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Paper aims: This paper analyzes the work quality and productivity of during the COVID-19 pandemic from five Brazilian regions with three work models: face-to-face, virtual and workshiting. Originality: Despite the number of studies on COVID-19 since the pandemic's beginning, the literature lacks research that demonstrates relationships between productivity and the emergence of problems, illnesses, and adverse situations that compromise worker performance in the routines of these three work models. Research method: The study used an experimental, descriptive, and transversal research design, without identification data Southeast of the participant, as anonymous and exclusive research, with 801 participants from different regions of Brazil (North, Northeast, Midwest, Northeast, and South), with different age groups. The work consisted of work issues focusing on the quality of work pandemic, for issues of analysis of time and productivity problems. The questions were about health issues in 6 parts of the study: mental demographics and increased sleep quality, fear of SARS-CoV-2, exercise, stress, and productivity. Main findings: There was a strong significant relationship between the three work models and five variables: area of activity, work equipment used during quarantine, diseases found during the pandemic, problems reported during quarantine pandemic like sleep, stress, workload performed, and future expectations regarding the work performed and the pandemic. Significant relationships were also found with diseases before the pandemic, those perceived and reported during the pandemic period studied, and the sleep profile before and during. The statistical significance relationship was also strong between the areas of work audience and new diseases during the pandemic. Implications for theory and practice: The research practically validates several other theoretical studies, with guidelines for the scientific community on work behavior for the three work models. The results, together with the relationships found by the statistical analysis of the p-value of the variables, help the public and private authorities to understand and rethink preventive measures in the emergence of new diseases and the optimization of work operations without compromising their quality and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of social distancing, the shutdown of schools and restaurants, and increased anxieties about in- person farmers markets in early 2020, local farmers and food distributors quickly pivoted to digital tools to manage their farms and connect with buyers. In this paper, we explore the role of a seemingly simple digital tool in shaping alternative agrarian relations during the pandemic- induced local food boom: the spreadsheet. Through interviews with farmers and food distributors across urban, periurban, and rural landscapes in the United States (U.S.), we show how spreadsheets and other digital tools have helped farmers manage demand during the COVID- 19 pandemic while also presupposing costs, benefits, and efficiencies for these alternative agricultural food spaces. Ultimately, many local farmers found themselves pursuing goals of simplicity, labor efficiency, and expansion- oriented growth as they made sense of their farm data. Reflecting on these values, and the spreadsheet data underlying them, became a point of tension for farmers who place a high importance on diversification, stability, and interpersonal interactions. By attending to how these data are tracked, we gain deeper insights into how farmers and other stakeholders think about agrarian futures: who does the work, what gets planted, who's buying, and who benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, under the stationary α‐mixing dependent samples, we develop a novel nonlinear modal regression for time series sequences and establish the consistency and asymptotic property of the proposed nonlinear modal estimator with a shrinking bandwidth h under certain regularity conditions. The asymptotic distribution is shown to be identical to the one derived from the independent observations, whereas the convergence rate (nh3 in which n is the sample size) is slower than that in the nonlinear mean regression. We numerically estimate the proposed nonlinear modal regression model by the use of a modified modal expectation–maximization (MEM) algorithm in conjunction with Taylor expansion. Monte Carlo simulations are presented to demonstrate the good finite sample (prediction) performance of the newly proposed model. We also construct a specified nonlinear modal regression to match the available daily new cases and new deaths data of the COVID‐19 outbreak at the state/region level in the United States, and provide forward predictions up to 130 days ahead (from 24 August 2020 to 31 December 2020). In comparison to the traditional nonlinear regressions, the suggested model can fit the COVID‐19 data better and produce more precise predictions. The prediction results indicate that there are systematic differences in spreading distributions among states/regions. For most western and eastern states, they have many serious COVID‐19 burdens compared to Midwest. We hope that the built nonlinear modal regression can help policymakers to implement fast actions to curb the spread of the infection, avoid overburdening the health system and understand the development of COVID‐19 from some points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shares findings of a qualitative study on professional learning with in-service teachers during COVID-19. From 2020–2023, the authors facilitated comprehensive literacy professional learning with in-service teachers from 40 schools in the Midwest U.S. Our work aimed to center teachers as experts and be responsive to teachers' social, emotional, and professional needs. Drawing on framework for adaptability, we analyzed formative assessments, interview transcripts, and written reflections to understand teachers' perspectives on professional learning and their praxis during COVID-19. Data revealed that participants perceived an increased need for professional learning on differentiation and focus on growth and joy. Against the backdrop of a neoliberal fixation on teacher accountability that increases stress among teachers on top of a traumatic global pandemic, we attempted to center teachers as experts and attend to teachers' socioemotional needs by offering flexible pathways with online options and offering in-person sessions for cultivating community. Future research on teacher education for in-service teachers can provide greater insight into teacher perceptions of their professional learning needs post/COVID-19, as well as how we center teachers as knowledgeable professionals in order to challenge hierarchical power structures and deficit discourses in ways that promote their professional, social, and emotional wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first explores spatial distributions and patterns of COVID-19 case rates (cases/100,000 people) and mortality rates (deaths/100,000 people) and their disparities between urban and rural counties in the contiguous US. A county-level social vulnerability index was created using principal component analysis. Social vulnerability components were regressed against both county case and mortality rates. Results suggest that hotspots of case and mortality rates are clustered in Midwest and Upper-Midwest US. We found substantial disparities in case and mortality rates between urban and rural counties. County social vulnerability was positively correlated with both case and mortality rates suggesting counties with higher social vulnerability had higher case and mortality rates. Relationships between social vulnerability components and case and mortality rates vary across the conterminous US. Additionally, counties with increased racial and ethnic minorities, higher percentages of minors, and lower median household income are associated with higher COVID-19 case and mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The US life expectancy has been stagnating in recent decades, and along with this, the time trends of life span variation have shown stagnation and even increases with respect to historical levels. OBJECTIVE: We aim to disentangle contributions from subnational levels (US regions) to national changes in life expectancy and life span variation in 2010-2019 and 2019-2020. METHODS: A decomposition of the change in the national life expectancy and life disparity into the contribution of changing mortality and population structure among subnational regions is presented. The US Census regions are the Midwest, Northeast, South, and West. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2019, the South substantially contributed to the life span variation increase due to increasing mortality contributions. The old-age survival improvements across all regions further contributed to increasing life span variation at the national level. Different population growth patterns across regions, especially at older ages, are a further source of change in national life span variation and life expectancy. From 2019 to 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in life span variation and a decrease in life expectancy across all regions were observed. CONTRIBUTION: We present continuous-time decompositions for changes in life expectancy and life span variation. When decomposing subnational contributions to national changes, we also demonstrate the role of the composition effect through subnational-national growth differences. This paper quantifies and highlights the specific contributions of regions and age groups to the national mortality increase in the United States between 2010 and 2019, as well as between 2019 and 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in short-term strategy shifts by criminal justice agencies, including population reductions and early release in institutional settings and restricting in-person check-ins in community corrections, among many others. Years into the pandemic, the impact of how local criminal justice agencies navigated these changes in practice is still coming into focus. This paper models shifts in community corrections populations in a Midwest US metropolitan community corrections agency following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using monthly population data from early 2017 to mid-2022, we employ Bayesian interrupted time-series models to describe changes in probation, parole, and supervision absconder populations over this period. The results suggest that both probation and parole populations, as well as absconders, were in decline leading up to March 2020, but then exhibited varying trends following the pandemic. Probation populations decreased markedly, while parole absconding increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tend to overlook immigrant families in policy and program discussions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they are some of the most vulnerable to the effects of this continuing crisis. This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrant families in an upper Midwest state. We interviewed 19 human and social service providers from agencies serving Somali, Latinx, and Karen (refugees from Burma/Myanmar) immigrant families between June and August 2020. Results analyzed for this paper focused on responses to questions asked about COVID-19-related financial and familial stress, and coping resources and constraints that providers were observing with their immigrant clients. Guided by the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response Model (Patterson, 1988), we identified a pile-up of financial and relationship stressors including employment, housing, and family relationship strains, and resource access constraints. We found that job loss in already financially vulnerable immigrant families was particularly impactful. Housing insecurity soon followed. Immigrant families also faced significant constraints to resource access including lack of documentation, fear of making a mistake, language barriers, and lack of technology skills. We identified family and community resources that families used to meet demands, coping strategies, and glimmers of resilience. As we near the end of the pandemic, we urge family researchers to monitor long-term effects of the crisis on immigrant families. Findings can inform the creation of programs and policies that address immigrant family needs for resources and culturally relevant services to support their financial recovery post-COVID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the beginning phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic in late March of 2020 in the United States, two academic instructors at a mid-sized, public university in the Midwest were involved in converting a traditional human resource development internship course into a virtual internship course that they would be teaching in May of 2020. This paper shares the lessons learned by the two instructors along with a summary of a relevant theoretical leadership framework that provides useful insights for academic instructors and business leaders who are or will be managing virtual academic internships in the future. This paper concludes by offering insights and recommendations for academic instructors, business leaders, and students interested in virtual internships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions led to major transit demand decline for many public transit systems in the United States. This paper is a systematic analysis of the dynamics and dimensions of this unprecedented decline. Using transit demand data derived from a widely used transit navigation app, we fit logistic functions to model the decline in daily demand and derive key parameters: base value, the apparent minimal level of demand and cliff and base points, representing the initial date when transit demand decline began and the final date when the decline rate attenuated. Regression analyses reveal that communities with higher proportions of essential workers, vulnerable populations (African American, Hispanic, Female, and people over 45 years old), and more coronavirus Google searches tend to maintain higher levels of minimal demand during COVID-19. Approximately half of the agencies experienced their decline before the local spread of COVID-19 likely began; most of these are in the US Midwest. Almost no transit systems finished their decline periods before local community spread. We also compare hourly demand profiles for each system before and during COVID-19 using ordinary Procrustes distance analysis. The results show substantial departures from typical weekday hourly demand profiles. Our results provide insights into public transit as an essential service during a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how activist organizations wield collective memory as they advance cross-racial solidarity on Instagram. We center digital memory-making in political work by Black and Asian activist organizations as a contribution to understanding social movement communication and online organizing. We study Instagram content from local organizations in Minneapolis (and the Midwest region), Atlanta (and the Southeast region), and national digital organizing collectives between the end of May 2020 to June 2021. This corpus of material includes the summer uprisings for Black liberation following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as well as the increased visibility of incidents of anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a mass shooting at massage parlors in Atlanta. Among our findings is the centrality of memories of internationalist feminist movements to contemporary cross-racial politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugees and immigrants have experienced heightened health inequities related to COVID-19. As community-embedded frontline health personnel, refugee and immigrant community health workers (riCHWs) played essential roles in the provision of informational, instrumental, and emotional support during the unprecedented first year of the pandemic. Despite the importance of this workforce, riCHWs are at high risk for burnout due to low recognition and demanding workloads. This was exacerbated as riCHWs navigated a new and uncertain health delivery landscape. We sought to glean insight into riCHWs' stressors, coping strategies and resources, and self-efficacy to identify ways to support their work and wellbeing. Using a narrative inquiry approach, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 riCHWs working in a midsized city in the midwestern United States. We generated three distinct yet interrelated themes: (1) Rapid and trustworthy information is key, (2) Creativity and perseverance are good ... structural support is better, and (3) Integrating riCHW expertise into health promotion programming and decision-making. Although riCHWs were deeply committed to enhancing community wellbeing, quickly shifting responsibilities in tandem with structural-level health inequities diminished their self-efficacy and mental health. riCHWs relied on work-based friends/colleagues for informational and emotional support to enhance their capacity to deliver services. Findings suggest increasing opportunities for peer support and idea-exchange, professional development, and integration of riCHW expertise in health promotion decision-making are effective strategies to enhance riCHWs' professional self-efficacy and personal wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the pandemic began to disrupt school systems in March 2020, teachers were expected to quickly modify their instructional approaches. We recruited science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers who were recipients of National Science Foundation scholarships based on their high‐quality academic record and commitment to working in high‐needs school districts to participate in a longitudinal survey study. Participants (n = 153) graduated from universities or colleges in the Mountain West or western region of the Midwest. Through a series of three surveys administered throughout 2020 to all participants and follow‐up focus group interviews with a subset (n = 42) in early 2021, we examined participants' perceptions and beliefs about the educational system's response to COVID‐19. Participants perceived that the continuation of instructional delivery was the highest priority and that their professional needs were the lowest priority. Most participants believed the actions taken by school districts and schools to be negative or neutral. Participants were categorized by years of experience (preservice 0, novice 1–3, early career 4–5, and master 6+) to compare their perceptions of success and intentions to continue teaching. Participants perceived that their level of success increased with years of professional experience prior to the pandemic, but all participants reported feeling less successful during the pandemic. Despite participants' negative beliefs about the school response and perceived low levels of success, they intended to remain in the classroom short‐term but not necessarily long term. We recommend that teacher educators and administrators (1) help teachers develop their personal knowledge and skills for use in the classroom, especially considering the national shortage of science (and STEM, broadly) teachers in high‐needs districts and (2) develop proactive plans for responding to unexpected crises on large scales, as well as those limited to a particular region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study documents the experiences and efforts of six K–5 teachers from the Midwest region of the United States to adjust instruction and establish meaningful and productive online learning environments during the pandemic. Two themes emerged from the data reflecting teachers' perceptions about the quality of instruction and insufficiency of social emotional supports provided to students. We argue for instructional paradigms that address learners' social emotional needs effectively and equitably in online instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has overwhelmed hospital capacity, prioritizing the need to understand factors associated with type of discharge disposition. Objective: Characterization of disposition associated factors following SARS-CoV-2. Design: Retrospective study of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients from March 7th, 2020, to May 4th, 2022, requiring hospitalization. Setting: Midwest academic health-system. Participants: Patients above the age 18 years admitted with PCR + SARS-CoV-2. Intervention: None. Main outcomes: Discharge to home versus PAC (inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF), skilled-nursing facility (SNF), long-term acute care (LTACH)), or died/hospice while hospitalized (DH). Results: We identified 62,279 SARS-CoV-2 PCR+ patients; 6,248 required hospitalizations, of whom 4611(73.8%) were discharged home, 985 (15.8%) to PAC and 652 (10.4%) died in hospital (DH). Patients discharged to PAC had a higher median age (75.7 years, IQR: 65.6–85.1) compared to those discharged home (57.0 years, IQR: 38.2–69.9), and had longer mean length of stay (LOS) 14.7 days, SD: 14.0) compared to discharge home (5.8 days, SD: 5.9). Older age (RRR:1.04, 95% CI:1.041–1.055), and higher Elixhauser comorbidity index [EI] (RRR:1.19, 95% CI:1.168–1.218) were associated with higher rate of discharge to PAC versus home. Older age (RRR:1.069, 95% CI:1.060–1.077) and higher EI (RRR:1.09, 95% CI:1.071–1.126) were associated with more frequent DH versus home. Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics were less likely to be discharged to PAC (RRR, 0.64 CI 0.47–0.88), (RRR 0.48 CI 0.34–0.67) and (RRR 0.586 CI 0.352–0.975). Having alpha variant was associated with less frequent PAC discharge versus home (RRR 0.589 CI 0.444–780). The relative risks for DH were lower with a higher platelet count 0.998 (CI 0.99–0.99) and albumin levels 0.342 (CI 0.26–0.45), and higher with increased CRP (RRR 1.006 CI 1.004–1.007) and D-Dimer (RRR 1.070 CI 1.039–1.101). Increased albumin had lower risk to PAC discharge (RRR 0.630 CI 0.497–0.798. An increase in D-Dimer (RRR1.033 CI 1.002–1.064) and CRP (RRR1.002 CI1.001–1.004) was associated with higher risk of PAC discharge. A breakthrough (BT) infection was associated with lower likelihood of DH and PAC. Conclusion: Older age, higher EI, CRP and D-Dimer are associated with PAC and DH discharges following hospitalization with COVID-19 infection. BT infection reduces the likelihood of being discharged to PAC and DH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-methods survey study aims to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of a sample of 571 children and adolescent seeking psychiatric emergency care. The study was conducted from July to October 2020 at a large Midwestern academic center. Among the respondents, there were significant increases in mental health symptoms attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, including anxiety (71% of respondents), depression (66%), suicidal thoughts or behaviors (45%), and aggression (31%). There were significant differences in reported increases in symptoms by age and gender. In addition, 38% of participants reported that the pandemic led to a change or closure of their health care treatment, including mental health providers, with 22% reporting that reduced treatment access led to their emergency visit. Further research is indicated to assess other, more diverse populations, as well as the longer-term mental health impacts of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Association of Social Workers encourages self-care among practitioners. Self-care may prevent secondary traumatic stress, however, research examining self-care and other employee-related outcomes is dearth. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment are important for client, employee, and agency outcomes, but self-care's role is unclear. The relationship between employee self-care practices, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment was considered among 137 practitioners from a single US state during the Covid-19 pandemic. Job satisfaction was positively correlated with tenure, caring workplaces, and professional self-care. Organizational commitment was positively associated with hours worked, caring work environments, and professional self-care. Professional self-care was the most important self-care domain for job satisfaction and organizational commitment, but the least utilized form of self-care. Findings suggest the need to nurture organizational cultures emphasizing the importance of professional self-care and climates emphasizing employee safety during pandemics. Replication among larger samples with representation from gender diverse and BIPOC practitioners is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study serves to provide evidence on how the increase in people working from home due to government induced social distancing measures is contributing to the frequency of individuals suffering from depression or anxiety. Using a compilation of datasets from the NHIS, Household Pulse Survey, and the Oxford Covid-19 Response Tracker, we find a general trend of increased rates of depression and anxiety in those who moved to a remote working format. However, while all regions have an increased frequency in anxiety for those who switched to telework, those in the Northeast and West (that also have implemented strict lockdown measures related to social distancing) have slightly higher rates of anxiety compared to those in the South and Midwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess perceptions, health behaviors, and disruptions related to the COVID‐19 pandemic in a largely rural, Midwestern state, and to examine differences between rural and urban respondents. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed August 2020 to a sample of 10,009 registered voters in Iowa ages 18‐100 years, with oversampling from 6 select rural counties. Previously validated and tested items assessed COVID‐19 precautions, health care disruptions, emotional reactions, health behavior changes, telehealth and experiences with the internet, and demographic characteristics. Findings: There were 4,048 respondents (40% response rate); 65% were rural and 35% were urban residents. The average age of respondents was 58.3 years and 45% of respondents identified as female. Rural respondents reported less concern about COVID‐19 in their community (29% vs 40%, P<.001) and lower perceived importance of social distancing (51% vs 64%, P<.001). Urban respondents more often reported experiencing disruption to daily living, stronger negative emotional reactions, and displayed more pronounced behavior change compared to their rural counterparts. For example, urban respondents reported more pandemic‐related job losses (6% vs 4%, P =.05), disruptions to daily activities (48% vs 35%, P<.001), and use of telehealth services during the pandemic (24% vs 16%, P<.001). Conclusions: The majority of respondents reported disruptions to normal activities, medical appointment cancellations, and emotional distress during the first 6 months of the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on urban residents appeared to be greater than for rural respondents. Timing of pandemic spread and varying beliefs are potential explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to understand COVID‐19 vaccine perceptions and decision‐making among a racially/ethnically diverse population of pregnant and lactating women in the Midwest. Pregnant female participants (N = 27) at least 18 years. or older living in the Midwest were recruited to participate in a maternal voices survey. A mix‐methods approach was used to capture the perceptions of maternal voices concerning the COVID‐19 vaccine. Participants completed an online survey on COVID‐19 disease burden, vaccine knowledge, and readiness for uptake. A total of 27 participants completed the Birth Equity Network Maternal Voices survey. Most participants were African American (64%). Sixty‐three percent intend to get the vaccine. Only 25% felt at‐risk for contracting COVID‐19, and 74% plan to consult their provider about getting the COVID‐19 vaccine. At least 66% had some concerns about the safety of the vaccine. Participants indicated a willingness to receive the COVID‐19 vaccine, especially if recommended by their provider. We found little racial/ethnic differences in perceptions of COVID‐19 and low vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess college students' food and housing insecurity risk amidst the pandemic. Data were collected through an online survey in the summer of 2020 from 1956 graduate and undergraduate students attending a large, private, urban university in the Midwest, U.S. Food insecurity among students increased (25% before; 29% during COVID) with housing insecurity staying roughly the same (34% before; 36% during COVID). Results indicate certain student groups were at greater risk of basic needs insecurity during the pandemic compared to their counterparts. Results also suggest changes in food and housing insecurity trends. College students are burdened with basic needs insecurity, exacerbated during the pandemic. Institutions need to work toward solutions to address the needs of vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by basic needs insecurity. Recommendations on addressing the basic needs of college students are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore nurses' experiences and perceptions at selected United States (U.S.) healthcare sites during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic brought rapid changes to the healthcare community. While a few studies have examined the early pandemic experiences of nurses in China and Europe, nurses' experiences across the United States have remained relatively underexplored. Design: A qualitative study design was used. Methods: Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods, we conducted eight focus groups across four hospital sites in the eastern, midwestern and western United States. Registered nurses with a minimum of six months' experience working in all clinical specialties were eligible. Forty‐three nurses participated. Data were analysed iteratively using the constant comparative method. The COREQ guidelines supported the work and reporting of this study. Results: The nurses experiencing a pandemic (NEXPIC) grounded theory emerged positing associations between four interrelated themes: Challenges, Feelings, Coping and Ethics. Nurses reported Challenges associated with changes in the work environment, community and themselves. They expressed more negative than positive feelings. Nurses coped using self‐care techniques, and teamwork within the healthcare organisation. Moral dilemmas, moral uncertainty, moral distress, moral injury and moral outrage were ethical issues associated with nurses' Challenges during the pandemic. Moral courage was associated with positive Coping. Conclusions: Awareness of frontline nurses' complex and interrelated needs may help healthcare organisations protect their human resources. This new theory provides preliminary theoretical support for future research and interventions to address the needs of frontline nurses. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses face added distress as frontline at‐risk caregivers. Interventions to promote nurses' ability to cope with personal and professional challenges from the pandemic and address ethical issues are needed to protect the nursing workforce. This study offers a new substantive theory that may be used to underpin future interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually all aspects of US life. It has disrupted education and employment and may have shifted the trade-off between employment and higher education in prospective students' minds. The pandemic may have especially disrupted the educational trajectories of traditionally underserved postsecondary students, such as those from low-income and/or racially minoritized backgrounds, who often work while pursuing their degrees. If the pandemic has affected current and potential students' subjective value of postsecondary education relative to its often-substantial costs, it may have affected their aspirations to enroll. Such effects may have lasting impacts on postsecondary enrollment and attainment, so are essential considerations. We provide suggestive evidence of such effects using data from the Understanding America Study, a nationally representative panel of US households. Using multilevel (respondent within household) ordered logistic models, we find that the pandemic has increased the subjective valuation of postsecondary education for non-white respondents relative to white respondents, for respondents in the South and West relative to the Northeast and Midwest, and over time for households with postsecondary students. We find no evidence for pandemic-driven differences in the subjective value of postsecondary education by household income level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we introduce a novel methodology to classify the dynamical stages of an epidemic, based on the different acceleration regimes of the corresponding growth curve. Our classification scheme is implemented by fitting the empirical data with a general class of mathematical growth models, from which we compute not only the growth acceleration but also its jerk and jounce (i.e., the first and second derivatives of the acceleration, respectively), thus allowing for a finer distinction of the epidemic stages. Using this methodology, we analyze the cumulative curves of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the 26 Brazilian States and the Federal District, up until August 21, 2020. The online application ModIntervCOVID-19, which automatically implements the classification scheme and which can be accessed via an internet browser or a mobile app, was used to investigate the epidemic stages in each of the Brazilian federal units. The analysis revealed that almost all states in the Northern and Northeastern regions were already in the saturation phase, meaning that the epidemic was relatively under control, whereas in all Southern states and in most states in the Midwest the epidemic was still accelerating or showed only a slight deceleration. The Southeastern region presented a great diversity of epidemic stages, with each state being found at a different stage, ranging from acceleration to saturation. It is argued that understanding this heterogeneous geographical distribution of the epidemic is relevant for public health authorities, as it may help in devising more effective strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic in a continental country like Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare working conditions causing the redeployment of nurses. Redeployment refers to assigning healthcare workers to units or specialty areas where they do not regularly work. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of redeployed nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic from April 27, 2020 to May 7, 2020. Methods: Data collection occurred through a cross-sectional survey with demographic items and a single open-ended item. This open-ended item was part of a larger study regarding work conditions during the initial COVID-19 surge in the spring of 2020 in the Midwest United States (US). This analysis was performed separately due to the volume of qualitative responses and details provided. The survey was posted in private social media groups, and 298 nurses participated, 117 shared openended responses. Participants were asked what type of unit they worked on before COVID-19 and what unit they were deployed to. Findings: Twenty-three (19.7%) reported deployment to COVID-designated units. Twenty-eight (23.9%) participants reported deployment to a unit outside of their specialty. Sixteen (13.7%) reported deployment from a non-critical care unit to an intensive care unit. Three major themes developed from the open-ended responses: (1) challenges related to their scope of practice and specialization, (2) challenges with interpersonal dynamics, and (3) challenges related to the environment. Conclusion: The described challenges caused some nurses to report primarily negative experiences regarding redeployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings add to the existing literature regarding redeployment and the vulnerability hospitals and their staff face during a disaster or pandemic-related events, such as COVID-19. Ultimately, aiding in the development of new policies to facilitate effective pandemic response in the future that would support nurses to participate in redeployment in a safe and nontraumatic way, is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Good preconception and interconception health are fundamental to optimizing women’s health and reducing risk factors for adverse maternal–infant outcomes. Although rural women in the United States tend to experience health disparities, no published qualitative studies have focused on their preconception/interconception health. The purpose of this study was to determine what rural, Midwestern women perceive to be their most pressing health needs and effective ways to provide outreach and education regarding preconception/interconception health and care. Methods: Non-pregnant, reproductive-age women in Hardin County, Ohio, regardless of parity, were recruited through convenience sampling. Semi-structured interviews with four domains (beliefs and behaviors; perceived needs; knowledge and information sources; barriers to care) were conducted in May–June 2021 until saturation was reached. Qualitative methods were used to analyze data and determine themes. Binomial tests were used to compare selected demographic characteristics of participants to the county’s reproductive-age residential female population. Results: Nineteen women aged 20–44 years were individually interviewed. Comparing race/ethnicity, education, and insurance status, participants appeared to be representative of the county population. Four themes were identified: (1) needs regarding healthcare and other resources; (2) lack of preconception/interconception care and perceived unimportance due to intergenerational knowledge transfer and paucity of healthcare providers; (3) difference in understanding of the term “women’s health” and low health literacy; and (4) suggested interventions including education and outreach. Conclusion: Interviews with rural Midwestern women revealed needs regarding preconception/interconception health and care and potential ways to raise awareness. These findings can inform strategies to improve rural women’s health and birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes care has been traditionally focused on targeting certain levels of glycemic control. This narrow emphasis may impose burdens on patients, including high treatment costs, illness-related work, or side effects from medications, while leaving other patient needs and goals under-addressed. The authors aim to shift the paradigm of care for people with diabetes, to focus on quality of life, burden of treatment, safety, and avoidance of future events: the QBSAfe domains. Methods: We describe a single-arm pilot study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using the QBSAfe agenda setting kit (ASK) during routine clinical visits. The set of 14 conversation aid cards was co-developed with patients, family caregivers, and clinicians. The ASK will be used in the context of a clinic visit, which will be recorded by members of the study team to identify patterns of clinician-patient conversations. Feasibility will be measured by the number of participants recruited, time to goal accrual, and completeness of data collection; acceptability will be assessed using post-visit surveys of patients and clinicians. A subgroup of patients will be invited to participate in post-visit qualitative semi-structured interviews for additional feedback. This study will be conducted across three medical centers in the Midwest and East Coast of the USA. Discussion: Current healthcare infrastructure and associated demands and pressures on clinicians make changes in care difficult. However, this intervention has the potential to shift conversations during clinical encounters so they can address and directly respond to patient needs, symptoms, and capacity. As part of the QBSAfe ASK, the authors are also actively collaborating with a variety of stakeholders to create tools to help clinicians respond more effectively to patient concerns as they are raised during the clinical encounters. Additional insights about the use of the QBSAfe approach in the virtual space will be gathered during the process of our study due to restrictions imposed upon face to face visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04514523. Registered 17 August 2020—retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of chronic stressors like the COVID‐19 pandemic is likely to be magnified in adolescents with pre‐existing mental health risk, such as attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined changes in and predictors of adolescent mental health from before to during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Methods: Participants include 238 adolescents (132 males; ages 15–17; 118 with ADHD). Parents and adolescents provided ratings of mental health symptoms shortly before the COVID‐19 pandemic and in spring and summer 2020. Results: Adolescents on average experienced an increase in depression, anxiety, sluggish cognitive tempo, inattentive, and oppositional/defiant symptoms from pre‐COVID‐19 to spring 2020; however, with the exception of inattention, these symptoms decreased from spring to summer 2020. Adolescents with ADHD were more likely than adolescents without ADHD to experience an increase in inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, and oppositional/defiant symptoms. Adolescents with poorer pre‐COVID‐19 emotion regulation abilities were at‐risk for experiencing increases in all mental health symptoms relative to adolescents with better pre‐COVID‐19 emotion regulation abilities. Interactive risk based on ADHD status and pre‐COVID‐19 emotion regulation abilities was found for inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, such that adolescents with ADHD and poor pre‐COVID‐19 emotion regulation displayed the highest symptomatology across timepoints. Lower family income related to increases in inattention but higher family income related to increases in oppositional/defiant symptoms. Conclusions: The early observed increases in adolescent mental health symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic do not on average appear to be sustained following the lift of stay‐at‐home orders, though studies evaluating mental health across longer periods of time are needed. Emotion dysregulation and ADHD increase risk for sustained negative mental health functioning and highlight the need for interventions for these populations during chronic stressors. Results and clinical implications should be considered within the context of our predominately White, middle class sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early in the pandemic, slowing the spread of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) relied on non-pharmaceutical interventions. All U.S. states adopted social-distancing restrictions in March and April of 2020, though policies varied both in timing and scope. Compared to states with Democratic governors, those with Republican governors often adopted measures for shorter durations and with greater resistance from their residents. In Kentucky, an extremely close gubernatorial election immediately prior to the discovery of SARS-CoV-2 replaced a Republican incumbent with a Democrat, despite Republicans easily winning all other statewide races. This chance election result offers a unique opportunity to examine the impact of early social distancing policies in a relatively conservative, rural, white-working-class state. Our study begins by estimating an event-study model to link adoption of several common social distancing measures–public school closures, bans on large gatherings, closures of entertainment-related businesses such as restaurants, and shelter-in-place orders (SIPOs)–to the growth rate of cases across counties in the Midwest and South in the early stages of the pandemic. These policies combined to slow the daily growth rate of COVID-19 cases by 9 percentage points after 16 days, with SIPOs and entertainment establishment closures accounting for the entire effect. In order to obtain results with more direct applicability to Kentucky, we then estimate a model that interacts the policy variables with a "white working class" index characterized by political conservatism, rurality, and high percentages of white, evangelical Christian residents without college degrees. We find that the effectiveness of early social distancing measures decreased with higher values of this index. The results imply that the restrictions combined to slow the spread of COVID-19 by 12 percentage points per day in Kentucky's two largest urban counties but had no statistically detectable effect across the rest of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work educators prepare students to respond to crises across system levels. A global pandemic or large-scale disasters, however, present challenges educators are ill prepared for. This study explored the experiences of BSW and MSW students during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a trauma-informed pedagogy framework, a team of faculty and students conducted in-depth interviews with social work students at a Midwestern school of social work. Thematic analyses revealed two categories. First, broad lessons learned included clear guidelines for educators across higher education. Second, three themes revealed tensions in student reactions to their experiences during COVID-19: (a) loss versus safety, (b) flexibility versus structure, and (c) affective responses versus competing responsibilities. Findings are discussed and implications for social work are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives In addition to increased physical health risks, older adults may also experience risks to their mental health and social well-being due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Yet, older adults may be uniquely able to cope given their life experiences and coping mechanisms. This study explores older adults' coping experiences and strategies during the initial weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research Design and Methods A Midwestern sample of 76 older adults aged 70–97 years completed a phone interview about their experiences with social distancing due to COVID-19. Interviews were conducted during the early weeks of regional social distancing (March 28–April 20, 2020). Participants rated their level of perceived coping and responded to open-ended questions about their daily life and coping. Results Mean perceived coping level (on a scale from 1 to 10) was 7.9, with 87% of participants rating their coping positively. Primary themes that emerged included (a) staying busy, (b) seeking social support, and (c) having a positive mindset. These emotion-focused coping strategies appeared adaptive in the early weeks of the pandemic for most older adults. Discussion and Implications Contrary to predominant messaging about the vulnerability of older adults, these findings highlight the resilient nature of older adults in terms of their psychological coping and adaptability during COVID-19. Future research should build upon these findings to better understand and promote late-life coping during crises. Practitioners should seek to support older adults' engagement in such proactive coping, and social policies should be developed to acknowledge the variable needs of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has been one of the most significant disruptors of higher education in modern history. Higher education institutions rapidly transitioned to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in mid-to-late March of 2020. The extent of COVID-19's impact on teaching and learning, and the resulting challenges facilitating ERT during this time, likely varied by faculty, institutional, and geographical characteristics. In this study, we identified challenges in teaching and learning during the initial transition to ERT at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) in the Midwest, United States. We conducted in-depth interviews with 14 faculty teaching at Midwestern PUIs to explore their lived experiences. We describe the most overarching challenges related to faculty teaching through four emergent themes: pedagogical changes, work-life balance, face-to-face interactions, and physical and mental health. Five themes emerged that we used to describe the most overarching challenges related to students and their learning: learning patterns, technology access, additional responsibilities, learning community, and mental health. Based upon the identified challenges, we provide broad recommendations that can be used to foster a more successful transition to ERT in unforeseen regional or global crises in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]