Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Role of Community Engagement to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Context of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the U.S.

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 11877

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Arnab Mukherjea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Health Sciences, California State University, East Bay, Student & Faculty Support Center (SF) 544, 25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94542, USA
Interests: health disparities; Asian American populations; south Asians; community-engaged research; socio-cultural determinants

Dr. Jennifer Kue

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor

College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Interests: cancer control & prevention; breast & cervical cancer; refugee & immigrant health; health equity; program evaluation; global health

Dr. Monica D. Allen

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Public Health & Recreation; San Jose State University; Spartan Complex 201; One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0052, USA
Interests: multicultural health; diversity; health disparities; community health promotion; health literacy

Dr. Mariaelena Gonzalez

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA
Interests: tobacco control; marijuana control; health disparities; Latinos; rural populations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global pandemic of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is resulting in unprecedented morbidity and mortality. The United States bears the brunt of this infectious disease, both in total number of cases and death count. Until an effective treatment or vaccine is developed, public health measures of screening for disease, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, and social distancing remain pivotal for reducing transmission and death.

As with many conditions, certain segments of the population—particularly racial/ethnic minorities and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged—seem to be bearing a disproportionate burden of illness and death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. Such disparities expand beyond clinical outcomes and manifest in pronounced social, economic, and cultural effects. Accurate and timely information for such communities to understand and act are absent or, at the very best, incomplete and fragmented. Community-engaged efforts are presumably an effective mechanism to ensure that inequities in testing and treatment are minimized. Moreover, myriad social determinants of health must be understood and addressed to ensure that public health interventions are tailored and effective.

Manuscripts highlighting community-engaged approaches to addressing health disparities in context of the COVID-19 epidemic are sought for this Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Of particular interest is scholarship surrounding how health professionals work with communities to facilitate equitable access to accurate and culturally appropriate information, quality health care, and social services that address a wide array of consequences related to the pandemic. It is anticipated that readers will be able to develop and implement effective interventions based on an emerging base of evidence and promising practices featured in articles published in this Special Issue.

Prof. Arnab Mukherjea
Prof. Jennifer Kue
Prof. Monica D. Allen
Prof. Mariaelena Gonzalez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
Health disparities
Community engagement
Equitable access to care
Discrimination
Stigma
Social and cultural determinants

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

17 pages, 600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Observations from The FILLED Project (FILipino Lived Experiences during COVID-19)

by Melanie D. Sabado-Liwag, Mayra Zamora, Shenazar Esmundo, Jake Ryann Sumibcay and Patchareeya P. Kwan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12303; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912303 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2098

Abstract

Health outcomes for Asian American subgroups are often aggregated, masking unique experiences and disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically among Filipino Americans (FilAms). The FILLED (Filipino Lived Experiences during COVID-19) Project launched a cross-sectional online survey between April-August 2021 among FilAm adults in Southern California to document community issues and outcomes during the pandemic. Among 223 participants, 47.5% were immigrants, 50.9% identified as essential workers, and 40.6% had a pre-existing health condition before the pandemic. Despite high rates of health insurance (93.3%), 24.4% of the sample did not have a regular health care provider. During the pandemic, 32.7% needed mental health help but did not get it and 44.2% did not know where to get such services. Most respondents felt that the COVID-19 vaccination was a personal responsibility to others (76.9%) and the majority had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (82.4%). Regarding COVID-19 impact, participants reported moderate-severe changes in their daily routines (73.5%), access to extended social support (38.9%), housing issues (15.4%), and access to medical care (11.6%). To our knowledge, this study is the first community-driven effort highlighting FilAm community experiences in Southern California, where the highest proportion of FilAms in the United States reside, specifically after the COVID-19 vaccine was made widely available. The observational findings may help community leaders, policy makers, and public health researchers in the design, development, and implementation of post-pandemic intervention strategies used by community-partnered projects that address FilAm and sub-Asian group health disparities at grassroots to societal levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Community Engagement to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Context of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the U.S.)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 716 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social, Economic and Overall Health Impacts of COVID-19 on People Living with Disabilities in King County, WA

by Nicole Turcheti, Amy A. Laurent, Christina Delgado, Kayla Sainati, Kris Johnson and Eva Y. Wong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10520; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710520 - 24 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2462

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated mitigation measures to reduce the spread of disease affected the social, economic, and overall health of individuals. Quantitative administrative datasets typically did not contain demographic information that allowed for reporting or analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on people living with disabilities. Understanding the experiences of this population during the pandemic can inform the design of public health responses that are more robust and better connected to community. This paper describes a qualitative participatory study with a diverse sample of people living with disabilities in King County, WA. Through 2 listening sessions and 35 semi-structured interviews, it examines what impacts COVID-19 brought for people living with disabilities; elucidates the supports that were helpful in addressing COVID-19 impacts; examines inequities faced by the disability community; and sheds light on how to engage with this community to inform the public health emergency response. The process, protocols, findings, and lessons learned are replicable by other local health departments and could be incorporated as part of routine data collection and considered for future public health emergencies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Community Engagement to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Context of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the U.S.)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 343 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“The System Doesn’t Let Us in”—A Call for Inclusive COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Rooted in Los Angeles Latinos’ Experience of Pandemic Hardships and Inequities

by Yelba M. Castellon-Lopez, Savanna L. Carson, Lisa Mansfield, Nanibaa’ A. Garrison, Juan Barron, D’Ann Morris, Ejiro Ntekume, Stefanie D. Vassar, Keith C. Norris, Arleen F. Brown and Alejandra Casillas

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 5785; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105785 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2420

Abstract

Objective. Latino adults in Los Angeles have experienced disproportionate cases, deaths, and socioeconomic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study aimed to explore community perspectives on readiness for COVID-19 vaccination and to identify culturally tailored vaccine outreach strategies. Methods. We conducted virtual focus groups with Los Angeles County Latino/a residents via Zoom between December 2020 to January 2021, as the first COVID-19 vaccines were receiving Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Focus groups were facilitated in Spanish and English by bilingual members of the research team. Discussions were analyzed via Atlas.ti software using reflexive thematic analysis. Results. Three focus groups (n = 15; four to six people each; two Spanish focus groups; one English) were conducted. Thematic findings centered on Latino COVID-19 vaccine equity: (1) Disproportionate infection risk due to essential worker status and socioeconomic burdens, misinformation, and familial or cultural tensions (2) Concerns for inequitable vaccine access due to immigration fears and limited healthcare access, and (3) A need for community-centered COVID-19 vaccine outreach and access. Conclusions. Our study on early Latino adult reactions to vaccine roll-out suggests the need for outreach strategies centering on validating community hardships, combating dis-/misinformation through trusted sources, and addressing socio-economic needs impacted by the pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Community Engagement to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Context of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the U.S.)

Other

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 713 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care and Health-Related Quality of Life of Non-Hispanic Black/African American, Hispanic/Latina and Non-Hispanic White Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the U.S.: A Mixed-Methods Study Protocol

by Chiara Acquati, Tzuan A. Chen, Isabel Martinez Leal, Shahnjayla K. Connors, Arooba A. Haq, Anastasia Rogova, Stephanie Ramirez, Lorraine R. Reitzel and Lorna H. McNeill

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13084; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413084 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3651

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had critical consequences for cancer care delivery, including altered treatment protocols and delayed services that may affect patients’ quality of life and long-term survival. Breast cancer patients from minoritized racial and ethnic groups already experience worse outcomes, which may have been exacerbated by treatment delays and social determinants of health (SDoH). This protocol details a mixed-methods study aimed at comparing cancer care disruption among a diverse sample of women (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latina) and assessing how proximal, intermediate, and distal SDoH differentially contribute to care continuity and health-related quality of life. An embedded mixed-methods design will be implemented. Eligible participants will complete an online survey, followed by a semi-structured interview (with a subset of participants) to further understand factors that influence continuity of care, treatment decision-making, and self-reported engagement. The study will identify potentially modifiable factors to inform future models of care delivery and improve care transitions. These data will provide the necessary evidence to inform whether a subsequent, multilevel intervention is warranted to improve quality of care delivery in the COVID-19 aftermath. Additionally, results can be used to identify ways to leverage existing social resources to help manage and support patients’ outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Community Engagement to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Context of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the U.S.)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Role of Community Engagement to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Context of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the U.S.

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Other

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI