Background Risks associated with Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission in the Americas have been discussed widely in the media as several European athletes declined to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Since risk perceptions of individuals in unaffected areas are unknown, we assessed the risk perceptions of ZIKV and related behaviour in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a specific focus on pregnant women and their partners. Methods In May 2016, we surveyed 1,037 participants aged 15-69 years of an online panel (addressing hygiene and preventive behaviour regarding infections) in Lower Saxony with respect to their risk perceptions related to ZIKV. We additionally included 26 expectant parents who were recruited at antenatal preparation courses in Braunschweig and Hannover between May and July 2016. Results Six hundred fifty-five (69.1%) of the panel participants had ever heard about ZIKV. About 8% of the study participants reported to be concerned about ZIKV. Pregnant women had the highest odds of reporting concern about ZIKV (OR: 6.24; 95% CI: 2.94-13.26, reference: non-pregnant women). The vast majority of participants (79%) would travel to the Olympics if they won a free trip; this proportion was lower in currently pregnant women (46%). Risk perceptions towards ZIKV were considerably lower than those towards Ebola during the 2014 epidemic. Conclusion This study showed that fear of contracting ZIKV is not a major deterrent for travelling to high-risk areas. Pregnant women are appropriately concerned about the risk of ZIKV. Studies modelling the further spread of ZIKV need to account for these results.

Intro: Rural America experiences disparities in healthcare access, socioeconomic status, health-related behaviors, and chronic conditions, compared to non-rural America. The Appalachian region, specifically the counties within Central Appalachia (CA), are among the poorest and most rural in the country with very poor health, economic, and educational outcomes. Moreover, Appalachia is faces a unique set of challenges even when compared with other rural or disadvantaged regions in the U.S. This study compares such outcomes between the counties of Central Appalachia to the counties of the rest of the United States. Methods: Data from County Health Rankings, American Community Survey, and the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation were combined using FIPS codes to create the analytic dataset. Demographic, health outcome/behaviors, socioeconomic, and clinical care characteristics were compared between Central Appalachia (238) and the rest of the U.S. (2,902) using independent samples t-tests. Results: In 26 different measures, Central Appalachia performed significantly worse (p =.05) when compared to the rest of the U.S. Among the most striking results is the difference between years of potential life lost (YPLL), where Central Appalachian counties have a mean YPLL of 10,657 years and the rest of the United States have a mean YPLL of 8,399 years. Discussion: This research highlights health disparities faced by rural areas, such as Central Appalachia, compared to the rest of the U.S. Ultimately, these results indicate the need to examine regional differences and variation in population-level characteristics in order to understand and improve the health of these disparate populations.

This talk will: 1. Define existing breastfeeding best practices 2. Review breastfeeding initiatives and metrics 3. Discuss geographical considerations and cultural competency 4. Examine case studies of at-risk breastfeeding families

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Background: The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak 2014 received extensive news media coverage, which faded out before the outbreak ended. News media coverage impacts risk perception; it is, however, unclear if the components of risk perception (affective and cognitive responses) change differently over time. Methods: In an online panel, we asked participants (n = 1376) about EVD risk perceptions at the epidemic's peak (November 2014) and after news media coverage faded out (August 2015). We investigated worry (affective response), perceived likelihood of infection, perceived personal impact, and coping efficacy (dimensions of cognitive response), and knowledge about transmission. Differences between the surveys with respect to manifestations of affective and cognitive dimensions were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The association between individual change in knowledge and worries about EVD in the first survey was investigated using linear regression. Results: In November 2014, the survey was filled in by 974 participants. Ten months later, 662 of them were still members of the online panel and were invited to the follow-up survey. Among the 620 respondents, affective response decreased between the surveys. Knowledge about EVD also decreased; however, participants worried about EVD in 2014 had increased knowledge in 2015. Perceived likelihood of infection decreased over time, while perceived personal impact and coping efficacy did not. Conclusions: Risk communication appealing to cognitive reactions by informing clearly on the risk of infection in unaffected countries may decrease inappropriate behaviors.

Book Summary: Designed as a supplemental text for introductory courses in public health practice at the undergraduate and graduate levels, Contemporary Public Health provides historical background that contextualizes the current state of the field and explores the major issues practitioners face today. It addresses essential topics such as the social and ecological determinants of health and their impact on practice, marginalized populations, the role of community-oriented primary care, accreditation, and the organizational landscape of the American public health system. Finally, it examines the opioid epidemic, the impact of pandemics including COVID-19, and international public health and explores the potential of systems based on multilevel partnerships of government, academic, and nonprofit organizations. With fresh historical and methodological analyses conducted by an impressive group of distinguished authors, Contemporary Public Health is an essential resource for practitioners, health advocates, students, legislators, and informed citizens.

Book summary: Appalachian Health explores major challenges and opportunities for promoting the health and well-being of the people of Appalachia, a historically underserved population. It considers health's intersection with social, political, and economic factors to shed light on the trends affecting mortality and morbidity among the region's residents.

Introduction: Increased vegetable intake has been shown to protect against metabolic syndrome (MetS) among adults. However, limited studies have examined the association between vegetable consumption and MetS among pediatric Hispanic populations. The objective of this study was to explore the association between vegetable consumption and being at risk for MetS among a pediatric Hispanic population of Northeast Tennessee (TN). Methods: Nutrition, parental, and blood sample data were obtained from 114 Hispanic children aged 2 to 10 years who received care from a community health center in Northeast TN. Being at risk for MetS included having two or more of the following: elevated waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, and low HDL. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between vegetable consumption and being at risk for MetS while controlling for child age, child sex, and parental marital status. Results: Higher vegetable intake was found to be associated with a 60% decrease in odds of being at risk for MetS (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.16-0.99). Children of parents who were not married were 162% more likely to be at risk for MetS compared to children of parents who were married (95% CI: 1.17-5.88). Discussion: Higher vegetable intake was associated with decreased odds of being at risk for MetS among this Hispanic pediatric population. Additional studies with a larger sample size are warranted to further understand the relationship of vegetable consumption and their potential protective effects on the development of MetS among this population.