Challenge and action of improving oral health inequities in the time of COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Huang YK
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8445805 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description: Not available
| S-BSST1055 | biostudies-other
Project description:With the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) enduring in the United States, effectively and equitably implementing testing, tracing, and self-isolation as key prevention and detection strategies remain critical to safely re-opening communities. As testing and tracing capacities increase, frameworks are needed to inform design and delivery to ensure their effective implementation and equitable distribution, and to strengthen community engagement in slowing and eventually stopping Covid-19 transmission. In this commentary, we highlight opportunities for integrating implementation research into planned and employed strategies in the United States to accelerate reach and effectiveness of interventions to more safely relax social distancing policies and open economies, schools, and other institutions. Implementation strategies, such as adapting evidence-based interventions based on contextual factors, promoting community engagement, and providing data audit and feedback on implementation outcomes, can support the translation of policies on testing, tracing, social distancing, and public mask use into reality. These data can demonstrate how interventions are put into practice and where adaptation in policy or practice is needed to respond to the needs of specific communities and socially vulnerable populations. Incorporating implementation research into Covid-19 policy design and translation into practice is urgently needed to mitigate the worsening health inequities in the pandemic toll and response. Applying rigorous implementation research frameworks and evaluation systems to the implementation of evidence-based interventions which are adapted to contextual factors can promote effective and equitable pandemic response and accelerate learning both among local stakeholders as well as between states to further inform their varied experiences and responses to the pandemic.
| S-EPMC7527776 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to mental health fallout in the US; yet research about mental health and COVID-19 primarily rely on samples that may overlook variance in regional mental health. Indeed, between-city comparisons of mental health decline in the US may provide further insight into how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting at-risk groups.PurposeThis study leverages social media and COVID-19-city infection data to measure the longitudinal (January 22- July 31, 2020) mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 20 metropolitan areas.MethodsWe used longitudinal VADER sentiment analysis of Twitter timelines (January-July 2020) for cohorts in 20 metropolitan areas to examine mood changes over time. We then conducted simple and multivariate Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions to examine the relationship between COVID-19 infection city data, population, population density, and city demographics on sentiment across those 20 cities.ResultsLongitudinal sentiment tracking showed mood declines over time. The univariate OLS regression highlighted a negative linear relationship between COVID-19 city data and online sentiment (β = -.017). Residing in predominantly white cities had a protective effect against COVID-19 driven negative mood (β = .0629, p < .001).DiscussionOur results reveal that metropolitan areas with larger communities of color experienced a greater subjective well-being decline than predominantly white cities, which we attribute to clinical and socioeconomic correlates that place communities of color at greater risk of COVID-19.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic is a driver of declining US mood in 20 metropolitan cities. Other factors, including social unrest and local demographics, may compound and exacerbate mental health outlook in racially diverse cities.
| S-EPMC8266050 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous changes in healthcare delivery and exacerbated a wide range of inequities. Social workers across a broad range of healthcare settings bring an expertise in social, behavioural and mental healthcare needed to help address these health inequities. In addition, social workers integrate policy-directed interventions and solutions in clinical practice, which is a needed perspective for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear, however, what the most pressing policy issues are that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, many social workers in health settings tend to underuse policy in their direct practice. The objectives of this scoping review are to: (1) systematically scope the literature on social work, COVID-19 pandemic and policy; and (2) describe the competencies required by social workers and the social work profession to address the policy issues emerging during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods and analysisThe scoping review follows Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework. Identification of literature published between 1 December 2019 and the search date, 31 March 2021, will take place in two stages: (1) title and abstract review, and (2) full-text review. In partnership with a health science librarian, the research team listed keywords related to social work and policy to search databases including Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Social Services Abstract and Social Work Abstracts. Two graduate-level research assistants will conduct screening and full-text review. Data will then be extracted, charted, analysed and summarised to report on our results and implications on practice, policy and future research.Ethics and disseminationResults will help develop a policy practice competence framework to inform how social workers can influence policy. We will share our findings through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. This study does not require Research Ethics Board approval as it uses publicly available sources of data.
| S-EPMC8572402 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundIn the United States, distribution plans for the COVID-19 vaccination were established at the state level. However, some states, such as Connecticut, followed an age-based strategy without considering occupations or co-morbid conditions due to its simplicity in implementation. This strategy raised concerns about exacerbating health inequities because it did not prioritize vulnerable communities, specifically, minorities and low-income groups. The study aims to examine the vaccination inequities among different population groups for people aged 65+.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis of quantile-based independent sample t-test was employed to examine the relationship between eight social vulnerability indices (SVIs, i.e., below poverty, unemployed, without high school diploma, disability, minority, speaks English less than well, no vehicle, and mobile homes) and vaccination rates at the town level in Connecticut during the second phase of the vaccine distribution plan when individuals aged 65 and over were eligible. Negative binomial regressions were employed to further justify the relationships between SVIs and vaccination rates.ResultsThe report shows that the differences in vaccination rates were statistically significant between the most vulnerable and the least vulnerable towns with respect to six SVIs (i.e., below poverty, without high school diploma, disability, minority, speaks English less than well, and no vehicle). The vaccination gap was greater for people aged 75+ than people aged 65-74. Among the selected SVIs, below poverty was negatively correlated with the vaccination rate for 75+, and without high school diploma was negatively correlated with both rates.ConclusionsThis report reveals the significant health inequities in COVID-19 vaccination among the elderly population at the early vaccination phase. It can shed insights into health policy initiatives to improve vaccination coverage in the elderly communities, such as promoting onsite scheduling and increasing at-home vaccination services.
| S-EPMC8491089 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSevere measures have been implemented around the world to reduce COVID-19 spread with a significant impact on family dynamics.AimTo assess the impact of the pandemic on fear, dietary choices and oral health perceptions of parents.Designquestionnaire containing 19 questions was remotely applied to 1003 parents of children aged 0-12 years. The questions addressed topics regarding changes in daily routine, dietary habits, fear level, oral health, and variation of income during the pandemic. Data analysis included the description of the relative and absolute frequencies of the variables. Association tests were performed using Fisher's exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests.Results73% of respondents reported income loss. Five hundred sixty-eight people denied seeking medical or dental care. 61.5% of respondents revealed changes in the dietary pattern; most of them mentioned an increase in food intake. Most parents (66.6%) would only seek urgent dental care. There was an association between parents' willingness to take their children to dental appointments with the fear level (p < 0.001).ConclusionsMost families have experienced changes in daily routine and eating habits during the pandemic. Parents fear COVID-19 and it impacts their behavior regarding seeking dental care for their children.
| S-EPMC7490252 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 novel coronavirus closed oral health care in Nova Scotia (NS) Canada in March 2020. Preparing for a phased reopening, a knowledge exchange coalition (representing government, academia, hospitals, oral health professions, and regulators) developed return-to-work (RTW) guidelines detailing the augmentation of standard practices to ensure safety for patients, oral health care providers (OHPs), and the community. Using online surveys, this study explored the influence of the RTW guidelines and related education on registered NS OHPs during a phased return to work.MethodsDissemination of R2W guidelines included website or email communiques and interdisciplinary education webinars that coincided with 2 RTW phases approved by the government. Aligned with each phase, all registered dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants were invited to complete an online survey to gauge the influence of the coalition-sponsored education and RTW guidelines, confidence, preparedness, and personal protective equipment use before and after the pandemic.ResultsThree coalition-sponsored multidisciplinary webinars hosted 3541 attendees prior to RTW. The response to survey 1 was 41% (881/2156) and to survey 2 was 26% (571/2177) of registrants. Survey 1 (82%) and survey 2 (89%) respondents "agreed/strongly agreed" that R2W guidelines were a primary source for guiding return to practice, and most were confident with education received and had the skills needed to effectively treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Confidence and preparedness improved in survey 2. Gowns/lab coat use for aerosol-generating procedures increased from 26% to 93%, and the use of full face shields rose from 6% to 93% during the pandemic.ConclusionsA multistakeholder coalition was effective in establishing and communicating comprehensive guidelines and web-based education to ensure unified reintegration of oral health services in NS during a pandemic. This multiorganizational cooperation lay the foundation for responses to subsequent waves of COVID-19 and may serve as an example for collaboratively responding to future public health threats in other settings.Knowledge transfer statementThe return-to-work strategy that was developed, disseminated, and assessed through this COVID-19 knowledge exchange coalition will benefit oral health practitioners, professional regulators, government policy makers, and researchers in future pandemic planning.
| S-EPMC8207488 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Primary outcome(s): To evaluate the number of surgeries and short-term outcomes as well as change in time to treatment initiation (TTI) for two years COVID-19 spread period compared with the same two years before the pandemic.
| 112151 | ecrin-mdr-crc
Project description:Lifespan Cancer Institute serves over 50% of cancer patients in the state. Rhode Island is known for strong medical care and high rates of cancer screening with mammography and colonoscopy. However, cancer screening has plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, in part to closing physician offices and stopping non-urgent medical procedures. In addition, anecdotal reports suggest the public remains concerned about returning to physician’s offices and risking possible exposure to COVID-19. As in the United States as a whole, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted ethnic and minority individuals within underserved communities; and in Rhode Island, African Americans, Hispanics and undocumented individuals living in communities such as Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, East Providence and North Providence have had the highest rate of COVID-19. These communities are also impacted by healthcare disparities to access and affordability of healthcare, and as such, may be among the least likely to resume cancer screening.
The Lifespan Cancer Institute will institute a project to address health disparities in cancer screening during the pandemic through the use of a targeted campaign involving social media. The goals will be to re-establish screening in the era of COVID-19 and ensure timeliness of care for those found to be at risk, or are positive for, cancer.
| 2354509 | ecrin-mdr-crc
Project description:While the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on health inequalities is documented, oral health has been absent from this discussion. This commentary highlights the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health inequalities in England in February 2021. It includes a literature review, Public Health England and Kantar Worldpanel sales data on health behaviours and analysis of NHS dental services data. Purchasing data indicate, except for smoking, increases in health-compromising behaviours. Since the resumption of dental services, NHS general dental service use modestly recovered among adults but not children by October 2020. There are clear inequalities among children and older adults, with more deprived groups having lower uptake of dental service use than more affluent groups. Oral cancer referrals and hospital admissions for tooth extractions in children dramatically declined, with the latter primarily affecting children in more deprived areas. Many oral health programmes in schools and care homes were disrupted or suspended throughout this period. All these indicate that oral health inequalities have widened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An oral health plan of action requires prioritising long-term investment in public health programmes and transforming commissioning pathways to support those with the greatest needs to access oral healthcare services.
| S-EPMC8796193 | biostudies-literature