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Mark Mather

Support in Disseminating Population Dynamics Research

As the Coordinating Center for NICHD’s Population Dynamics Centers Research Infrastructure Program, PRB works to improve the dissemination of population and reproductive health findings to nontechnical audiences.  If you have some new NICHD-funded research you would like to share with a broader audience in an easily digestible format, we may be able to help. PRB staff can:

  • Help promote your research through Twitter and develop a social media campaign.
  • Include your findings in a short article that summarizes the results of several NICHD-supported studies.
  • Develop simple interactive data visualizations to make your research findings more accessible.

PRB staff can also provide small-group trainings for Population Center researchers who want to learn more about ways to better publicize and translate their own findings.

If you are interested in learning more, please complete the short form below and a PRB staff member will follow up with you soon to discuss options.

  • Please briefly describe your project and how you would like PRB to help in disseminating your NICHD-funded population dynamics research findings (e.g., developing a social media toolkit, providing a communication training session).
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  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

New Research at NICHD-Funded Population Centers Examines the Magnitude of the Coronavirus Pandemic and Informs the Response

New research supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health aims to deepen public understanding of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and inform the response.

This list of recently published journal articles shows the ways current and former NICHD-funded Population Centers are contributing to this important public health challenge.

Bowling Green State University (Grant 5P2CHD050959-16)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, family plays a bigger role in health as people spend more time at home and rely on family members as a major part of their social safety net, which widened existing inequalities and exacerbated health disparities. Thomeer MB, Yahirun J, Colón-López A. How Families Matter for Health Inequality during the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Fam Theory Rev. 2020 Dec; 12(4):448-463. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33841554

Overall, global crime decreased 37% worldwide after stay-at-home orders were issued by governments in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Property-based crimes decreased substantially, but homicide was relatively unchanged. Cities with more stringent lockdowns experienced greater crime decreases than cities with less stringent lockdowns. As stay-at-home orders gradually eased, crime slowly increased to pre-COVID-19 levels. Boman JH 4th, Mowen TJ. Global crime trends during COVID-19. Nat Hum Behav. 2021 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34117455

 

Columbia University (Grant P2CHD058486)

Parents and children in households that experienced multiple COVID-19 hardships—job and income loss, caregiving burden, and illness—had the poorest mental health. Gassman-Pines A, Ananat EO, Fitz-Henley J 2nd. COVID-19 and Parent-Child Psychological Well-being. Pediatrics. 2020 Oct; 146(4). Epub 2020 Aug 6. (Also Duke University.)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32764151

 

Duke University (Grant 5P2CHD065563-10)

U.S. counties whose residents were less obese, more physically active, and had other healthy behaviors were more likely to practice social distancing as COVID-19 spread.  Bourassa KJ, Sbarra DA, Caspi A, et. al. Social Distancing as a Health Behavior: County-Level Movement in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Associated with Conventional Health Behaviors. Ann Behav Med. 2020 Aug 8; 54(8):548-556.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32608474

Parents and children in households that experienced multiple COVID-19 hardships—job and income loss, caregiving burden, and illness—had the poorest mental health.
Gassman-Pines A, Ananat EO, Fitz-Henley J 2nd. COVID-19 and Parent-Child Psychological Well-being. Pediatrics. 2020 Oct; 146(4). Epub 2020 Aug 6. (Also Columbia University.)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32764151

Adults with pre-existing conditions were much more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 if they were in the bottom vs. top income quartile and had a high school diploma vs. a college degree. Wiemers EE, Abrahams S, AlFakhri M, et. al. Disparities in vulnerability to complications from COVID-19 arising from disparities in preexisting conditions in the United States. Res Soc Stratif Mobil. 2020 Oct; 69:100553. Epub 2020 Sep 7.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32921870

 

Johns Hopkins University (Grant R01 HD086013)

A COVID-19 vaccine must have an efficacy of at least 70% to prevent an epidemic and of at least 80% to largely extinguish an epidemic without any other measures, such as social distancing. Bartsch SM, O’Shea KJ, Ferguson MC, et al. Vaccine Efficacy Needed for a COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent or Stop an Epidemic as the Sole Intervention. Am J Prev Med. 2020;59(4):493-503. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.011.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32778354/

The availability and quality of age- and race-ethnic-specific COVID-19 case and death data varied greatly across states and is sufficient in only California, Illinois, and Ohio. Age distributions in confirmed cases obscured racial-ethnic disparities in COVID-19 case fatality rates. Age standardization narrows racial-ethnic disparities and changes ranking. Public COVID-19 data availability, quality, and harmonization need improvement to address racial disparities in this pandemic. Pathak I, Choi Y, Jiao D, et. al. Racial-ethnic disparities in case fatality ratio narrowed after age standardization: A call for race-ethnicity-specific age distributions in State COVID-19 data. medRxiv. 2020 Oct 4. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33024984

 

Pennsylvania State University (Grant P2C HD041025)

Every death from COVID-19 will impact the physical and mental health of approximately nine surviving close family members. Verdery AM, Smith-Greenaway E, Margolis R, et. al. Tracking the reach of COVID-19 kin loss with a bereavement multiplier applied to the United States. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.. 2020 Jul 28; 117(30):17695-17701. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32651279

Since early March, the average daily increase in the #COVID-19 mortality rate has been significantly higher in rural counties that have the highest percent Black and percent Hispanic populations. Cheng KJG, Sun Y, Monnat SM. COVID-19 Death Rates Are Higher in Rural Counties With Larger Shares of Blacks and Hispanics. J Rural Health. 2020;36(4):602-608. doi:10.1111/jrh.12511

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32894612

 

Princeton University (Grant P2CHD047879)

U.S. COVID-19 deaths result in a 1-year reduction in life expectancy at age 65. The Black and Latino populations are estimated to experience declines in life expectancy at birth of 2.69 and 3.66 years, respectively, both of which are several times the 0.84-year reduction for Whites. These projections imply an increase of over 50% in the Black-White life expectancy gap, from 3.6 to 5.5 years, thereby eliminating 20 years of progress made in reducing this differential. Andrasfay T, Goldman N. Reductions in 2020 US life expectancy due to COVID-19 and the disproportionate impact on the Black and Latino populations. Preprint. medRxiv. 2020;2020.07.12.20148387. Published 2020 Sep 15. doi:10.1101/2020.07.12.20148387. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32995806/

 

University of California, Berkeley (Grant P2CHD073964)

Prioritizing the oldest to receive COVID-19 vaccines saves BOTH the most lives and the most years of life. Goldstein JR, Cassidy T, Wachter KW. Vaccinating the oldest against COVID-19 saves both the most lives and most years of life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Mar 16; 118(11).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33632802

Americans reduced interpersonal contact by 82% in March 2020 compared with pre-pandemic levels. Contact rose between March and September, particularly among people under 45 and males. Feehan DM, Mahmud AS. Quantifying population contact patterns in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 9; 12(1):893.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33563992

National COVID-19 death rates are 80% higher for Blacks and over 50% higher for Hispanics, relative to whites, based on CDC data, adjusted for age and place. State estimates vary widely. Goldstein JR, Atherwood S. Improved measurement of racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 mortality in the United States. medRxiv. 2020 May 23.  (Preprint, not peer reviewed.)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32511557/

In April 2020, U.S. west coast residents admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 had a high probability of ICU admission (49% males/32% females), long hospital stays, and of mortality (24% males/15% females).  Lewnard JA, Liu VX, Jackson ML, et. al. Incidence, clinical outcomes, and transmission dynamics of severe coronavirus disease 2019 in California and Washington: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2020 May 22; 369:m1923.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32444358/

COVID-19 is likely to shorten the average U.S. lifespan in 2020 by about 1 year. Unlike HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics, COVID-19 deaths are concentrated in a period of months rather than spread out over decades. Goldstein JR, Lee RD. Demographic perspectives on the mortality of COVID-19 and other epidemics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(36):22035-22041. doi:10.1073/pnas.2006392117.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32820077/

Data from India (Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states) show reported COVID-19 cases and deaths have been concentrated in younger cohorts than would be expected from observations in higher-income countries, even after accounting for demographic differences. Case fatality ratios are 16.6% at ages of 85 years or older. Primary data from low-resource countries are urgently needed to guide control measures. Laxminarayan R, Wahl B, Dudala SR, et. al. Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in two Indian states. Science. 2020 Nov 6; 370(6517):691-697. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33154136

Study based on children’s social networks estimates that spring 2020 closures in the San Francisco area averted much fewer coronavirus infections in elementary schools than in middle and high schools or workplaces. Head JR, Andrejko KL, Cheng Q, et. al. School closures reduced social mixing of children during COVID-19 with implications for transmission risk and school reopening policies. J R Soc Interface. 2021 Apr; 18(177):20200970. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33849340

 

University of California, Los Angeles (Grant P2C HD041022)

As a result of COVID-19 deaths, life expectancy declines of more than 2 years in 2020 are estimated for Panama, Peru, and certain areas of Italy, Spain, the USA and especially, Mexico. Heuveline P, Tzen M. Beyond deaths per capita: comparative COVID-19 mortality indicators. BMJ Open. 2021 Mar 10; 11(3):e042934.  .

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33692179

The impact of COVID-19 on U.S. life expectancy at birth amounts to nearly twice the largest single-year decline induced by HIV/AIDS and would bring U.S. life expectancy at birth down to its lowest level since 2008. Heuveline P, Tzen M. Beyond Deaths per Capita: Three CoViD-19 Mortality Indicators for Temporal and International Comparisons. medRxiv. 2020 May 5. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32511525

Based on analysis of health conditions linked to a severe COVID-19 complications, health disparities emerge early in life, prior to age 65: Non-Hispanic Blacks, adults with a high school degree or less, and low-income Americans in midlife face the highest risks. Wiemers EE, Abrahams S, AlFakhri M, et. al. Disparities in Vulnerability to Severe Complications from COVID-19 in the United States. medRxiv. 2020 May 30. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32511522

After the U.S. spread of the coronavirus, the proportion of negative tweets referring to Asians increased by 68% (from 9.79% in November to 16.49% in March). In contrast, the proportion of negative tweets referring to other racial/ethnic minorities (Blacks and Latinx) remained relatively stable during this period. Nguyen TT, Criss S, Dwivedi P, et al. Exploring U.S. Shifts in Anti-Asian Sentiment with the Emergence of COVID-19. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(19):E7032. Published 2020 Sep 25. doi:10.3390/ijerph17197032.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32993005/

Among adults with pre-existing conditions, the risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19 is an estimated 3x higher for those with low incomes vs. high incomes, and 60% higher for those with a high school diploma vs. college degree. Wiemers EE, Abrahams S, AlFakhri M, Hotz VJ, Schoeni RF, Seltzer JA. Disparities in vulnerability to complications from COVID-19 arising from disparities in preexisting conditions in the United States. Res Soc Stratif Mobil. 2020;69:100553. doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100553

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32921870

Greater workplace exposures likely contribute to a higher COVID-19 prevalence among Latino and Black adults and underscore the need for measures to reduce potential exposure for low-paid workers who may lack bargaining power to demand adequate PPE. Goldman N, Pebley AR, Lee K, et. al. Racial and Ethnic Differentials in COVID-19-Related Job Exposures by Occupational Status in the US. medRxiv. 2020 Nov 16.  *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33236022

Researchers develop a framework for assessing the effects of hydroxychloroquine and dexamethasone on COVID-19 mortality outside of randomized trials. Hazlett C, Wulf DA, Pasaniuc B, et. al. Credible learning of hydroxychloroquine and dexamethasone effects on COVID-19 mortality outside of randomized trials. medRxiv. 2020 Dec 8. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33330889

Among adults with three or more medical risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection, only about 1 in 10 reported always wearing a mask if they visited a friend’s home or hosted visitors in late fall 2020. Schoeni RF, Wiemers EE, Seltzer JA, et. al. Association Between Risk Factors for Complications From COVID-19, Perceived Chances of Infection and Complications, and Protective Behavior in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Mar 1; 4(3):e213984.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33787906/

Pooled COVID-19 testing is an efficient strategy for nursing homes with a low prevalence. Dilution from pooling, however, can lead to erroneous false-negative results. Nianogo RA, Emeruwa IO, Gounder P, et. al. Optimal uses of pooled testing for COVID-19 incorporating imperfect test performance and pool dilution effect: An application to congregate settings in Los Angeles County. J Med Virol. 2021 Apr 30. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33930195

Analysis of Twitter content provides nuanced viewpoints on the COVID-19 vaccine related to race and ethnicity can offer insights for public health messaging. Criss S, Nguyen TT, Norton S, et. al. Advocacy, Hesitancy, and Equity: Exploring U.S. Race-Related Discussions of the COVID-19 Vaccine on Twitter. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 26; 18(11).  .
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34073291
In California, the risk of food insufficiency or hunger among disadvantaged households during the COVID-19 pandemic differed by metro area, with the highest levels in San Francisco, the area with the lowest poverty and unemployment rates. Blumenberg E, Pinski M, Nhan LA, et. al. Regional differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food sufficiency in California, April-July 2020: implications for food programmes and policies. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Apr 30: 1-9. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33928894

 

University of Maryland (Grant 5P2CHD041041-18)

LGBTQ young persons face unique mental health challenges driven by the overlapping experience of stressors related to the pandemic- and their sexual and gender minority status. Public health stakeholders should advocate for allocation of pandemic crisis funds to community-based organizations involved in supporting crisis and mental health interventions among LGBTQ young persons and other marginalized groups.  Salerno JP, Devadas J, Pease M, et. al. Sexual and Gender Minority Stress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for LGBTQ Young Persons’ Mental Health and Well-Being. Public Health Rep. 2020 Nov/Dec; 135(6):721-727. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33026972

Mental health providers during COVID-19 are essential to the public health workforce and need support. Fish JN, Mittal M. Mental Health Providers During COVID-19 : Essential to the US Public Health Workforce and in Need of Support. Public Health Rep. 2021 Jan/Feb; 136(1):14-17. Epub 2020 Oct 27.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33108959

Relative to heterosexual adults, sexual minority adults experienced steeper health declines (mental health, physical health, quality of life, stress, and psychological distress) during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a need for improved surveillance and cultural responsiveness in emergency preparedness. Fish JN, Salerno J, Williams ND, et. al. Sexual Minority Disparities in Health and Well-Being as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic Differ by Sexual Identity. LGBT Health. 2021 May-Jun; 8(4):263-272. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33887160

The ongoing challenges of the COVID pandemic were exacerbated for queer and trans youth by social isolation and lack of identity-affirming support. Paceley MS, Okrey-Anderson S, Fish JN, et. al. Beyond a Shared Experience: Queer and Trans Youth Navigating COVID-19. Qual Soc Work. 2021 Mar; 20(1-2):97-104. Epub 2020 Nov 16.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34025216

 

University of Michigan (Grant 5P2CHD041028-18)

Overall, COVID-19 crisis had a negative effect on survey fieldwork based on experiences and lessons from two major supplements to the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Sastry N, McGonagle K, Fomby P. Effects of the COVID-19 crisis on survey fieldwork: Experience and lessons from two major supplements to the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Surv Res Methods. 2020 Jun 4; 14(2):241-245.  .

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34093884

 

University of Minnesota (Grant P2C HD041023)

For U.S. White mortality in 2020 to reach levels that U.S. Blacks experience outside of pandemics, current COVID-19 mortality levels would need to increase by a factor of nearly 6. Even amid COVID-19, U.S. White mortality is likely to be lower than what U.S. Blacks have experienced every year. Wrigley-Field E. US racial inequality may be as deadly as COVID-19. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(36):21854-21856. doi:10.1073/pnas.2014750117.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32839337/

The COVID-19 global pandemic affected air quality due to extreme changes in human behavior with both fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the continental United States, showing statistically significant declines in urban areas and counties from states instituting early non-essential business closures. Berman JD, Ebisu K. Changes in U.S. air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci. Total Environ. 2020 Jun 1; 739:139864. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32512381

COVID-19 downturns produced increases in unemployment at all ages, but especially among older workers in their 50s and 60s without a college degree and among young adults, with young women most at risk.  Repercussions from the pandemic may well challenge assumptions and possibilities for older adults’ working longer. Moen P, Pedtke JH, Flood S. Disparate Disruptions: Intersectional COVID-19 Employment Effects by Age, Gender, Education, and Race/Ethnicity. Work Aging Retire. 2020 Oct; 6(4):207-228. Epub 2020 Sep 12.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33214905

Eligibility for coronavirus vaccines based solely on age benefits older U.S. white people at the expense of younger Black, Indigenous, or Hispanic people with higher risk of death. Strategies that prioritize high-risk geographic areas for vaccination at all ages better target mortality risk than age-based strategies alone. Wrigley-Field E, Kiang MV, Riley AR, et. al. Geographically-targeted COVID-19 vaccination is more equitable than age-based thresholds alone. medRxiv. 2021 Mar 27. Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33791718

New study documents how COVID-19 infections spread across the United States. Zhu D, Ye X, Manson S. Revealing the spatial shifting pattern of COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Sci Rep. 2021 Apr 19; 11(1):8396.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33875751

 

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Grant P2C HD050924)

Both anxiety and depression increased among first-year college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing difficulties with distance learning and social isolation could reduce the mental health impact. Fruehwirth JC, Biswas S, Perreira KM. The Covid-19 pandemic and mental health of first-year college students: Examining the effect of Covid-19 stressors using longitudinal data. PLoS One. 2021 Mar 5; 16(3):e0247999. eCollection 2021.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33667243

Historical forces such as residential segregation determine where individuals live, work, and play, and consequently determine their risk of dying from COVID-19.  Zalla LC, Martin CL, Edwards JK, et. al. A Geography of Risk: Structural Racism and COVID-19 Mortality in the United States. Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 12. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33710272

New evidence suggests that indoor dining, mass gatherings, or not wearing masks when outside the home are among the drivers of the late-phase pandemic COVID-19 spread. Nash D, Rane M, Chang M, et. al. Recent SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion in a national, community-based prospective cohort of U.S. adults. medRxiv. 2021 Feb 16.  (Preprint, not peer reviewed)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33619505

The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among residents of the Atlanta metro area was about 5% based on representative community survey and about 3% based a convenience sample of remnant blood from a commercial lab. Boyce RM, Shook-Sa BE, Aiello AE. A tale of two studies: Study design and our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 18. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33338219

During spring 2020, COVID-19 testing in suburban/rural North Carolina suggested limited but accelerating asymptomatic spread. Low, overall prevalence rates may reflect the success of stay-at-home mandates and effective social distancing. Barzin A, Schmitz JL, Rosin S, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among a Southern U.S. Population Indicates Limited Asymptomatic Spread under Physical Distancing Measures. mBio. 2020 Sep 29; 11(5).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32994333

Participants in July 2020 focus groups reported high compliance with mask wearing to prevent #COVID-19 but often did not wear them around family, friends, and colleagues. Shelus VS, Frank SC, Lazard AJ, et. al. Motivations and Barriers for the Use of Face Coverings during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Messaging Insights from Focus Groups. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 12; 17(24).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33322672

Strict quarantine in rural China meant barely any COVID-19 but high rates of unemployment, falling household income, rising prices, and disrupted student learning. Wang H, Zhang M, Li R, et. al. Tracking the effects of COVID-19 in rural China over time. Int J Equity Health. 2021 Jan 14; 20(1):35.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33446205

Consumers prefer COVID-19 testing strategies that offer 1) Rapid turnaround and 2) both PCR and serology tests with non-invasive methods. Zimba R, Kulkarni S, Berry A, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 Testing Service Preferences of Adults in the United States: Discrete Choice Experiment. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2020 Dec 31; 6(4):e25546.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33315584

People of any age with obesity face a greatly increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 compared to those without obesity: a higher risk of hospitalization (113% higher), being admitted to the ICU (74% higher), and death (48% higher). Popkin BM, Du S, Green WD, et al. Individuals with obesity and COVID-19: A global perspective on the epidemiology and biological relationships. Obes Rev. 2020;21(11):e13128. doi:10.1111/obr.13128.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32845580/

Decisionmakers have been reluctant to release data regarding COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations associated with specific industries, obscuring the role of occupational hazards as root causes of disease and health disparities. Yet a concentration of COVID-19 exposure is among low-wage and essential-worker populations who are disproportionately racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants; the nursing home industry is associated with one-third of COVID-19 deaths.  McClure ES, Vasudevan P, Bailey Z, et. al. Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities. Am J Epidemiol. 2020 Nov 2; 189(11):1244-1253.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32619007

Racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths are driven by unequal infection risks related to household, community, and workplace exposures. Zelner J, Trangucci R, Naraharisetti R, et. al. Racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality are driven by unequal infection risks. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Nov 21. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33221832

Apartment dwellers living with children and in 4+ person households were more likely to acquire COVID-19 and be hospitalized early in the pandemic. Nash D, Qasmieh S, Robertson M, et. al. Household factors and the risk of severe COVID-like illness early in the US pandemic. medRxiv. 2020 Dec 4. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33300008

Adequate use of COVID-19 testing tends to show that a majority of state prisons having higher COVID-19 case rates than their local population. Lemasters K, McCauley E, Nowotny K, et. al. COVID-19 cases and testing in 53 prison systems. Health Justice. 2020 Dec 11; 8(1):24.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33306151

Access to COVID-19 testing in North Carolina in the first 3 months of the pandemic were not evenly distributed across racial/ethnic groups; testing was more limited for Latinx, Black, and other marginalized groups. Further disparities existed within these groups by gender, age, urban-rural status, and residence in a medically underserved area. Within racial-ethnic groups, 11.5% of all tests were positive among whites, 22.0% for Blacks, and 66.5% for people of Latinx ethnicity. Brandt K, Goel V, Keeler C, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 testing in North Carolina: Racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities. Health Place. 2021 May; 69:102576. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33915376

 

University of Pennsylvania (Grant P2CHD044964)

In mid-March 2020, perceptions about COVID-19 health risks and economic consequences in the U.S. population were highly variable by age and education, raising concerns about the ability of the nation to implement and sustain the widespread and restrictive policies required to curtail the pandemic. Ciancio A, Kämpfen F, Kohler IV, et al. Know your epidemic, know your response: Early perceptions of COVID-19 and self-reported social distancing in the United States. PLoS One. 2020;15(9):e0238341. Published 2020 Sep 4. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0238341.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32886671/

In March 2020, 29% of U.S. adults showed symptoms of depression and anxiety, mainly driven by concerns about the economic consequences of the pandemic, and less strongly related to worries about personal health and social distancing. These results highlight the importance of economic countermeasures and social policy for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. adult mental health over and above an effective public health response. Kämpfen F, Kohler IV, Ciancio A, et. al. Predictors of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in the US: Role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing. PLoS One. 2020 Nov 11; 15(11):e0241895. eCollection 2020.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33175894

To have the greatest benefits, vaccination campaigns should target people who say they might get vaccinated against COVID19 rather those firmly opposed. Buttenheim AM. SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptance: We May Need to Choose Our Battles. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Sep 4. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32886526

Excess deaths due to Covid19 appear underestimated –and inequities are concentrated in counties with high income inequality, low median income, low homeownership, and high percentages of Black residents. Stokes AC, Lundberg DJ, Elo IT, et. al. COVID-19 and excess mortality in the United States: A county-level analysis. PLoS Med. 2021 May 20; 18(5):e1003571. eCollection 2021 May.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34014945

New study examines ways to revise guidelines for withhold or withdrawing life-saving ventilators during shortages, which advantaged white communities and disadvantage Black communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schmidt H, Roberts DE, Eneanya ND. Rationing, racism and justice: advancing the debate around ‘colourblind’ COVID-19 ventilator allocation. J Med Ethics. 2021 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33408091

 

University of Texas-Austin (Grant 5P2CHD042849-18)

Abortions decreased in Texas following an Executive Order ban at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic; more women sought medication abortions, traveled out of state, or delayed the procedure. White K, Kumar B, Goyal V, et. al. Changes in Abortion in Texas Following an Executive Order Ban During the Coronavirus Pandemic. JAMA. 2021 Feb 16; 325(7):691-693.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33393997

Older Adults who live alone benefited from seeing people in person during the #COVID-19 pandemic but not necessarily by talking on the phone. Fingerman KL, Ng YT, Zhang S, et. al. Living Alone During COVID-19: Social Contact and Emotional Well-being Among Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021 Feb 17; 76(3):e116-e121.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33196815

Older people reported less COVID-19 pandemic-related stress, fewer life changes, less social isolation, and lower negative relationship quality than younger people. Igra M, Kenworthy N, Luchsinger C, et. al. Crowdfunding as a response to COVID-19: Increasing inequities at a time of crisis. Soc Sci Med. 2021 Aug; 282:114105. Epub 2021 Jun 7.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33346806

Family physicians successfully provided medication abortion in three states—NY, NJ, and WA— using asynchronous online consultations and mailing pills directly to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Godfrey EM, Thayer EK, Fiastro AE, et. al. Family medicine provision of online medication abortion in three US states during COVID-19. Contraception. 2021 Jul; 104(1):54-60. Epub 2021 Apr 30.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33939985

Animations reveal that COVID-19 was transmitted along the path of U.S. interstate highways. The arrival time difference was the greatest in the most rural counties and implicates road travel as a factor of transmission into rural communities. Interstate travel limits and road travel restrictions would have supported stronger mitigation efforts and reduced contact and transmission early in the pandemic. Souch JM, Cossman JS, Hayward MD. Interstates of Infection: Preliminary Investigations of Human Mobility Patterns in the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Rural Health. 2021 Mar; 37(2):266-271. Epub 2021 Mar 15.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33720459

 

University of Washington (Grant 5P2CHD042828-18)

Crowdfunding campaigns related to COVID-19 in the first half of 2020 were most effective in areas with high levels of education or income, but not the highest needs, which widened existing inequalities. Igra M, Kenworthy N, Luchsinger C, et. al. Crowdfunding as a response to COVID-19: Increasing inequities at a time of crisis. Soc Sci Med. 2021 Aug; 282:114105. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

https://europepmc.org/article/med/34139479

 

University of Wisconsin-Madison (Grant P2CHD047873)

New study offers framework for measuring the effectiveness of various treatments for COVID-19. Mullahy J. Discovering treatment effectiveness via median treatment effects-Applications to COVID-19 clinical trials. Health Econ. 2021 May; 30(5):1050-1069. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33667329

Center for Family and Demographic Research, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY

This list includes articles in PubMed as of April 15, 2021 with a PubMed entry date between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 that reference P2C, R24, or T32 grant support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development and oversight by Population Dynamics Branch Program Officials.

Recent Articles Appearing in PubMed

Copp JE, Giordano PC, Longmore MA, et. al. Desistance from Crime during the Transition to Adulthood: The Influence of Parents, Peers, and Shifts in Identity. The Journal of research in crime and delinquency. 2020 May; 57(3):294-332. Epub 2019 Oct 2.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33716318

Zhang Z, Liu H, Choi SE. Marital loss and risk of dementia: Do race and gender matter? Social science & medicine (1982). 2021 Apr; 275:113808. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33713925

Cooper LM, Longmore MA, Manning WD, et. al. The Influence of Demographic, Relational, and Risk Asymmetries on the Frequency of Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adulthood. Journal of family issues. 2021 Jan; 42(1):136-155. Epub 2020 May 13.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33707805

Ma M, Yahirun J, Saenz J, et. al. Offspring Educational Attainment and Older Parents’ Cognition in Mexico. Demography. 2021 Feb; 58(1):75-109. Epub 2021 Jan 18.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33612872

Brown SL, Lin IF, Mellencamp KA. Does the Transition to Grandparenthood Deter Gray Divorce? A Test of the Braking Hypothesis. Social forces; a scientific medium of social study and interpretation. 2020 Apr 30; 99(3):1209-1232. eCollection 2021 Mar.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33462540

Stykes JB, Guzzo KB. Unintended Childbearing and Marital Instability: An Emphasis on Couples’ Intentions. Journal of divorce & remarriage. 2020; 61(7):504-524. Epub 2020 May 25.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33304091

Guzzo KB. A Research Brief on Prospective Marital Expectations among Cohabitors with Initial Marital Intentions. Journal of family issues. 2020 Nov; 41(11):1979-2001. Epub 2020 Feb 26.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33304026

Watkins A, Tompsett C, Diggins E, et. al. Voluntary uptake and continuation of treatment among court-involved youth: Lessons learned from the implementation of Functional Family Therapy in a community setting. Children and youth services review. 2020 Jul; 114. Epub 2020 Apr 22.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33304025

Boman JH, Mowen TJ. More than Just a Flock? The Independent and Interdependent Nature of Peer Self-Control on Deviance. Deviant behavior. 2020; 41(11):1468-1483. Epub 2019 Jun 26.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33304023

Gallupe O, Boman JH 4th, Nash R, et. al. Deviant Peer Preferences: A Simplified Approach to Account for Peer Selection Effects. Deviant behavior. 2020; 41(9):1143-1156. Epub 2019 Mar 28.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 33299262

Guzzo KB, Lang VW, Hayford SR. Do Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Attitudes and Knowledge Predict Men and Women’s Adult Sexual Partnerships? The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. 2021 Jan; 68(1):95-102. Epub 2020 Jul 7.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32646829

Nomaguchi K, Milkie MA. Parenthood and Well-Being: A Decade in Review. Journal of marriage and the family. 2020 Feb; 82(1):198-223. Epub 2020 Jan 5.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32606480

Mowen TJ, Boman JH 4th. Animal Abuse among High-Risk Youth: A Test of Agnew’s Theory. Deviant behavior. 2020; 41(6):765-778. Epub 2019 Mar 30.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32546877

Mowen TJ, Boman JH 4th, Schweitzer K. Strain and Depression following Release from Prison: The Moderating Role of Social Support Mechanisms on Substance Use. Deviant behavior. 2020; 41(6):750-764. Epub 2019 Mar 21.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32546876

Hayford SR, Kissling A, Guzzo KB. Changing Educational Differentials in Female Sterilization. Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health. 2020 Jul; 52(2):117-127. Epub 2020 May 28.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32462730

Holman EG, Landry-Meyer L, Fish JN. Creating Supportive Environments for LGBT Older Adults: An Efficacy Evaluation of Staff Training in a Senior Living Facility. Journal of gerontological social work. 2020 Jul; 63(5):464-477. Epub 2020 May 23.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32449479

Manning WD. Young Adulthood Relationships in an Era of Uncertainty: A Case for Cohabitation. Demography. 2020 Jun; 57(3):799-819.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32430891

Stansfield R, Mowen TJ. Religious Involvement, Moral Community and Social Ecology: New Considerations in the Study of Religion and Reentry. Journal of quantitative criminology. 2019 Sep; 35(3):493-516. Epub 2018 Oct 9.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32405144

Gresham M, Demuth S. Who Owns a Handgun? An Analysis of the Correlates of Handgun Ownership in Young Adulthood. Crime and delinquency. 2020 Apr; 66(4):541-571. Epub 2019 May 8.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32405082

Mowen TJ, Freng A. Is More Necessarily Better? School Security and Perceptions of Safety among Students and Parents in the United States. American journal of criminal justice : AJCJ. 2019 Jun; 44(3):376-394. Epub 2018 Nov 16.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32382224

Eickmeyer KJ, Guzzo KB, Manning WD, et. al. A Research Note on Income Pooling in Partnerships: Incorporating Nonresident Children. Journal of family issues. 2019 Dec; 40(18):2922-2943. Epub 2019 Aug 8.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32382206

Mowen TJ, Stansfield R, Boman JH 4th. Family Matters: Moving Beyond “If” Family Support Matters to “Why” Family Support Matters during Reentry from Prison. The Journal of research in crime and delinquency. 2019 Jul; 56(4):483-523. Epub 2018 Dec 26.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32382195

Yahirun JJ, Vasireddy S, Hayward MD. The Education of Multiple Family Members and the Life-Course Pathways to Cognitive Impairment. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences. 2020 Aug 13; 75(7):e113-e128.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32215643

Kuhl DC, Burrington LA. Heavy Episodic Drinking in Early Adulthood: How Parents’ Education Contextualizes the Effects of College Status. Sociological focus. 2020; 53(1):29-52. Epub 2020 Jan 13.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32148337

Giordano PC, Copp JE, Manning WD, et. al. When Worlds Collide: Linking Involvement with Friends and Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adulthood. Social forces; a scientific medium of social study and interpretation. 2020 Mar; 98(3):1196-1222. Epub 2019 May 14.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32095028

Finkeldey JG, Longmore MA, Giordano PC, et. al. Identifying as a Troublemaker/Partier: The Influence of Parental Incarceration and Emotional Independence. Journal of child and family studies. 2020 Mar; 29(3):802-816. Epub 2019 Sep 21.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32089631

Mowen TJ, Boman JH 4th. The Criminogenic Influence of Family on Substance Use During Reentry: A Life-Course Perspective on Between Individual Differences and Within Individual Changes. Justice quarterly : JQ. 2019; 36(5):841-869. Epub 2018 Feb 27.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32089588

Mowen TJ, Boman JH 4th. Do We Have It All Wrong? The Protective Roles of Peers and Criminogenic Risks From Family During Prison Reentry. Crime and delinquency. 2019 May; 65(5):681-704. Epub 2018 Oct 13.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 32089563

Meldrum RC, Boman JH 4th, Back S. Low Self-Control, Social Learning, and Texting while Driving. American journal of criminal justice : AJCJ. 2019 Apr; 44(2):191-210. Epub 2018 Aug 21.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 31903019

Boman JH 4th, Agnich L, Miller BL, et. al. The “Other Side of The Fence”: A Learning- And Control-Based Investigation Of The Relationship Between Deviance And Friendship Quality. Deviant behavior. 2019; 40(12):1553-1573. Epub 2019 Apr 7.
Access in PubMed.
PMID: 31902968

Webinar: “Missing links? Social developmental pathways from childhood adversity to later life health”

WHEN: Thursday, November 19, 2020 (12:00–1:00 p.m. EST)

WHERE: Online (REGISTER)
COST: Free

The Social Demography Seminars, sponsored by the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS), provide a forum for social science scholars to discuss in-progress research that touches on timely topics such as health and social inequalities, race and ethnicity, aging and life course, gender, immigration and migration, and other population health themes. In the wake of COVID-19, these seminars are transitioning to an online format this fall, and can now reach a much wider audience.

The presenter, Dr. Kristi Williams, is a family demographer and medical sociologist whose research focuses on the intersections of marriage and parenthood and their consequences for health and well-being across the life course.

Hear from the Experts: The 2020 Election and the Future of Reproductive Rights

Webinar description: Join Guttmacher Institute experts for a discussion about how the results of the 2020 election will impact the landscape for sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice in the months ahead. Experts will break down the election results at the Federal and State levels and share how the fight for good reproductive health policy will continue no matter what happens.

Nov 11, 2020 3:30-4:15 PM (EST)

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cAhRtR5uSH6TVdfQR7WXag

Webinar: “…I’m afraid of White people”: Anti-Black racism, police violence and the health and well-being of Black sexual minority men

WHEN: November 12, 2020 (12:00 pm-1:00 pm EST)

WHERE: Online (REGISTER)
COST: Free

The Social Demography Seminars, sponsored by the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS), provide a forum for social science scholars to discuss in-progress research that touches on timely topics such as health and social inequalities, race and ethnicity, aging and life course, gender, immigration and migration, and other population health themes. In the wake of COVID-19, these seminars are transitioning to an online format this fall, and can now reach a much wider audience.

The presenter, Dustin Duncan, is a social and spatial epidemiologist who studies how neighborhood characteristics influence population health and health disparities.

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