Self-Related Physical Health Along The Rural-Urban Continuum, United States, 2021
Poor self-rated physical health is strongly associated with morbidity and premature mortality. As indicated in the February 4, 2022 issue of the CDC ‘s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, an analysis used data from the National Well-being Survey (NWS), a national sample of approximately 4,000 U.S. working-aged adults conducted during February and March 2021, to examine differences in self-rated physical health among residents of large urban; medium/small urban; metro-adjacent rural; and remote rural counties. Residents of medium/small urban, metro-adjacent rural, and remote rural counties had significantly higher probabilities of reporting fair/poor self-rated physical health than their large urban county peers. There were no significant differences by sex or race/ethnicity in self-rated physical health. Although there is no single solution to reducing rural-urban health disparities, these findings suggest that reducing socioeconomic disparities is essential.
Demographic Variation In Health Insurance Coverage: United States, 2020
According to data published on February 11, 2022 in National Health Statistics Reports, in 2020, 31.6 million (9.7%) individuals of all ages were uninsured at the time of the interview. This figure includes 31.2 million (11.5%) people under age 65. Among children, 3.7 million (5.0%) were uninsured, and among working-age adults (aged 18–64), 27.5 million (13.9%) were uninsured. Among the under age 65 group, 64.3% were covered by private health insurance, including 56.6% with employment-based coverage and 6.7% with directly purchased coverage. Moreover, 4.0% were covered by exchange-based coverage, a type of directly purchased coverage. Under age 65, about two in five children and one in five adults were covered by public health coverage, mainly by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Among adults aged 65 and over, the percentage covered by private health insurance varied by age, family income level, education level, and race and Hispanic origin.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Exercise After Vaccination Increases Serum Antibody Level
Researchers at Iowa State University found 90 minutes of mild- to moderate-intensity exercise directly after a flu or COVID-19 vaccine may provide an extra immune boost. In a study published in the upcoming May 2022 issue of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, participants who cycled on a stationary bike or took a brisk walk for an hour-and-a-half after obtaining a jab produced more antibodies in the following four weeks compared to participants who sat or continued with their daily routine post-immunization. Nearly half of the participants in the experiment had a BMI in the overweight or obese category. During 90 minutes of exercise, they focused on maintaining a pace that kept their heart rate around 120–140 beats per minute rather than distance. A shorter 45-minute workout did not increase the participants’ antibody levels. The researchers found similar results when they ran an experiment with mice and treadmills. These investigators also are tracking the antibody response six months post-immunization.
Smartphone App To Determine How Well Blood Clots
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new blood-clotting test that uses only a single drop of blood and a smartphone vibration motor and camera. The system includes a plastic attachment that holds a tiny cup beneath the phone's camera. An individual adds a drop of blood to the cup, which contains a small copper particle and a chemical that starts the blood-clotting process. Next, the phone's vibration motor shakes the cup while the camera monitors the movement of the particle, which slows down and then stops moving as the clot forms. The researchers showed that this method falls within the accuracy range of the standard instruments of the field. The team published these findings on February 11, 2022 in the journal Nature Communications. Tubes of blood used to be rocked back and forth manually to monitor how long it took a clot to form, which requires a lot of blood, making it infeasible to use in home settings. The vibration motor on a smartphone, can do the same thing, except with a single drop of blood.