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Objectives. We examined variations in having a usual source of care (USC) among non-Hispanic White and Asian American adults in California. Methods. Data were from the 2005 and 2009 California Health Interview Survey. Using a modified Anderson model, we used multiple logistic regression to compare odds of having a USC between non-Hispanic White (n = 38 554) and Asian American adults (n = 7566) and to examine associations with acculturation factors (English proficiency, length of residence, residence in a racially concordant neighborhood) and key enabling (employment, income, insurance) and predisposing (education) factors. Results. Race-related disparities between Asian Americans and non-Hispanic Whites in having a USC were no longer significant after accounting for acculturation factors. Limited English proficiency and short time in the United States (< 5 years) were significantly associated with not having a USC for both races. Increasing levels of education and insurance were not associated with better access among Asian Americans. Conclusions. Key differences exist in how Asian American and non- Hispanic White adults access care. Acculturation factors are key drivers of disparities and should be included in access-to-care models with Asians. Insurance and education are differentially significant for Asian Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We compared the strength of association between average 5-year county-level mortality rates and area-level measures, including air quality, sociodemographic characteristics, violence, and economic distress. Methods. We obtained mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System and linked it to socioeconomic and demographic data from the Census Bureau, air quality data, violent crime statistics, and loan delinquency data. We modeled 5-year average mortality rates (1998-2002) for all-cause, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases as a function of county-level characteristics using ordinary least squares regression models. We limited analyses to counties with population of 100000 or greater (n =458). Results. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, particularly the percentage older than 65 years and near poor, were top predictors of all-cause and condition-specific mortality, as were a high concentration of construction and service workers. We found weaker associations for air quality, mortgage delinquencies, and violent crimes. Protective characteristics included the percentage of Hispanics, Asians, and married residents. Conclusions. Multiple factors influence county-level mortality. Although county demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are important, there are independent, although weaker, associations of other environmental characteristics. Future studies should investigate these factors to better understand community mortality risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined associations of different levels of same-ethnicity neighborhood concordance with health care access and utilization among all Asian American, Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese adults (aged 18–64 years) using the 2005, 2007, and 2009 California Health Interview Survey and the 2010 US Census. Although associations varied by subgroup, Asian Americans in highly concordant neighborhoods were more likely to lack a usual source of care but did not lack doctor visits or experience delays in medical care and prescriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: Surgery continues to be the dominant therapy for the management of retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcoma (RPS). Many groups advocate performing these resections at high-volume hospitals (HVHs), given their complexity. We therefore sought to explore whether RPS surgery has indeed begun to regionalize to HVHs in the same manner as pancreatic cancer (PC) surgery during the last decade. METHODS: We identified 70,763 patients who underwent surgical resection for RPS or PC using the National Cancer Database (2004 to 2015). Patients were stratified by hospital surgical volume. We performed an adjusted time trend analysis to compare trends in performance of surgery at HVHs for RPS versus PC. Multivariable logistic analyses were then performed, controlling for covariables, to elucidate relationships between patient-, hospital-, and treatment-related variables that may contribute to these observed trends. RESULTS: Only 9.6% of patients underwent RPS surgery at HVHs. During this time period, the odds ratio of undergoing RPS compared with pancreatectomy at HVHs was 0.65 (P <.05). Time trend analysis estimated that whereas both procedures are regionalizing, the rate of RPS regionalization grew at 30.5% of the rate of PC (1.017 v 1.056; P <.001) and remained consistent after using several hospital volume thresholds and hospital volume as a continuous variable. CONCLUSION: Results from this retrospective multi-institutional analysis uncovered a lag in the regionalization of surgery for RPS compared with PC surgery. These findings reinforce the call to regionalize surgery for RPS to HVHs in a manner that is similar to that of other procedures in complex cancer surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]