Rollins Research Review: Out-of-Pocket Home Care Costs, Suspected Mpox Symptoms and Testing Trends, and Overweight and Obese Children in the Country of Georgia
By Sarah Timbie
This month, Rollins researchers authored papers on a wealth of public health topics. Find summaries of a few highlights below.
Journal: Health Affairs Scholar
Rollins Author: Regina Shih, PhD
Important Takeaways:
- Hundreds of thousands of older adults with personal care needs in the United States rely on paid caregivers to support them in their homes. Older adults who do not have Medicaid or private long-term-care insurance often have to pay out-of-pocket for this type of care.
- Results from the Health and Retirement Study showed that 45% of older adults that pay for out-of-pocket home care have dementia, and that 51% of those with dementia paying for out-of-pocket home care spent over $1,000 a month.
- More than half of individuals paying for out-of-pocket care have incomes 200% below the federal poverty line. Paying for these services could be affecting their financial stability.
- The researchers suggest policy changes, such as expanding access to Medicaid services or expanding Medicare to cover home care, to protect low-income groups from financial risk due to paying for home care out-of-pocket.
Journal: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Rollins Authors: Travis Sanchez, DVM; Marissa Hannah; Patrick Sullivan, DVM
Important Takeaways:
- Researchers conducted a survey to estimate levels of suspected mpox symptoms and mpox testing among men who have sex with men ages 15 and up. The survey also aimed to identify participant characteristics associated with having mpox symptoms and seeking out mpox testing.
- Survey results showed that all the participants who reported getting tested for mpox were also accessing HIV treatment or PrEP. Participants who reported testing for mpox reported that they were helped by things like knowing where to receive a test for mpox, having access to low-cost testing, and knowing testing sites with convenient hours.
- Participants who had mpox symptoms but did not get tested for mpox were not receiving HIV treatment or PrEP at the same time. Barriers to getting tested included not knowing where to get testing and difficulty getting appointments.
- Survey results suggest that structural barriers are a significant deterrent to receiving mpox services. Structural obstacles are especially an issue for people in rural areas, Black and Hispanic or Latino populations, and those living with HIV.
Journal: BMC Nutrition
Rollins Authors: William Michael Caudle, PhD.
Important Takeaways:
- Childhood overweight and obesity are significant public health challenges worldwide. The country of Georgia is also dealing with this problem, as 28% of seven-year-old children were overweight or obese in 2019.
- This study investigated the key factors associated with being overweight and obese in school-aged children in Georgia.
- Overweight and obesity were linked to a variety of factors including sex, living area, mode of transportation, and parental BMI. Children who were male, lived in urban areas, used passive transportation, or had overweight or obese parents were more likely to be overweight or obese than others.
- There were no significant differences in eating habits, screen time, or family perceived wealth between obese and overweight children and non- obese or overweight children.
