CHHS Research

Mason researchers develop first social media intervention for Chinese American dementia caregivers

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:06:40 +0000

Mason researchers develop first social media intervention for Chinese American dementia caregivers Mary Cunningham Wed, 11/02/2022 - 10:06

In This Story

Y. Alicia Hong, PhD

Led by Alicia Hong, professor of Health Administration and Policy, the interdisciplinary team developed a culturally-tailored WeChat wellness program to improve caregiver skills and reduce their stress.

More than 6 million Americans aged 65 years and older are living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD). More than 11 million family caregivers of ADRD provide an estimated 15.3 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $255.7 billion a year. Family caregivers of ADRD experience high rates of psychosocial distress and negative health outcomes. Minority and immigrant family caregivers face additional barriers; however, few culturally tailored mobile health (mHealth) were designed for these populations.

To address this public health need, ��AV researcher Alicia Hong, professor of Health Administration and Policy, led a multidisciplinary research team to develop Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE) program to improve caregiving skills, reduce distress, and improve psychosocial well-being of underserved Chinese American family caregivers of ADRD. The protocol development of WECARE was recently published on JMIR Aging. To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first culturally tailored social media-based interventions for Chinese American dementia caregivers.

According to Hong, several cultural factors can influence caregivers’ experience. Chinese American family caregivers tend to keep problems within the family and do not seek external help because of the stigma associated with dementia and their cultural value of “saving the face.” The isolation is exacerbated by their minority and immigrant status, and those without English proficiency are further marginalized. Caregivers have limited knowledge and use of formal care and support services; they are also disconnected from “mainstream” dementia support groups due to language and cultural barriers.

“We developed this wellness program for Chinese American caregivers with the specific barriers they face in mind. We wanted them to see themselves in the program and get the most out of it to help them and the family member they care for. We hope more mHealth interventions can be developed for immigrant and minority caregivers,” said Hong.

WECARE is a seven-week mHealth program delivered via WeChat, a social media app popular among Chinese Americans. By subscribing to the WECARE official account, users can receive multiple interactive multimedia articles pushed to their WeChat accounts each week. Users also have the option of joining group chats for peer support.

Other team members of WECARE include Kang Shen, a recent Mason graduate from the Health Informatics master’s program; Kate Lu and Hsiaoyin Chen from Chinese Culture and Community Center, Inc; Yang Gong of University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Biomedical Informatics; Van Ta Park of University of California San Francisco School of Nursing; and Hae-Ra Han of Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

The team is currently testing the feasibility and effectiveness of WECARE. The study was funded by Virginia Center for Aging Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Research Award Fund. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of ��AV.

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Romanian researchers shared their environmental epidemiology research with doctoral students

Taylor Thomas — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:45:39 +0000

Romanian researchers shared their environmental epidemiology research with doctoral students Taylor Thomas Tue, 10/25/2022 - 10:45

In This Story

Michael S. Bloom, PhD, MS, FACE

Associate Professor of Global and Community Health Michael Bloom’s work with international scholars is a testament to Mason’s position as global research university

Michael Bloom, associate professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, recently hosted research colleagues from Romania who shared their research on environmental epidemiology with PhD students. Eugen Gurzău, MD, PhD, and Iulia Neamtiu, MD, PhD, are physician/researcher faculty at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu” in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. They presented on various topics including air quality, arsenic exposure, and risk management for exposures to environmental cancer-causing agents.

Bloom is a strong advocate for the value that international engagements add to public health.

“It is beneficial for PhD students to learn about the environmental epidemiology research taking place in other parts of the world, to meet investigators with a different perspective on environmental and epidemiologic research,” said Bloom.

Michael Bloom and PhD students with Romanian visitors

Gurzău and Neamtiu primarily discussed their work with the Schools Indoor Pollution and Health Observation Network in Europe (SINPHONIE) and the European Coordination Action on Human Biomonitoring (COPHES). The partnerships between these researchers and Bloom bring forth information that have the potential to guide policy regulations aimed toward the improvement of air and water quality.

After meeting at a conference in Romania in 2008, Bloom has worked alongside Gurzău and Neamtiu on research involving the effect of groundwater arsenic contamination on pregnancy and birth outcomes. They have received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Fulbright Scholar Program. Bloom, Gurzău, and Neamtiu’s most recent research on birth outcomes in relation to arsenic and genetic susceptibility is being supported by an extramural research grant from the Romanian government.

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Public Health

Environmental Health and Safety

Global Health

Epidemiology

CHHS Research

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

Air Pollution

In sickness and health: the influence of paid leave on employee commitment

Taylor Thomas — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 18:23:45 +0000

In sickness and health: the influence of paid leave on employee commitment Taylor Thomas Tue, 10/18/2022 - 14:23

In This Story

Priyanka Anand, PhD

George Mason Associate Professor of Health Administration and Policy discusses the importance of job-protected paid leave.

Priyanka Anand, PhD

According to surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2018, only 56 percent of Americans have access job-protected leave afforded by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), leaving 44% of Americans ineligible for this coverage because they haven’t been employed long enough or their workplace is too small.

The FMLA grants employees the ability to take an unpaid leave of absence to care for loved ones in the event of an unforeseen illness or disability. Because many Americans cannot afford to hire professional care providers when a family member falls ill or has a disability, they are often left with the responsibility of providing the care themselves, which is referred to as informal care. For this reason, many people are forced to reduce hours working a paying job to attend to their informal care duties, causing severe loss in income and risking losing their job entirely.

Associate Professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy at ��AV Dr. Priyanka Anand’s research centers on social safety net programs with a particular focus on disability policy and paid leave. Her most recent research, titled “The role of paid family leave in labor supply responses to a spouse’s disability or health shock,” was featured in the 2022 Economic Report of the President.

Anand’s research provides insight into the influence of paid leave on labor supply decisions and labor force participation. She shares her knowledge of how health shocks affect families and disrupt employment and is available for further comment.

What is difference between FMLA, parental leave, and paid family or caregiving leave?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was established in 1993 to guarantee 12 weeks of job-protected leave for individuals who are away from work due to medical conditions. FMLA is most known for maternity leave, but also covers long and short-term health conditions and caring for a sick or disabled family member. Job-protected leave, like FMLA, means their job will be available when they return from leave; however, employers are not required to compensate employees while on leave.

Parental leave can be paid or unpaid depending on an individual’s place of employment. Parental leave is given on a company-by-company basis and is not guaranteed in the United States. Paid family or caregiving leave, on the other hand, allows employees to take compensated leave to care for a family member experiencing a health condition.

What factors should someone consider when deciding whether to take time off to care for a family member?

When faced with the prospect of caring for a family member, individuals should closely consider their options and understand the potential outcomes of each. My research provides a framework of three pathways people generally take after a family member’s health shock. The first is to continue working and either provide informal care in addition to working or rely on formal care, which can be costly. The second is to take a short period of leave (either paid or unpaid) and eventually return to work. The third pathway is leaving the workforce entirely to provide full-time informal care.

Individuals oftentimes have to choose between the lesser of evils when faced with what to do about a loved one’s care, all of which result in some form of financial consequence both in the household and on the broader economy. The availability of paid leave can play an important role in this decision as well.

What would the addition of state or federal paid leave policies mean for American workers?

In states that have paid leave policies, the length of paid leave ranges from six to 12 weeks, but most states do not have any paid leave policies at all. In April 2021, President Biden proposed the American Families Plan which would have federally ensured all workers in the U.S. are guaranteed 12 weeks of paid family leave. Unfortunately, it did not pass through Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act.

The availability of paid leave and job protection is designed to offset the financial burden of the health shock. Paid family leave allows workers to maintain a steady income while finding a permanent solution for their long-term caregiving needs, rather than choosing between losing earnings or paying for formal care. The ultimate goal of paid family leave is to alleviate the emotional and financial burdens that come hand-in-hand with a family member experiencing an illness or disability, allowing the individual to maintain their participation in the labor force and improve their overall well-being.

In addition to the cost-saving benefits, paid family leave policies have the potential to alleviate gender workforce disparities given that the burden of caregiving often falls onto women.

Priyanka Anand is an associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy at ��AV. She is a renowned researcher whose work includes estimating the effect of the ACA Medicaid expansions on federal disability insurance applications, examining the relationship between rising health insurance costs and employee compensation, and analyzing the time use of people with disabilities. Anand’s novel findings on paid family leave, which are in the 2022 Economic Report of the President and published in the Journal of Health Economics, identify implications for the future of federal paid leave policies.

For more information, contact Michelle Thompson at 703-993-3485 or mthomp7@gmu.edu.

About Mason

��AV, Virginia’s largest public research university, enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at http://www.gmu.edu.

About the College of Health and Human Services

The College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and to shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including 6 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 6 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college of public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu.

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CHHS Research

Department of Health Administration and Policy

Anand discusses research on paid leave with U.S. policymakers

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:12:02 +0000

Anand discusses research on paid leave with U.S. policymakers Mary Cunningham Thu, 10/13/2022 - 21:12

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Priyanka Anand, PhD

Priyanka Anand, associate professor of Health Administration and Policy, shared her research with staffers from the Joint Economic Committee and the National Partnership for Women and Families.

Priyanka Anand, associate professor of Health Administration and Policy

Priyanka Anand, associate professor of Health Administration and Policy, has conducted research on the impact of paid family leave mandates on labor supply and caregiving decisions following a spousal disability or health shock. Recently, she discussed her research with staffers on the U.S. Joint Economic Committee, the National Partnership for Women and Families, and a legislative aid from Senator Jamie Raskin’s office.

Anand’s trip to the Hill allowed for important dialogue about paid leave, which remains a hot topic after being excluded from the recent Inflation Reduction Act. The United States does not have a universal paid family leave policy. Her research was featured in the 2022 Economic Report of the President.

With staffers on the Joint Economic Committee, Anand provided a brief overview of her research and answered their questions related to how covid has changed the perspective on paid leave, gender differences in the impact of paid leave, and some of the long-term benefits of receiving federal disability benefits. Anand says they were interested in learning about findings regarding the benefits of expanding access to paid leave and providing federal disability benefits. The Joint Economic Committee uses data to shape the economic narrative via hearings and reports.

“I was happy to see that the staffers were still interested in talking about paid leave, but I think everyone (myself included) was still disappointed about how it got left out of the Inflation Reduction Act and uncertain about when will be the next chance to pass any kind of universal paid leave policy,” said Anand. “Our findings have important policy implications for current efforts to expand access to paid leave to those who are most in need. I am still hopeful that change can happen.”

Anand also met with a representative from the National Partnership for Women and Families to discuss a variety of issues related to paid leave, including why the adoption of paid family leave is so low, even in states with a paid leave policy, and whether there was a way to incentivize employers to encourage their employees to use paid leave when they are eligible. They discussed the abundance of research on parental leave, but the lack of research on paid sick leave and paid caregiving leave, which is part of Anand’s research focus. The National Partnership for Women and Families aims to improve the lives of women and families by achieving equality for all women.

“Learning what questions policymakers are asking about paid leave and disability policy was really helpful for me to use when shaping the direction of my future research. It was also helpful to learn about how to make my research most accessible to them since it can lead to policy changes,” said Anand.

The meetings were set up for Anand as part of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth’s Grantee Conference that showcases cutting-edge research on how economic inequality affects economic growth and stability. Equitable Growth is funding Anand’s current research that uses machine learning methods to predict who has access to paid leave through their employer. Their preliminary results show that workers who most need paid leave because of a household shock are less likely to have access to it.

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High COVID vaccine hesitancy in sub-saharan Africa

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:34:02 +0000

High COVID vaccine hesitancy in sub-saharan Africa Mary Cunningham Thu, 10/13/2022 - 20:34

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Dongqing Wang, PhD, MPH

A new study by Dongqing Wang, assistant professor of Global and Community Health, finds there is high COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adolescents in five sub-Saharan African countries mostly because of perceived lack of safety and perceived lack of effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

Only 22% of people living in Africa are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Africa CDC, and this falls well below the global average of 64%. Vaccine hesitancy is one of multiple reasons that Africa has the lowest vaccination rate of any populated continent.

A new study by Dongqing Wang, assistant professor of Global and Community Health, assessed the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adolescents in five sub-Saharan African countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania) and found vaccine hesitancy to be high in all five countries and extremely high in Tanzania.

“COVID-19 vaccination campaigns among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa should address adolescents' concerns and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness,” said Wang. “Health care workers, parents, schoolteachers, peers, religious leaders, and social media could all be leveraged as channels of advocacy to support vaccination efforts.”

Individual characteristics associated with greater vaccine hesitancy were female sex, perceived lack of safety, and perceived lack of effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Beyond COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, it is crucial to ensure that vaccines are accessible should adolescents desire to be vaccinated, and it rests upon the global medical community to get the shots into the arms of the often-neglected population of sub-Saharan African adolescents,” said Wang.

The research was a multi-country survey in 2021 using computer-assisted telephone interviewing. This work was jointly supported by institutional support from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University Center for African Studies, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (Germany), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its determinants among sub-Saharan African adolescents was published October 2022 in PLOS Global Public Health.

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coronavirus; covid-19

Gaming vignettes support teaching gender-affirming care

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:31:27 +0000

Gaming vignettes support teaching gender-affirming care Mary Cunningham Wed, 10/05/2022 - 10:31

In This Story

Bethany Cieslowski, DNP

A teaching intervention by Andrea Landis and Bethany Cieslowski in the School of Nursing suggests that experiential learning opportunities are fundamental to learning about gender-affirming care.

Sample of gaming vignette. Image courtesy of Kognito.

LGBTQ2+ people face notable health disparities and nurses can help improve care and access by providing inclusive, non-judgmental, gender-affirming care. Nursing, medicine, and public health programs, including ��AV, are adopting gender-affirming care as part of the curriculum. As defined by the World Health Organization, gender-affirming health care attends to transgender individuals' hormonal, surgical, medical, mental, and social health needs while respectfully affirming their gender identity.

A new teaching intervention from Assistant Professor Andrea Landis and VR Simulation Coordinator Bethany Cieslowski in the College of Health and Human Services suggests that experiential learning opportunities are fundamental to learning key concepts of gender-affirming care. Additionally, repeated practice in a safe environment helped students better understand proficient gender-affirming care. Landis and Cieslowski used gaming vignettes to teach nursing students about gender-affirming care.

"The call for action to improve care for LGBTQ2+ people requires nurse educators to introduce curriculum that integrates the barriers to care with the effects of bias and discrimination in the patient/clinician relationship,” said Landis. “Using gaming vignettes and simulations can be a great way to introduce students to gender-affirming care and help them approach scenarios from the point of the patient."

The results found that including gender-affirming care in the curriculum increases inclusive practices and the visibility of LGBTQ2+ people; this affirms previous studies’ findings. In a post-teaching intervention survey, students stated that visuals from gaming vignettes were helpful in understanding the concept of gender-affirming care and providing it. Students left the lesson better understanding the importance of pronoun and name use and respecting the patient.

The short simulation vignettes covered using chosen name and pronouns during care, the effects of bias and discrimination in the patient/clinician relationship, and the role of electronic health records in gender-affirming care.

“The simulations demonstrated how these practices contribute to a trust relationship if established at the start of patient care visits,” said Cieslowski. “The scenarios highlighted barriers to care for LGBTQ2+ patients and exemplified action steps a health care professional could take to partner with the patient.”

An Innovative Teaching Modality to Promote Proficient Gender-Affirming Care was published in August 2022 in Clinical Simulation in Nursing.

Gaming image courtesy of Kognito.

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The truth about breast cancer myths

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 15:52:48 +0000

The truth about breast cancer myths Mary Cunningham Mon, 09/26/2022 - 11:52

In This Story

Michelle S. Williams, PhD, MSPH

Michelle S. Williams, assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, shares important facts about breast cancer that are often misconstrued or misunderstood.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in the United States. Each year in the United States, approximately 264,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 42,000 women die each year from breast cancer. Men can also develop breast cancer, although it is not as common.

Michelle S. Williams, assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health,

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Michelle S. Williams, assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, shares important facts about breast cancer that are often misconstrued or misunderstood. Williams’ research focuses on developing culturally appropriate health behavior interventions for cancer prevention and control that will lead to a reduction in cancer disparities. She is available for further comment on breast cancer prevention and early detection.

“Based on my research, many women are misinformed about breast cancer risk factors. Many women also have fears and misconceptions about mammograms,” says Williams. “Understanding your individual risks for breast cancer, obtaining age- and risk-appropriate breast cancer screenings regularly, and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors can lead to reductions in breast cancer mortality.”

Myth: A mammogram can cause or spread breast cancer.
Truth: Mammograms do not cause or spread breast cancer. Annual mammograms are a powerful tool to detect breast cancer early. Women with an average risk for breast cancer should get a mammogram annually starting at age 40. A health care provider may recommend them earlier if other factors make a woman’s risk for breast cancer higher than average. All women should exam their breasts monthly and report any breast changes their health care provider.

Myth: You can only get breast cancer if you have a family history of breast cancer.
Truth: Any women can develop breast cancer, regardless of family history. In fact, only about 10% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history. An individual’s risk for breast cancer may be higher if they have a first-degree family member (female or male) who developed breast or ovarian cancer. Knowing your family history of breast cancer is important. Women with a family history of breast cancer may seek genetic counseling to assess their risk.

Myth: Breast cancer only affects women; Men don’t get breast cancer.
Truth: Men can also get breast cancer. In the U.S., approximately 2,400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and about 500 men die from breast cancer each year.

Myth: Breast cancer only affects post-menopausal women.
Truth: Breast cancer can affect women of any age. It is important to note that, the risk of breast cancer increases as a woman gets older.

Myth: If I have breast cancer, I will be able to feel a lump in my breast.
Truth: A lump in the breast is just one of the many signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Breast cancer signs and symptom can vary for each individual. Swelling of the breast, irritation of the breast skin, redness of breast or nipple, nipple discharge, change in size or shape, or pain in the breast are additional breast cancer signs and symptoms. Women should see a health care provider they feel or see any change in their breasts.

Myth: There’s nothing I can do to prevent breast cancer.
Truth: There are ways you can decrease your risk for breast cancer. Making healthy lifestyle choices including not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly can help to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

Dr. Michelle S. Williams is an assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at ��AV. Williams’ research is focused on developing culturally appropriate health behavior interventions for cancer prevention and control that will lead to a reduction in cancer disparities. Her research interests include cancer prevention behaviors, Community-Based Participatory Research, qualitative research, and the design and conduct of mixed method studies. Currently, she is conducting studies aimed at developing and evaluating mhealth (mobile health) to reduce cancer disparities in the Deep South region of the United States and in low- and middle-income countries.

For media inquiries about Mason’s faculty experts in cancer research and prevention, contact Michelle Thompson at 703-993-3485 or mthomp7@gmu.edu.

About Mason

About the College of Health and Human Services

Thumbnail photo by Olya Kobruseva via pexels.

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Public health schools and programs collaborate to study young adults in humanitarian settings

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 16:11:35 +0000

Public health schools and programs collaborate to study young adults in humanitarian settings Mary Cunningham Fri, 09/23/2022 - 12:11

In This Story

Rima Nakkash

A new grant awarded, to an international team of researchers, representing accredited public health programs in the United States and Lebanon, will study whether engaging young adults as community mental health workers in humanitarian settings helps not only to support those communities in crisis, but protects the well-being of the young workers as well.

Rima Nakkash, Mason professor of Global and Community Health

The collaborative research team is co-led by Rima Nakkash, professor of global and community health at ��AV, together with Rima Afifi, professor of community and behavioral health at the University of Iowa and director of the UI Prevention Research Center for Rural Health. Other research team members include Lilian Ghandour, associate professor of epidemiology and applied biostatistics at American University of Beirut; Catherine Panter-Brick, professor of anthropology, health, and global affairs at Yale University; and Grant Brown, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Iowa. The research team is also partnering with the non-governmental organization Multi-Aid Projects (MAPs) that will guide field activities.

The project, funded by a three-year, $450,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, is focused on Syrian young adults living in Lebanon, a nation that currently hosts about 1.5 million Syrians displaced by war in their home country.

Syrian young adults, aged 18-24 years, will be trained to provide mental health care to at-risk adults in their community. The young adults will implement a program called Problem Management Plus (PM+), a World Health Organization-backed initiative that equips non-professional lay community members with skills and tools to decrease mental distress in communities affected by adversity. In humanitarian settings worldwide, PM+ has been demonstrated to reduce common mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, as well as other problems, such as stress, unemployment, and interpersonal conflict.

“Humanitarian crises increase mental health disorders,” says Afifi. “Yet, in humanitarian settings, human resources for health are often insufficient to meet needs. Understanding how young adults can support communities in the context of disasters is an important area of research.”

The overall goal of the new study is to evaluate whether being a young adult community mental health worker (CMHW) impacts the young adults’ well-being, coping, and stress levels. The research also aims to measure how and why the CMHW role may be a protective factor for these young adults.

“If engaged effectively, young adults are resources and agents of change in their communities,” notes Nakkash. “Involving young adults in work that impacts their communities has positive outcomes for their wellbeing, and that of their communities. But often young adults are marginalized, particularly in humanitarian settings.”

The research project will recruit Syrian refugee young adults (YA) into a three-arm randomized control trial. The researchers will gather data from participants using surveys, experience sampling, as well as biological samples to measure stress. The three arms include: an CMHW intervention group trained to implement PM+ with their communities, a tutor intervention group trained to provide educational support to children in grades 1-6 in their communities, and a control group. A Community Alliance Committee will support all phases of the research project.

“The Syrian refugee crises provides a relevant setting to implement this project,” notes Ghandour. “It is considered one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history, with over 5 million Syrians having fled their country. In Lebanon, about 60% of Syrian refugees aged 15-24 years are not employed, not in school, and not attending any training. Although the study is based in Lebanon, the intervention and its findings will be equally relevant to emergency situations across the Globe, including natural disasters, instances of community violence, and other crises.”

MAPs general director Fadi Al Halabi stated: “I believe that there is a pronounced need to empower young Syrian refugees to support their communities rather than just exploring their everyday hurdles in host countries. This project highlights the role of academia in promoting community-engaged research not only to enrich research findings but also to engage Syrian youth as active influencers and ambassadors of change”.

A project infographic and additional information about this research is available to view online.

Press release by the University of Iowa College of Public Health

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Maughan awarded Jeffress Trust grant to build Virginia school health & equity research consortium

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 13:22:30 +0000

Maughan awarded Jeffress Trust grant to build Virginia school health & equity research consortium Mary Cunningham Mon, 09/19/2022 - 09:22

In This Story

Erin D. Maughan, PhD

Nearly $150,000 partnership-building grant to create collaborative research activities that advance health equity in Virginia schools

School health has been described as a “hidden health care system.” Policies and funding siloes in health and education often exclude school health, causing a gap in meeting the needs of the whole child and perpetuating health inequities. The Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust, Bank of America, Private Bank, Trustee awarded Associate Professor of Nursing Erin D. Maughan the Research Advancing Health Equity Grant, a two-year $149,868.57 partnership-building grant to address health inequities in Virginia schools.

To do this, Maughan will create the Virginia School Health & Equity Research Consortium (VSHERC), whose goal is to build a strong partnership, provide training for school nurses on health equity, and collect data needed to study root causes of health inequities in schools.

“The ultimate goal of this unique Consortium is to increase the percentage of Virginia K-12 students covered by a school health program that facilitates child health and does not contribute to child health inequities. This will ultimately lead to a healthier, more equitable Virginia,” says Maughan.

The Consortium will be co-led by Maughan and the Virginia Association of School Nurses (VASN), and is also supported by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). They hope to include non-governmental organizations that address children’s health and inequities in the future.

VSHERC will create a network across the commonwealth to examine state and district policies and infrastructures through the lens of health inequities. It will train school nurses and school health personnel and collect baseline information to determine how school health policies perpetuate health inequities, especially among students of color. The baseline data will be used to develop a future action-oriented research proposal.

The Jeffress Trust’s mission is to benefit the people of Virginia by investing in research geared towards improving the health of residents of Virginia while explicitly focusing on addressing health inequities.

Thumbnail photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

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Community health worker wage gap: women and people of color make less than their male and white counterparts

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:39:39 +0000

Community health worker wage gap: women and people of color make less than their male and white counterparts Mary Cunningham Sun, 09/11/2022 - 20:39

In This Story

PJ Maddox, EdD, MSN, RN

New study from PJ Maddox and Tammie Jones also found that community health worker wages are higher in states with certification programs.

Community health workers' (CHW) ability to address social determinants of health and support access to primary and preventive health programs have made them an increasingly crucial part of public health, which has led to increased employment for CHW. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 21% increase in CHW jobs (approximately 13,500) by 2030, a rate of growth much faster than the average for all U.S. occupations. Given the increase in employment, Mason researchers sought to determine how wages have changed due to certification, labor turnover, and funding policies that might influence wages or turnover.

A recent study from Tammie Jones, assistant professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP), and P.J. Maddox, chair of the HAP Department, found that wage gaps exist between White and non-White CHW and between men and women CHW. Additionally, wages are higher in states with certification programs.

“Our study found that after adding certification standards hourly wages increase among white workers, men, and part-time workers, and increases for men were four times more than increases for women,” said Jones. “Though an increase in hourly wages is a positive thing for the field, the majority of community health workers are people of color and women who should be compensated equitably.”

Hourly wages for people who identify as white were $2.72 higher and $5.16 higher for men. According to a Health Resources and Services Administration study, 54.5% of CHW identify as Hispanic or Black and 82% identify as female.

CHW wages increased by $2.42 more per hour in states with certification programs than in states without programs, and in the states with the first certification programs, wages increased by $14.46. Researchers did not find a statistically significant effect on occupational turnover in states with certification. Medicaid reimbursement was not found to have a significant effect on wages or turnover.

“Federal, state, and employer-based strategies are needed to establish and sustain effective CHW programs to meet the needs of populations with health disparities and disproportionate barriers to accessing care and services while providing equitable wages that compensate CHWs according to their value,” says Maddox, the principal investigator.

CHW is a general term for frontline public health workers with deep knowledge and understanding of the community they serve. They are generally recognized as uniquely able to identify problems contributing to health disparities, improve access to health services, and connect people to needed social services.

“Hourly Wages and Turnover of Community Health Workers According to US State Certification Policy and Medicaid Reimbursement, 2010–2021” was published online in the American Journal of Public Health in August 2022. In addition to Maddox and Jones, other authors include Alex Schulte and Charlotte M. Lewis from Mason’s Center for Health Workforce; and Chanup Jeung, a Mason Ph.D. in Health Services alumnus now at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The research was partially funded by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. A staggered difference-in-differences design was used to compare wages and turnover of CHWs in states with and without CHW certification or CHW Medicaid reimbursement policies. Data were derived from the 2010 to 2021 Current Population Survey in the United States.

Maddox and Jones have previously studied CHW and found that state regulations are associated with greater adoption of occupational standards. Learn more about their research here.

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