Race, Rurality, and Suicidality in Children and Adolescents

INTRODUCTION

Suicide is among the leading causes of death in U.S. youth. Rural residency is a risk factor, but suicide variability by race/ethnicity is more nuanced. Early detection of suicidal ideation and intent are key components of prevention, but to the authors' knowledge, few prior studies have examined how rurality and race interact on youth suicidality. This study examined suicidality between White non-Hispanic versus non-White or Hispanic youth, as well as those who lived in rural versus non-rural areas.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from youth age 5-17 years who had complete capture of their medical care in a Wisconsin healthcare system. Suicidality was extracted from medical records by screening for diagnoses indicative of suicidal attempt or ideation between 2017 and 2022. Race/ethnicity and rural residence were extracted from administrative records. Analyses were done in 2023.

RESULTS

The sample included 27,392 rural and 20,370 non-rural youth, with suicidality observed in 2% of participants. There was a significant interaction between rural residence and race/ethnicity (p=0.015). Non-White or Hispanic youth in rural areas had the highest risk of suicidality at 75 (CI: 57, 97) per 10,000. Non-White or Hispanic youth in non-rural areas had the lowest risk of suicidality at 38 (CI: 28, 52) per 10,000.

CONCLUSIONS

Racial/ethnic minority youth who lived in rural areas were more likely to experience suicidality as compared to their non-rural counterparts. Larger prospective studies are needed to identify causal elements of the rural environment that may hasten racial disparities in youth suicidality.

Longitudinal dynamics of farmer and livestock nasal and faecal microbiomes and resistomes

Globally, half a billion people are employed in animal agriculture and are directly exposed to the associated microorganisms. However, the extent to which such exposures affect resident human microbiomes is unclear. Here we conducted a longitudinal profiling of the nasal and faecal microbiomes of 66 dairy farmers and 166 dairy cows over a year-long period. We compare farmer microbiomes to those of 60 age-, sex- and ZIP code-matched people with no occupational exposures to farm animals (non-farmers). We show that farming is associated with microbiomes containing livestock-associated microbes; this is most apparent in the nasal bacterial community, with farmers harbouring a richer and more diverse nasal community than non-farmers. Similarly, in the gut microbial communities, we identify more shared microbial lineages between cows and farmers from the same farms. Additionally, we find that shared microbes are associated with antibiotic resistance genes. Overall, our study demonstrates the interconnectedness of human and animal microbiomes.

Medically Attended Suicidality in Youth Who Live on Farms

Suicides are increasing in U.S. youth, particularly in rural areas. The influence of farming, however, is unclear, as suicide rates are higher in individual adult farm workers, but lower in farming-reliant counties. Early recognition of suicidality (suicidal ideation, intent, or attempt) is a key element of prevention, but there are no prior studies comparing suicidality in farm vs. non-farm youth. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between farm/rural residence and suicidality. Medical records were reused from an existing cohort of child and adolescent patients under surveillance for agricultural injuries in a Wisconsin healthcare system. The sample included 2,010 youth who lived on farms and 51,900 youth who did not live on farms (57% rural). The outcome was medically attended suicidality in 2017-2022 per a composite of diagnoses for suicidal ideation, attempt, or intentional self-harm that presented to ambulatory, emergency, or inpatient care settings. Suicidality was observed in 0.8% of farm, 1.8% of non-farm rural, and 1.6% of non-farm non-rural youth. After covariate adjustment, farm youth had significantly lower odds of suicidality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] [95% confidence interval; CI] = 0.55 [0.33, 0.91], P = .019), while non-farm rural youth had significantly greater odds of suicidality (aOR [CI] = 1.21 [1.05, 1.40], P = .007), relative to non-farm non-rural youth. Children and adolescents who live on farms are about half as likely to (medically) present for suicidality as compared to their non-farm counterparts, both rural and non-rural. Future research should identify causal suicide protection factors in farm youth.

Age and Aspirin Dosing in Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND

In patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, increasing age is concurrently associated with higher risks of ischemic and bleeding events. The objectives are to determine the impact of aspirin dose on clinical outcomes according to age in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In the ADAPTABLE (Aspirin Dosing: A Patient-Centric Trial Assessing Benefits and Long-Term Effectiveness) trial, patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were randomized to daily aspirin doses of 81 mg or 325 mg. The primary effectiveness end point was death from any cause, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for stroke. The primary safety end point was hospitalization for bleeding requiring transfusion. A total of 15 076 participants were randomized to aspirin 81 mg (n=7540) or 325 mg (n=7536) daily (median follow-up: 26.2 months; interquartile range: 19.0-34.9 months). Median age was 67.6 years (interquartile range: 60.7-73.6 years). Among participants aged <65 years (n=5841 [38.7%]), a primary end point occurred in 226 (7.54%) in the 81 mg group, and in 191 (6.80%) in the 325 mg group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.23 [95% CI, 1.01-1.49]). Among participants aged ≥65 years (n=9235 [61.3%]), a primary end point occurred in 364 (7.12%) in the 81 mg group, and in 378 (7.96%) in the 325 mg group (adjusted HR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.82-1.10]). The age-dose interaction was not significant (P=0.559). There was no significant interaction between age and the randomized aspirin dose for the secondary effectiveness and the primary safety bleeding end points (P>0.05 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

Age does not modify the impact of aspirin dosing (81 mg or 325 mg daily) on clinical end points in secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Urban and rural healthcare providers' perspectives on HPV vaccination in Minnesota

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can dramatically reduce the incidence of HPV-associated cancers. However, HPV vaccination coverage in rural areas is lower than in urban areas, and overall HPV vaccination coverage in the United States remains lower than other adolescent vaccines. We conducted 20 qualitative interviews with adolescent healthcare providers and clinic staff in urban and rural Minnesota and assessed their perspectives on HPV vaccination. Guiding interview topics included: strategies to persuade families to vaccinate their children, the impact of the patient-provider relationship and the clinical environment on vaccination uptake, and provider perceptions of parents' vaccine attitudes. In thematic analysis, all participants reported using common vaccination strategies, such as framing the HPV vaccine in terms of cancer prevention. The analysis also revealed three themes described as occurring uniquely or more intensely in rural communities than urban communities: the rural value of choice or independence, the spread of misinformation, and close-knit, multifaceted patient-provider relationships in clinical practice. Interventions aimed at increasing HPV vaccination should consider the distinctive circumstances of rural healthcare providers and patients.

Dairy Farm Work and Protection from Gastrointestinal Illness

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are a major public health burden in the United States. Due to close contact with animals, farmers may be a high risk subgroup for acute GI infections, though some studies suggest farm work is actually protective against GI illness. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between dairy farm work and GI symptoms over 3 years. A prospective, matched cohort study was used that included 70 adult dairy farm workers and 74 matched (age, gender, ZIP code) non-farm participants from central Wisconsin. The outcome was mean GI symptom scores for abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, dyspepsia, nausea, and reflux, per the 23-item Gastrointestinal Symptoms Severity Index (GISSI). After adjustment for potential confounding variables, linear regression results indicated dairy farm workers had significantly lower GISSI scores for abdominal pain (mean±SE = 4.3 ± 1.1 dairy vs. 7.6 ± 1.1 non-farm, p = .047), diarrhea (3.2 ± 1.0 dairy vs. 7.0 ± 1.0 non-farm, p = .010), constipation (2.0 ± 0.8 dairy vs. 6.6 ± 0.8 non-farm, p < .001), and dyspepsia (2.0 ± 0.6 dairy vs. 3.9 ± 0.5 non-farm, p = .026). Working on a dairy farm was associated with significantly less frequent and severe GI illness symptoms in adults. Future research should identify underlying causal pathways, including possible farm animal exposures, that influence beneficial gut microbiota that could inform therapeutic remedies to help prevent clinical GI disorders.

Internet Versus Noninternet Participation in a Decentralized Clinical Trial: Lessons From the ADAPTABLE Study

Background Internet-based participation has the potential to enhance pragmatic and decentralized trials, where representative study populations and generalizability to clinical practice are key. We aimed to study the differences between internet and noninternet/telephone participants in a large remote, pragmatic trial. Methods and Results In a subanalysis of the ADAPTABLE (Aspirin Dosing: A Patient-Centric Trial Assessing Benefits and Long-Term Effectiveness) study, we compared internet participants with those who opted for noninternet participation. Study process measures examined included participant characteristics at consent, study medication adherence, and study retention. The clinical outcome examined was a composite of all-cause mortality, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for stroke. Noninternet participants were older (mean 69.4 versus 67.4 years), more likely to be female (38.9% versus 30.2%), more likely to be Black (27.3% versus 6.0%) or Hispanic (11.1% versus 2.0%), and had a higher number of comorbid conditions. The composite clinical outcome was more than twice as high in noninternet participants. The hazard of nonadherence to the assigned aspirin dosage was 46% higher in noninternet participants than internet participants. Conclusions Noninternet participants differed from internet participants in notable demographic characteristics while having poorer baseline health. Over the course of ADAPTABLE, they also had worse clinical outcomes and greater likelihood of study drug nonadherence. These results suggest that trials focused on internet participation select for younger, healthier participants with a higher proportion of traditionally overrepresented patients. Allowing noninternet participation enhances diversity; however, additional steps may be needed to promote study retention and study medication adherence. Registration Information clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT02697916.

Pragmatic evaluation of events and benefits of lipid lowering in older adults (PREVENTABLE): Trial design and rationale

Whether initiation of statins could increase survival free of dementia and disability in adults aged ≥75 years is unknown. PREVENTABLE, a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized pragmatic clinical trial, will compare high-intensity statin therapy (atorvastatin 40 mg) with placebo in 20,000 community-dwelling adults aged ≥75 years without cardiovascular disease, disability, or dementia at baseline. Exclusion criteria include statin use in the prior year or for >5 years and inability to take a statin. Potential participants are identified using computable phenotypes derived from the electronic health record and local referrals from the community. Participants will undergo baseline cognitive testing, with physical testing and a blinded lipid panel if feasible. Cognitive testing and disability screening will be conducted annually. Multiple data sources will be queried for cardiovascular events, dementia, and disability; survival is site-reported and supplemented by a National Death Index search. The primary outcome is survival free of new dementia or persisting disability. Co-secondary outcomes are a composite of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for unstable angina or myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, or coronary revascularization; and a composite of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Ancillary studies will offer mechanistic insights into the effects of statins on key outcomes. Biorepository samples are obtained and stored for future study. These results will inform the benefit of statins for increasing survival free of dementia and disability among older adults. This is a pioneering pragmatic study testing important questions with low participant burden to align with the needs of the growing population of older adults.

Weight change and mental health status in a behavioral weight loss trial

BACKGROUND

Obesity, depression, and anxiety often co-occur, but research on weight change and mental health status is limited. This analysis examined how the mental component score (MCS-12) from the Short Form health survey changed over 24 months in weight loss trial participants with vs. without treatment seeking for affective symptoms (TxASx) and by weight change quintiles.

METHODS

Participants with complete data (n = 1163) were analyzed from enrollees in a cluster-randomized, behavioral weight loss trial in rural U.S. Midwestern primary care practices. Participants received a lifestyle intervention with different delivery models, including in-clinic individual, in-clinic group, or telephone group counseling visits. Participants were stratified by baseline TxASx status and 24-month weight change quintiles. Mixed models were used to estimate MCS-12 scores.

RESULTS

There was a significant group-by-time interaction at the 24-month follow-up. The largest 0-24 month increase in MCS-12 scores (+5.3 points [12 %]) was observed in participants with TxASx who lost the most weight during the trial, while the largest decrease in MCS-12 scores (-1.8 points [-3 %]) was observed in participants without TxASx who gained the most weight (p < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

Notable limitations included self-reported mental health, the observational analytical design, and a largely homogenous source population, as well as the possibility of reverse causation biasing some findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Mental health status generally improved, particularly among participants with TxASx who experienced significant weight loss. Those without TxASx who gained weight, however, had a decline in mental health status over 24 months. Replication of these findings is warranted.

Disruption in Blood Pressure Control With the COVID-19 Pandemic: The PCORnet Blood Pressure Control Laboratory

OBJECTIVE

To explore trends in blood pressure (BP) control before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Health systems participating in the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) Blood Pressure Control Laboratory Surveillance System responded to data queries, producing 9 BP control metrics. Averages of the BP control metrics (weighted by numbers of observations in each health system) were calculated and compared between two 1-year measurement periods (January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019, and January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020).

RESULTS

Among 1,770,547 hypertensive persons in 2019, BP control to <140/<90 mm Hg varied across 24 health systems (range, 46%-74%). Reduced BP control occurred in most health systems with onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; the weighted average BP control was 60.5% in 2019 and 53.3% in 2020. Reductions were also evident for BP control to <130/<80 mm Hg (29.9% in 2019 and 25.4% in 2020) and improvement in BP (reduction of 10 mm Hg in systolic BP or achievement of systolic BP <140 mm Hg; 29.7% in 2019 and 23.8% in 2020). Two BP control process metrics exhibited pandemic-associated disruption: repeat visit in 4 weeks after a visit with uncontrolled hypertension (36.7% in 2019 and 31.7% in 2020) and prescription of fixed-dose combination medications among those with 2 or more drug classes (24.6% in 2019 and 21.5% in 2020).

CONCLUSION

BP control decreased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a corresponding reduction in follow-up health care visits among persons with uncontrolled hypertension. It is unclear whether the observed decline in BP control during the pandemic will contribute to future cardiovascular events.

Seasonal variation in blood pressure control across US health systems

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to characterize seasonal variation in US population-based blood pressure (BP) control and BP-related metrics and evaluate the association between outdoor temperature and BP control variation.

METHODS

We queried electronic health records (EHRs) from 26 health systems, representing 21 states, to summarize BP metrics by quarters of 12-month periods from January 2017 to March 2020. Patients with at least one ambulatory visit during the measurement period and a hypertension diagnosis during the first 6 months or prior to the measurement period were included. Changes in BP control, BP improvement, medication intensification, average SBP reduction after medication intensification across quarters and association with outdoor temperature were analyzed using weighted generalized linear models with repeated measures.

RESULTS

Among 1 818 041 people with hypertension, the majority were more than 65 years of age (52.2%), female (52.1%), white non-Hispanic (69.8%) and had stage 1/2 hypertension (64.8%). Overall, BP control and process metrics were highest in quarters 2 and 3, and lowest in quarters 1 and 4. Quarter 2 had the highest percentage of improved BP (31.95 ± 0.90%) and average SBP reduction after medication intensification (16 ± 0.23 mmHg). Quarter 3 had the highest percentage of BP controlled (62.25 ± 2.55%) and lowest with medication intensification (9.73 ± 0.60%). Results were largely consistent in adjusted models. Average temperature was associated with BP control metrics in unadjusted models, but associations were attenuated following adjustment.

CONCLUSION

In this large, national, EHR-based study, BP control and BP-related process metrics improved during spring/summer months, but outdoor temperature was not associated with performance following adjustment for potential confounders.

COVID-19 vaccine coverage disparities in rural and farm children

BACKGROUND

The risks of severe outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are elevated in unvaccinated individuals. It remains crucial to understand patterns of COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in younger and remote populations where coverage often lags. This study examined disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage in farm children and adolescents.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in patients of the Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) in Wisconsin. The sample included children/adolescents age 5-17 years who were eligible for COVID-19 vaccine initiation for ≥ 90 days (as of September 30, 2022), stratified by those who lived vs did not live on a farm. Outcomes included COVID-19 vaccine initiation, series completion, and booster receipt. Multivariable regression was used to examine associations between COVID-19 vaccination and farm, as well as rural and non-rural, residence.

RESULTS

There were 47,104 individuals (5% farm residents) in the sample. Overall, 33% of participants initiated and 31% completed the COVID-19 vaccine series. After adjustment, farm residence was associated with significantly lower odds of COVID-19 vaccine initiation (aOR [95% CI] = 0.68 [0.61, 0.75], p < 0.001), series completion (aOR = 0.67 [0.60, 0.75], p < 0.001), and booster receipt (aOR = 0.73 [0.61, 0.88], p = 0.001). Secondary analyses found COVID-19 vaccine coverage was lowest in young children who lived on dairy farms.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 vaccine coverage is low in north-central Wisconsin children and adolescents. Those who live on farms have significantly lower likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine initiation, series completion, and booster receipt compared to non-farm counterparts. Farm families are an underserved group and require more effective public health interventions designed to prevent COVID-19.

Regional surveillance of medically-attended farm-related injuries in children and adolescents

Purpose

Due to numerous environmental hazards such as heavy machinery and large livestock, youth who live and work on farms are at high risk of injury, disability, and death. This study described a regional surveillance system for monitoring farm-related injuries in children and adolescents. As the risk of farm-related injuries are not exclusive to farm residents, trends in farm-related injuries over the previous 5 years were reported and compared between children/adolescents who did and did not live on farms in north-central Wisconsin.

Methods

A retrospective cohort of child and adolescent patients of the Marshfield Clinic Health System was assembled. Incident farm-related injuries, including from agricultural work or other activities in a farm environment, were extracted from medical records from 2017 through 2021. Generalized linear models were created to compare age- and sex-adjusted farm-related injury rates by year.

Results

There were 4,730 (5%) in-farm and 93,420 (95%) out-farm children and adolescents in the cohort. There were 65 incident farm-related injury cases in the in-farm group and 412 in the out-farm group. The annual incidence rate of farm-related injuries was higher in the in-farm group, but changes during the 5-year timeframe were not significant in either group. In the in-farm group, rates ranged from a high of 61.8 [95% confidence interval (CI): 38.3, 94.5] incident farm-related injuries per 10,000 children/adolescents in 2017 to a low of 28.2 (13.5, 51.9) injuries per 10,000 children/adolescents in 2018. In the out-farm group, rates ranged from 10.7 (8.3, 13.6) to 16.8 (13.7, 20.5) incident farm-related injuries per 10,000 children/adolescents per year between 2017 and 2021. The in-farm group had a higher proportion of injured males and heavy machinery injuries, while the out-farm group had more all-terrain vehicle injuries and pesticide poisonings.

Conclusion

Farm residency remains hazardous for children and adolescents, as injury rates were three times higher in the in-farm group and remained stable over 5 years. All-terrain vehicle injuries were high in both groups, and should be a priority in rural safety interventions. With additional adaptations to other states, this surveillance model could be scaled across other healthcare systems.

Sex hormones, body mass index, and related comorbidities associated with developing Sjögren's disease: a nested case-control study

OBJECTIVE

Sjögren's disease (SjD), a highly female predominant systemic autoimmune disease, peaks in perimenopause. Prior studies lack details on timing or type of sex hormone exposure. We examined SjD risk using endogenous and exogenous hormone exposure and related comorbidities.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective case-control study of adult women, nested within a population cohort. Cases had SjD diagnosed by a rheumatology provider or two SjD diagnoses from a non-rheumatology provider with a positive anti-SSA antibody or salivary gland biopsy. Cases were age-matched to three SjD-free controls. We calculated modified composite estrogen scores (mCES) and collected demographics, comorbidities, and endogenous and exogenous hormone exposures. Risk ratios were adjusted for demographics.

RESULTS

Of 546 SjD cases and 1637 age-matched controls, mCES was not significantly associated with SjD in adjusted models. The top individual hormone exposures associated with SjD included estrogen replacement therapy (ERT; RR 1.78 [95% CI 1.47-2.14]), polycystic ovarian syndrome (1.65 [1.28-2.12]), and hysterectomy without bilateral oophorectomy (1.51 [1.13-2.03]). We identified comorbidities preceding SjD including fibromyalgia, pulmonary disease, diabetes, lymphoma, osteoporosis, peripheral vascular disease, and renal disease. Taking comorbidities into account, we developed a predictive model for SjD that included fibromyalgia (2.50 [1.93-3.25]), osteoporosis (1.84 [1.27-2.66]), hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (1.61 [1.22-2.12]), diabetes (0.27 [0.13-0.50]), and body mass index (BMI) (0.97 [0.95-0.99]).

CONCLUSIONS

We report a novel algorithm to improve identifying patients at risk for SjD and describe sex hormone association with SjD. Finally, we report new comorbidities associated with SjD decrease, BMI and diabetes, and increase, lymphoma and osteoporosis.. Key Points •Given female predominance and typical perimenopausal onset, sex hormones should be considered when studying comorbidities in Sjögren's disease. •The top exposures associated with developing Sjögren's disease included fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, and use of hormone replacement therapy. Possible protective factors included prior diabetes and higher body mass index. •We used our newly identified exposures to generate a predictive algorithm, which has potential to improve diagnosis and pathogenic insights into Sjögren's disease.

Dynamic Risk Prediction of Response to Ursodeoxycholic Acid Among Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis in the USA

BACKGROUND

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) remains the first-line therapy for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC); however, inadequate treatment response (ITR) is common. The UK-PBC Consortium developed the modified UDCA Response Score (m-URS) to predict ITR (using alkaline phosphatase [ALP] > 1.67 times the upper limit of normal [*ULN]) at 12 months post-UDCA initiation). Using data from the US-based Fibrotic Liver Disease Consortium, we assessed the m-URS in our multi-racial cohort. We then used a dynamic modeling approach to improve prediction accuracy.

METHODS

Using data collected at the time of UDCA initiation, we assessed the m-URS using the original formula; then, by calibrating coefficients to our data, we also assessed whether it remained accurate when using Paris II criteria for ITR. Next, we developed and validated a dynamic risk prediction model that included post-UDCA initiation laboratory data.

RESULTS

Among 1578 patients (13% men; 8% African American, 9% Asian American/American Indian/Pacific Islander; 25% Hispanic), the rate of ITR was 27% using ALP > 1.67*ULN and 45% using Paris II criteria. M-URS accuracy was "very good" (AUROC = 0.87, sensitivity = 0.62, and specificity = 0.82) for ALP > 1.67*ULN and "moderate" (AUROC = 0.74, sensitivity = 0.57, and specificity = 0.70) for Paris II. Our dynamic model significantly improved accuracy for both definitions of ITR (ALP > 1.67*ULN: AUROC = 0.91; Paris II: AUROC = 0.81); specificity approached 100%. Roughly 9% of patients in our cohort were at the highest risk of ITR.

CONCLUSIONS

Early identification of patients who will not respond to UDCA treatment using a dynamic prediction model based on longitudinal, repeated risk factor measurements may facilitate earlier introduction of adjuvant treatment.

Factors associated with human papillomavirus and meningococcal vaccination among adolescents living in rural and urban areas

Background

Studies have shown that adolescent vaccination rates with human papillomavirus (HPV) and quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) vaccines are lower in rural areas of the U.S. than in urban areas. We sought to determine factors associated with vaccine acceptance in these two settings.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 536 parents or guardians of teens age 13 through 15 years in select rural and urban counties of Minnesota and Wisconsin. We collected information on demographic variables, receipt of adolescent vaccines, and attitudes toward HPV vaccine in particular. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations between covariates and outcomes of interest (HPV vaccine receipt and MenACWY receipt).

Results

Of the 536 respondents, 267 (50%) resided in a rural county. Most respondents were female (78%) and non-Hispanic White (88%). About half (52%) of teens of the surveyed parents received the three vaccines recommended specifically for adolescents: 90% received tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap), 84% received MenACWY, and 60% received one or more doses of HPV vaccine. Rural and urban parents surveyed differed on several covariates relating to teen's health services, parent's demographics, and household characteristics. Parent's perception of the importance that their healthcare providers placed on vaccination with HPV and MenACWY were independently associated with receipt of each of those vaccines (odds ratio [OR] 6.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.90-13.96 and OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.07-4.31, respectively). Parents of vaccinated teens were less likely to report concerns about potential harm from the HPV vaccine or having heard stories about health problems caused by the HPV vaccine.

Conclusion

Teen receipt of HPV vaccine and MenACWY appears to be influenced by parents' perception of vaccine importance, provider recommendations, and concerns regarding potential harm from the HPV vaccine. Continued education of providers and parents of the importance of adolescent vaccinations is warranted.

Usefulness of Statins as Secondary Prevention Against Recurrent and Terminal Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events

Clinical guidelines recommend statins for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but many remain untreated. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of statin use on recurrent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). This study used medical records and insurance claims from 4 health care systems in the United States. Eligible adults who survived an ASCVD hospitalization from September 2013 to September 2014 were followed for 1 year. A multivariable extended Cox model examined the outcome of time-to-first MACE, then a multivariable joint marginal model investigated the association between post-index statin use and nonfatal and fatal MACE. There were 8,168 subjects in this study; 3,866 filled a statin prescription ≤90 days before the index ASCVD event (47.33%) and 4,152 filled a statin prescription after the index ASCVD event (50.83%). These post-index statin users were younger, with more co-morbidities. There were 763 events (315/763, 41.3% terminal) experienced by 686 (8.4%) patients. The adjusted overall MACE risk reduction was 18% (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.95, p = 0.007) and was more substantial in the first 180 days (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.86, p <0.001). There was a nonsignificant 19% reduction in the number of nonfatal MACE (rate ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.32, p = 0.394) and a 65% reduction in the risk of all-cause death (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.56, p <0.001). In conclusion, we found a modest increase in statin use after an ASCVD event, with nearly half of the patients untreated. The primary benefit of statin use was protection against early death. Statin use had the greatest impact in the first 6 months after an ASCVD event; therefore, it is crucial for patients to quickly adhere to this therapy.

Human papillomavirus vaccine beliefs and practice characteristics in rural and urban adolescent care providers

BACKGROUND

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended for all adolescents age 11-12 years. HPV vaccine coverage remains suboptimal in the United States though, particularly in rural areas. We surveyed adolescent immunization providers in two Midwestern states to assess rural vs. urban differences in HPV vaccine resources, practices, and attitudes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was sent to all licensed adolescent care providers in a subset of urban and rural counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin during 2019. Multivariable regression was used to identify attitudes and practices that differentiated rural vs. urban providers.

RESULTS

There were 437 survey respondents (31% rural). Significantly fewer rural providers had evening/weekend adolescent vaccination appointments available (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.21 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12, 0.36]), had prior experience with adolescent vaccine quality improvement projects (aOR = 0.52 [95% CI: 0.28, 0.98]), and routinely recommended HPV vaccine during urgent/acute care visits (aOR = 0.37 [95% CI: 0.18, 0.79]). Significantly more rural providers had standing orders to administer all recommended adolescent vaccines (aOR = 2.81 [95% CI: 1.61, 4.91]) and reported giving HPV vaccine information to their patients/families before it is due (aOR = 3.10 [95% CI: 1.68, 5.71]).

CONCLUSIONS

Rural vs. urban differences in provider practices were mixed in that rural providers do not implement some practices that may promote HPV vaccination, but do implement other practices that promote HPV vaccination. It remains unclear how the observed differences would affect HPV vaccine attitudes or adolescent vaccination decisions for parents in rural areas.

Hydrochlorothiazide use, sun exposure, and risk of keratinocyte cancer

Background

Keratinocyte cancer (KC) rates are increasing in the U.S., particularly in older age groups. Use of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), due to its photosensitizing properties, and high sun exposure are two known NMSC risk factors, but their synergistic effects are undetermined. The purpose of this study was to examine the development of NMSC between adults who did and did not use HCTZ, as well as those with high and low sun exposure.

Methods

A retrospective case–control sample was assembled from adult patients in north-central Wisconsin (USA). Duration of HCTZ use and occupational sun exposure were extracted from electronic health records, along with a linked survey of lifetime sun exposure.

Results

There were 333 cases and 666 controls in the analytical sample. A significant main effect was observed for HCTZ duration in the full sample. Under low sun exposure, the odds of NMSC was 14% greater for each additional year of HCTZ use (aOR = 1.14 [1.11, 1.18], p < 0.001). In a sensitivity analysis of participants age 70 years and over, there was a borderline significant (p = 0.086) HCTZ use by high sun exposure interaction, suggesting modestly increased HCTZ risk in older, high sun exposure adults.

Conclusions

Consistent with prior studies, longer duration of HCTZ use was a predictor of NMSC in north-central Wisconsin adults. NMSC may be accelerated in HCTZ users with outdoor lifestyles, but future studies should attempt to further disaggregate specific effects of sun exposure time, HCTZ duration, and age on NMSC development.

A methodological approach to validate pneumonia encounters from radiology reports using Natural Language Processing (NLP)

INTRODUCTION

Pneumonia is caused by microbes that establish an infectious process in the lungs. The gold standard for pneumonia diagnosis is radiologist-documented pneumonia-related features in radiology notes that are captured in electronic health records in an unstructured format.

OBJECTIVE

The study objective was to develop a methodological approach for assessing validity of a pneumonia diagnosis based on identifying presence or absence of key radiographic features in radiology reports with subsequent rendering of diagnostic decisions into a structured format.

METHODS

A pneumonia-specific Natural Language Processing (NLP) pipeline was strategically developed applying cTAKES to validate pneumonia diagnoses following development of a pneumonia feature-specific lexicon. Radiographic reports of study-eligible subjects identified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes were parsed through the NLP pipeline. Classification rules were developed to assign each pneumonia episode into one of three categories: "positive", "negative" or "not classified: requires manual review" based on tagged concepts that support or refute diagnostic codes.

RESULTS

A total of 91,998 pneumonia episodes diagnosed in 65,904 patients were retrieved retrospectively. Approximately 89% (81,707/91,998) of the total pneumonia episodes were documented by 225,893 chest x-ray reports. NLP classified and validated 33% (26,800/81,707) of pneumonia episodes classified as 'Pneumonia-positive', 19% as (15401/81,707) as 'Pneumonia-negative' and 48% (39,209/81,707) as ''episode classification pending further manual review'. NLP pipeline performance metrics included accuracy (76.3%), sensitivity (88%), and specificity (75%).

CONCLUSION

The pneumonia-specific NLP pipeline exhibited good performance comparable to other pneumonia-specific NLP systems developed to date.

The effect of nonpharmaceutical weight-loss interventions in rural patients with diabetes: RE-POWER Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

In this secondary analysis of the Rural Engagement in Primary Care for Optimizing Weight Reduction (RE-POWER) randomized trial, the authors determined the effectiveness of weight-loss interventions in people with diabetes compared with those without diabetes living in rural areas.

METHODS

The RE-POWER study was a randomized trial designed to determine the effectiveness of nonpharmacological behavioral weight-loss interventions in rural participants with obesity, comparing the individual in-clinic visit model to in-person group sessions and phone group sessions over 24 months. In this secondary analysis, weight loss was compared in participants with and without diabetes. The effects of factors such as medications, insulin, and behavioral factors were compared.

RESULTS

Participants with diabetes were less likely to lose weight during the study compared with those without diabetes up to 18 months (4.12% vs. 5.31%; net difference = 1.46%; 95% CI: 0.63%-2.28%). Participants with diabetes on insulin lost less weight than patients with diabetes not on insulin at 6 months (4.52% vs. 6.88%; net difference = 2.35%; 95% CI: 0.55%-4.16%). The group with diabetes had significantly lower changes in blood pressure and lipid parameters versus the group without diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with diabetes in rural areas were less likely to lose weight, and metabolic parameters were less responsive to weight loss, compared with patients without diabetes.

Identifying Pneumonia Sub-types from Electronic Health Records Using Rule-based Algorithms

BACKGROUND

International Classification of Disease (ICD) coding for pneumonia classification is based on causal organism or use of general pneumonia codes, creating challenges for epidemiological evaluations, where pneumonia is standardly subtyped by settings, exposures and time of emergence. Pneumonia subtype classification requires data available in electronic health records (EHR), frequently in non-structured formats including radiological interpretation or clinical notes that complicate electronic classification.

OBJECTIVE

The current study undertook development of a rule-based pneumonia subtyping algorithm for stratifying pneumonia by the setting in which it emerged using information documented in the EHR.

METHODS

Pneumonia subtype classification was developed by interrogating patient information within the EHR of a large private Health System. ICD coding was mined in the EHR applying requirements for 'rule of two' pneumonia-related codes or one ICD code and radiologically-confirmed pneumonia validated by natural language processing and/or documented antibiotic prescriptions. A rule-based algorithm flow chart was created to support sub-classification based on features including symptomatic patient point of entry into the healthcare system timing of pneumonia emergence and identification of clinical, laboratory or medication orders that informed definition of the pneumonia sub-classification algorithm.

RESULTS

Data from 65,904 study-eligible patients with 91,998 episodes of pneumonia diagnoses documented by 380,509 encounters were analyzed, while 8,611 episodes were excluded following NLP classification of pneumonia status as 'negative' or 'unknown'. Subtyping of 83,387 episodes identified: community acquired (54.5%), hospital-acquired (20%), aspiration-related (10.7%), healthcare-acquired (5%), ventilator-associated (0.4%) cases, and 9.4% were not classifiable by the algorithm.

CONCLUSION

Study outcome indicated capacity to achieve electronic pneumonia subtype classification based on interrogation of big data available in the EHR. Examination of portability of the algorithm to achieve rule-based pneumonia classification in other health systems remains to be explored.

Smoking associated with reduced odds of Sjögren's syndrome among rheumatoid arthritis patients

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this medical record review study is to define the association between smoking and Sjӧgren's syndrome (SS) in a large rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort.

METHODS

Electronic health records from a population-based cohort were screened for RA eligibility between 2005 and 2018. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18 years, two or more RA diagnoses, including two diagnoses by a rheumatologist, or positive rheumatoid factor or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody. The independent variable, smoking status, was defined as never, current, or past. The outcome, SS, was defined by two or more ICD-9 codes. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine odds ratios (ORs) of SS adjusted for age, sex, and race.

RESULTS

Among 1861 patients with RA identified for cohort inclusion, 1296 had a reported smoking status. Current smokers were younger and less likely to be female than never smokers. The adjusted OR of current compared to never smokers was negatively associated with SS [OR 0.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06-0.65]. Female sex and age were associated with SS (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.18-6.14; OR 3.75, 95% CI 1.23-11.4).

CONCLUSION

We report that RA patients who currently smoke had 80% lower odds of SS. Age had a 3.7-fold association and female sex a 2.7-fold association with SS among RA patients. Our data suggest a negative correlation between current smoking and prevalent SS among RA patients. Prospective studies examining pack-year relationships or smoking cessation could further examine risk reduction and causality to follow-up our cross-sectional observational study.

Enhancing PCORnet Clinical Research Network data completeness by integrating multistate insurance claims with electronic health records in a cloud environment aligned with CMS security and privacy requirements

OBJECTIVE

The Greater Plains Collaborative (GPC) and other PCORnet Clinical Data Research Networks capture healthcare utilization within their health systems. Here, we describe a reusable environment (GPC Reusable Observable Unified Study Environment [GROUSE]) that integrates hospital and electronic health records (EHRs) data with state-wide Medicare and Medicaid claims and assess how claims and clinical data complement each other to identify obesity and related comorbidities in a patient sample.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

EHR, billing, and tumor registry data from 7 healthcare systems were integrated with Center for Medicare (2011-2016) and Medicaid (2011-2012) services insurance claims to create deidentified databases in Informatics for Integrating Biology & the Bedside and PCORnet Common Data Model formats. We describe technical details of how this federally compliant, cloud-based data environment was built. As a use case, trends in obesity rates for different age groups are reported, along with the relative contribution of claims and EHR data-to-data completeness and detecting common comorbidities.

RESULTS

GROUSE contained 73 billion observations from 24 million unique patients (12.9 million Medicare; 13.9 million Medicaid; 6.6 million GPC patients) with 1 674 134 patients crosswalked and 983 450 patients with body mass index (BMI) linked to claims. Diagnosis codes from EHR and claims sources underreport obesity by 2.56 times compared with body mass index measures. However, common comorbidities such as diabetes and sleep apnea diagnoses were more often available from claims diagnoses codes (1.6 and 1.4 times, respectively).

CONCLUSION

GROUSE provides a unified EHR-claims environment to address health system and federal privacy concerns, which enables investigators to generalize analyses across health systems integrated with multistate insurance claims.

Weight loss in primary care: A pooled analysis of two pragmatic cluster-randomized trials

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to report the results of five weight-loss interventions in primary care settings in underserved patients and to compare the level of pragmatism across the interventions using the Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS-2) tool.

METHODS

Data from 54 primary care clinics (2,210 patients) were pooled from the Promoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary Care in Louisiana (PROPEL) and Rural Engagement in Primary Care for Optimizing Weight Reduction (REPOWER) cluster-randomized trials. Clinics were randomized to one of five comparators: PROPEL usual care, PROPEL combination of in-clinic and telephone visits, REPOWER in-clinic individual visits, REPOWER in-clinic group visits, or REPOWER telephone group visits.

RESULTS

At 24 months, weight loss (kilograms) was -0.50 (95% CI: -1.77 to 0.76), -3.05 (-4.10 to -2.01), -4.30 (-5.35 to -3.26), -4.79 (-5.83 to -3.75), and -4.80 (-5.96 to -3.64) in the PROPEL usual care, REPOWER in-clinic individual visits, REPOWER telephone group visits, REPOWER in-clinic group visits, and PROPEL in-clinic and telephone visits arms, respectively. At 24 months, percentage of weight loss was -0.360 (-1.60 to 0.88), -3.00 (-4.02 to -1.98), -4.23 (-5.25 to -3.20), -4.67 (-5.69 to -3.65), and -4.69 (-5.82 to -3.56), respectively, in the five arms. The REPOWER in-clinic individual visits intervention was the most pragmatic and reflects the current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services funding model, although this intervention produced the least weight loss.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinically significant weight loss over 6 months in primary care settings is achievable using a variety of lifestyle-based treatment approaches. Longer-term weight-loss maintenance is more difficult to achieve.

The impact of a population-based prevention program on cardiovascular events: Findings from the heart of new Ulm project

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated risk factors are the principal drivers of mortality and healthcare costs in the United States with rural residents experiencing higher CVD death rates than their urban counterparts.

METHODS

The purpose of this study was to examine incidence of major CVD events over 9 years of implementation of the Heart of New Ulm (HONU) Project, a rural population-based CVD prevention initiative. HONU interventions were delivered at individual, organizational, and community levels addressing clinical risk factors, lifestyle behaviors and environmental changes. The sample included 4,056 residents of New Ulm matched with 4,056 residents from a different community served by the same health system. The primary outcome was a composite of major CVD events (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and CVD-related death). Secondary outcomes were the individual CVD events and procedures.

RESULTS

The proportion of residents in New Ulm with a major CVD event (7.79%) was not significantly different than the comparison community (8.43%, P = .290). However, the total number of events did differ by community with fewer events in New Ulm than the comparison community (447 vs 530, P = .005), with 48 fewer strokes (84 vs 132, P = .001) and 42 fewer PCI procedures (147 vs 189, P = 0.019) in New Ulm. Incidence of ischemic stroke was lower in the New Ulm community (1.85 vs 2.61, P = .020) than in the comparison community. Other specific CVD events did not have significantly different incidence or frequencies between the 2 communities.

CONCLUSION

In HONU, the proportion of residents experiencing a CVD event was not significantly lower than a match comparison community. However, there was a significant reduction in the total number of CVD events in New Ulm, driven primarily by lower stroke, PCI, and CABG events in the intervention community.

Sleep and physical activity patterns in adults and children with Bardet-Biedl syndrome

Background

Overweight and obesity are common features of the rare disease Bardet–Biedl syndrome (BBS). Sleep and physical activity are behaviors that might impact overweight and obesity and thus may play a key role in the health and well-being of people with BBS. Objectively-measured sleep and physical activity patterns in people with BBS are not well known. We evaluated objectively-measured sleep and physical activity patterns in the largest cohort to date of people with BBS.

Results

Short sleep duration, assessed using wrist-worn accelerometers, was common in both children and adults with BBS. Only 7 (10%) of adults and 6 (8%) of children met age-specific sleep duration recommendations. Most adults 64 (90%) achieved recommended sleep efficiency. The majority of children 26 (67%) age 6–12 years achieved recommended sleep efficiency, but among children age 13–18, only 18 (47%). In both adults and children, sleep duration was significantly negatively correlated with duration of prolonged sedentary time. In children age 6–12 sleep duration was also significantly related to total activity score, children with lower sleep duration had lower total activity scores.

Conclusions

Insufficient sleep duration is very common in people with BBS. Prolonged sedentary time and short sleep duration are both potentially important health-related behaviors to target for intervention in people with BBS.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13023-021-01911-4.

Comparative Effectiveness of Aspirin Dosing in Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND

The appropriate dose of aspirin to lower the risk of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke and to minimize major bleeding in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a subject of controversy.

METHODS

Using an open-label, pragmatic design, we randomly assigned patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease to a strategy of 81 mg or 325 mg of aspirin per day. The primary effectiveness outcome was a composite of death from any cause, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for stroke, assessed in a time-to-event analysis. The primary safety outcome was hospitalization for major bleeding, also assessed in a time-to-event analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 15,076 patients were followed for a median of 26.2 months (interquartile range [IQR], 19.0 to 34.9). Before randomization, 13,537 (96.0% of those with available information on previous aspirin use) were already taking aspirin, and 85.3% of these patients were previously taking 81 mg of daily aspirin. Death, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for stroke occurred in 590 patients (estimated percentage, 7.28%) in the 81-mg group and 569 patients (estimated percentage, 7.51%) in the 325-mg group (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91 to 1.14). Hospitalization for major bleeding occurred in 53 patients (estimated percentage, 0.63%) in the 81-mg group and 44 patients (estimated percentage, 0.60%) in the 325-mg group (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.77). Patients assigned to 325 mg had a higher incidence of dose switching than those assigned to 81 mg (41.6% vs. 7.1%) and fewer median days of exposure to the assigned dose (434 days [IQR, 139 to 737] vs. 650 days [IQR, 415 to 922]).

CONCLUSIONS

In this pragmatic trial involving patients with established cardiovascular disease, there was substantial dose switching to 81 mg of daily aspirin and no significant differences in cardiovascular events or major bleeding between patients assigned to 81 mg and those assigned to 325 mg of aspirin daily. (Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; ADAPTABLE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02697916.).

Paid Leave and Access to Telework as Work Attendance Determinants during Acute Respiratory Illness, United States, 2017-2018

We assessed determinants of work attendance during the first 3 days after onset of acute respiratory illness (ARI) among workers 19-64 years of age who had medically attended ARI or influenza during the 2017-2018 influenza season. The total number of days worked included days worked at the usual workplace and days teleworked. Access to paid leave was associated with fewer days worked overall and at the usual workplace during illness. Participants who indicated that employees were discouraged from coming to work with influenza-like symptoms were less likely to attend their usual workplace. Compared with workers without a telework option, those with telework access worked more days during illness overall, but there was no difference in days worked at the usual workplace. Both paid leave benefits and business practices that actively encourage employees to stay home while sick are necessary to reduce the transmission of ARI and influenza in workplaces.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome: Weight patterns and genetics in a rare obesity syndrome

BACKGROUND

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic disorder that severely inhibits primary cilia function. BBS is typified by obesity in adulthood, but pediatric weight patterns, and thus optimal periods of intervention, are poorly understood.

OBJECTIVES

To examine body mass differences by age, gender, and genotype in children and adolescents with BBS.

METHODS

We utilized the largest international registry of BBS phenotypes. Anthropometric and genetic data were obtained from medical records or participant/family interviews. Participants were stratified by age and sex categories. Genotype and obesity phenotype were investigated in a subset of participants with available data.

RESULTS

Height and weight measurements were available for 552 unique individuals with BBS. The majority of birth weights were in the normal range, but rates of overweight or obesity rapidly increased in early childhood, exceeding 90% after age 5. Weight z-scores in groups >2 years were above 2.0, while height z-scores approached 1.0, but were close to 0.0 in adolescents. Relative to those with the BBS10 genotype, the BBS1 cohort had a lower BMI z-score in the 2-5 and 6-11 age groups, with similar BMI z-scores thereafter. Children with biallelic loss of function (LOF) genetic variants had significantly higher BMI z-scores compared to missense variants.

CONCLUSION

Despite normal birth weight, most individuals with BBS experience rapid weight gain in early childhood, with high rates of overweight/obesity sustained through adolescence. Children with LOF variants are disproportionally affected. Our findings support the need for earlier recognition and initiation of weight management therapies in BBS.

Effect of Behavioral Therapy With In-Clinic or Telephone Group Visits vs In-Clinic Individual Visits on Weight Loss Among Patients With Obesity in Rural Clinical Practice: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Rural populations have a higher prevalence of obesity and poor access to weight loss programs. Effective models for treating obesity in rural clinical practice are needed.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the Medicare Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity fee-for-service model with 2 alternatives: in-clinic group visits based on a patient-centered medical home model and telephone-based group visits based on a disease management model.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Cluster randomized trial conducted in 36 primary care practices in the rural Midwestern US. Inclusion criteria included age 20 to 75 years and body mass index of 30 to 45. Participants were enrolled from February 2016 to October 2017. Final follow-up occurred in December 2019.

INTERVENTIONS

All participants received a lifestyle intervention focused on diet, physical activity, and behavior change strategies. In the fee-for-service intervention (n = 473), practice-employed clinicians provided 15-minute in-clinic individual visits at a frequency similar to that reimbursed by Medicare (weekly for 1 month, biweekly for 5 months, and monthly thereafter). In the in-clinic group intervention (n = 468), practice-employed clinicians delivered group visits that were weekly for 3 months, biweekly for 3 months, and monthly thereafter. In the telephone group intervention (n = 466), patients received the same intervention as the in-clinic group intervention, but sessions were delivered remotely via conference calls by centralized staff.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was weight change at 24 months. A minimum clinically important difference was defined as 2.75 kg.

RESULTS

Among 1407 participants (mean age, 54.7 [SD, 11.8] years; baseline body mass index, 36.7 [SD, 4.0]; 1081 [77%] women), 1220 (87%) completed the trial. Mean weight loss at 24 months was -4.4 kg (95% CI, -5.5 to -3.4 kg) in the in-clinic group intervention, -3.9 kg (95% CI, -5.0 to -2.9 kg) in the telephone group intervention, and -2.6 kg (95% CI, -3.6 to -1.5 kg) in the in-clinic individual intervention. Compared with the in-clinic individual intervention, the mean difference in weight change was -1.9 kg (97.5% CI, -3.5 to -0.2 kg; P = .01) for the in-clinic group intervention and -1.4 kg (97.5% CI, -3.0 to 0.3 kg; P = .06) for the telephone group intervention.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among patients with obesity in rural primary care clinics, in-clinic group visits but not telephone-based group visits, compared with in-clinic individual visits, resulted in statistically significantly greater weight loss at 24 months. However, the differences were small in magnitude and of uncertain clinical importance.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02456636.

Chronic pain and weight regain in a lifestyle modification trial

Objective

Obesity and chronic pain often co‐occur and exert bidirectional influences on one another. How patients with obesity and chronic pain respond to weight loss treatments, however, remains unclear. This study evaluated body weight, physical activity, and diet outcomes in participants with and without chronic pain in a 2‐year behavioral weight loss trial.

Methods

An analytical cohort of 397 adults was assembled from a Midwestern healthcare system that participated in the larger trial. Participants with chronic pain 1 year prior to, or during, the trial were identified using a validated medical records algorithm. Mixed models were used to estimate changes in outcomes over 24 months.

Results

One‐third of participants (n = 130) had chronic pain. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and trial arm, weight loss was similar in both groups at 6‐months (−7.0 ± 0.8 kg with chronic pain vs. −7.7 ± 0.6 kg without). Participants with chronic pain had significantly less weight loss at 24‐months relative to those without (−3.6 ± 0.5 vs. −5.2 ± 0.4 kg; p = 0.007). Physical activity, screen time, dietary fat, fruit/vegetable consumption, and sugar‐sweetened beverage intake improved similarly in both groups over time.

Conclusions

Participants with chronic pain lost ∼33% less weight over 2 years, which was driven by greater weight regain after the first 6 months. Future research should test tailored weight loss maintenance strategies for individuals with chronic pain.

Validity of an Automated Algorithm to Identify Cirrhosis Using Electronic Health Records in Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Background

Biopsy remains the gold standard for determining fibrosis stage in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), but it is unavailable for most patients. We used data from the 11 US health systems in the FibrOtic Liver Disease Consortium to explore a combination of biochemical markers and electronic health record (EHR)-based diagnosis/procedure codes (DPCs) to identify the presence of cirrhosis in PBC patients.

Methods

Histological fibrosis staging data were obtained from liver biopsies. Variables considered for the model included demographics (age, gender, race, ethnicity), total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis 4 (FIB4) index, AST to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, and >100 DPCs associated with cirrhosis/decompensated cirrhosis, categorized into ten clusters. Using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO), we derived and validated cutoffs for identifying cirrhosis.

Results

Among 4328 PBC patients, 1350 (32%) had biopsy data; 121 (9%) were staged F4 (cirrhosis). DPC clusters (including codes related to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma diagnoses/procedures), Hispanic ethnicity, ALP, AST/ALT ratio, and total bilirubin were retained in the final model (AUROC=0.86 and 0.83 on learning and testing data, respectively); this model with two cutoffs divided patients into three categories (no cirrhosis, indeterminate, and cirrhosis) with specificities of 81.8% (for no cirrhosis) and 80.3% (for cirrhosis). A model excluding DPCs retained ALP, AST/ALT ratio, total bilirubin, Hispanic ethnicity, and gender (AUROC=0.81 and 0.78 on learning and testing data, respectively).

Conclusion

An algorithm using laboratory results and DPCs can categorize a majority of PBC patients as cirrhotic or noncirrhotic with high accuracy (with a small remaining group of patients' cirrhosis status indeterminate). In the absence of biopsy data, this EHR-based model can be used to identify cirrhosis in cohorts of PBC patients for research and/or clinical follow-up.

Aspirin in Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events

Aspirin has demonstrated a clear benefit in secondary prevention of coronary syndrome, while aspirin's effect in primary prevention is unclear. This report will explore the role of aspirin as primary prevention for various vascular events. It strives to provide a clear guide for clinicians on whether or not to prescribe aspirin for their patients for primary prevention. Current guidelines and recent trials failed to show clear benefit against primary prevention, with risks outweighing benefits in moderate to high risk patients. A thoughtful discussion between patients and their doctors should be conducted before beginning aspirin use. More studies are needed to gain a better understanding of aspirin use in primary prevention.

Administrative codes inaccurately identify recurrent venous thromboembolism: The CVRN VTE study

BACKGROUND

Studies using administrative data commonly rely on diagnosis codes to identify venous thromboembolism (VTE) events. Our objective was to assess the validity of using International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision (ICD-9) codes in identifying recurrent VTE.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Among 5497 adults with confirmed incident VTE from four healthcare delivery systems in the Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN), we identified all subsequent inpatient, emergency department (ED), and ambulatory clinical encounters associated with an ICD-9 code for VTE (combined with relevant radiology procedure codes for inpatient/ED VTE codes in the secondary discharge position or outpatient codes) during the follow-up period. Medical records were reviewed using standardized diagnostic criteria to assess for the presence of new, recurrent VTE. The positive predictive value (PPV) of codes was calculated as the number of valid events divided by total encounters.

RESULTS

We identified 2397 encounters that were considered potential recurrent VTE by ICD-9 codes. However, only 31.1% (95%CI: 29.3-33.0%) of encounters were verified by reviewers as true recurrent VTE. Hospital or ED encounters with VTE codes in the primary position were more likely to represent valid recurrent VTE (PPV 61.3%, 95%CI: 56.7-66.3%) than codes in secondary positions (PPV 35.4%, 95%CI: 31.9-39.3%), or outpatient codes (PPV 20.3%, 95%CI: 18.3-22.5%). PPV was low for all VTE types (29.9% for pulmonary embolism, 38.3% for lower and 37.7% for upper extremity deep venous thrombosis, and 14.1% for other VTE).

CONCLUSIONS

ICD-9 codes do not accurately identify new VTE events in patients with a prior history of VTE.

Recruitment and reach in a pragmatic behavioral weight loss randomized controlled trial: implications for real-world primary care practice

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a major risk factor behind some of the most common problems encountered in primary care. Although effective models for obesity treatment have been developed, the 'reach' of these interventions is poor and only a small fraction of primary care patients receive evidence-based treatment. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that impact the uptake (reach) of an evidence-based obesity treatment program within the context of a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial comparing three models of care delivery.

METHODS

Recruitment and reach were evaluated by the following measures: 1) mailing response rates, 2) referral sources among participants contacting the study team, 3) eligibility rates, 4) participation rates, and 5) representativeness based on demographics, co-morbid conditions, and healthcare utilization of 1432 enrolled participants compared to > 17,000 non-participants from the clinic-based patient populations. Referral sources and participation rates were compared across study arms and level of clinic engagement.

RESULTS

The response rate to clinic-based mailings was 13.2% and accounted for 66% of overall program recruitment. An additional 22% of recruitment came from direct clinic referrals and 11% from media, family, or friends. Of those screened, 87% were eligible; among those eligible, 86% enrolled in the trial. Participation rates did not vary across the three care delivery arms, but were higher at clinics with high compared to low provider involvement. In addition, clinics with high provider involvement had a higher rate of in clinic referrals (33% versus 16%) and a more representative sample with regards to BMI, rurality, and months since last clinic visit. However, across clinics, enrolled participants compared to non-participants were older, more likely to be female, more likely to have had a joint replacement but less likely to have CVD or smoke, and had fewer hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of direct patient mailings and in-clinic referrals may enhance the reach of primary care behavioral weight loss interventions, although more proactive outreach is likely necessary for men, younger patients, and those at greater medial risk. Strategies are needed to enhance provider engagement in referring patients to behavioral weight loss programs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clnicialtrials.gov NCT02456636. Registered May 28, 2015, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=RE-POWER&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=.

Population-Level Reach of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Interventions in a Rural Community: Findings from the Heart of New Ulm Project

This study examines participation by residents of a rural community in programs implemented as part of The Heart of New Ulm (HONU) Project, a population-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention initiative. The study compares participation rates for the various interventions to assess which were the most engaging in the priority community and identifies factors that differentiate participants vs. nonparticipants. Participation data were merged with electronic health record (EHR) data representing the larger community population to enable an analysis of participation in the context of the entire community. HONU individual-level interventions engaged 44% of adult residents in the community. Participation ranked as follows: (1) heart health screenings (37% of adult residents), (2) a year-long community weight loss intervention (12% of adult residents), (3) community health challenges (10% of adult residents), and (4) a phone coaching program for invited high CVD-risk residents (enrolled 6% of adult residents). Interventions that yielded the highest engagement were those that had significant staffing and recruited participants over several months, often with many opportunities to participate or register. Compared to nonparticipants, HONU participants were significantly older and a higher proportion were female, married, overweight or obese, and had high cholesterol. Participants also had a lower prevalence of smoking and diabetes than nonparticipants. Findings indicate community-based CVD prevention initiatives can be successful in engaging a high proportion of adult community members. Partnering with local health care systems can allow for use of EHR data to identify eligible participants and evaluate reach and engagement of the priority population.

Circannual growth in Wisconsin children and adolescents: Identifying optimal periods of obesity prevention

BACKGROUND

Recent studies suggest kids tend to gain the most weight in summer, but schools are chastised for supporting obesogenic environments. Conclusions on circannual weight gain are hampered by infrequent body mass index (BMI) measurements, and guidance is limited on the optimal timeframe for paediatric weight interventions.

OBJECTIVES

This study characterized circannual trends in BMI in Wisconsin children and adolescents and identified sociodemographic differences in excess weight gain.

METHODS

An observational study was used to pool data from 2010 to 2015 to examine circannual BMI z-score trends for Marshfield Clinic patients age 3 to 17 years. Daily 0.20, 0.50, and 0.80 quantiles of BMI z-score were estimated, stratified by gender, race, and age.

RESULTS

BMI z-scores increased July to September, followed by a decrease in October to December, and another increase to decrease cycle beginning in February. For adolescents, the summer increase in BMI was greater among those in the upper BMI z-score quantile relative to those in the lower quantile (+0.15 units vs +0.04 units). This pattern was opposite in children.

CONCLUSIONS

BMI increased most rapidly in late summer. This growth persisted through autumn in adolescents who were larger, suggesting weight management support may be beneficial for kids who are overweight at the start of the school year.

Respiratory health, allergies, and the farm environment: design, methods and enrollment in the observational Wisconsin Infant Study Cohort (WISC): a research proposal

Epidemiologic and cross-sectional studies suggest that early life farming and animal exposures are associated with major health benefits, influencing immune development and modifying the subsequent risk of allergic diseases, including asthma. The Wisconsin Infant Study Cohort (WISC) study was established in central Wisconsin to test the hypothesis that early life animal farm exposures are associated with distinct innate immune cell maturation trajectories, decreased allergen sensitization and reduced respiratory viral illness burden during the first 2 years of life. Beginning in 2013, a total of 240 families have been enrolled, 16,522 biospecimens have been collected, and 4098 questionnaires have been administered and entered into a secure database. Study endpoints include nasal respiratory virus identification and respiratory illness burden score, allergic sensitization, expression of allergic disease, and anti-viral immune response maturation and profiles. The WISC study prospective design, broad biospecimen collections, and unique US rural community will provide insights into the role of environmental exposures on early life immune maturation profiles associated with protection from allergic sensitization and significant respiratory viral disease burden. The WISC study findings will ultimately inform development of new strategies to promote resistance to severe respiratory viral illnesses and design primary prevention approaches for allergic diseases for all infants.

Sociodemographic and clinical correlates of human papillomavirus vaccine attitudes and receipt among Wisconsin adolescents

Few studies have assessed adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine attitudes and whether they are associated with vaccination uptake. This study characterized HPV vaccine attitudes among male and female adolescents, identified factors associated with attitude changes, and examined associations between attitudes and vaccination receipt. Surveys were administered to adolescents aged 15-16 years who had not completed the HPV vaccine series. A modified version of the Carolina HPV Immunization Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (CHIAS) was employed to assess barriers, harms, ineffectiveness, and uncertainties scores. Surveys were available from 108 participants; 63% were male and 33% had initiated the HPV vaccine series at baseline. CHIAS scores significantly decreased (i.e., became more favorable) between baseline and follow-up for barriers (p = 0.01) and uncertainties (p < 0.01). At least one sociodemographic/clinical factor was associated with changes in each score. Attitude changes were not associated with receipt of HPV vaccine, although adolescents with higher baseline harms scores were significantly less likely to receive an HPV vaccine dose (OR = 0.67). Adolescents' HPV vaccine attitudes slightly improved over a one-year period during which an intervention was implemented. More research is needed to learn how parent and adolescent HPV vaccine attitudes form, and how best to address concerns about vaccine harms.

Population-level changes in lifestyle risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the Heart of New Ulm Project

Lifestyle significantly influences development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but limited data exists demonstrating lifestyle improvements in community-based interventions. This study aims to document how lifestyle risk factors changed at the population level in the context of Heart of New Ulm (HONU), a community-based CVD prevention initiative in Minnesota.

HONU intervened across worksites, healthcare and the community/environment to reduce CVD risk factors. HONU collected behavioral measures including smoking, physical activity, fruit/vegetable consumption, alcohol use and stress at heart health screenings from 2009 to 2014. All screenings were documented in the electronic health record (EHR). Changes at the community level for the target population (age 40–79) were estimated using weights created from EHR data and modeled using generalized estimating equation models.

Screening participants were similar to the larger patient population with regard to age, race, and marital status, but were slightly healthier in regards to BMI, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and less likely to smoke. Community-level improvements were significant for physical activity (62.8% to 70.5%, p < 0.001) and 5+ daily fruit/vegetable servings (16.9% to 28.1%, p < 0.001), with no significant change in smoking, stress, alcohol or BMI.

By leveraging local EHR data and integrating it with patient-reported outcomes, improvements in nutrition and physical activity were identified in the HONU population, but limited changes were noted for smoking, alcohol consumption and stress. Systematically documenting behaviors in the EHR will help healthcare systems impact the health of the communities they serve, both at the individual and population level.

Increasing Prevalence of Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Reduced Mortality With Treatment

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There are few data from longitudinal studies of trends in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) among patients under routine clinical care in the United States. We collected data from the Fibrotic Liver Disease consortium to investigate changes in the incidence and prevalence of PBC and the effects of patient demographics, clinical features, and treatment on mortality.

METHODS

We collected demographic and clinical data for the general patient population as well as PBC patients receiving care from 11 health systems in different regions of the United States (Northeast, Midwest, Northwest, and South) from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2014. Annual percentage changes in PBC prevalence and incidence were estimated using join-point Poisson regression. Differences based on race, age, and gender were calculated with rate ratios. All-cause mortality was estimated using Cox regression with adjustment for patient characteristics and treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Propensity scores were used to adjust for treatment selection bias. Analyses were adjusted by geographic regions.

RESULTS

In our racially diverse cohort of 3488 patients with PBC (21% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Asian American), 70% had ever received UDCA. From 2006 through 2014, the prevalence of PBC increased from 21.7 to 39.2 per 100,000 persons. Adjusted annual percentage changes in prevalence differed among age groups (≤40 y, 41-50 y, 51-60 y, 61-70 y, and >70 y), ranging from 3.0% to 7.5% (P < .05). Incidence did not change significantly during the study period (4.2 vs 4.3 per 100,000 person-years in 2006 and 2014, respectively; P = .98). Ratios of prevalence for women vs men (3.9:1) and incidence for women vs men (3.2:1) were consistent over the study period. Among African Americans, the prevalence of PBC increased from 16.9 to 30.8 per 100,000 during the study period, and annual incidence ranged from 2.6 to 6.6 per 100,000 person-years. In adjusted analyses, an increased level of alkaline phosphatase at baseline was associated with significantly higher mortality (adjusted hazard ratios [aHR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.04-1.48 for patients with levels 1-2 times the upper limit of normal and aHR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.88-2.73 for patients with levels more than 3 times the upper limit of normal). UDCA treatment was associated with significantly reduced mortality (aHR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.52-0.64).

CONCLUSIONS

In an analysis of data from patients receiving routine clinical care in Fibrotic Liver Disease Consortium health systems, we found that the prevalence of PBC increased from 2004 through 2014, despite steady incidence. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as UDCA treatment, affected mortality.

Assessing the impact of the heart of New Ulm Project on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A population-based program to reduce cardiovascular disease

The Heart of New Ulm Project (HONU), is a population-based project designed to reduce modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in the rural community of New Ulm, MN. HONU interventions address multiple levels of the social-ecological model. The community is served by one health system, enabling the use of electronic health record (EHR) data for surveillance. The purpose of this study was to assess if trends in CVD risk factors and healthcare utilization differed between a cohort of New Ulm residents age 40-79 and matched controls selected from a similar community, using EHR data from baseline (2008-2009) through three follow up time periods (2010-2011, 2012-2013, 2014-2015). Matching, using covariate balance sparse technique, yielded a sample of 4077 New Ulm residents and 4077 controls. We used mixed effects longitudinal models to examine trends over time between the two groups. Blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides showed better management in New Ulm over time compared to the controls. The proportion of residents in New Ulm with controlled blood pressure increased by 6.2 percentage points compared to an increase of 2 points in controls (p < 0.0001). As the cohort aged, 10-year ASCVD risk scores increased less in New Ulm (5.1) than the comparison community (5.9). The intervention and control community did not differ with regard to inpatient stays, smoking, or glucose. Findings suggest efficacy for the HONU project interventions for some outcomes.

Determinants of human papillomavirus vaccine attitudes: an interview of Wisconsin parents

Background

Parental attitudes play a key role in their decisions to vaccinate adolescents against the human papillomavirus (HPV). Little is known, however, about the formative experiences that shape parents’ attitudes about the HPV vaccine.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 parents of 11–17 year old adolescents in Wisconsin who changed their HPV vaccine attitudes (per prior surveys) over one year. A modified grounded theory approach was then used to generate primary themes of attitudinal determinants.

Results

Participants were predominately mothers. We identified three major themes that shaped parents’ HPV attitudes: (1) the perceived likelihood of the HPV vaccine preventing cancer, (2) agency in adolescence and gauging their adolescent child’s intent for sexual activity, (3) the credibility of HPV vaccine information sources. General messaging around cancer prevention did not always supersede some parents’ concerns about the vaccine’s perceived link to sexual activity. Parents often viewed their adolescent child’s feelings about the HPV vaccine as a gauge of their (child’s) intent for sexual activity. Interviewees felt a sense of responsibility to educate themselves about the HPV vaccine using multiple sources and particularly looked to their medical provider to filter conflicting information.

Conclusions

More family-specific (vs. disease-prevention) messaging and recommendations may be needed in the clinical environment to sway some parents’ negative attitudes about the HPV vaccine. Future research should explore additional strategies to improve HPV vaccine attitudes, such as situating the vaccine in the context of a monogamous lifestyle that many parents wish to impart to their children.

Association between parent attitudes and receipt of human papillomavirus vaccine in adolescents

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage rates remain low. This is believed to reflect parental hesitancy, but few studies have examined how changes in parents’ attitudes impact HPV vaccine uptake. This study examined the association between changes in parents’ vaccine attitudes and HPV vaccine receipt in their adolescent children.

Methods

A baseline and 1-year follow-up survey of HPV vaccine attitudes was administered to parents of 11–17 year olds who had not completed the HPV vaccine series. Changes in attitudinal scores (barriers, harms, ineffectiveness, and uncertainties) from the Carolina HPV Immunization Attitudes and Beliefs Scale were assessed. Two outcomes were measured (in parents’ adolescent children) over an 18-month period and analyzed using multivariable regression; receipt of next scheduled HPV vaccine dose and 3-dose series completion.

Results

There were 221 parents who completed the baseline survey (11% response rate) and 164 with available follow-up data; 60% of their adolescent children received a next HPV vaccine dose and 38% completed the vaccine series at follow-up. Decrease in parents’ uncertainties was a significant predictor of vaccine receipt, with each 1-point reduction in uncertainties score associated with 4.9 higher odds of receipt of the next vaccine dose. Higher baseline harms score was the only significant predictor of lower series completion.

Conclusions

Reductions in parents’ uncertainties appeared to result in greater likelihood of their children receiving the HPV vaccine. Only baseline concerns about vaccine harms were associated with lower series completion rate. Education for parents should emphasize the HPV vaccine’s safety profile.

Improving Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Use in an Integrated Health System: Impact of a Provider and Staff Intervention

PURPOSE

Acceptance and coverage of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the United States has been suboptimal. We implemented a multifaceted provider and staff intervention over a 1-year period to promote HPV vaccination in a regional health care system.

METHODS

The intervention was conducted in nine clinical departments from February 2015 to March 2016; 34 other departments served as controls. The intervention included in-person provider and staff education, quarterly feedback of vaccine coverage, and system-wide changes to patient reminder and recall notifications. Change in first-dose HPV vaccine coverage and series completion were estimated among 11- to 12-year-olds using generalized estimating equations adjusted for age and sex.

RESULTS

HPV vaccine coverage in the intervention departments increased from 41% to 59%, and the increase was significantly greater than that seen in the control departments (32%-45%, p = .0002). The largest increase occurred in the quarter after completion of the provider and staff education and a patient reminder and recall postcard mailing (p = .004). Series completion also increased significantly system wide among adolescents aged 11-12 years following mailing of HPV vaccine reminder letters to parents of adolescents aged 12 years rather than 16 years.

CONCLUSIONS

HPV vaccine uptake can be improved through a multifaceted approach that includes provider and staff education and patient reminder/recall. System-level change to optimize reminder and recall notices can have substantial impact on HPV vaccine utilization.

Comparative Effectiveness of Clinic-Based Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obese Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

IN BRIEF In late 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began reimbursing for intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) in primary care settings for obese, adult beneficiaries. The effectiveness of IBT is understudied, however, with no weight loss estimates available for adults with diabetes. This study compared weight change over 1 year between obese adults with type 2 diabetes who did receive IBT to those who did not. Findings indicated that IBT was modestly effective, resulting in ∼3% weight loss over 1 year compared to 1% weight loss in the matched comparison group who did not receive IBT.

Socio-environmental risk factors for medically-attended agricultural injuries in Wisconsin dairy farmers

BACKGROUND

Accidents are common in the agricultural industry, particularly among dairy farmers. How said farmers get hurt is well established, but far less is known about how distal, socio-environmental factors influence injuries. This study examined associations between medically-attended agricultural injuries and: (1) personal sociodemographic characteristics, and (2) farm environment features and general safety practices.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was implemented with linked data from electronic health records on prior agricultural injuries that occurred between 01/01/2002-12/31/2015. The sample included adult dairy producers who resided in north-central Wisconsin (USA) and were medically-homed to the Marshfield Clinic Health System. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze associations between socio-environmental characteristics and agricultural injuries.

RESULTS

There were 620 dairy farmers in the analytical sample, with 50 medically-attended agricultural injuries observed during the 14-year study time period (5.7 injuries per 1000 dairy farmers per year). In the multivariable model, the odds of agricultural injury were significantly greater among farmers who have private individually-purchased health insurance (OR=4.25; 95% CI: 1.31, 13.84), do not live at their dairy operation (OR=2.91; CI: 1.27, 6.67), and do not provide safety training to their workers (OR=4.27; CI: 1.00, 18.21).

CONCLUSIONS

Dairy farmers in this analysis who did not live at their dairy operation, did not provide safety training to all their workers, or had individually-purchased health insurance were more apt to get injured, but more research is needed to confirm these findings in prospectively designed studies. How these factors can be directly addressed or otherwise used to better focus farm injury prevention initiatives should also be explored.