|
1
|
Hoerger M, Kim S, Mossman B, Alonzi S, Xu K, Coward JC, Whalen K, Nauman E, Miller J, De La Cerda T, Peyser T, Dunn A, Zapolin D, Rivera D, Murugesan N, Baker CN. Cultivating community-based participatory research (CBPR) to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic: an illustrative example of partnership and topic prioritization in the food services industry. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1939. [PMID: 37803311 PMCID: PMC10559526 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16787-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As an illustrative example of COVID-19 pandemic community-based participatory research (CBPR), we describe a community-academic partnership to prioritize future research most important to people experiencing high occupational exposure to COVID-19 - food service workers. Food service workers face key challenges surrounding (1) health and safety precautions, (2) stress and mental health, and (3) the long-term pandemic impact. METHOD Using CBPR methodologies, academic scientists partnered with community stakeholders to develop the research aims, methods, and measures, and interpret and disseminate results. We conducted a survey, three focus groups, and a rapid qualitative assessment to understand the three areas of concern and prioritize future research. RESULTS The survey showed that food service employers mainly supported basic droplet protections (soap, hand sanitizer, gloves), rather than comprehensive airborne protections (high-quality masks, air quality monitoring, air cleaning). Food service workers faced challenging decisions surrounding isolation, quarantine, testing, masking, vaccines, and in-home transmission, described anxiety, depression, and substance use as top mental health concerns, and described long-term physical and financial concerns. Focus groups provided qualitative examples of concerns experienced by food service workers and narrowed topic prioritization. The rapid qualitative assessment identified key needs and opportunities, with help reducing in-home COVID-19 transmission identified as a top priority. COVID-19 mitigation scientists offered recommendations for reducing in-home transmission. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has forced food service workers to experience complex decisions about health and safety, stress and mental health concerns, and longer-term concerns. Challenging health decisions included attempting to avoid an airborne infectious illness when employers were mainly only concerned with droplet precautions and trying to decide protocols for testing and isolation without clear guidance, free tests, or paid sick leave. Key mental health concerns were anxiety, depression, and substance use. Longer-term challenges included Long COVID, lack of mental healthcare access, and financial instability. Food service workers suggest the need for more research aimed at reducing in-home COVID-19 transmission and supporting long-term mental health, physical health, and financial concerns. This research provides an illustrative example of how to cultivate community-based partnerships to respond to immediate and critical issues affecting populations most burdened by public health crises.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hoerger
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, University Medical Center of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Louisiana Cancer Research Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Seowoo Kim
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Brenna Mossman
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sarah Alonzi
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Kenneth Xu
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - John C Coward
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Kathleen Whalen
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Nauman
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, USA
| | - Jonice Miller
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Tracey De La Cerda
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Tristen Peyser
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Addison Dunn
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Dana Zapolin
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Dulcé Rivera
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Navya Murugesan
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Courtney N Baker
- New Orleans Louisiana (NOLA) Pandemic Food Collaborative, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Imamura T, Watanabe A, Serizawa Y, Nakashita M, Saito M, Okada M, Ogawa A, Tabei Y, Soumura Y, Nadaoka Y, Nakatsubo N, Chiba T, Sadamasu K, Yoshimura K, Noda Y, Iwashita Y, Ishimaru Y, Seki N, Otani K, Imamura T, Griffith MM, DeToy K, Suzuki M, Yoshida M, Tanaka A, Yauchi M, Shimada T, Oshitani H. Transmission of COVID-19 in Nightlife, Household, and Health Care Settings in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e230589. [PMID: 36826818 PMCID: PMC9958531 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.0589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE There have been few studies on the heterogeneous interconnection of COVID-19 outbreaks occurring in different social settings using robust, surveillance epidemiological data. OBJECTIVES To describe the characteristics of COVID-19 transmission within different social settings and to evaluate settings associated with onward transmission to other settings. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This is a case series study of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tokyo between January 23 and December 5, 2020, when vaccination was not yet implemented. Using epidemiological investigation data collected by public health centers, epidemiological links were identified and classified into 7 transmission settings: imported, nightlife, dining, workplace, household, health care, and other. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The number of cases per setting and the likelihood of generating onward transmissions were compared between different transmission settings. RESULTS Of the 44 054 confirmed COVID-19 cases in this study, 25 241 (57.3%) were among male patients, and the median (IQR) age of patients was 36 (26-52) years. Transmission settings were identified in 13 122 cases, including 6768 household, 2733 health care, and 1174 nightlife cases. More than 6600 transmission settings were detected, and nightlife (72 of 380 [18.9%]; P < .001) and health care (119 [36.2%]; P < .001) settings were more likely to involve 5 or more cases than dining, workplace, household, and other settings. Nightlife cases appeared in the earlier phase of the epidemic, while household and health care cases appeared later. After adjustment for transmission setting, sex, age group, presence of symptoms, and wave, household and health care cases were less likely to generate onward transmission compared with nightlife cases (household: adjusted odds ratio, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.02-0.05; health care: adjusted odds ratio, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.41-0.79). Household settings were associated with intergenerational transmission, while nonhousehold settings mainly comprised transmission between the same age group. Among 30 932 cases without identified transmission settings, cases with a history of visiting nightlife establishments were more likely to generate onward transmission to nonhousehold settings (adjusted odds ratio, 5.30 [95% CI, 4.64-6.05]; P < .001) than those without such history. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this case series study, COVID-19 cases identified in nightlife settings were associated with a higher likelihood of spreading COVID-19 than household and health care cases. Surveillance and interventions targeting nightlife settings should be prioritized to disrupt COVID-19 transmission, especially in the early stage of an epidemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takeaki Imamura
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Mayuko Saito
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mayu Okada
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Asamoe Ogawa
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukiko Tabei
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yoko Nadaoka
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Nakatsubo
- Public Health and Disease Prevention Division, Suginami City Public Health Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Chiba
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Sadamasu
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yuji Ishimaru
- Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naomi Seki
- Ota City Public Health Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanako Otani
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Matthew Myers Griffith
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Kelly DeToy
- Division of Global Disease Epidemiology and Control, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Motoi Suzuki
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Atsuko Tanaka
- Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Tomoe Shimada
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Oshitani
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
|
3
|
Rovetta A. The Impact of COVID-19 on Conspiracy Hypotheses and Risk Perception in Italy: Infodemiological Survey Study Using Google Trends. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 1:e29929. [PMID: 34447925 PMCID: PMC8363126 DOI: 10.2196/29929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background COVID-19 has caused the worst international crisis since World War II. Italy was one of the countries most affected by both the pandemic and the related infodemic. The success of anti–COVID-19 strategies and future public health policies in Italy cannot separate itself from the containment of fake news and the divulgation of correct information. Objective The aim of this paper was to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on web interest in conspiracy hypotheses and risk perception of Italian web users. Methods Google Trends was used to monitor users’ web interest in specific topics, such as conspiracy hypotheses, vaccine side effects, and pollution and climate change. The keywords adopted to represent these topics were mined from Bufale.net—an Italian website specializing in detecting online hoaxes—and Google Trends suggestions (ie, related topics and related queries). Relative search volumes (RSVs) of the time-lapse periods of 2016-2020 (pre–COVID-19) and 2020-2021 (post–COVID-19) were compared through percentage difference (∆%) and the Welch t test (t). When data series were not stationary, other ad hoc criteria were used. The trend slopes were assessed through Sen slope (SS). The significance thresholds have been indicatively set at P=.05 and t=1.9. Results The COVID-19 pandemic drastically increased Italian netizens’ interest in conspiracies (∆% ∈ [60, 288], t ∈ [6, 12]). Web interest in conspiracy-related queries across Italian regions increased and became more homogeneous compared to the pre–COVID-19 period (average RSV=80±2.8, tmin=1.8, ∆min%=+12.4, min∆SD%=–25.8). In addition, a growing trend in web interest in the infodemic YouTube channel ByoBlu has been highlighted. Web interest in hoaxes has increased more than interest in antihoax services (t1=11.3 vs t2=4.5; Δ1%=+157.6 vs Δ2%=+84.7). Equivalently, web interest in vaccine side effects exceeded interest in pollution and climate change (SSvaccines=0.22, P<.001 vs SSpollution=0.05, P<.001; ∆%=+296.4). To date, a significant amount of fake news related to COVID-19 vaccines, unproven remedies, and origin has continued to circulate. In particular, the creation of SARS-CoV-2 in a Chinese laboratory constituted about 0.04% of the entire web interest in the pandemic. Conclusions COVID-19 has given a significant boost to web interest in conspiracy hypotheses and has made it more uniform across regions in Italy. The pandemic accelerated an already-growing trend in users’ interest toward some fake news sources, including the 500,000-subscriber YouTube channel ByoBlu, which was removed from the platform by YouTube for disinformation in March 2021. The risk perception related to COVID-19 vaccines has been so distorted that vaccine side effect–related queries outweighed those relating to pollution and climate change, which are much more urgent issues. Moreover, a large amount of fake news has circulated about COVID-19 vaccines, remedies, and origin. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the Italian authorities implement more effective infoveillance systems, and that communication by the mass media be less sensationalistic and more consistent with the available scientific evidence. In this context, Google Trends can be used to monitor users’ response to specific infodemiological countermeasures. Further research is needed to understand the psychological mechanisms that regulate risk perception.
Collapse
|