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Purpose: Lack of sleep is a harm that can lead to chronic diseases ranging from diabetes to heart disease. We examined the exposure to interpersonal violence and its association with sleep, following the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Surveys were completed online and via paper-and-pencil in English and Spanish (N = 2049; RR = 68.4%). Subjects: Respondents were 18+ and residing in Chicago. Measures: The Chicago Department of Public Health's "2022 Healthy Chicago Survey COVID-19 Social Impact Survey". Analysis: We developed two weighted models. Model 1 examined the effects of neighborhood violence on meeting the national sleep recommendation. Model 2 examined the effects of violence in the home among friends or family on meeting the sleep recommendation, incorporating additional predictors: victimization, stress, gender, race/ethnicity, household income, and general health. Odds ratios were estimated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Exposure to neighborhood violence and sleep was not significant, but knowing a friend or family member who experienced violence or mistreatment in their home affected the odds of meeting the sleep recommendation (OR =.61, 95% CI =.44-.84). Non-Hispanic Blacks had 52% lower odds of meeting sleep recommendations (OR =.48, 95% CI =.37-.63). Conclusion: Addressing the harms to sleep that followed COVID-19 should engage diverse stakeholders in implementing culturally responsive interventions to promote adequate sleep and prevent chronic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the effects of the LiveWell@School Food Initiative (LW@SFI), a Colorado-based childhood obesity prevention program that partners with school districts to enable them to serve more scratch cooked foods through culinary training, action planning, and equipment grants. Methods: This evaluation used a quasi-experimental design that examined menu cycles prior to entering the LW@SFI and approximately 1 year later. A review of school menus with food service directors from 9 Colorado school districts was conducted. Results: Data show that districts changed an average of 17.4 entrées and 19.7 side dishes over the course of the year. Changes to serving scratch cooked foods were highest for sauces (an increase of 40.5%). No districts were cooking beans/legumes from scratch during baseline or at follow-up. Across the 9 districts, 7 observed statistically significant pre-post reductions in sodium, 4 in fat, 5 in saturated fat, and 3 in calories. Conclusions: Within a year of implementing the LW@SFI, school districts increased the proportion of fresh, scratch cooked foods they offered and this was associated with some decreases in calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium, contributing to healthier school food environments.

The DELTA PREP Project aims to reduce risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). It engaged leadership and staff from 19 statewide domestic violence coalitions in building capacity to prevent IPV before it occurs (rather than solely responding to IPV). This article describes the process and outcomes associated with action planning to create coalition organizational change related to preventing IPV. Coalition staff and leadership planned for organizational changes in six goal areas: leadership, structures and processes, staffing, resource development, partnership development, and member agency development. Action planning was conducted during 2-day, in-person sessions that involved (a) review and refinement of coalition vision and mission statements, (b) interpretation of coalition assessments (for prevention capacity), (c) identification of specific organizational changes to be sought, and (d) specification of action steps for each proposed organizational change to be sought. The results show overall increases in the amounts, and variations in the kinds, of organizational changes that were facilitated by coalitions. Challenges related to action planning and future directions for capacity building among statewide IPV prevention coalitions are discussed.

Objectives To understand the process by which early childhood education (ECE) providers effectively used an existing intervention to facilitate the creation or strengthening of a written breastfeeding policy, understand the factors important to this process, and present a logic model to guide future intervention design and evaluation. Methods A purposive sample of interviewees who recently completed an ECE nutrition and physical activity intervention and reported positive pre-post scores for breastfeeding support were recruited to complete semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded, following a Grounded Theory approach. Results The ECE programs (n = 23) had a written breastfeeding policy and were located across six states in the United States. The most common aspects of breastfeeding support covered in the policies were handling and storing of breastmilk, pieces of equipment to be provided (e.g., breast pump), and the creation of a space or room designated for breastfeeding and pumping. Many factors important to the policy creation process were identified such as motivation, education, technical assistance, perceptions of parental indifference, staff buy-in, and time and administrative constraints. Once motivated to create a policy, ECE providers described actions, such as gathering background information and model policies, discussing policy needs with stakeholders, utilizing technical assistance, and overcoming barriers. Conclusions for Practice From these findings, a logic model was created to guide future intervention design and evaluation, and several recommendations were made to help guide subsequent interventions in promoting the development and implementation of written breastfeeding policies at ECE programs., Author(s): Eric E. Calloway [sup.1] , Katie L. Stern [sup.1] , Daniel J. Schober [sup.2] , Amy L. Yaroch [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, 8401 West [...]

Objective: This empirical case study describes Prevent Child Abuse Georgia's effort to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) by educating communities throughout the state on supporting preventive behaviour. The initiative consisted of three major components: (1) dissemination of CSA prevention messages and materials; (2) a statewide helpline that helped callers respond to the warning signs of CSA and engage in protective behaviours; and (3) a statewide education and training programme. Design: An empirical case study design was used. Setting: This prevention initiative took place across the state of Georgia. Method: Archival records kept by Prevent Child Abuse Georgia were reviewed to determine the outputs of this statewide effort. Additionally, the annual incidence of child sexual abuse substantiated by the Georgia Department of Human Resources (cases per 100,000 children less than 18 years of age) was calculated to examine changes in the broader context of Prevent Child Abuse Georgia's statewide CSA prevention effort (from 1997-2007). Results: Results show that Prevent Child Abuse Georgia provided 232,822 informational materials to Georgia residents, assisted 1,271 helpline callers to support responses to the warning signs of CSA, and trained 7,700 individuals. According to records from the Georgia Department of Human Services, from 2002-7, the incidence of child sexual abuse decreased four of the five years of the implementation period. Conclusion: This empirical case study describes the steps a statewide effort can take to promote the primary prevention of CSA. Prevent Child Abuse Georgia engaged in a variety of activities to educate the public, increase CSA prevention knowledge, and promote preventive behaviour. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This case study describes the Enough Abuse Campaign, a multidisciplinary, statewide effort to prevent child sexual abuse in Massachusetts. The study uses the Institute of Medicine's Framework for Collaborative Community Action on Health to provide a systematic description of the campaign's process of implementation, which includes: (a) developing a state-level infrastructure for child sexual abuse prevention, (b) assessing child sexual abuse perceptions and public opinion, (c) developing local infrastructures in three communities and implementing training programs focused on preventing perpetration of child sexual abuse, (d) facilitating changes in local communities to child-sexual-abuse-related systems, and (e) inviting Massachusetts residents to join an advocacy-based movement to prevent child sexual abuse. This case study concludes with future directions for the campaign and topics for future research related to child sexual abuse. (Contains 1 figure.)

Objectives: Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, and rates vary by race and ethnicity. An analysis of suicide across large US cities is absent from the literature. The objective of this study was to examine suicide rates among the total population, non-Hispanic Black population, and non-Hispanic White population in the United States and in the 30 largest US cities. Methods: We used data from the National Vital Statistics System to calculate non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and total age-adjusted suicide rates for the 30 largest US cities and for the entire nation during 2 periods: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. We also examined absolute and relative differences in suicide rates among non-Hispanic White populations and non-Hispanic Black populations in each city. Results: The overall age-adjusted suicide rate per 100 000 population in the United States increased significantly from 12.3 in 2008-2012 to 13.5 in 2013-2017. Total suicide rates were stable in most cities; rates increased significantly in only 1 city (Louisville), and rates decreased significantly in 2 cities (Boston and Memphis). The non-Hispanic White suicide rate was significantly higher—1.3 to 4.3 times higher—than the non-Hispanic Black suicide rate in 24 of 26 study cities during 2013-2017. From 2008-2012 to 2013-2017, non-Hispanic White suicide rates decreased significantly in 3 cities and increased significantly in 3 cities; non-Hispanic Black suicide rates increased significantly in 5 cities and decreased in none. Absolute differences in suicide rates among non-Hispanic White populations and non-Hispanic Black populations increased significantly in 1 city (Louisville) and decreased significantly in 2 cities (Memphis and Boston). Conclusions: Our study may inform the use of evidence-based programs and practices to address population-level risk factors for suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Domestic violence contributes to poor health including sleep disruptions, which has been associated with risk for chronic conditions and ultimately, premature mortality. The present study examined the effects of ever witnessing domestic violence on sleep among urban neighborhoods of color. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Ten of Chicago's 77 community areas. Participants: Adults, aged 18 years and older (N = 1,543, Response Rate = 28.4%). Over 49% of participants reported a Hispanic ethnicity, 34.8 percent reported being non-Hispanic Black and 14.2 percent reported being White. Measures: We used the Sinai Community Health Survey, 2.0, to examine: average hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, ever witnessing domestic violence, ever being emotionally or physically abused, frequent stress in the past 12 months, and other key covariates (race and ethnicity, annual household income, sex, and health status). Analysis: Multivariate logistic regression. Results: In the full model, participants who reported witnessing domestic violence were significantly less likely to report meeting sleep recommendations even after controlling for ever being emotionally or physically abused, frequently feeling stress, demographic factors, and health status. Non-Hispanic Blacks were most likely to report not meeting sleep recommendations (OR =.54, 95% CI =.30-.96, P =.036). Conclusion: Witnessing domestic violence contributes to not meeting sleep recommendations and this appears to be most salient for Non-Hispanic Blacks. These point-in-time findings document an important potential contributor to racial health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition education through school-based garden programs is a promising intervention to promote youth health and development. Gardeneers is a Chicago-based nonprofit, leading garden programming across area schools. To better understand their impact on youth health, Gardeneers aimed to define their model more clearly. Using a collective case study design, this mixed-method, formative program evaluation focused on describing program implementation variation across schools. General program design included nutrition education through hands-on garden-based learning. Stakeholder engagement was a strength for some schools and a challenge for others. Sustainability was an ongoing challenge for all schools, particularly funding. Priority student outcomes also varied between schools. Adaptability is core to Gardeneers' approach—the challenge lies in replicable program design and manageable growth, but the strength lies in the ability to meet specific school and student needs. Using these findings, Gardeneers refined their program model and identified program improvements opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is to assist food insecure households by providing federally allocated funds to increase purchasing power and ultimately achieve a more nutritious diet; however, working poor households tend to be underserved by SNAP. This study identified factors associated with SNAP participation in a nationally representative sample of the working poor (adults with household incomes ≤ 130% of the poverty level who worked 27 or more weeks during the year). Data were from the 2012 American Community Survey. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine independent factors associated with SNAP participation. Adjusting for all other factors and state of residence, those more likely to participate in SNAP included those who were women; younger; non-Hispanic black or Hispanic; separated/divorced; less educated; U.S. citizens; English-speaking; disabled; with no health insurance; on government health plan; moved within the past year; lived in household with no access to a vehicle; paid more for electricity; multigenerational; and those who had at least one child member or one or more elderly members (P < .05, for each). SNAP outreach and policy may be more effective by targeting the working poor, specifically segments of the population who are less likely to participate in SNAP. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A skilled public health workforce is critical to assure the public's health. Recent scholarship has highlighted the benefits of practice-based fieldwork to train the public health workforce. This scholarship has highlighted these benefits primarily through quantitative evaluation. DePaul University's Master of Public Health (MPH) Program provides practice-based education and training to enable students to develop key competencies in public and community health. A key component of the MPH Program is a 9-month practicum experience. This practicum experience requires students to (1) Complete at least 250 h of fieldwork at a local health organization and (2) write a capstone thesis about their practicum project. In this themed issue, seven MPH Program students provide empirical papers, describing their practicum project and the competencies they gained. These empirical papers build upon existing scholarship on practice-based fieldwork and aim to advance academic and community efforts to assure a skilled public and community health workforce.