbate gender gaps, which in turn might impact social cohesion.AimThe objective of this longitudinal study was to determine if people living at-risk-of-poverty were more vulnerable to economic and psychosocial impacts of the pandemic and showed poorer mental health. Moreover, gender differences were analyzed.MethodWe drew data from a sample of N = 10,250 respondents of two time points (T1 starting from October 2020, T2 starting from March 2021) of the Gutenberg COVID-19 Study. We tested for differences between people living at-risk-of-poverty and more affluent respondents regarding economic impacts, psychosocial stressors, as well as depressiveness, anxiety and loneliness, by comparing mean and distributional differences. To test for significant discrepancy, we opted for chi-square- and t-tests.ResultsThe analysis sample compromised N = 8,100 individuals of which 4,2% could be classified as living at-risk-of-poverty. 23% of respondents living at-risk-of-poverty had a decrease in income since the beginning of the pandemic-twice as many as those not living at-risk-of-poverty, who reported more often an increase in income. Less affluent individuals reported a decrease in working hours, while more affluent people reported an increase. Between our survey time points, we found a significant decrease in these economic impacts. Gender differences for economic changes were only found for more affluent women who worked more hours with no change in income. Less affluent respondents were more impacted by psychosocial stressors, depressiveness, anxiety, and loneliness. Gender differences were found particularly with regard to care responsibilities.DiscussionOur results indicate a widening in the gap between the rich and the poor at the beginning of the pandemic. Gender differences concerning economic changes affect more affluent women, but women in both income groups are more burdened by care responsibilities, which might indicate a heightened resurgence of gender role in times of crisis. This increase in inequality might have impacted social cohesion.

Project description:BackgroundIn the present COVID-19 crisis, one of the greatest challenges for research funding at both the international and national level is selecting the best research topic to achieve efficiency and equity in health research and to address the knowledge gap urgently raised due to the event. Despite international recommendations, countries should consider their context-specific situation and define local research priorities. We aimed to exercise a priority-setting activity to identify the knowledge gaps and suggest research priorities in response to the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran.MethodsFirst, we tried to identify the contextual knowledge gaps based on an online survey, performing key informant interviews (i.e. health professionals, policy-makers and managers) and media analysis. We also performed a literature review and considered international research priorities for COVID-19. Subsequently, we prepared a list of research questions and challenges to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in Iran using a systems approach. Then we mapped approved COVID-19 research projects in the country to research questions. Finally, we compared the identified research questions (not challenges) with the prioritized research from international organizations and then prioritized them for Iran.ResultsWe found risk factors and epidemiological dissemination patterns of the virus and its consequences in an epidemiology domain, implementation of clinical and hygiene in a clinical management domain, genetic studies for targeting prevention and treatment in a candidate treatment and vaccine research and development (R&D) knowledge domain, examination of the manifestations of ethics in society instead of ethics in research in an ethics domain, "care, access and health system" and "public health and participation in response to public health and clinical research" as two sub-domains of a social sciences domain, and finally, no new questions in either the virology, transmission, diagnosis or animal and environmental domain.ConclusionsIn the event of global health crises like COVID-19, prioritization of research questions can be done globally, but some of the research priorities are context-specific and may vary by regional needs. To better manage research resources, researchers must respond to the challenges faced in each country based on its political, economic, social and cultural characteristics, and to make evidence-informed decisions, global knowledge gaps must be customized in each country.

Project description:BackgroundThe telemedicine industry has been experiencing fast growth in recent years. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) further accelerated the deployment and utilization of telemedicine services. An analysis of the socioeconomic characteristics of telemedicine users to understand potential socioeconomic gaps and disparities is critical for improving the adoption of telemedicine services among patients.ObjectivesThis study aims to measure the correlation of socioeconomic determinants with the use of telemedicine services in Milwaukee metropolitan area.MethodsElectronic health record review of patients using telemedicine services compared with those not using telemedicine services within an academic-community health system: patient demographics (e.g., age, gender, race, and ethnicity), insurance status, and socioeconomic determinants obtained through block-level census data in Milwaukee area. The telemedicine users were compared with all other patients using regression analysis. The telemedicine adoption rates were calculated across regional ZIP codes to analyze the geographic patterns of telemedicine adoption.ResultsA total of 104,139 patients used telemedicine services during the study period. Patients who used video visits were younger (median age 48.12), more likely to be White (odds ratio [OR] 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.37), and have private insurance (OR 1.43; CI, 1.41-1.46); patients who used telephone visits were older (median age 57.58), more likely to be Black (OR 1.31; CI 1.28-1.35), and have public insurance (OR 1.30; CI 1.27-1.32). In general, Latino and Asian populations were less likely to use telemedicine; women used more telemedicine services in general than men. In the multiple regression analysis of social determinant factors across 126 ZIP codes, college education (coefficient 1.41, p = 0.01) had a strong correlation to video telemedicine adoption rate.ConclusionAdoption of telemedicine services was significantly impacted by the social determinant factors of health, such as income, education level, race, and insurance type. The study reveals the potential inequities and disparities in telemedicine adoption.

Dataset Information

COVID-19 and Slums: A Pandemic Highlights Gaps in Knowledge About Urban Poverty.

Publications

COVID-19 and Slums: A Pandemic Highlights Gaps in Knowledge About Urban Poverty.

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