American Journal of Public Health

The social determinants of health (SDOH) framework has proven useful for research and practice in addressing the social causes of many health outcomes. However, its limitations may restrict its value as the world undergoes rapid ecological and social change. We argue that SDOH does not adequately incorporate rapidly changing or "far upstream" social processes (particularly social movements), the …

<b>Objectives.</b> To comprehensively analyze the prevalence of chronic diseases (hypertension, lung disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart disease) among older Chinese people. <b>Methods.</b> This study utilized data from 5 waves (2002, 2005, 2008, 2018, and 2022) of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. We estimated prevalence rates using Poisson regression and Bayesian model…

<b>Objectives.</b> To examine the impact of Rx Kids-a community-wide and unconditional prenatal and infant cash transfer program in Flint, Michigan-on economic stability, maternal mental health, and well-being. <b>Methods.</b> Using a difference-in-differences framework, we compared outcomes for surveyed Flint mothers who gave birth before and after Rx Kids implementation to those outside the cit…

<b>Objectives.</b> To examine social-ecological correlates of firearm-related violence involvement among adults. <b>Methods.</b> Cross-sectional surveys were collected in the United States between August 2023 and September 2023 through an AmeriSpeak Panel (n = 1681), weighted to be nationally representative. Measures included self-reported involvement in firearm-related violence victimization and…

This study investigates how transgender older adults manage and protect their mental health amid anti-trans stigma, discrimination, and legislation in the United States. Using semi-structured, individual interviews with 47 transgender older adults, two key strategies emerged: (1) defining transgender identities, bodies, and experiences as life-affirming; and (2) cultivating transgender-inclusive …

<b>Objectives.</b> To examine how one's community connectedness may act as a source of resilience and promote HIV prevention and care behaviors among transgender women of color. <b>Methods.</b> We analyzed survey data from 313 transgender women of color living in New York City collected from August 2020 to November 2022. The Community Connectedness Scale asks participants about their baseline fee…

<b>Objectives.</b> To characterize the nature, burden, and trends of silicosis among California workers, including workers with engineered stone exposures. <b>Methods.</b> We conducted multisource public health surveillance and generated descriptive statistics, compared engineered stone cases to cases with other silica exposures, and examined the utility of various data sources for silicosis surv…

<b>Objectives.</b> To evaluate the impact of the temporary expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for childless adults in 2021 on the mental health of home renters and homeowners. <b>Methods.</b> We used US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 2021 through 2023. Mental health outcomes included the number of mentally unhealthy days in the past 30 days and an indicator for…

<b>Objectives.</b> To assess how political polarization during COVID-19 compares with that in past disease outbreaks in the United States. <b>Methods.</b> Using random-effects meta-analyses and mixed-effects meta-regressions, we searched the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and estimated the association between polarization during COVID-19 and during non-COVID-19 disease outbreaks. <b>Res…

<b>Objectives.</b> To understand the experiences of families with low income in California with pandemic safety net support expansions and retractions, including barriers to program access. <b>Methods.</b> Using open-ended questions, we explored the self-reported experiences of pandemic-era safety net expansions and expirations between January and June 2023 among a group of caregivers of young ch…

<b>Objectives.</b> To assess state laws and regulations mandating sexual education in US public schools in 2025. <b>Methods.</b> We identified and analyzed state statutes, administrative regulations, and state court decisions that mandated sexual education in public schools in every US state and the District of Columbia. We coded content requirements, attributes (e.g., "age-appropriate"), and par…

<b>Objectives.</b> To determine whether discrimination is associated with sleep health among transgender women of color. <b>Methods.</b> We included 269 participants from the Trying to Understand Relationships, Networks, and Neighborhoods Among Transgender Women of Color (TURNNT) Cohort Study in New York City in a cross-sectional analysis and 179 in a longitudinal analysis of the association betw…

We sought to offer a structured framework for evaluating transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) inclusion in HIV clinical trials, with actionable criteria for trial design and conduct, and to quantify and characterize TGD inclusion in pivotal HIV studies as supporting evidence of the need for this framework. We devised a tool (scorecard) consisting of 14 scoreable indicators for TGD-responsive HIV …

<b>Objectives.</b> To examine how perceived authenticity may buffer the impact of racial discrimination on depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among young Black/African American men. <b>Methods.</b> In 2024, we collected data online in the United States using Qualtrics. Participants were 350 Black men aged 18 to 24 years (mean = 21.49; SD = 1.96), most of whom identified as heterosexual or …

<b>Objectives.</b> To determine the Connect intervention's effectiveness in reducing substance use among rural and tribal adolescents in northeastern Oklahoma. <b>Methods.</b> We conducted a 2-arm cluster randomized trial from 2021 to 2024, with 10 high schools per condition. <b>Results.</b> At baseline, 919 students were enrolled (mean age = 15 years), and the majority were American Indian or Wh…

<b>Objectives.</b> To expand COVID-19 containment indicators to evaluate the relationship between excess mortality and government response. <b>Methods.</b> We developed a longitudinal study analyzing excess mortality, COVID-19 containment, and structural conditions in 34 countries between 2020 and 2022. <b>Results.</b> The average excess mortality ratios of the 34 countries were 1.09, 1.14, and 1…

<b>Objectives.</b> To assess changes in e-cigarette and cigarette sales, overall and by flavor type, following implementation of California's law prohibiting flavored tobacco product sales. <b>Methods.</b> E-cigarette and cigarette retail sales data were licensed from Circana, categorized by flavor, and summed into quarters during 2019 to 2024. We used difference-in-differences regressions with 2…

<b>Objectives.</b> To document transgender Floridians' service needs before and after antitransgender state legislation. <b>Methods.</b> We conducted descriptive and change point analyses of intake survey data collected by a transgender-led community-based organization in Florida from 701 clients who requested services between 2018 and 2024. <b>Results.</b> Findings show enrollment for services i…