Health Disparities

Nutrition Insight: George Mason University’s College of Public Health research on health disparities between ethnic groups cited in story about overall health trends.

tthoma8 — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:53:40 +0000

Nutrition Insight: George Mason University’s College of Public Health research on health disparities between ethnic groups cited in story about overall health trends. tthoma8 Mon, 08/26/2024 - 09:53

In This Story

Michelle S. Williams, PhD, MSPH

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD

Beyond The Headlines: Balchem bolsters prenatal research, Ingredion reports strong Q2 results.

Topics

Social Determinants of Health

public health research

interdisciplinary

cph in the media

In the Media

MedIndia: Picks up News-Medical story in which 2024 George Mason University study on social and structural determinants of health and social injustice impact risk of obesity highlighted featuring quotes from Michelle S. Williams and Lawrence J. Cheskin

tthoma8 — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 14:18:44 +0000

MedIndia: Picks up News-Medical story in which 2024 George Mason University study on social and structural determinants of health and social injustice impact risk of obesity highlighted featuring quotes from Michelle S. Williams and Lawrence J. Cheskin tthoma8 Mon, 08/12/2024 - 10:18

In This Story

Michelle S. Williams, PhD, MSPH

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD

Social and Structural Factors Fuel Obesity Gaps

Topics

Social Determinants of Health

Mason’s College of Health and Human Services Joins Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network

dhawkin — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 14:04:05 +0000

Mason’s College of Health and Human Services Joins Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network dhawkin Tue, 03/02/2021 - 09:04

Mason joins university and health care system collaboration to conduct translational research to improve health outcomes.

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services (the College) has recently joined the John Hopkins Clinical Research Network (JHCRN). This collaboration between regional health care systems and research institutions will have a direct impact on health care delivery throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.

The JHCRN is a translational research organization dedicated to facilitating collaboration between diverse, community-based health care delivery systems and researchers. Translational research focuses on applying knowledge to address the needs of health care systems; it is specifically designed to improve health outcomes.

The JHCRN specializes in clinical trials across a variety of disciplines including oncology, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal conditions, neurological disorders and genomics. Sites within the network also collaborate with Johns Hopkins physicians. Some of the topics the College plans to explore with JHCRN include health disparities, social determinants of health, and health care costs.

“As part of the JHCRN, we look forward to improving the flow of scientific information and bringing a collaborative approach to clinical and translational research,” said Dr. Rosemary Higgins, associate dean of research for the College.

Collaborations between regional health care systems are an important part of the College’s dedication to making a positive impact on local communities in the surrounding areas. The College will join a number of other regional sites within the network including the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Luminis Health, TidalHealth and Reading Hospital, an affiliate of Tower Health.

“We are proud to join this highly-respected network of health care delivery organizations to bring research discoveries into clinical practice in a timely manner to improve the health of those we serve,” says Dr. Germaine Louis, Dean of the College. “It is only through partnerships such as these that we can improve health equity and make health visible and accessible for all people.”

About George Mason University

George Mason University is Virginia's largest and most diverse public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. For more information, visit https://www2.gmu.edu/.

About the College of Health and Human Services

George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. George Mason is the fastest-growing Research I institution in the country. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,370 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including: 5 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 7 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college of public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

Topics

CHHS Research

Social Determinants of Health

Health Disparities

health care

Health Care Finance

College of Health and Human Services

CHHS News

College Faculty Awarded Summer Impact Grant to Study COVID-19's Impact on Underrepresented/Under-Resourced Students

dhawkin — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 20:32:00 +0000

College Faculty Awarded Summer Impact Grant to Study COVID-19's Impact on Underrepresented/Under-Resourced Students dhawkin Wed, 02/17/2021 - 15:32

In This Story

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD

Alison Evans Cuellar, PhD, MBA

Early studies have shown that students of low socioeconomic status, underrepresented races or ethnicities, and students identifying as female face even greater challenges and hardships brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic(McCormick, 2020).

CHHS faculty Drs. Lawrence J. Cheskin, Alison Cuellar, and Matthew Rossheim have received a Mason Summer Impact Grant to study COVID-19's impact on underrepresented/under-resourced George Mason University undergraduate students and their peers. The researchers will ascertain the social, behavioral, and psychological implications of the pandemic on students by conducting virtual semi-structured interviews and focus groups amongst 155 18–24-year-old Mason undergraduate students.

Students will answer questions about ethnicity, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and challenges they have faced before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The students will also be asked about the impact these challenges have had on their personal goals, family, education, and health.

Findings will then be compared to those of students with financial stability and privileged settings.

Cheskin, Cuellar, and Rossheim bring extensive experience mentoring students and have unique professional backgrounds, offering a necessary multidisciplinary approach to the project. The team will include eight undergraduate and two graduate students who will conduct the participant interviews and present their findings at the Summer Celebration of Student Scholarship.

The study serves as a useful tool for Mason, and other universities, when creating online classes in the future and understanding how the community can better serve its underrepresented and under-resourced students. The public health impact of the study will allow for further implementation of interventions aimed at providing resources for students impacted by the pandemic, and, to this degree, several follow-up grant proposals are currently in progress. The team has applied for an ECMC Foundation grant to secure funding for a large-scale intervention.

Topics

Health Disparities

coronavirus; covid-19

Public Health

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

faculty spotlight

CHHS News

COVID-19 CHHS Webinar Series: Rural Populations and Infectious Disease Transmission: Implications for COVID-19

dhawkin — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 20:23:44 +0000

COVID-19 CHHS Webinar Series: Rural Populations and Infectious Disease Transmission: Implications for COVID-19 dhawkin Wed, 06/24/2020 - 16:23

Learn more about the COVID-19 Webinar Series and view recordings

Experts in Their Field Shed Light on the Disparities of Infectious Disease Transmission in Rural and Urban Areas with Application to Virginia

The College of Health and Human Services held its third COVID-19 Webinar Series, welcoming new panel members who shared their research and recent findings with the community. Moderated by Dean Germaine Louis, the panel heard from Dr. Cara L. Frankenfeld, associate professor of epidemiology, biostatistics and global and community health at George Mason; Dr. Caterina M. Scoglio, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Kansas State University, and Dr. Srini Venkatramanan, research scientist, network systems science and advanced computing from University of Virginia’s Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative.

Frankenfeld began by pointing out key distinctions between rural and urban populations, and how these communities are impacted differently by COVID-19. Geographic disparities are common in infectious diseases due to contrasting industries that drive the economy in rural and urban communities.

“In rural areas we see manufacturing, mining and farming. These industries are more susceptible to in-person contact, with higher risk of transmission,” explains Frankenfeld.

Other key disparities seen in rural areas are higher percentages of poverty, and low education rates.

Rural communities also have high numbers of elder populations and have less access to health care, including limited access to virus testing and health care facilities. In addition, more than half of rural counties have no hospital ICU beds. While we have yet to see a significant negative effect of this problem, it is a growing concern of health care professionals. Over 15% of Americans live in rural areas and are experiencing differential access to health care. It is vital to consider these communities going forward with COVID-19 relief and response systems.

Scoglio, who has studied counties in Kansas, presented insight with relevant application to Virginia. She found that a mostly urban county—Wyandotte county—where part of Kansas City is located, had approximately 1,400 cases. Some rural counties with special populations (e.g., penitentiaries and meat packing plants) had over 1,000 cases. One college county, where you might expect infection rates to be high, only had approximately 60 cases, and the majority of rural counties saw very low numbers, at 0 to 5 cases. This demonstrates the importance of considering the composition of different counties in expected infection rates. Virginia also has a dichotomy of communities, from heavily populated counties of Northern Virginia, to rural areas across the rest of the state, including several counties with universities.

“There are distinct strengths and vulnerabilities rural communities face when combatting infectious disease transmission,” states Scoglio.

Some advantages of rural communities that keep their infection rates low are how spread out households are, with fewer contact locations. However, many have close ties to other households. Scoglio conducted a study focusing on behavior and social awareness during COVID-19. According to a survey of 500 rural households, they found low compliance with stay at home orders. The study found that 49% of respondents would still visit a few households outside of their own home, even during a serious pandemic with recommended stay at home orders.

“It is difficult to get people to change their behaviors and routines,” concludes Scoglio.

From a more technical perspective, the panel heard from Venkatramanan, who works with the Biocomplexity Institute & Initiative which uses big data and simulations to interpret massively interactive systems. His current work aims to analyze COVID-19 transmission throughout rural and urban communities across the United States, and he has previously provided pandemic response for influenza, Ebola, Zika and now COVID-19 support for Virginia and the Department of Defense.

Venkatramanan provided visualizations on nationwide statistics of high demand resources, in order to better understand and visualize the disparities between rural and urban geographic areas that also apply to Virginia’s geography. “COVID is now reaching rural America, and we are starting to see more cases emerging, particularly in these special locations that include close contact industries,” states Venkatramanan.

In closing, rural and urban counties have distinguishing characteristics that set them up to experience COVID-19 in potentially different ways. The key characteristics discussed by the panelists were age, healthcare accessibility, and economic industries.

Learn more about the CHHS COVID-19 Webinar Series, view recordings of previous webinars, and register for future webinars.