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Objective: This study examined ethnic differences in accessing treatment for depression and substance use disorders (SUDs) among men and women in a large integrated health plan, and explored factors potentially contributing to health care disparities. Methods: Participants were 22,543 members ages 20 to 65 who responded to health surveys in 2002 and 2005. Survey questions were linked to provider-assigned diagnoses, electronic medication, psychiatry, and chemical dependency program records. Results: Among women diagnosed with depression, Latinas (p < .01) and Asian-Americans (p < .001) were less likely than Whites to fill an antidepressant prescription. Among men diagnosed with depression, African Americans (p < .01) were less likely than Whites to do so. Among women diagnosed with an SUD, African Americans (p < .05) were less likely than Whites to have one or more chemical dependency program visits. Conclusions: Results demonstrated ethnic differences in accessing depression and SUD treatment among patients diagnosed with these disorders, which persisted after controlling for education, income, having a regular health care provider and length of health plan enrollment. Findings highlight potential gender differences in ethnic disparities, lower antidepressant utilization among Asian Americans, and the effects of co-occurring disorders in accessing behavioral health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between drinking patterns, medical conditions, and behavioral health risks among older adults. METHODS: Analyses compared survey participants (health plan members ages 65 to 90, N = 6662) who drank moderately to those who drank over recommended limits or did not drink. RESULTS: Overlimit drinking was associated with smoking; not trying to eat low-fat foods (in men), and lower BMI (in women). Predictors of not drinking during the prior 12 months included ethnicity, lower education, worse self-reported health, diabetes and heart problems. CONCLUSIONS: Significant relationships exist between health and alcohol consumption patterns, which vary by gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between healthcare use and children's healthcare needs as assessed from the perspectives of children themselves, parents, and healthcare practitioners.Research Design: We conducted a prospective cohort study in which service use was monitored for the 12 months before and after administration of a health survey.Subjects: We studied 384 parents and children aged 6 to 11 years enrolled for 2 years in a northern California health maintenance organization or a Medicaid managed care program in Rhode Island.Measures: Child and parent perspectives on needs were determined using the Child Health and Illness Profile, Child Edition (CHIP-CE). Plan administrative data were used to develop a treated morbidity index, which was based on diagnosis codes recorded by practitioners during the year before the survey and to obtain prospective measures of service use.Results: For both child- and parent-respondents, low satisfaction and comfort scale scores from the CHIP-CE were significant predictors of number of visits. CHIP-CE domain scales unrelated to future use were risk avoidance, resilience, and achievement. Multivariable regression using CHIP-CE information collected from children explained more variation in total physician visits than models that used parent-respondent data. The treated morbidity index was a weaker predictor of physician visits than the CHIP-CE scale scores. None of the domain scales were significant predictors of any emergency department use or any specialist use; however, the treated morbidity index was associated with any specialist use.Conclusions: A child's sense of well-being and burden of symptoms predict future use. Perceived healthcare needs, as assessed by the CHIP-CE, is a better predictor of children's service use than evaluated needs as assessed by physician-diagnosed disorders. Our results support the validity of using the responses of children aged 6 to 11 years as a measure of need for future health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During spring 1996, random samples of adult primary care physicians, obstetrics-gynecology physicians and nurse practitioners, and adult members of a large northern California group practice model health maintenance organization (HMO) were surveyed by mail to assess the use of alternative therapies and the extent of interest in having them incorporated into HMO-delivered care. Sixty-one percent (n = 624) of adult primary care physicians, 70% (n = 157) of obstetrics-gynecology clinicians, and 50% (2 surveys, n = 1,507 and n = 17,735) of adult HMO members responded. During the previous 12 months, 25% of adults reported using and nearly 90% of adult primary care physicians and obstetrics-gynecology clinicians reported recommending at least 1 alternative therapy, primarily for pain management. Chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and behavioral medicine techniques such as meditation and relaxation training were most often cited. Obstetrics-gynecology clinicians used herbal and homeopathic medicines more often than adult primary care physicians, primarily for menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Two thirds of adult primary care physicians and three fourths of obstetrics-gynecology clinicians were at least moderately interested in using alternative therapies with patients, and nearly 70% of young and middle-aged adult and half of senior adult members were interested in having alternative therapies incorporated into their health care. Adult primary care physicians and members were more interested in having the HMO cover manipulative and behavioral medicine therapies than homeopathic or herbal medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction We aimed to describe the relationship of educational attainment with the prevalence of six health outcomes (ever and current smoking, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in an older adult population, including whether education-health relationships differed by health outcome, by racial and ethnic (racial/ethnic) group, and by racial/ethnic group within the same level of education. Methods This cross-sectional study used 2015-2016 electronic health record data for 149,417 non-Hispanic White (White), 15,398 African-American or other Black (Black), 15,319 Hispanic or Latino (Latino), 10,133 Filipino, and 8810 Chinese Northern California health plan members aged 65-79 years whose preferred language was English. For each racial/ethnic group, sex-specific age-standardized prevalence of the six health outcomes was estimated for four levels of education (non-high school graduate, high school graduate, some college, college graduate). Age-adjusted prevalence ratios were used to compare the prevalence between adjacent levels of education and at lower versus college graduate levels within racial/ethnic groups, and the prevalence between White adults and adults in the other racial/ethnic groups, within each level of education and overall. Results The education-health relationship varied across racial/ethnic groups and health outcomes, with gradient relationships more consistently seen for White, Black, and Latino older adults than Filipino and Chinese older adults. Even when a gradient relationship was not observed, the prevalence at the college graduate level was usually significantly lower than the prevalence at the three lower levels of education. The prevalence of current smoking, diabetes, and hypertension was higher among Black than White adults at most levels of education. Controlling for education level minimally affected comparisons of overall prevalence of health outcomes between adults in the White and the other racial/ethnic groups, with the broadest impact seen for Latino-White comparisons. Conclusions The relationship of level of education and health outcomes differs across racial/ethnic groups and by health outcome. This should be taken into consideration when using education as a risk adjustment factor or predictor of health outcomes in multi-ethnic older adult populations., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Kaiser Permanente Northern California Institutional Review Board issued approval Exempt. This study was reviewed and approved by the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region Institutional Review Board, which waived requirements for obtaining informed consent and Privacy Rule Authorization for use and disclosure of protected health information. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Gordon et al.)

Background: Health care systems are increasingly encouraging patients to use patient portals and participate in video visits. However, there is limited information about how portal use differs among older adults., Objective: This study aimed to understand how patient portal and video visit use differed by age, race, and ethnicity among older adult patients with access to the same digital health resources., Methods: This cross-sectional study used electronic health record and survey data for adults aged 65 to 85 years who were members of a large Northern California health care delivery system throughout 2019 and 2020. The electronic health record cohort (N=471,152) included 320,686 White, 35,892 Black, 44,922 Latino, 20,786 Chinese, 28,732 Filipino, 8473 South Asian, 6716 Japanese, 2930 Vietnamese, and 2015 Korean adults. Racial and ethnic group and age group (65 to 75 years vs 76 to 85 years) differences in having a patient portal account by December 2020, the performance of 2 portal activities (sending ≥1 message to a clinician in 2019 or 2020 and viewing ≥1 laboratory test result in 2020), and having ≥1 video visit during 2020 were examined. Modified log-Poisson regression was used to examine prevalence ratios for portal and video visit use, comparing racial and ethnic groups to White adults and Asian ethnic groups to Chinese adults after adjusting for sex and age. Data from a 2020 member survey were used to compare internet use factors among 2867 White, 306 Black, 343 Latino, 225 Chinese, and 242 Filipino adults., Results: Black, Latino, and Filipino adults were less likely to have a patient portal account than White adults, and Filipino adults were less likely to have a patient portal account than Chinese adults. Black, Latino, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asian adults were less likely to have sent messages and viewed test results than White adults, while Chinese and Japanese adults' use of these features was similar to that of White adults. Filipino, Vietnamese, and Korean adults were less likely to have performed the aforementioned activities than Chinese adults. Video visit use was lower among Black and Latino adults and higher among Chinese and South Asian adults compared with White adults (aged 76 to 85 years) and lower among Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese adults compared to Chinese adults. Survey data suggested that underlying differences in internet use may partially explain the lower use of messaging by Black, Latino, and Filipino adults compared with White and Chinese adults., Conclusions: Patient portal and video visit use differed by race, ethnicity, and age group among older adult patients with access to the same patient portal. Internet use factors may contribute to these differences. Differences in patient portal and video visit use across Asian subgroups underscore the importance of disaggregating use data by Asian ethnicity., (©Nancy P Gordon, Chelsea Yin, Joan C Lo. Originally published in JMIR Aging (https://aging.jmir.org), 07.11.2024.)

While US Asian and Pacific Islander adults have lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels than White adults, ethnic subgroup data remain limited. In a large California population, the adjusted prevalence of 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L) was 1.5- to 2.7-fold higher for Asian/Pacific Islander compared to White adults, with substantial variation by ethnicity., Purpose: US Asian and Pacific Islander (PI) adults generally have lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels than non-Hispanic White (NHW) adults, but subgroup data remain limited. We compared sex- and ethnicity-specific prevalence of low 25(OH)D among older Asian/PI and NHW adults., Methods: Data from 102,556 Asian/PI and 381,724 NHW adults aged 50-89 years with measured 25(OH)D in 2012-2019 and body mass index (BMI, within ± 1 year) were examined in a California healthcare system. Low 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L) was examined by race and ethnicity. Covariates included age, smoking, BMI, and season of measurement. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (aPR), adjusting for covariates., Results: Among 31,287 Asian/PI men and 71,269 Asian/PI women, the prevalence of low 25(OH)D was 22.6% and 14.7%, respectively, significantly higher than observed for 122,162 NHW men (12.3%) and 259,562 NHW women (9.9%). Within Asian/PI subgroups, low 25(OH)D prevalence ranged from 17 to 18% (Korean, Japanese, Filipino), 22 to 24% (Chinese, Vietnamese), 28% (South Asian), and 35% (Native Hawaiian/PI) among men and 11 to 14% (Japanese, Filipina, Chinese, Korean), 17 to 18% (South Asian, Vietnamese), and 26% (Native Hawaiian/PI) among women. The corresponding aPRs (NHW reference) for men and women were as follows: Native Hawaiian/PI, 2.70 and 2.34; South Asian, 2.56 and 2.07; Vietnamese, 2.17 and 2.31; Chinese, 2.04 and 1.89; Korean, 1.60 and 1.85; Filipino, 1.58 and 1.52; and Japanese, 1.58 and 1.49 (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: In a large US healthcare population of older Asian/PI adults, low 25(OH)D prevalence was 1.5- to 2.7-fold higher for Asian/PI compared to NHW adults, with substantial variation by sex and ethnicity., (© 2024. International Osteoporosis Foundation and Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation.)

Introduction: Complementary health (CH) modalities can be used as part of a Lifestyle Medicine (LM) approach to preventing and managing chronic conditions., Methods: This cross-sectional study used data for respondents to the 2020 (N = 6,715) and 2014/2015 (N = 11,112) cycles of a Northern California health plan member survey to estimate use in 2020 of five CH modalities relevant to LM: vegetarian/vegan diet, mind/body stress management techniques (MBSM), yoga/Pilates, massage therapy, and prayer/spiritual practice. Use was estimated by sex and racial/ethnic group (White, Black, Latino, Asian/PI)) for ages 35-64 and 65-79 years and for adults 35-79 years with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, fair/poor sleep quality, and chronic stress. CH use in 2020 was compared to 2014/2015., Results: In 2020, 53% of adults used ≥1 of these CH modalities, including 8.4% vegetarian/vegan diet, 25.8% MBSM, 23.7% prayer/spiritual practice, 16.5% yoga/Pilates, and 17.7% massage. Sex, age group, and racial/ethnic differences were seen in use of most CH modalities, and CH modality use varied by health condition. Significant increases from 2014/2015 to 2020 were seen in use of MBSM and yoga/Pilates, vegetarian/vegan diet, and prayer/spiritual practice., Conclusion: There is substantial opportunity to increase use of CH modalities within a LM approach to preventing and managing chronic health conditions., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).)

Background: During the first nine months of the COVID-19 emergency, patients were encouraged to use virtual versus clinic visits if in-person care was not deemed necessary by clinical staff. This study examined the association of spoken language preference and ethnicity with use of video versus phone virtual visits by US Latino and Chinese adult patients who got care in the same healthcare system., Methods: We analyzed electronic health record data for four groups of adults aged 26-85y who had ≥ 1 primary or specialty care outpatient clinician visits during April-December 2020: 80,869 Latino adults preferring Spanish (LEP Latino); 214,765 Latino adults preferring English (non-LEP Latino); 23,430 Chinese adults preferring a Chinese dialect (LEP Chinese); and 49,710 Chinese adults preferring English (non-LEP Chinese). Prevalence of the following utilization outcomes were compared by language preference (LEP/non-LEP) within ethnicity and by ethnicity within language preference for four age subgroups (26-39y, 40-64y, 65-75y, and 76-85y): ≥ 1 virtual (video or phone) visit, ≥ 1 video visit, ≥ 1 phone visit, ≥ 1 clinic visit, video visits only, and phone visits only. We also compared ethnicity x language group differences within age subgroups using absolute difference and adjusted prevalence ratios derived from modified log-Poisson regression models that controlled for age and sex., Results: Among virtual users, LEP Latino and Chinese adults were significantly less likely to use video visits and more likely to use phone visits than non-LEP Latino and Chinese adults in the same age strata. The LEP/non-LEP difference in video visit use was significantly larger among Latino than Chinese patients, with no similar ethnic group difference observed for phone visits. Within the LEP and non-LEP language groups, Chinese adults were significantly more likely than Latino adults to use video visits and less likely to use phone visits., Conclusions: During the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, uptake of video and phone virtual visits by Latino and Chinese adults significantly differed by LEP/non-LEP status within ethnicity and by ethnicity within LEP/non-LEP language group. These findings underscore the importance of disaggregating data by ethnicity and language preference when attempting to understand and study patient use of different virtual visit modalities., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The 2014 IOM report "Capturing Social and Behavioral Domains and Measures in Electronic Health Records" described three subdomains of social relationships that affect patient health and well-being. However, most social risk screeners currently assess only one subdomain, frequency of social connections. We are proposing a three-item Brief Social Connectedness (SC) screener that additionally assesses risks in social/emotional support and loneliness/social isolation subdomains., Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we used data from a 2021 Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) social risk survey for 2244 members ages 35-85 years. The survey included three validated questions that covered the SC subdomains (frequencies of social contacts with people they care about, feeling lonely/socially isolated, and getting enough social/emotional support). Variables representing moderate/high versus low risk were created for each subdomain. We used weighted data for bivariate analyses and modified log-Poisson regression models that adjusted for age, sex, race, and ethnicity to examine cross-sectional associations among the three subdomain risks, as well as with two structural SC risks, living alone and not being in a committed relationship. We then used modified log-Poisson regression models to study cross-sectional associations of these five SC variables with three single-item self-report measures of emotional health., Results: In regression models that included all five SC variables, loneliness/social isolation and social/emotional support risks were significantly associated with all three emotional health measures, while frequency of social contacts, living alone, and no committed relationship were not. However, low frequency of social contacts and no committed relationship significantly increased risk of often feeling lonely/socially isolated and lacking in social/emotional support., Conclusions: A three-item social connectedness screener that assessed risks of loneliness/social isolation, inadequate social/emotional support, and low frequency of social contacts provided more comprehensive information about emotional health risks than social connection frequency alone., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Gordon, Stiefel. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: Patients are being encouraged to complete forms electronically using patient portals rather than on paper, but willingness of older adults to make this transition is uncertain., Methods: The authors analyzed data for 4105 Kaiser Permanente Northern California 2020 Member Health Survey respondents aged 65-85 years who answered a question about willingness to complete online forms and questionnaires using a patient portal. Data weighted to the Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership were used to estimate percentages of older adults willing to complete patient portal forms and questionnaires. Chi-square tests and log-Poisson regression models that included sociodemographic, internet use, and patient portal variables were used to identify factors predictive of willingness., Results: Overall, 59.6% of older adults were willing to complete patient portal forms, 17.6% were not willing, and 22.8% were not sure. Adults aged 75-85 (49.5%) vs 65-74 years (64.8%) and Black (51.9%) and Latino (46.5%) vs White (62.8%) adults were less likely to indicate willingness. In addition to racial and ethnic differences and younger age, higher educational attainment, use of the internet alone (vs internet use with help or not at all), having an internet-enabled computer or tablet, and having sent at least 1 message through the patient portal increased likelihood of being willing., Conclusions: Health care teams should assess older adults' capabilities and comfort related to completion of patient portal-based forms and support those willing to make the digital transition. Paper forms and oral collection of information should remain available for those unable or unwilling to make this digital transition., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestNone declared

Introduction: The prevalence of hypertension increases with age and differs by race and ethnicity. Among U.S. Asian adults, prevalence is higher for Filipino adults than for other major Asian subgroups, but whether this disparity exists across the adult lifespan is unknown. This study examined hypertension prevalence by age decade, comparing Filipino adults with South Asian, Chinese, Black, Hispanic, and White adults., Methods: This cross-sectional study used 2015-2016 electronic health record data from a Northern California integrated healthcare delivery system for 1,839,603 adults aged 30-79 years, including 128,124 Filipino adults. Hypertension was defined by diagnosis codes. Sex-specific prevalence was calculated by race and ethnicity overall and by 10-year age decade from ages 30-39 years to 70-79 years. The prevalence of hypertension among 5 racial and ethnic groups was compared within each decade (with Filipino as the reference), adjusting for age, English language, diabetes, smoking, and weight category., Results: Decade-specific prevalence of hypertension among Filipino men and women, respectively, was 9.7% and 8.5% for ages 30-39 years, 26.0% and 23.9% for ages 40-49 years, 45.9% and 44.4% for ages 50-59 years, 65.4% and 63.9% for ages 60-69 years, and 82.1% and 82.9% for ages 70-79 years. Across all age decades, hypertension prevalence among Filipino adults largely tracked with Black adults and was much higher than among South Asian, Chinese, White, and Hispanic adults. This pattern remained after adjusting for covariates, with the largest differences observed for adults aged <60 years., Conclusions: Similar to Black adults, Filipino adults have persistently higher hypertension prevalence than South Asian, Chinese, Hispanic, and White adults across the adult lifespan. These findings underscore the importance of surveillance and prevention efforts for this high-risk Asian group beginning in early adulthood., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Purpose: To understand the ways in which autistic Latinx children experience disparities in diagnosis, healthcare, and receipt of specialty services., Methods: 417 individuals who identified as Latinx caregivers of autistic children who were members of the same integrated healthcare system in Northern California were surveyed. Responses were analyzed using the child's insurance coverage (Government or Commercial) and caregiver's primary language (Spanish or English)., Results: Compared to the commercially-insured, government-insured participants accessed several services at a higher rate and were less likely to cite the high cost of co-pays as a barrier., Conclusion: There were no significant differences in service access by language status, but Spanish speakers were more likely to cite health literacy as a barrier to receiving care., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Healthcare screening identifies factors that impact patient health and well-being. Hunger as a Vital Sign (HVS) is widely applied as a screening tool to assess food security. However, there are no common practice screening questions to identify patients who are nutrition insecure or acquire free food from community-based organizations. This study used self-reported survey data from a non-Medicaid insured adult population approximately one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). The survey examined the extent to which the HVS measure might have under-estimated population-level food insecurity and/or nutrition insecurity, as well as under-identified food and nutrition insecurity among patients being screened for social risks in the healthcare setting., Methods: Data from a 2021 English-only mailed/online survey were analyzed for 2791 Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) non-Medicaid insured members ages 35-85 years. Sociodemographics, financial strain, food insecurity, acquiring free food from community-based organizations, and nutrition insecurity were assessed. Data from respondents' electronic health records were abstracted to identify adults with diet-related chronic health conditions. Data were weighted to the age × sex × racial/ethnic composition of the 2019 KPNC adult membership. Differences between groups were evaluated for statistical significance using adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) derived from modified log Poisson regression models., Results: Overall, 8.5% of participants reported moderate or high food insecurity, 7.7% had acquired free food from community-based organizations, and 13% had nutrition insecurity. Black and Latino adults were significantly more likely than White adults to have food insecurity (17.4% and 13.1% vs 5.6%, aPRs = 2.97 and 2.19), acquired free food from community-based organizations (15.1% and 15.3% vs 4.1%, aPRs = 3.74 and 3.93), nutrition insecurity (22.1% and 23.9% vs 7.9%, aPRs = 2.65 and 2.64), and food and nutrition insecurity (32.4% and 32.5% vs 12.3%, aPRs = 2.54 and 2.44). Almost 20% of adults who had been diagnosed with diabetes, prediabetes, ischemic CAD, or heart failure were food insecure and 14% were nutrition insecure., Conclusions: Expanding food-related healthcare screening to identify and assess food insecurity, nutrition insecurity, and use of community-based emergency food resources together is essential for supporting referrals that will help patients achieve optimal health., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: Financial strain has important consequences for patients, providers, and health care systems. However, there is currently no gold standard measure to screen for financial strain. This study compared the performance of 3 single-item screeners using a composite measure of financial strain as a "gold standard.", Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of unweighted data from a 2021 survey of Kaiser Permanente Northern California health plan members comparing the percentages of adults who experienced financial strain based on 3 general single-item screeners, a screener specific to medical and dental health care use, and a composite financial strain measure. The study sample was comprised of 2734 non-Medicaid insured adults who answered all financial strain questions. Kappa statistics evaluating agreement of the 3 general screeners with the composite measure were calculated for the sample overall, by age group, and within age group, by 4 levels of income and 4 racial/ethnic subgroups., Results: Among 947 adults aged 35 to 65, 30.7% had just enough money or not enough money to make ends meet, 23.3% had a somewhat hard or hard time paying for basics, 18.8% had trouble paying for ≥1 type of expense, 20.5% had delayed/used less medical/dental care, and 41.5% had experienced financial strain based on the composite measure. Among 1787 adults aged 66 to 85, the percentages who screened positive on these measures were 22.7%, 19.4%, 12.9%, 19.8%, and 34.4%, respectively. Across the sample, by income categories and racial/ethnic groups, the making ends meet screener identified higher percentages of adults experiencing financial strain and performed better when compared with the composite measure than the hard to pay for the very basics and trouble paying for expenses screeners. Overall, substantial decreases in the percentages of adults who screened positive on the financial strain measures were seen as level of income increased. Within income categories, middle-aged adults were more likely than older adults to have experienced financial strain based on the composite and general single-item screeners., Conclusions: As social risk screening becomes part of the standard of care, it will be important to assess how well different brief screeners for financial strain perform with diverse patient populations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background Advance directives (AD) are an important component of life care planning for patients undergoing treatment for cancer; however, there are few effective interventions to increase AD rates. In this quality improvement project, the authors integrated AD counseling into a novel right info/right care/right patient/right time (4R) sequence of care oncology delivery intervention for breast cancer patients in an integrated health care delivery system. Methods The authors studied two groups of patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who attended a multidisciplinary clinic and underwent definitive surgery at a single facility. The usual care (UC) cohort (N = 139) received care from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. The 4R cohort (N = 141) received care from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2121 that included discussing AD completion with a health educator prior to surgery. The authors used bivariate analyses to assess whether the AD intervention increased AD completion rates and to identify factors influencing AD completion. Results The UC and 4R cohorts were similar in age, gender, race/ethnicity, interpreter need, Elixhauser comorbidity index, National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress score ≥ 5, surgery type, stage, histology, grade, and Estrogen receptor/Progesterone receptor/ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ER/PR/HER2) status. AD completion rates prior to surgery were significantly higher for the 4R vs UC cohort (73.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] [66.5%-81.0%] vs 15.1%, 95% CI [9.2%-21.1%], p < .01) and did not significantly differ by age, race, need for interpreter, or distress scores. Conclusion Incorporation of a health educator discussion into a 4R care sequence plan significantly increased rates of time-sensitive AD completion., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest Julia R Trosman Consulting or Advisory Role: Genentech (Inst) Research Funding: The Merck Foundation (Inst), Pfizer (Inst), National Comprehensive Cancer Network (Inst), Genentech (Inst); Christine B Weldon Consulting or Advisory Role: Genentech (Inst) Speakers' Bureau: Genentech; Arliene Ravelo Employment: Genentech/Roche Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Roche; Raymond Liu Research Funding: Genentech

Background: At least 10% of lung cancers arise in adults who have never used tobacco. Data remain inconclusive on whether lung cancer incidence has been increasing among adults who have never used tobacco., Research Question: How have age-adjusted incidence rates of lung cancer changed temporally, especially among adults who have never used tobacco?, Study Design and Methods: Trends in lung cancer incidence were examined using linked electronic health record and cancer registry data on a dynamic cohort of adults ≥ 30 years of age at risk of incident lung cancer between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2018, from an integrated health-care system in northern California. Truncated age-adjusted lung cancer incidence rates and average annual percentage change (AAPC) in rates were estimated, overall and separately for adults who have ever and never used tobacco by age, sex, and race or ethnicity., Results: The cohort included 3,751,348 adults (52.5% female, 48.0% non-Hispanic White, 63.1% have never used tobacco), among whom 18,627 (52.7% female, 68.6% non-Hispanic White, 15.4% have never used tobacco) received a diagnosis of lung cancer. The overall lung cancer incidence rate declined from 91.1 to 63.7 per 100,000 person-years between 2007 and 2009 and between 2016 and 2018 (AAPC, -3.9%; 95% CI, -4.2% to -3.6%). Among adults who have ever used tobacco, incidence rates declined overall from 167.0 to 113.4 per 100,000 person-years (AAPC, -4.2%; 95% CI, -4.4% to -3.9%) and, to varying degrees, within all age, sex, and racial or ethnic groups. Among adults who have never used tobacco, incidence rates were relatively constant, with 3-year-period estimates ranging from 19.9 to 22.6 per 100,000 person-years (AAPC, 0.9%; 95% CI, -0.3% to 2.1%). Incidence rates for adults who have never used tobacco seemed stable over time, within age, sex, and racial or ethnic groups, except for those of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) origin (AAPC, 2.0%; 95% CI, 0.1%-3.9%), whose rates were about twice as high compared with their counterparts., Interpretation: These observed trends underscore the need to elucidate further the cause of lung cancer in adults who have never used tobacco, including why incidence is higher and rising in API adults who have never used tobacco., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In 2018, California legalized the sale of cannabis for adult nonmedical use. To understand use of cannabis after legalization, we surveyed a stratified random sample of adults in a large health system (ages 19-64 years) with and without documented chronic pain about their reasons for cannabis use from November 2018 to March 2019., Method: We compared patients with and without chronic pain on measures for medical, nonmedical, pain-related, and mental health-related cannabis use based on self-reported symptoms., Results: Patients with chronic pain reported higher past-year medical use (34.6%) compared to patients without chronic pain (22.8%), past-year pain-related use (29.7% vs. 15.5%), and past-year mental health-related use (24.8% vs. 18.9%). In adjusted models, relative to patients without chronic pain, those with chronic pain had a 6.2% (95% CI [0.010, 0.11]) higher probability of past-year medical cannabis use and an 8.0% (95% CI [0.035, 0.13]) higher probability of past-year pain-related cannabis use., Conclusions: Compared to patients without chronic pain, patients with chronic pain were more likely to use cannabis for reasons related to medical and pain symptoms in the past year. Use for past-year mental health symptoms did not differ between these two groups. Cannabis use among patients with and without chronic pain is common after legalization for nonmedical use, and understanding reasons for use is important to improve overall patient care.

Introduction Information about demographic differences in social risks, needs, and attitudes toward social health screening in non-highly vulnerable adult populations is lacking. Methods The authors analyzed data for 2869 Kaiser Permanente Northern California non-Medicaid-covered members aged 35 to 85 who responded to a 2021 English-only mailed/online survey. The survey covered 7 social risk and 11 social needs domains and attitudes toward social health screening. The authors used data weighted to the Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership to estimate prevalence of risks, needs, and screening receptivity in the overall population, by race/ethnicity (White, Black, Latinx, Asian American/Pacific Islander) and age (35-65 years old, 66-85 years old). Multivariable regression was used to evaluate differences between groups. Results Overall, 26% of adults were financially strained, 12% food insecure, 12% housing insecure, and 5% transportation insecure. Additionally, 7%, 8%, and 17% had difficulty paying for utilities, medical expenses, and dental care, respectively. Over 40% of adults wanted help with ≥ 1 social need. Dental care, vision/hearing care, paying for medical expenses and utilities, and managing debt/credit card repayment surpassed food, housing, and transportation needs. Prevalence of social risks and needs was generally higher among middle-aged versus older and Black and Latinx versus White adults. Among the 70% of adults receptive to screening, 85% were willing to complete a questionnaire and 40% were willing to have staff ask questions; 18% did not want to be screened. Conclusion When implementing social health screening in diverse patient populations, the prevalence of social risks and needs, as well as the acceptability of social health screening and screening modalities, will vary among demographic subgroups., Competing Interests: Conflicts of InterestNone declared

Background: Asian and Pacific Islander (Asian/PI) adults have lower hip fracture incidence than non-Hispanic White (NHW) adults, but data regarding Asian/PI subgroups are limited. We compared hip fracture incidence among older US Asian/PI and NHW populations, including ethnic subgroup differences., Methods: Using observational data from a California healthcare system, we identified Asian/PI and NHW adults aged ≥50 years (2000-2019) and followed subjects to 2021 for hip fracture determined by principal/primary hospital diagnosis or by secondary hospital diagnosis with hip/femur procedure codes. Age-adjusted hip fracture incidence was calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Log-Poisson regression was used to determine fracture incidence rate ratios (IRRs, [CI]; NHW or Chinese as reference) adjusting for age and year., Results: Among 215,359 Asian/PI and 776,839 NHW women, hip fracture incidence was 1.34 (1.28-1.40) and 2.97 (2.94-3.01) per 1000 person-years, respectively, with IRR 0.45 (0.43-0.47). Among 188,328 Asian/PI and 697,046 NHW men, hip fracture incidence was 0.62 (0.58-0.67) and 1.81 (1.78-1.84) per 1000 person-years, respectively, with IRR 0.34 (0.32-0.37). For the four largest Asian/PI subgroups, Filipina women (IRR 0.85 [0.75-0.96]) had lower, and Japanese (IRR 1.36 [1.20-1.54]) and South Asian (IRR 1.36 [1.07-1.72]) women had higher hip fracture incidence compared to Chinese women. Hip fracture incidence was only higher among South Asian (IRR 1.61 [1.21-2.14]) compared to Chinese men., Conclusion: Hip fracture incidence among US Asian/PI adults was 55% (women) and 66% (men) lower than NHW adults, but incidence varied by Asian/PI subgroup. The heterogeneity among Asian/PI adults highlights the importance of examining fracture risk by ethnic subgroup., (© 2023 The American Geriatrics Society.)

Objective: There is increasing recognition that cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors vary by Asian subgroups. We examined CVD risk factor prevalence among Vietnamese adults in a northern California health plan., Methods: We used electronic health record data to examine smoking, overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥23.0 kg/m 2 ), obesity (body mass index ≥27.5 kg/m 2 ), prediabetes, diabetes, and hypertension among middle-aged (n = 12 757; aged 45-64 years) and older (n = 3418; aged 65-84 years) Vietnamese adults, including 37.8% whose preferred language was Vietnamese. Findings were compared with East Asian adults., Results: Current smoking prevalence was 20.3% for middle-aged men, 7.0% for older men, and <1% for women in both age groups. Obesity prevalence was 12.0% for older men, 17.9% for middle-aged men, and 10% for women in both age groups. Among middle-aged men and women, 20.9% and 17.0% had hypertension and 13.5% and 8.5% had diabetes, respectively. Among older men and women, 64.0% and 60.0% had hypertension and 32.8% and 29.3% had diabetes, respectively. In both age groups, Vietnamese language preference was associated with higher risk of smoking (men only) and of diabetes and hypertension (women only). Compared with East Asian adults, Vietnamese adults had lower obesity prevalence but similar prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes, and hypertension. Vietnamese men were more likely and Vietnamese women less likely than East Asian adults to be current smokers., Conclusions: Study results suggest that more research on health conditions, lifestyle, and social factors among Vietnamese American adults is needed to develop culturally competent interventions to reduce CVD risk in this growing ethnic group.

Background: Despite evidence of adverse health consequences of inadequate restorative sleep for older adults, assessment of sleep quantity, quality, and use of sleep aids is not routinely done. We aimed to characterize sleep problems, sleep risks, and advice received about sleep in a community-dwelling older adult population, overall and in subgroups with health conditions and functional difficulties., Methods: This cross-sectional study used weighted self-report data for 5074 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members aged 65-79y who responded to a 2017 or 2020 Member Health Survey. We estimated usual amount of sleep (&lt; 6, 6 to &lt; 7, ≥7 hours) and prevalence of sleep problems (frequent insomnia, frequent daytime fatigue, poor quality sleep, and potential sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms (frequent very loud snoring, apnea episodes)) for older adults overall, by self-rated health, and in subgroups reporting hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, frequent problems with balance/walking, and frequent memory problems. We also estimated percentages who regularly used sleep aids and had discussed sleep adequacy with a healthcare professional in the past year., Results: Approximately 30% of older adults usually got less than the recommended ≥7 hours sleep per day, and 9% experienced frequent daytime fatigue, 13% frequent insomnia, 18% frequent insomnia/poor quality sleep, and 8% potential OSA symptoms. Prevalence of frequent insomnia was higher among women than men (16% vs. 11%). Higher percentages of those in fair/poor health and those with frequent balance/walking and memory problems reported sleeping &lt; 6 hours per day and having all four types of sleep problems. Nearly 20% of all older adults (22% of women vs. 17% of men) and 45% of those with frequent insomnia (no sex difference) reported regular sleep aid use. Only 10% of older adults reported discussing sleep with a healthcare professional whereas &gt; 20% reported discussing diet and exercise., Conclusions: Large percentages of older adults experience sleep problems or get less sleep than recommended for optimal sleep health. Older patients should routinely be assessed on multiple components of sleep health (sleep hygiene, quantity, quality, problems, and sleep aid use) and educated about sleep hygiene and the importance of getting adequate restorative sleep for their overall health and wellbeing., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Asian adults develop Type 2 diabetes at a lower body mass index (BMI) compared to other racial/ethnic groups. We examined the variation in prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes among Asian ethnic groups within weight strata by comparing middle-aged Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, and White adults receiving care in the same integrated healthcare delivery system., Methods: Our retrospective cross-sectional U.S. study examined data from 283,110 (non-Hispanic) White, 33,263 Chinese, 38,766 Filipino, and 17,959 South Asian adults aged 45-64 years who were members of a Northern California health plan in 2016 and had measured height and weight. Prediabetes and diabetes were classified based on laboratory data, clinical diagnoses, or diabetes pharmacotherapy. Age-standardized prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes were compared by race/ethnicity within healthy weight, overweight, and obesity categories, using standard BMI thresholds for White adults (18.5 to < 25, 25 to < 30, ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) and lower BMI thresholds for Asian adults (18.5 to < 23, 23 to < 27.5, ≥ 27.5 kg/m 2 ). Prevalence ratios (PRs) were used to compare the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes for Asian groups to White adults in each weight category, adjusted for age and BMI., Results: Across all weight categories, diabetes prevalence was higher for Asian than White adults, and among Asian groups it was highest for Filipino and South Asian adults. Compared to White, PRs for South Asian men/women at healthy BMI were 1.8/2.8 for prediabetes and 5.9/8.0 for diabetes, respectively. The PRs for Filipino men/women at healthy BMI were 1.8/2.6 for prediabetes and 5.0/7.5 for diabetes, respectively. For Chinese men/women at healthy BMI, the PRs for prediabetes (2.1/2.9) were similar to Filipino and South Asian, but the PRs for diabetes were lower (2.1/3.4)., Conclusion: Chinese, Filipino, and South Asian adults have higher prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes than White adults in all weight categories, despite using lower BMI thresholds for weight classification in Asian groups. Within Asian ethnic groups, Filipino and South Asian adults had considerably higher diabetes prevalence than Chinese adults. Our data emphasize the disproportionate metabolic risk among middle-aged Asian adults and underscore the need for diabetes screening among high-risk Asian groups at healthy BMI levels., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that social factors and problems with physical and cognitive function may contribute to patients' rehospitalization risk. Understanding a patient's readmission risk may help healthcare providers develop tailored treatment and post-discharge care plans to reduce readmission and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate whether including patient-reported data on social factors; cognitive status; and physical function improves on a predictive model based on electronic health record (EHR) data alone., Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 1,547 hospitalized adult patients in 3 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals. The main outcomes were non-elective rehospitalization or death within 30 days post-discharge. Exposures included patient-reported social factors and cognitive and physical function (obtained in a pre-discharge interview) and EHR-derived data for comorbidity burden, acute physiology, care directives, prior utilization, and hospital length of stay. We performed bivariate comparisons using Chi-square, t-tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and assessed correlations between continuous variables using Spearman's rho statistic. For all models, the results reported were obtained after fivefold cross validation., Results: The 1,547 adult patients interviewed were younger (age, p = 0.03) and sicker (COPS2, p < 0.0001) than the rest of the hospitalized population. Of the 6 patient-reported social factors measured, 3 (not living with a spouse/partner, transportation difficulties, health or disability-related limitations in daily activities) were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the main outcomes, while 3 (living situation concerns, problems with food availability, financial problems) were not. Patient-reported cognitive (p = 0.027) and physical function (p = 0.01) were significantly lower in patients with the main outcomes. None of the patient-reported variables, singly or in combination, improved predictive performance of a model that included acute physiology and longitudinal comorbidity burden (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.716 for both the EHR model and maximal performance of a random forest model including all predictors)., Conclusions: In this insured population, incorporating patient-reported social factors and measures of cognitive and physical function did not improve performance of an EHR-based model predicting 30-day non-elective rehospitalization or mortality. While incorporating patient-reported social and functional status data did not improve ability to predict these outcomes, such data may still be important for improving patient outcomes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Arab Americans are a diverse ethnic group originating from a large geographic area in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). We aim to characterize differences in health between Arab Americans from different geographic subgroups within MENA., Methods: We used cross-sectional electronic health record (EHR) data for a subset of 4913 Arab Americans aged 20-84 in a 2016 Northern California health plan study cohort who could be assigned to one of 4 geographic subgroups (Gulf, African, Levant, and Other) based on EHR ethnicity data. We calculated age-adjusted prevalence estimates for men and women and used generalized linear models to compare Gulf, African, and Other subgroups to Levant Arabs on risk factors (obesity and smoking), chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and asthma), and mental health (depression and anxiety)., Results: Among women, prevalence of smoking was lower among Gulf, African, and Other Arabs than Levant Arabs. Among men, prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia was lower among Gulf, African, and Other Arabs than Levant Arabs, while prevalence of depression was higher for these subgroups than Levant Arabs., Discussion: We found substantial differences in health characteristics across Arab Americans from different geographic subgroups. Our results suggest that more detailed race and ethnicity information should be collected on Arab Americans to better understand their diverse health risks., (© 2021. W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.)

Introduction: Oral health is an important component of overall health, and preventive dental care is essential for maintaining good oral health. However, many patients face significant barriers to preventive dental care. We examined prevalence of and factors associated with no recent preventive dental care in an adult health plan population., Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we used data for 19,672 Kaiser Permanente members aged 25-85 who participated in the 2014/2015 or 2017 Member Health Survey (MHS) and 20,329 Medicaid members who completed an intake questionnaire. We estimated percentages of adults with no preventive dental care (teeth cleaning and examination by a dental professional) in the prior 12 months, overall and among four racial groups, by age, sex, education, income, and dental care cost factors. We used logistic regression to model associations of sociodemographic and cost factors with no preventive dental care. We also examined lack of preventive dental care in subgroups at elevated risk for periodontal disease., Results: Overall prevalence of no preventive dental care was 21%, with significant differences by race (non-Hispanic White, 19.6%; African-American/Black, 29.3%; Latinx, 24.9%, Asian American/Pacific Islander, 19.6%). Adults with lower educational attainment and household income and dental care cost barriers were more likely to lack preventive dental care. Racial and socioeconomic factors remained significant in the multivariable models. Lack of preventive dental care was fairly common among adults with diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, smokers, frequent consumption of sugary beverages, and Medicaid coverage., Conclusion: Oral health care should be better integrated with primary medical care to promote adult total health.

Background: In the U.S., the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension are higher among African American/Black (Black), Latinx, and Filipino adults than non-Hispanic White (White) and Chinese adults. We compared the racial/ethnic-specific prevalence of several modifiable cardiometabolic risks in an insured adult population to identify behaviors that may drive racial/ethnic differences in cardiometabolic health., Methods: This cross-sectional study used data for middle-aged (35-64) and older (65-79) Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) adult health plan members. Smoking status and BMI were derived from electronic health record data. Weighted pooled self-reported data from the 2014/2015 and 2017 KPNC Member Health Survey cycles were used to estimate daily number of servings of fruits/vegetables, general sodium avoidance, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption frequency, alcohol use within daily recommended limit, weekly exercise frequency, and number of hours of sleep daily. Age-standardized estimates of all cardiometabolic risks were produced for middle-aged and older-aged women and men in the five racial/ethnic groups. Analyses focused on racial/ethnic differences within age-gender groups and gender and age group differences within racial/ethnic groups., Results: In both age groups, Black, Latinx, and Filipino adults were more likely than White and Chinese adults to have overweight and obesity and were less likely to engage in health promoting dietary (fruit/vegetable and SSB consumption, sodium avoidance (women only)) and sleep behaviors. Middle-aged Black and Filipino men were more likely than White men to be current smokers. Less racial/ethnic variation was seen in exercise frequency. Significant gender differences were observed for dietary behaviors overall and within racial/ethnic groups, especially among middle-aged adults; however, these gender differences were smaller for sleep and exercise. Age differences within gender and racial/ethnic groups were less consistent. Racial/ethnic and gender differences in these behaviors were also seen in the subsample of adults with diabetes and/or hypertension and in the subsample of adults who reported they were trying to engage in health promoting behaviors., Conclusions: Black, Latinx, and Filipino adults were more likely than White and Chinese adults to report dietary and sleep behaviors associated with development and worsening of cardiometabolic conditions, with men exhibiting poorer dietary behaviors than women.

Background: The Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) ethnic group is a diverse group composed of two primary subsets in the United States: Iranian and Arab Americans. We aimed to compare health risk factors, chronic health conditions, and mental health conditions of Iranian and Arab American adults in Northern California., Methods: We used cross-sectional electronic health record (EHR) data from a 2016 Northern California health plan study cohort to compare adults classified as Iranian or Arab American based on ethnicity, language, or surname. We produced age-standardized prevalence estimates of obesity, smoking, hyperlipidemia, prediabetes, diabetes, hypertension, depression, and anxiety for Iranian and Arab American men and women by age group (35-44, 45-64, and 65-84) and overall (35-84). We used generalized linear models to calculate prevalence ratios (PR) to compare Iranian and Arab American adults ages 35-84 on all health indicators., Results: Compared to Arab Americans, Iranian Americans had a lower prevalence of obesity (PR: 0.77, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.73, 0.82), current smoking (PR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.89), and ever smoking (PR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91, 0.99), but a higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia (PR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.12), prediabetes (PR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.16), depression (PR; 1.41, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.52), and anxiety (PR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.42, 1.63). Similar patterns were observed for men and women., Conclusion: This work supports the need to collect granular data on race and ethnicity within the MENA ethnic group to improve identification in clinical care settings and population health reporting to better address the physical and mental health needs of different MENA subgroups.

Objectives: To characterize the prevalence of chronic cardiovascular conditions and risk factors among Arab American adults stratified by sex and compare these with non-Hispanic Whites., Design: Cross-sectional study using electronic health record data from visits between January 2015 and December 2016. Age-adjusted prevalence estimates were calculated for men and women and compared using generalized linear models., Setting: Kaiser Permanente health plan in Northern California., Participants: Non-Hispanic White (N=969,566) and Arab American (N=18,072) adult members., Main Outcome Measures: Sex-stratified prevalence and prevalence ratios of diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia diagnosed by December 2016 and of obesity, ever smoking, and current smoking status., Results: Arab American men had a significantly higher prevalence of ever smoking (41.8 vs 40.8%), diabetes (17.3 vs 12.5%), and hyperlipidemia (40.8 vs 34.7%) than White men, but a significantly lower prevalence of obesity (34.4 vs 37.8%) and hypertension (30.5 vs 33.3%). Arab American women had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes (11.1 vs 8.7%) and hyperlipidemia (31.5 vs 28.3%) than White women but significantly lower prevalence of obesity (31.0 vs 34.2%), ever smoking (24.8 vs 34.5%), and hypertension (25.8 vs 28.4%)., Conclusions: Hospital and health systems should intentionally collect data on Middle Eastern and North African ethnicity in electronic health records to identify and reduce the disparities this minority group faces., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: None declared., (Copyright © 2021, Ethnicity & Disease, Inc.)

Background: Social determinants of health (SDoHs) and social risks (SRs) have been associated with adverse health and healthcare utilization and racial/ethnic disparities. However, there is limited information about the prevalence of SRs in non-"safety net" adult populations and how SRs differ by race/ethnicity, age, education, and income., Methods: We analyzed weighted survey data for 16,247 White, 1861 Black, 2895 Latino, 1554 Filipino, and 1289 Chinese adults aged 35 to 79 who responded to the 2011 or 2014/2015 Kaiser Permanente Northern California Member Health Survey. We compared age-standardized prevalence estimates of SDoHs (education, household income, marital status) and SRs (financial worry, cost-related reduced medication use and fruit/vegetable consumption, chronic stress, harassment/discrimination, health-related beliefs) across racial/ethnic groups for ages 35 to 64 and 65 to 79., Results: SDoHs and SRs differed by race/ethnicity and age group, and SRs differed by levels of education and income. In both age groups, Blacks, Latinos, and Filipinos were more likely than Whites to be in the lower income category and be worried about their financial situation. Compared to Whites, cost-related reduced medication use was higher among Blacks, and cost-related reduced fruit/vegetable consumption was higher among Blacks and Latinos. Younger adults were more likely than older adults to experience chronic stress and financial worry. Racial/ethnic disparities in income were observed within similar levels of education. Differences in prevalence of SRs by levels of education and income were wider within than across racial/ethnic groups., Conclusions: In this non-"safety net" adult health plan population, Blacks, Latinos, and Filipinos had a higher prevalence of social risks than Whites and Chinese, and prevalence of social risks differed by age group. Our results support the assessment and EHR documentation of SDoHs and social risks and use of this information to understand and address drivers of racial/ethnic disparities in health and healthcare use., Competing Interests: The authors have read the journal’s policy and have the following competing interests: NPG is a paid employee of Kaiser Permanente Northern California. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products associated with this research to declare.

Background: Few large cohort studies have examined the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), coronary artery disease (CAD), obesity, and smoking among middle-aged and older adults in the major Asian-American ethnic groups and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (PIs). The aim of this study was to evaluate how prevalence of these conditions and risk factors differs across Asian-American and PI ethnic groups and compares with an aggregated All Asian-American racial group., Methods: This study used a cohort of 1.4 million adults aged 45 to 84 who were Kaiser Permanente Northern California health plan members during 2016. The cohort included approximately 274,910 Asian-Americans (Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian, South Asian, other), 8450 PIs, 795,080 non-Hispanic whites, 107,200 blacks, and 210,050 Latinos. We used electronic health record data to produce age-standardized prevalence estimates of DM, HTN, CAD, obesity (using standard and Asian thresholds), and smoking for men and women in all racial/ethnic subgroups and compared these subgroups to an aggregated All Asian-American racial group and to whites, blacks, and Latinos., Results: We found large differences in health burden across Asian-American ethnic subgroups. For both sexes, there were 16 and > 22 percentage point differences between the lowest and highest prevalence of DM and HTN, respectively. Obesity prevalence among Asian subgroups (based on an Asian BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m 2 threshold) ranged from 14 to 39% among women and 21 to 45% among men. Prevalence of smoking ranged from 1 to 4% among women and 5 to 14% among men. Across all conditions and risk factors, prevalence estimates for Asian-American and PI ethnic groups significantly differed from those for the All Asian-American group. In general, Filipinos and PIs had greater health burden than All Asians, with prevalence estimates approaching those of blacks., Conclusions: In a population of middle-aged and older adult Northern California health plan members, we found substantive differences in prevalence of chronic cardiovascular conditions, obesity, and smoking across Asian-American ethnic groups and between Asian-American ethnic groups and an aggregated All Asian racial group. Our study confirms that reporting statistics for an aggregated Asian-American racial group masks meaningful differences in Asian-American ethnic group health.

Importance: The National Academy of Medicine has recommended incorporating information on social and behavioral factors associated with health, such as educational level and exercise, into electronic health records, but questions remain about the clinical value of doing so., Objective: To examine whether National Academy of Medicine-recommended social and behavioral risk factor domains are associated with earlier onset of hypertension and/or diabetes in a clinical population., Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study used data collected from April 1, 2005, to December 31, 2016, from a population-based sample of 41 745 patients from 4 cycles of Kaiser Permanente Northern California's Adult Member Health Survey, administered to members at 19 Kaiser Permanente Northern California medical center service populations. The study used Kaplan-Meier survival tables and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to estimate the onset of hypertension and diabetes among patients with no indication of disease at baseline. Data analysis was performed from June 2, 2017, to March 26, 2019., Exposures: Race/ethnicity, educational level, financial worry, partnership status, stress, intimate partner violence, concentrated neighborhood poverty, depressive symptoms, infrequent exercise, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and cumulative social and behavioral risk., Main Outcomes and Measures: Onset of hypertension and diabetes during the 3.5 years after survey administration., Results: The study included 18 133 people without baseline hypertension (mean [SD] age, 48.1 [15.3] years; 10 997 [60.7%] female; and 11 503 [63.4%] white) and 35 788 people without baseline diabetes (mean [SD] age, 56.2 [16.9] years; 20 191 [56.4%] female; and 24 351 [68.0%] white). There was a dose-response association between the number of social and behavioral risk factors and likelihood of onset of each condition. Controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and survey year, hazard ratios (HRs) comparing those with 3 or more risk factors with those with 0 risk factor were 1.41 (95% CI, 1.17-1.71) for developing hypertension and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.29-1.82) for developing diabetes. When the same covariates were adjusted for, having less than a high school educational level (hazard ratio [HR], 1.84; 95% CI, 1.40-2.43), being widowed (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.11-1.71), concentrated neighborhood poverty (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.00-1.59), infrequent exercise (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.38), and smoking (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.10-1.67) were significantly associated with hypertension onset. Having less than a high school educational level (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.26-1.97), financial worry (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.13-1.46), being single or separated (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08-1.42), high stress (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.09-1.51), intimate partner violence (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.14-2.48), concentrated neighborhood poverty (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.60), depressive symptoms (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10-1.50), and smoking (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.27-1.86) were significantly associated with diabetes onset, although heavy alcohol consumption was associated with protection (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.66-0.85) rather than risk., Conclusions and Relevance: Independent of traditional risk factors, individual and cumulative social and behavioral risk factor exposures were associated with onset of hypertension and diabetes within 3.5 years in a clinical setting. The findings support the value of assessing social and behavioral risk factors to help identify high-risk patients and of providing targets for intervention.

Background: Health information, patient education, and self-management (health information and advice, HIA) tools are increasingly being made available to adults with chronic health conditions through internet-based health and mobile health (mHealth) digital information technologies. However, there is limited information about patient preferences for using specific types of health information and advice resources and how preferences and usage differ by age group and education., Objective: The objective of this study was to examine how use of digital information technologies and preferred methods for obtaining health information and advice varies by age group and education among middle-aged and older adults with chronic health conditions., Methods: The study used cross-sectional survey data for 9005 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members aged 45 to 85 years who responded to a mailed and Web-based health survey conducted during 2014 and 2015 and indicated having at least 1 chronic health condition. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression models with weighted data were used to estimate and compare the prevalence of digital information technology use, past-year use of internet-based health information and advice resources, and preferences for using internet-based, mHealth, and traditional health information and advice modalities for adults aged 45 to 65 years, 66 to 75 years, and 76 to 85 years., Results: The percentages of adults who used digital information technologies (computers, smartphones, internet, email, and apps), had obtained health information and advice from an internet-based resource in the past year, and who were interested in using internet-based and mHealth modalities for obtaining health information and advice declined with age. Within age group, prevalence of digital information technologies use and interest in internet-based and mHealth modalities was lower among adults with no college education versus college graduates. Differences in preferences for internet-based health information and advice modalities between the oldest and younger groups and those with lower versus higher education were substantially diminished when we restricted analyses to internet users., Conclusions: Health care providers and organizations serving middle-aged and older adults with chronic health conditions should not assume that patients, especially those who are older and less educated, want to engage with internet-based and mHealth resources. In addition, increasing the engagement of nonutilizers of digital devices and the internet with internet-based health information and advice and mHealth apps might require both instrumental (eg, providing digital information technology devices, internet, and skills training) and social support. As part of patient-centered care, it is important for providers to ascertain their patients' use of digital information technologies and preferences for obtaining health information and patient education rather than routinely referring them to internet-based resources. It is also important for health care providers and consumer health organizations to user test their Web-based resources to make sure they are easy for older and less educated adults to use and to make sure that it remains easy for adults with chronic conditions to obtain health information and patient education using offline resources., (©Nancy P Gordon, Elizabeth Crouch. Originally published in JMIR Aging (http://aging.jmir.org), 04.04.2019.)

Background: Health care organizations are increasingly using electronic health (eHealth) platforms to provide and exchange health information and advice (HIA). There is limited information about how factors beyond internet access affect use of eHealth resources by middle-aged and older adults., Objective: We aimed to estimate prevalence of use of the internet, health plan patient portal, and Web-based HIA among middle-aged and older adults; investigate whether similar sociodemographic-related disparities in eHealth resource use are found among middle-aged and older adults; and examine how sociodemographic and internet access factors drive disparities in eHealth resource use among adults who use the internet., Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional survey data for 10,920 Northern California health plan members aged 45 to 85 years who responded to a mailed and Web-based health survey (2014-2015). We used bivariate and multivariable analyses with weighted data to estimate prevalence of and identify factors associated with internet use and self-reported past year use of the health plan's patient portal and Web-based HIA resources by middle-aged adults (aged 45 to 65 years; n=5520), younger seniors (aged 65 to 75 years; n=3014), and older seniors (aged 76 to 85 years; n=2389)., Results: Although approximately 96% of middle-aged adults, 92% of younger seniors, and 76% of older seniors use the internet to obtain information, about 4%, 9%, and 16%, respectively, require someone's help to do so. The percentages who used the patient portal and Web-based HIA resources were similar for middle-aged adults and younger seniors but lower among older seniors (59.6%, 61.4%, and 45.0% and 47.9%, 48.4%, and 37.5%, respectively). Disparities in use of the internet, patient portal, and Web-based HIA across levels of education and between low and higher income were observed in all age groups, with wider disparities between low and high levels of education and income among seniors. Multivariable analyses showed that for all 3 age groups, educational attainment, ability to use the internet without help, and having 1 or more chronic condition were significant predictors of patient portal and Web-based HIA use after controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and internet use., Conclusions: Internet use, and especially use without help, significantly declines with age, even within a middle-aged group. Educational attainment is significantly associated with internet use, ability to use the internet without help, and use of patient portal and Web-based HIA resources by middle-aged and older adults. Even among middle-aged and older adult internet users, higher educational attainment and ability to use the internet without help are positively associated with patient portal and Web-based HIA use. Organizations serving middle-aged and older adults should take into account target population characteristics when developing and evaluating uptake of eHealth resources and should consider offering instruction and support services to boost patient engagement., (©Elizabeth Crouch, Nancy P Gordon. Originally published in JMIR Aging (http://aging.jmir.org), 26.03.2019.)

Context: Kaiser Permanente commissioned a health and well-being (HWB) survey of adult members and nonmembers in its 8 Regions., Objective: To estimate the prevalence of HWB indicators and evaluate differences in prevalence of excellent/very good (E/VG) health and thriving overall in life (thriving) by race/ethnicity, age group, sex, education, and financial situation., Design: Cross-sectional survey conducted by email and phone during Winter 2016-2017 with a racial/ethnic group-stratified quota sample. Participants (N = 26,304) provided sociodemographic characteristics and ratings for 6 HWB indicators. Using population-weighted data, we estimated the prevalence of HWB indicators and used logistic regression models to test for differences in E/VG health and thriving by sociodemographic factors., Main Outcome Measures: Overall health and overall life evaluation., Results: Of adults, 52% were in E/VG health and 63% were thriving. Blacks were less likely to be in E/VG health than whites, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders, but there was little racial/ethnic variation in those who were thriving. E/VG health and thriving varied significantly by level of education and financial situation. Across all racial/ethnic groups, large differences in percentages were observed in E/VG health and thriving between the lowest and highest levels of education and financial situation but little racial/ethnic variation within education and financial situation strata., Conclusion: Differences in health status and life evaluation are associated very strongly with financial situation and educational attainment, and these social determinants partially explain racial/ethnic disparities in HWB. The lack of strong correlation of health status and life evaluation suggests these are different domains of well-being.

Background: Frailty is a condition of increasing importance, given the aging adult population. With an anticipated shortage of geriatricians, primary care physicians will increasingly need to manage care for frail adults with complex functional risks and social-economic circumstances., Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 4551 adults ages 65-90 who responded to the 2014/2015 cycle of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Member Health Survey (MHS), a self-administered survey that covers multiple health and social characteristics, to create a deficits accumulation model frailty index, classify respondents as frail or non-frail, and then compare prevalence of functional health issues including Activities of Daily Living (ADL)/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and social determinants of health (SDOHs) by frailty status., Results: The overall prevalence of frailty was 14.3%, higher for women than men, increased with age, and more common among those with low levels of education and income. Frail older adults were more likely than non-frail to have ≥ 3 chronic diseases (55.9% vs. 10.1%), obesity (32.7% vs. 22.8%), insomnia (36.4% vs. 8.8%), oral health problems (25.1% vs. 4.7%), balance or walking problems (54.2% vs. 4.9%), ≥ 1 fall (56.1% vs. 19.7%), to use ≥ 1 medication known to increase fall risk (56.7% vs. 26.0%), and to need help with ≥2 ADLs (15.8% vs. 0.8%) and ≥ 2 IADLs (38.4% vs. 0.8%). They were more likely to feel financial strain (26.9% vs. 12.6%) and to use less medication than prescribed (7.4% vs. 3.6%), less medical care than needed (8.3% vs 3.7%), and eat less produce (9.5% vs. 3.2%) due to cost. Nearly 20% of frail adults were unpaid caregivers for an adult with frailty, serious illness or disability., Conclusions: This study examined the prevalence of frailty and identified modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors of health. The frail older adult population is heterogeneous and requires a patient-centered assessment of their circumstances by healthcare providers and caregivers to improve their quality of life, avoid adverse health events, and slow physical and mental decline. The characteristics identified in this study can be proactively used for the assessment of patient health, quality of life, and frailty prevention.

Background: This study examined access to digital technologies, skills and experience, and preferences for using web-based and other digital technologies to obtain health information and advice among older adults in a large health plan. A primary aim was to assess the extent to which digital divides by race/ethnicity and age group might affect the ability of a large percentage of seniors, and especially those in vulnerable groups, to engage with online health information and advice modalities (eHIA) and mobile health (mHealth) monitoring tools., Methods: A mailed survey was conducted with age-sex stratified random samples of English-speaking non-Hispanic white, African-American/black (black), Hispanic/Latino (Latino), Filipino-American (Filipino), and Chinese-American (Chinese) Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who were aged 65-79 years. Respondent data were weighted to the study population for the cross-sectional analyses., Results: Older seniors and black, Latino, and Filipino seniors have less access to digital tools, less experience performing a variety of online tasks, and are less likely to believe that they would be capable of going online for health information and advice compared to younger and white Non-Hispanic seniors. Consequently, they are also less likely to be interested in using eHIA modalities., Conclusions: The same subgroups of seniors that have previously been shown to have higher prevalence of chronic conditions and greater difficulties with healthcare access are also less likely to adopt use of eHIA and mHealth monitoring technologies. At the patient population level, this digital divide is important to take into account when planning health information and chronic disease management programs. At the individual patient level, to provide good patient-centered care, it is important for providers to assess rather than assume digital access, eHealth skills, and preferences prior to recommending use of web-based resources and mHealth tools.

Background: Falls are the leading cause of hip fracture in older women, with important public health implications. Fall risk increases with age and other clinical factors, and varies by race/ethnicity. International studies suggest that fall risk is lower in Asians, although data are limited in U.S., Populations: This study examines racial/ethnic differences in fall prevalence among older U.S. women within a large integrated healthcare delivery system., Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 6277 women ages 65-90 who responded to the 2008 or 2011 Kaiser Permanente Northern California Member Health Survey (KPNC-MHS). The KPNC-MHS is a mailed questionnaire sent to a random sample of adult members stratified by age, gender, and geographic location, representing a population estimate of >200,000 women age ≥65 years. Age, race/ethnicity, self-reported health status, presence of diabetes, arthritis or prior stroke, mobility limitations and number of falls in the past year were obtained from the KPNC-MHS. The independent association of race/ethnicity and recent falls was examined, adjusting for known risk factors., Results: The weighted sample was 76.7% non-Hispanic white, 6.2% Hispanic, 6.8% black and 10.3% Asian. Over 20% reported having fallen during the past year (28.5% non-Hispanic white, 27.8% Hispanic, 23.4% black and 20.1% Asian). Older age was associated with greater fall risk, as was having diabetes (OR 1.24, CI 1.03-1.48), prior stroke (OR 1.51, CI 1.09-2.07), arthritis (OR 1.61, CI 1.39-1.85) and mobility limitations (OR 2.82, CI 2.34-3.39), adjusted for age. Compared to whites, Asian (OR 0.64, CI 0.50-0.81) and black (OR 0.73, CI 0.55-0.95) women were much less likely to have ≥1 fall in the past year, adjusting for age, comorbidities, mobility limitation and poor health status. Asians were also less likely to have ≥2 falls (OR 0.62, CI 0.43-0.88)., Conclusions: Among older women, the risk of having a recent fall was substantially lower for black and Asian women when compared to white women. This may contribute to their lower rates of hip fracture. Future studies should examine cultural and behavioral factors that contribute to these observed racial/ethnic differences in fall risk among U.S. women.

Background: Patients are being encouraged to go online to obtain health information and interact with their health care systems. However, a 2014 survey found that less than 60% of American adults aged 65 and older use the Internet, with much lower usage among black and Latino seniors compared with non-Hispanic white seniors, and among older versus younger seniors., Objective: Our aims were to (1) identify race/ethnic and age cohort disparities among seniors in use of the health plan's patient portal, (2) determine whether race/ethnic and age cohort disparities exist in access to digital devices and preferences for using email- and Web-based modalities to interact with the health care system, (3) assess whether observed disparities in preferences and patient portal use are due simply to barriers to access and inability to use the Internet, and (4) learn whether older adults not currently using the health plan's patient portal or website have a potential interest in doing so in the future and what kind of support might be best suited to help them., Methods: We conducted two studies of seniors aged 65-79 years. First, we used administrative data about patient portal account status and utilization in 2013 for a large cohort of English-speaking non-Hispanic white (n=183,565), black (n=16,898), Latino (n=12,409), Filipino (n=11,896), and Chinese (n=6314) members of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health plan. Second, we used data from a mailed survey conducted in 2013-2014 with a stratified random sample of this population (final sample: 849 non-Hispanic white, 567 black, 653 Latino, 219 Filipino, and 314 Chinese). These data were used to examine race/ethnic and age disparities in patient portal use and readiness and preferences for using digital communication for health-related purposes., Results: Adults aged 70-74 and 75-79 were significantly less likely than 65-69 year olds to be registered to use the patient portal, and among those registered, to have used the portal to send messages, view lab test results, or order prescription refills. Across all age groups, non-Hispanic whites and Chinese seniors were significantly more likely than black, Latino, and Filipino seniors to be registered and to have performed these actions. The survey found that black, Latino, and Filipino seniors and those 75 years old and older were significantly less likely to own digital devices (e.g., computers, smartphones), use the Internet and email, and be able and willing to use digital technology to perform health care-related tasks, including obtaining health information, than non-Hispanic whites, Chinese, and younger seniors (aged 65-69), respectively. The preference for using non-digital modalities persisted even among Internet users., Conclusions: Health plans, government agencies, and other organizations that serve diverse groups of seniors should include social determinants such as race/ethnicity and age when monitoring trends in eHealth to ensure that eHealth disparities do not induce greater health status and health care disparities between more privileged and less privileged groups.

Identification of modifiable behaviors is important for pediatric weight management and obesity prevention programs. This study examined obesogenic behaviors in children with obesity in a Northern California obesity intervention program using data from a parent/teen-completed intake questionnaire covering dietary and lifestyle behaviors (frequency of breakfast, family meals, unhealthy snacking and beverages, fruit/vegetable intake, sleep, screen time, and exercise). Among 7956 children with BMI ≥ 95th percentile, 45.5% were females and 14.2% were 3-5, 44.2% were 6-11, and 41.6% were 12-17 years old. One-quarter (24.9%) were non-Hispanic white, 11.3% were black, 43.5% were Hispanic, and 12.0% were Asian/Pacific Islander. Severe obesity was prevalent (37.4%), especially among blacks, Hispanics, and older children, and was associated with less frequent breakfast and exercise and excess screen time, and in young children it was associated with consumption of sweetened beverages or juice. Unhealthy dietary behaviors, screen time, limited exercise, and sleep were more prevalent in older children and in selected black, Hispanic, and Asian subgroups, where consumption of sweetened beverages or juice was especially high. Overall, obesity severity and obesogenic behaviors increased with age and varied by gender and race/ethnicity. We identified several key prevalent modifiable behaviors that can be targeted by healthcare professionals to reduce obesity when counseling children with obesity and their parents.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of diabetes prevention strategies addressing postpartum weight retention for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) delivered at the health system level: mailed recommendations (usual care) versus usual care plus a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)-derived lifestyle intervention., Research Design and Methods: This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial of 44 medical facilities (including 2,280 women with GDM) randomized to intervention or usual care. The intervention included mailed gestational weight gain recommendations plus 13 telephone sessions between 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Primary outcomes included the following: proportion meeting the postpartum goals of 1) reaching pregravid weight if pregravid BMI <25.0 kg/m(2) or 2) losing 5% of pregravid weight if BMI ≥25.0 kg/m(2); and pregravid to postpartum weight change., Results: On average, over the 12-month postpartum period, women in the intervention had significantly higher odds of meeting weight goals than women in usual care (odds ratio [OR] 1.28 [95% CI 1.10, 1.47]). The proportion meeting weight goals was significantly higher in the intervention than usual care at 6 weeks (25.5 vs. 22.4%; OR 1.17 [1.01, 1.36]) and 6 months (30.6 vs. 23.9%; OR 1.45 [1.14, 1.83]). Condition differences were reduced at 12 months (33.0 vs. 28.0%; OR 1.25 [0.96, 1.62]). At 6 months, women in the intervention retained significantly less weight than women in usual care (mean 0.39 kg [SD 5.5] vs. 0.95 kg [5.5]; mean condition difference -0.64 kg [95% CI -1.13, -0.14]) and had greater increases in vigorous-intensity physical activity (mean condition difference 15.4 min/week [4.9, 25.8])., Conclusions: A DPP-derived lifestyle intervention modestly reduced postpartum weight retention and increased vigorous-intensity physical activity., (© 2016 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.)

Background: The one-sample fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is gaining popularity for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening of average-risk people. However, uptake and annual use remain suboptimal., Methods: In 2013, we mailed questionnaires to three groups of nonHispanic White, Black, and Latino Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) members ages 52-76 who received FIT kits in 2010-2012: Continuers did the FIT all 3 years; Converts in 2012, but not 2010 or 2011; and Nonusers in none of the 3 years. The questionnaires covered social influences, perceived CRC risk, reasons for using (Continuers, Converts) or avoiding using (Nonusers) the FIT, and recommendations for improving the kit., Results: Continuers (n = 607, response rate 67.5%), Converts (n = 317, response rate 35.6%), and Nonusers (n = 215, response rate 21.1%) did not differ in perceived risk or family history of CRC, but Nonusers were less likely than Continuers and Converts to know someone who had polyps or CRC. Continuers, Converts, and Nonusers did not differ in social network encouragement of CRC screening, but did differ in believing that it was very important that they be screened (88.3%, 68.4%, 47.7%) and that their medical team thought it very important that they be screened (88.6%, 79.9%, 53.9%). Approximately half of Continuers and Converts completed the FIT to please their doctor. Converts were less likely than Continuers to use the FIT to "make sure they were OK" (53.7% vs. 72.6%) or "protect their health" (46.1% vs. 76.4%). Nearly half of Converts completed the FIT out of guilt. Approximately half of FIT kit users suggested adding a disposable glove, extra paper, and wider-mouth tube to the kit. Nonusers' reasons for not using the FIT included discomfort, disgust, or embarrassment (59.6%); thinking it unnecessary (32.9%); fatalism/fear (15.5%); and thinking it too difficult to use (14.5%), but <10% did not want CRC screening at all., Conclusions: Nonusers and irregular users of the FIT are less intrinsically motivated to get CRC screening than long-term users and more averse to preparing their stool sample. Changes to the FIT kit to address discomfort and difficulty factors might improve uptake and continued use.

Background: There is conflicting evidence about the accuracy of estimates of childhood obesity based on parent-reported data. We assessed accuracy of child height, weight, and overweight/obesity classification in a pediatric clinic population based on parent data to learn whether accuracy differs by child age and race/ethnicity., Methods: Parents of patients ages 3-12 (n = 1,119) completed a waiting room questionnaire that asked about their child's height and weight. Child's height and weight was then measured and entered into the electronic health record (EHR) by clinic staff. The child's EHR and questionnaire data were subsequently linked. Accuracy of parent-reported height, weight, overweight/obesity classification, and parent perception of child's weight status were assessed using EHR data as the gold standard. Statistics were calculated for the full sample, two age groups (3-5, 6-12), and four racial/ethnic groups (nonHispanic White, Black, Latino, Asian)., Results: A parent-reported height was available for 59.1% of the children, weight for 75.6%, and weight classification for 53.0%. Data availability differed by race/ethnicity but not age group. Parent-reported height was accurate for 49.2% of children and weight for 58.2%. Latino children were less likely than nonHispanic Whites to have accurate height and weight data, and weight data were less accurate for 6-12 year than 3-5 year olds. Concordance of parent- and EHR-based classifications of the child as overweight/obese and obese was approximately 80% for all subgroups, with kappa statistics indicating moderate agreement. Parent-reported data significantly overestimated prevalence of overweight/obesity (50.2% vs. 35.2%) and obesity (32.1% vs. 19.4%) in the full sample and across all age and racial/ethnic subgroups. However, the percentages of parents who perceived their child to be overweight or very overweight greatly underestimated actual prevalence of overweight/obesity and obesity. Missing data did not bias parent-based overweight/obesity estimates and was not associated with child's EHR weight classification or parental perception of child's weight., Conclusions: While the majority of parents of overweight or obese children tend to be unaware that their child is overweight, use of parent-reported height and weight data for young children and pre-teens will likely result in overestimates of prevalence of youth overweight and obesity.

Background: Women with gestational diabetes (GDM) are at high risk of developing diabetes later in life. After a GDM diagnosis, women receive prenatal care to control their blood glucose levels via diet, physical activity and medications. Continuing such lifestyle skills into early motherhood may reduce the risk of diabetes in this high risk population. In the Gestational Diabetes' Effects on Moms (GEM) study, we are evaluating the comparative effectiveness of diabetes prevention strategies for weight management designed for pregnant/postpartum women with GDM and delivered at the health system level., Methods/design: The GEM study is a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial of 44 medical facilities at Kaiser Permanente Northern California randomly assigned to either the intervention or usual care conditions, that includes 2,320 women with a GDM diagnosis between March 27, 2011 and March 30, 2012. A Diabetes Prevention Program-derived print/telephone lifestyle intervention of 13 telephonic sessions tailored to pregnant/postpartum women was developed. The effectiveness of this intervention added to usual care is to be compared to usual care practices alone, which includes two pages of printed lifestyle recommendations sent to postpartum women via mail. Primary outcomes include the proportion of women who reach a postpartum weight goal and total weight change. Secondary outcomes include postpartum glycemia, blood pressure, depression, percent of calories from fat, total caloric intake and physical activity levels. Data were collected through electronic medical records and surveys at baseline (soon after GDM diagnosis), 6 weeks (range 2 to 11 weeks), 6 months (range 12 to 34 weeks) and 12 months postpartum (range 35 to 64 weeks)., Discussion: There is a need for evidence regarding the effectiveness of lifestyle modification for the prevention of diabetes in women with GDM, as well as confirmation that a diabetes prevention program delivered at the health system level is able to successfully reach this population. Given the use of a telephonic case management model, our Diabetes Prevention Program-derived print/telephone intervention has the potential to be adopted in other settings and to inform policies to promote the prevention of diabetes among women with GDM.

Objective: To examine the attitudes of US patients about the use of placebo treatments in medical care., Design: One time telephone surveys., Setting: Northern California., Participants: 853 members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, aged 18-75, who had been seen by a primary care provider for a chronic health problem at least once in the prior six months., Results: The response rate was 53.4% (853/1598) of all members who were eligible to participate, and 73.2% (853/1165) of all who could be reached by telephone. Most respondents (50-84%) judged it acceptable for doctors to recommend placebo treatments under conditions that varied according to doctors' level of certainty about the benefits and safety of the treatment, the purpose of the treatment, and the transparency with which the treatment was described to patients. Only 21.9% of respondents judged that it was never acceptable for doctors to recommend placebo treatments. Respondents valued honesty by physicians regarding the use of placebos and believed that non-transparent use could undermine the relationship between patients and physicians., Conclusions: Most patients in this survey seemed favorable to the idea of placebo treatments and valued honesty and transparency in this context, suggesting that physicians should consider engaging with patients to discuss their values and attitudes about the appropriateness of using treatments aimed at promoting placebo responses in the context of clinical decision making.