Sample records for york city health

  1. Promoting Teen Health and Reducing Risks: A Look at Adolescent Health Services in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, NY.

    This study examined data from focus groups with New York City adolescents and interviews with health care providers serving New York City adolescents (hospital based clinics, school based health centers, child health clinics, community health centers, and a multi-service adolescent center) in order to determine how to promote health and reduce…

  2. Dangerous dining: health and safety in the New York City restaurant industry.

    PubMed

    Jayaraman, Saru; Dropkin, Jonathan; Siby, Sekou; Alston, Laine Romero; Markowitz, Steven

    2011-12-01

    We characterized the health and safety conditions of New York City restaurant workers, a population comprising largely of immigrants and people of color. We conducted an anonymous questionnaire survey of 502 New York City restaurant workers, addressing working conditions, benefits, demographic factors, psychosocial exposures, and medical symptoms and conditions. Restaurant workers reported fast-paced, repetitive, and physically demanding jobs that sometimes involve chemical exposures. Despite their youth, they experience a high prevalence of musculoskeletal and traumatic injuries. Few receive job benefits despite significant symptoms. Job-related injuries are positively associated with practices that pose a danger to consumers. New York City restaurant workers have stressful jobs, experience significant injury, and illness but receive few job benefits. A healthier work organization and greater access to benefits for restaurant workers would improve their health and public health.

  3. Trends in the first ten years of AIDS in New York City. The New York City Department of Health AIDS Surveillance Team.

    PubMed

    Thomas, P A; Weisfuse, I B; Greenberg, A E; Bernard, G A; Tytun, A; Stellman, S D

    1993-01-15

    With over 37,000 cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) reported by the end of 1991, New York City had reported nearly 20% of all US cases in the first decade of the AIDS epidemic. This report examines cases diagnosed through 1990 and reported through 1991 to describe rates and trends in the affected subpopulations. Case data were collected by the New York City Department of Health AIDS Surveillance Team, using a format standardized by the federal Centers for Disease Control. Deaths attributable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were examined using data provided by the New York City Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics. From 1981 through 1990, 37,436 cases of AIDS were diagnosed: 83% in men over the age of 19 years, 15% in women over 19, 2% in children under 13, and less than 1% in teenagers aged 13-19. Cumulative rates in New York City adults were as high as 100 per 10,000 in nine neighborhoods. Predominant trends included a sustained plateau in reported incidence in men who reported having sex with men and a continuing rise in cases in injection drug users and women infected through heterosexual intercourse. HIV-related deaths in men, women, and children were continuing to rise at the end of the decade. During the first decade of the AIDS/HIV epidemic, case surveillance in New York City measured the visible portion of the epidemic and provided important data on subepidemics.

  4. Accretion, reform, and crisis: a theory of public health politics in New York City.

    PubMed Central

    Fox, D. M.

    1991-01-01

    Standard interpretations of the history of public health in New York City in the twentieth century describe either the decline or the growth of the importance accorded to public health activities. To the contrary, public health has, paradoxically, both declined in salience and attracted increasing resources. This article describes the politics of public health in New York City since the 1920s. First it describes events in the history of public health in the context of events in the economy and in city, state, and national politics. Then it proposes three descriptive models for arraying the data about public health politics: accretion, reform, and crisis. Next it describes how the politics of AIDS in New York City in the 1980s was a consequence of the history that produced these three political styles. Finally, it argues that the three political styles are generalizable to the history of public health throughout the United States in the twentieth century. PMID:1814059

  5. Public Health Concerns Associated with the New York City Blackout of 1977.

    PubMed

    Imperato, Pascal James

    2016-08-01

    The 1977 New York City blackout began at 9:36 p.m. on 13 July and lasted some 25 h until 10:39 p.m. on 14 July. The New York City Department of Health rapidly set up a Blackout Contingency Plan, established priorities, and mobilized its staff to address remedial interventions. Top priorities included water supplies, sewage disposal, perishable food supplies, hospital and emergency room services, solid waste disposal, beach contamination with untreated sewage , and assisting those on electrically powered home life support systems. The 1977 blackout occurred during an extended heat wave. An analysis of total deaths and deaths due to pulmonary and cardiovascular/renal diseases by day correlated with temperatures. However, there was no direct correlation with the blackout itself, in part perhaps because of the confounding influence of high temperatures. The increase of deaths on very hot days outside of the blackout period lends strong support to the relationship between increased deaths and high ambient temperatures. The 1977 New York City blackout was distinguished from those of 1965 and 2003 by violence, arson, and looting that occurred in several areas. These acts resulted in 204 civilian injuries, 436 police injuries, 80 firefighter injuries, and 1037 fires. The violence, arson, and looting caused extensive long-term physical and functional damage to certain areas of two boroughs of the city, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Although the New York City Department of Health had not previously established a disaster preparedness plan, its professionals quickly rose to the occasion because they were able to draw upon vast public health practice experience and ingenuity.

  6. Use of hospital-based ambulatory care in New York City's Health Manpower Shortage Areas.

    PubMed Central

    Stager, D F; Krasner, M I; Goodwin, E J

    1987-01-01

    The development of a comprehensive data base for hospital-based ambulatory care has made possible the accurate determination of each community's use of hospitals in New York City and permits a reliable estimation of all ambulatory care received by residents of Health Manpower Shortage Areas (HMSAs). In spite of the city's abundant supply of private practitioners and widespread Medicaid coverage, residents of HMSAs in New York City are heavily dependent on hospital-based ambulatory care. Contrary to commonly held notions, however, HMSA residents do not appear to overuse hospital-based ambulatory care. Rather, that use appears to be quite modest, given their poorer health status. PMID:3101118

  7. New York City's Child Health Clinics: Providing Quality Primary Care to Children in Low-Income and Immigrant Families.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, NY.

    A study was conducted to determine whether the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is fulfilling dual public health and primary care missions of its Child Health Clinics, which provide services to 78,000 New York City children every year. Among the services provided by Child Health Clinics are health examinations for school and…

  8. Trends in Birth Rates: New York City 1970-1995.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finkel, Madelon L.; Elkin, Elena

    2001-01-01

    Examined teen birth rates in New York City health districts over 25 years, noting ethnic variations. Data from Department of Health vital statistics indicated that the decline in the birth rate among New York City teens was most significant in health districts populated predominantly by blacks. There were substantial decreases among older teens…

  9. Public health consequences of terrorism on maternal-child health in New York City and Madrid.

    PubMed

    Sherrieb, Kathleen; Norris, Fran H

    2013-06-01

    Past research provides evidence for trajectories of health and wellness among individuals following disasters that follow specific pathways of resilience, resistance, recovery, or continued dysfunction. These individual responses are influenced by event type and pre-event capacities. This study was designed to utilize the trajectories of health model to determine if it translates to population health. We identified terrorist attacks that could potentially impact population health rather than only selected individuals within the areas of the attacks. We chose to examine a time series of population birth outcomes before and after the terrorist events of the New York City (NYC) World Trade Center (WTC) attacks of 2001 and the Madrid, Spain train bombings of 2004 to determine if the events affected maternal-child health of those cities and, if so, for how long. For percentages of low birth weight (LBW) and preterm births, we found no significant effects from the WTC attacks in NYC and transient but significant effects on rates of LBW and preterm births following the bombings in Madrid. We did find a significant positive and sustained effect on infant mortality rate in NYC following the WTC attacks but no similar effect in Madrid. There were no effects on any of the indicator variables in the comparison regions of New York state and the remainder of Spain. Thus, population maternal-health in New York and Madrid showed unique adverse effects after the terrorist attacks in those cities. Short-term effects on LBW and preterm birth rates in Madrid and long-term effects on infant mortality rates in NYC were found when quarterly data were analyzed from 1990 through 2008/2009. These findings raise questions about chronic changes in the population's quality of life following catastrophic terrorist attacks. Public health should be monitored and interventions designed to address chronic stress, environmental, and socioeconomic threats beyond the acute aftermath of events.

  10. Welfare reform and the perinatal health and health care use of Latino women in California, New York City, and Texas.

    PubMed

    Joyce, T; Bauer, T; Minkoff, H; Kaestner, R

    2001-11-01

    This study analyzed changes in the financing of prenatal care and delivery, the use of prenatal care, and birth outcomes among foreign-born vs US-born Latino women following enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in August 1996. We used a pre-post design with a comparison group. The sample consisted of resident Latinas in California, New York City, and Texas who delivered a live infant in 1995 or 1998. The proportion of births to Latinas that initiated prenatal care in the first 4 months of pregnancy increased for all foreign-born Latinas in California, New York City, and Texas between 1995 and 1998 (P <.05). Except for non-Dominicans in New York City, there was no increase in the proportion of low- or very-low-birthweight births among foreign-born vs US-born Latinas in the 3 localities between 1995 and 1996. There is little evidence from vital statistics in California, New York City, and Texas that PRWORA had any substantive impact on the perinatal health and health care utilization of foreign-born relative to US-born Latinas.

  11. Integration in New York City Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anker, Irving

    1975-01-01

    The Chancellor of the New York City Board of Education discusses, in his testimony before a May 1974 public hearing of the New York City Commission on Human Rights why the goal of integration in New York City, as in other inner city areas throughout the country, remained so elusive, noting that 66 percent of public school children in New York City…

  12. 26. 'CITY HOSPITAL, BLACKWELL'S ISLAND.' (Source: New York City Department ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    26. 'CITY HOSPITAL, BLACKWELL'S ISLAND.' (Source: New York City Department of Public Finance, Real Estate Owned by the City of New York under Jurisdiction of the Department of Public Charities, 1909.) - Island Hospital, Roosevelt Island, New York County, NY

  13. New York City, New York Municipal Forest Resource Analysis

    Treesearch

    P.J. Peper; E.G. McPherson; J.R. Simpson; S.L. Gardner; K.E. Vargas; Q. Xiao

    2007-01-01

    New York City, the largest city in the United States and one of the world’s major global cities, main-tains trees as an integral component of the urban infrastructure (Figure 1). Since 1995, over 120,000 trees have been planted along the streets of the city’s five boroughs. Over 592,000 street trees are managed by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation...

  14. Learning from New York City : a case study of public health policy practice in the Bloomberg administration.

    PubMed

    Isett, Kimberley Roussin; Laugesen, Miriam J; Cloud, David H

    2015-01-01

    To ascertain any lessons learned about how public health reforms undertaken in New York City during the Bloomberg Administration were shepherded through the public policy and administration gauntlet. The question is, how feasible is this approach and would it work outside of New York City? Using a theoretically grounded case study approach, 3 initiatives were examined that were proposed and/or implemented during a 10-year period of the Mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg (2002-2011): transfats restrictions, clean bus transportation policies, and a sugar-sweetened beverages tax (as a counterfactual). The investigation began by performing a comprehensive public documents search and was followed with interviews of 27 individuals involved in the selected policy initiatives. Interviews were coded in Nvivo using an iterative, grounded methodology. Using a theoretical lens, the case study illustrates that the multifaceted role of leadership was not confined to the executives in the City or the Agency. Instead, leadership extended to other administrative officials within the agency and the Board of Health. Second, New York City used reorganization and coordinative mechanisms strategically to ensure achievement of their goals. This included creation of new departments/bureaus and coordinating structures across the City. Evidence of the explicit use of incentives, as initially anticipated from the theoretical framework, was not found. While some aspects of this case study are unique to the context of New York City, 2 approaches used in New York City are feasible for other jurisdictions: harnessing the full scope and breadth of authority of the agency and its associated boards and commissions, and remobilizing existing workforce to explicitly focus on and coordinate targeted policies for issues of concern. Questions for further consideration are posed at the conclusion of the article.

  15. Overview of Federal, New York State, and New York City Law Regarding Environmental Health and Safety in Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Advocates for Children of New York, Inc., Long Island City.

    This document presents many of the federal, state, and New York City laws that apply to the health, safety, and environmental conditions of schools. The relevant portions of the law have been selected along with the mechanisms of legal enforcement that may exist and contact information where applicable. Legislative categories covered include air…

  16. Bilingual Education in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenkins, Mary

    This report attempts to place in perspective the position of bilingual education in New York City. It is divided into the following sections: (1) Bilingual Education--A Historical Perspective, (2) The Puerto Rican Child in the New York City School System, (3) Bilingual Education in the New York City School System, (4) Funding for Bilingual…

  17. Abating New York City transit noise: a matter of will, not way.

    PubMed

    Bronzaft, Arline L

    2010-01-01

    From the latter part of the 19th century, when New York City trains began to operate, until the present time, New York City's Transit Authority has received train noise complaints from riders and residents living near its transit system. The growing body of literature demonstrating the adverse effects of noise on physical and mental health raises the question as to whether transit noise is hazardous to the health of New York City's transit riders and residents living near the transit system. Several studies have examined the impacts of the noise of New York's transit system on hearing, health and learning. Despite the Transit Authority's efforts to remedy transit noise in response to complaints, the noise problem has not yet been satisfactorily ameliorated. This paper will suggest how the Transit Authority could employ techniques that could lower the noise levels of its system and benefit the health and welfare of New Yorkers. The recommendations in this paper could also apply to other cities with major transit systems where noise abatement has not been treated seriously.

  18. The New York City Smoke-Free Air Act: second-hand smoke as a worker health and safety issue.

    PubMed

    Chang, Christina; Leighton, Jessica; Mostashari, Farzad; McCord, Colin; Frieden, Thomas R

    2004-08-01

    Despite the provisions of a Smoke-Free Air Act (SFAA) enacted in 1995, more than 415,000 non-smoking New York City workers reported exposure to second-hand smoke in the workplace all or most of the time in 2002. Continued exposure to second-hand smoke in New York City prompted a renewed debate about a broader smoke-free air law. The approach taken by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to make the case for workplace protection from second-hand smoke, counter the opposition's arguments, and ultimately win the support of policymakers and the public for comprehensive smoke-free workplace legislation is described. On December 30, 2002, New York City's Mayor signed the SFAA of 2002 into law, making virtually all workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free. Proponents for a stronger law prevailed by defining greater protection from second-hand smoke as a matter of worker health and safety. Efforts to enact smoke-free workplace laws will inevitably encounter strong opposition, with the most common argument being that smoke-free measures will harm businesses. These challenges, however, can be effectively countered and public support for these measures is likely to increase over time by focusing the debate on worker protection from second-hand smoke exposure on the job.

  19. STS-36 night Earth observation of New York City, New York

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1990-03-03

    STS-36 Earth observation shows New York City, New York at night lit up along the Eastern seaboard of the United States and the Atlantic Ocean. The city lights designate the densely populated central city and the major highways surrounding it.

  20. Moving the Dial to Advance Population Health Equity in New York City Asian American Populations

    PubMed Central

    Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Kwon, Simona C.; Nadkarni, Smiti Kapadia; Islam, Nadia S.

    2015-01-01

    The shift toward a health equity framework for eliminating the health disparities burden of racial/ethnic minority populations has moved away from a disease-focused model to a social determinants framework that aims to achieve the highest attainment of health for all. The New York University Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH) has identified core themes and strategies for advancing population health equity for Asian American populations in New York City that are rooted in the following: social determinants of health; multisectoral, community-engaged approaches; leveraging community assets; improved disaggregated data collection and access to care; and building sustainability through community leadership and infrastructure-building activities. We describe the strategies CSAAH employed to move the dial on population health equity. PMID:25905858

  1. New York City's fight over calorie labeling.

    PubMed

    Farley, Thomas A; Caffarelli, Anna; Bassett, Mary T; Silver, Lynn; Frieden, Thomas R

    2009-01-01

    In 2006, New York City's Health Department amended the city Health Code to require the posting of calorie counts by chain restaurants on menus, menu boards, and item tags. This was one element of the city's response to rising obesity rates. Drafting the rule involved many decisions that affected its impact and its legal viability. The restaurant industry argued against the rule and twice sued to prevent its implementation. An initial version of the rule was found to be preempted by federal law, but a revised version was implemented in January 2008. The experience shows that state and local health departments can use their existing authority over restaurants to combat obesity and, indirectly, chronic diseases.

  2. Health-Related Quality of Life and Health Behaviors in a Population-Based Sample of Older, Foreign-Born, Chinese American Adults Living in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyatt, Laura C.; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Islam, Nadia S.; Kwon, Simona C.

    2014-01-01

    Although the New York City Chinese population aged =65 years increased by 50% between 2000 and 2010, the health needs of this population are poorly understood. Approximately 3,001 Chinese individuals from high-density Asian American New York City areas were included in the REACH U.S. Risk Factor Survey; 805 (26.8%) were aged =65 years and…

  3. New York City's Education Battles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Peter

    2008-01-01

    When Bloomberg gave his first State of the City address, in January, 2002, he announced his intention to seek mayoral control of the schools and abolish the infamous New York City Board of Education, which he called "a rinky-dink candy store." He joined a long list of New York mayors, educators, and business leaders who believed that the…

  4. New York City: Musically Speaking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aiex, Nola Kortner

    New York City as a subject has fascinated generations of artists, writers, and musicians. However, the glamorous image of the city has changed over the years, and in the 1960s, popular music, in particular, began to reflect a utopia/dystopia dichotomy in relation to New York. During the past twenty years, six popular singer-songwriters who have…

  5. City Schools: Lessons from New York.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ravitch, Diane, Ed.; Viteritti, Joseph P., Ed.

    This book presents a collection of essays by researchers and educators that examine the largest school system in the U.S.--the New York City school system. There are 5 parts with 15 chapters. Part 1, "Education in the City," includes: (1) "Schooling in New York City: The Socioeconomic Context" (Emanuel Tobier) and (2)…

  6. Reducing sugary drink consumption: New York City's approach.

    PubMed

    Kansagra, Susan M; Kennelly, Maura O; Nonas, Cathy A; Curtis, Christine J; Van Wye, Gretchen; Goodman, Andrew; Farley, Thomas A

    2015-04-01

    Studies have linked the consumption of sugary drinks to weight gain, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Since 2006, New York City has taken several actions to reduce consumption. Nutrition standards limited sugary drinks served by city agencies. Mass media campaigns educated New Yorkers on the added sugars in sugary drinks and their health impact. Policy proposals included an excise tax, a restriction on use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, and a cap on sugary drink portion sizes in food service establishments. These initiatives were accompanied by a 35% decrease in the number of New York City adults consuming one or more sugary drinks a day and a 27% decrease in public high school students doing so from 2007 to 2013.

  7. Neglected Buildings, Damaged Health: A "Snapshot" of New York City Public School Environmental Conditions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Advocates for Children of New York, Inc., Long Island City.

    Survey results are presented from 65 parents, students over 12 years, teachers, and other school employees using 39 different schools about environmental conditions in New York City public schools. It shows the results of years of neglect of infrastructure for children and reveals disturbing new information about the environmental health of school…

  8. A Menu for Health: Changes to New York City School Food, 2001 to 2011

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perlman, Sharon E.; Nonas, Cathy; Lindstrom, Lauren L.; Choe-Castillo, Julia; McKie, Herman; Alberti, Philip M.

    2012-01-01

    Background: The high prevalence of obesity puts children at risk for chronic diseases, increases health care costs, and threatens to reduce life expectancy. As part of the response to this epidemic, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE)--the nation's largest school district--has worked to improve the appeal and nutritional quality…

  9. The Puerto Rican Child in New York City: Stress and Mental Health. Monograph Number 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canino, Ian A.; And Others

    The main objective of this study was to review the literature and synthesize data on the mental health of Puerto Rican children in the New York City area to show that they are at higher risk of developing mental health problems than other children. Chapter 1 of this monograph reviews the development of the concept of stress ard its linkage with…

  10. Going Tobacco-Free on 24 New York City University Campuses: A Public Health Agency's Partnership with a Large Urban Public University System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bresnahan, Marie P.; Sacks, Rachel; Farley, Shannon M.; Mandel-Ricci, Jenna; Patterson, Ty; Lamberson, Patti

    2016-01-01

    The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene partnered with the nation's largest university system, the City University of New York (CUNY), to provide technical assistance and resources to support the development and implementation of a system-wide tobacco-free policy. This effort formed one component of "Healthy CUNY"--a…

  11. The history and impact of the New York City menu labeling law.

    PubMed

    Bernell, Brent

    2010-01-01

    As a result of the recent federal health care legislation, all restaurants in the United States that are part of a chain with twenty or more locations serving substantially the same menu items will be required to post the calorie information of the food they serve directly on menus and menu boards. This development represents the culmination of a regulatory initiative to combat the growth of obesity that only began in 2006 with the decision by the New York City Board of Health to require calorie posting in New York City chain restaurants. That initiative, Regulation 81.50, was the first of its kind in the United States; and yet, less than four years later, the idea has become a national standard. This paper tracks the history of New York City's landmark regulation, detailing the drafting of the law, the initial legal victory for the restaurant association challenging it, and the ultimate triumph of the City in winning legal validation of its calorie posting mandate. In doing so, this paper will also use the New York City regulation as a launching point to discuss the rationale behind menu labeling, to examine the potential legal pitfalls of menu labeling laws, to track the development of the initiative from New York City to a national standard, and finally, to evaluate the preliminary data on whether or not menu labeling is actually effective in achieving its ultimate goal: changing consumer eating habits and reducing obesity.

  12. New York City, Hudson River, NY, USA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    This color infrared photo of New York City, Hudson River, NY, (41.0N, 74.0W) shows a unique view of the dense urban development of the New York City metropolitan area in downstate New York, Long Island and New Jersey. The heavily populated city areas appear as white or gray while vegetated areas appear as shades of red. Central park clearly shows up on Manhattan Island as an illustration of the delineation between cultural and natural features.

  13. Imported plague--New York City, 2002.

    PubMed

    2003-08-08

    On November 1, 2002, a married couple traveled from Santa Fe County, New Mexico, to New York City (NYC), where they both became ill with fever and unilateral inguinal adenopathy; bubonic plague (Yersinia pestis) was diagnosed subsequently. This report summarizes the clinical and public health investigation of these cases and underscores the importance of rapid diagnosis and communication among health-care providers, public health agencies, and the public when patients seek medical attention for an illness that might be caused by an agent of terrorism.

  14. Community-based, culturally appropriate oral health promotion program for immigrant pregnant women in New York City.

    PubMed

    Cruz, Gustavo D; Roldós, Isabel; Puerta, Diva I; Salazar, Christian R

    2005-12-01

    Pre- and postnatal prevention programs may significantly improve the oral health of mother and child. The overall aim of this project was to assess the need for and develop an oral health promotion program for low-income immigrant pregnant women in New York City. Results from the baseline survey showed very low awareness of the importance of maternal oral health and its relationship to an infant's general and oral health among the participants. Based on these results, we developed culturally appropriate educational materials and workshops to promote oral health among pregnant women. As of September 2005, we had conducted more than 500 workshops, distributed educational packages to close to 10,000 women and disseminated about 20,000 brochures in four languages to health care centers and maternal health centers across New York State.

  15. Caribbean Life in New York City: Sociocultural Dimensions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sutton, Constance R., Ed.; Chaney, Elsa M., Ed.

    This book comprises the following papers discussing Caribbean life in New York City: (1) The Context of Caribbean Migration (Elsa M. Chaney); (2) The Caribbeanization of New York City and the Emergence of a Transnational Socio-Cultural System (Constance R. Sutton); (3) New York City and Its People: An Historical Perspective Up to World War II…

  16. Hispanic Diversity in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gurak, Douglas T.; And Others

    1980-01-01

    This issue of the Hispanic Research Center's journal contains four articles which focus on various aspects of the Hispanic community in New York City. In the first article, Douglas T. Gurak and Lloyd H. Rogler use data from censuses, ethnographic accounts, and public documents to profile New York City's Hispanic population. They review the…

  17. Transforming New York City's Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartholomew, Barbara

    2006-01-01

    In 2002, Michael Bloomberg, New York City's newly elected mayor, hoped to fix his city's public schools, which were widely perceived as plagued by a gamut of problems that ranged from low test scores to patronage-riddled schools and districts. A special bill approved by the New York State Legislature made Bloomberg solely accountable to the New…

  18. Assessing the tree health impacts of salt water flooding in coastal cities: A case study in New York City

    Treesearch

    Richard Hallett; Michelle L. Johnson; Nancy F. Sonti

    2018-01-01

    Hurricane Sandy was the second costliest hurricane in United States (U.S.) history. The category 2 storm hit New York City (NYC) on the evening of October 29, 2012, causing major flooding, wind damage, and loss of life. The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) documented over 20,000 fallen street trees due to the physical impact of wind...

  19. Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program : New York City, New York

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-03-03

    The New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot aims to improve the safety of travelers and pedestrians in the city through the deployment of connected vehicle technologies. This objective directly aligns with the city's Vision Zero initiative, which began...

  20. The return of the city-state: urban governance and the New York City H1N1 pandemic.

    PubMed

    Hoffman, Lily M

    2013-02-01

    This article examines New York City's response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in the context of the post-9/11 US security regime. While the federal level 'all-hazards' approach made for greater depth of support, it also generated unrealistic assumptions at odds with an effective local response. The combination of structurally induced opportunity and actor specific strengths (size, expertise) made for effective local governance by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. By underlining the importance of locality as a first line of defence and linking defence function to policy initiative in regard to health governance, this study illustrates the continuing relevance of Weber's insight into the institutional structure of the city. © 2012 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2012 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. New York City's Children First: Lessons in School Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelleher, Maureen

    2014-01-01

    Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City's education system embarked on a massive change effort, known as Children First, that produced significant results: new and better school options for families, more college-ready graduates, and renewed public confidence in New York City's schools. New York City's reform effort has also produced…

  2. Links between the built environment, climate and population health: interdisciplinary environmental change research in New York City.

    PubMed

    Rosenthal, Joyce Klein; Sclar, Elliott D; Kinney, Patrick L; Knowlton, Kim; Crauderueff, Robert; Brandt-Rauf, Paul W

    2007-10-01

    Global climate change is expected to pose increasing challenges for cities in the following decades, placing greater stress and impacts on multiple social and biophysical systems, including population health, coastal development, urban infrastructure, energy demand, and water supplies. Simultaneously, a strong global trend towards urbanisation of poverty exists, with increased challenges for urban populations and local governance to protect and sustain the wellbeing of growing cities. In the context of these 2 overarching trends, interdisciplinary research at the city scale is prioritised for understanding the social impacts of climate change and variability and for the evaluation of strategies in the built environment that might serve as adaptive responses to climate change. This article discusses 2 recent initiatives of The Earth Institute at Columbia University (EI) as examples of research that integrates the methods and objectives of several disciplines, including environmental health science and urban planning, to understand the potential public health impacts of global climate change and mitigative measures for the more localised effects of the urban heat island in the New York City metropolitan region. These efforts embody 2 distinct research approaches. The New York Climate & Health Project created a new integrated modeling system to assess the public health impacts of climate and land use change in the metropolitan region. The Cool City Project aims for more applied policy-oriented research that incorporates the local knowledge of community residents to understand the costs and benefits of interventions in the built environment that might serve to mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change and variability, and protect urban populations from health stressors associated with summertime heat. Both types of research are potentially useful for understanding the impacts of environmental change at the urban scale, the policies needed to address these

  3. Assessing the health benefits of urban air pollution reductions associated with climate change mitigation (2000-2020): Santiago, São Paulo, México City, and New York City.

    PubMed

    Cifuentes, L; Borja-Aburto, V H; Gouveia, N; Thurston, G; Davis, D L

    2001-06-01

    To investigate the potential local health benefits of adopting greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policies, we develop scenarios of GHG mitigation for México City, México; Santiago, Chile; São Paulo, Brazil; and New York, New York, USA using air pollution health impact factors appropriate to each city. We estimate that the adoption of readily available technologies to lessen fossil fuel emissions over the next two decades in these four cities alone will reduce particulate matter and ozone and avoid approximately 64,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 18,000-116,000) premature deaths (including infant deaths), 65,000 (95% CI 22,000-108,000) chronic bronchitis cases, and 46 million (95% CI 35-58 million) person-days of work loss or other restricted activity. These findings illustrate that GHG mitigation can provide considerable local air pollution-related public health benefits to countries that choose to abate GHG emissions by reducing fossil fuel combustion.

  4. Assessing the health benefits of urban air pollution reductions associated with climate change mitigation (2000-2020): Santiago, São Paulo, México City, and New York City.

    PubMed Central

    Cifuentes, L; Borja-Aburto, V H; Gouveia, N; Thurston, G; Davis, D L

    2001-01-01

    To investigate the potential local health benefits of adopting greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policies, we develop scenarios of GHG mitigation for México City, México; Santiago, Chile; São Paulo, Brazil; and New York, New York, USA using air pollution health impact factors appropriate to each city. We estimate that the adoption of readily available technologies to lessen fossil fuel emissions over the next two decades in these four cities alone will reduce particulate matter and ozone and avoid approximately 64,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 18,000-116,000) premature deaths (including infant deaths), 65,000 (95% CI 22,000-108,000) chronic bronchitis cases, and 46 million (95% CI 35-58 million) person-days of work loss or other restricted activity. These findings illustrate that GHG mitigation can provide considerable local air pollution-related public health benefits to countries that choose to abate GHG emissions by reducing fossil fuel combustion. PMID:11427391

  5. Deaths and severe adverse events associated with anesthesia-assisted rapid opioid detoxification--New York City, 2012.

    PubMed

    2013-09-27

    During August-September 2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) was notified by the New York City Poison Control Center regarding three patients who experienced serious adverse events after anesthesia-assisted rapid opiate detoxification (AAROD) at a local outpatient clinic. All three patients required hospitalization, and one subsequently died. DOHMH issued an order requiring that the clinic cease performing AAROD pending an investigation and searched for additional cases of AAROD-related serious adverse events at the clinic and elsewhere in New York City for the period September 2011 to September 2012. That search found no serious adverse events at clinics other than the one implicated. Of the 75 patients who underwent AAROD at the implicated clinic during January-September 2012, two died, and five others experienced serious adverse events requiring hospitalization. As a result of the findings, the New York State Department of Health, the New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and DOHMH jointly issued a Health Alert informing New York health-care providers of AAROD-associated serious adverse events and recommending that they avoid use of AAROD in favor of evidence-based options for opioid dependence treatment.

  6. Daily Reportable Disease Spatiotemporal Cluster Detection, New York City, New York, USA, 2014-2015.

    PubMed

    Greene, Sharon K; Peterson, Eric R; Kapell, Deborah; Fine, Annie D; Kulldorff, Martin

    2016-10-01

    Each day, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene uses the free SaTScan software to apply prospective space-time permutation scan statistics to strengthen early outbreak detection for 35 reportable diseases. This method prompted early detection of outbreaks of community-acquired legionellosis and shigellosis.

  7. Racial and Ethnic Subgroup Disparities in Hypertension Prevalence, New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2014.

    PubMed

    Fei, Kezhen; Rodriguez-Lopez, Jesica S; Ramos, Marcel; Islam, Nadia; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Yi, Stella S; Chernov, Claudia; Perlman, Sharon E; Thorpe, Lorna E

    2017-04-20

    Racial/ethnic minority adults have higher rates of hypertension than non-Hispanic white adults. We examined the prevalence of hypertension among Hispanic and Asian subgroups in New York City. Data from the 2013-2014 New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to assess hypertension prevalence among adults (aged ≥20) in New York City (n = 1,476). Hypertension was measured (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or self-reported hypertension and use of blood pressure medication). Participants self-reported race/ethnicity and country of origin. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed differences in prevalence by race/ethnicity and sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Overall hypertension prevalence among adults in New York City was 33.9% (43.5% for non-Hispanic blacks, 38.0% for Asians, 33.0% for Hispanics, and 27.5% for non-Hispanic whites). Among Hispanic adults, prevalence was 39.4% for Dominican, 34.2% for Puerto Rican, and 27.5% for Central/South American adults. Among Asian adults, prevalence was 43.0% for South Asian and 39.9% for East/Southeast Asian adults. Adjusting for age, sex, education, and body mass index, 2 major racial/ethnic minority groups had higher odds of hypertension than non-Hispanic whites: non-Hispanic black (AOR [adjusted odds ratio], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-3.9) and Asian (AOR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4) adults. Two subgroups had greater odds of hypertension than the non-Hispanic white group: East/Southeast Asian adults (AOR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.6-4.9) and Dominican adults (AOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5). Racial/ethnic minority subgroups vary in hypertension prevalence, suggesting the need for targeted interventions.

  8. Charter School Funding: Inequity in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maloney, Larry D.; Wolf, Patrick J.

    2017-01-01

    New York City was home to 1,575 district and 183 charter schools in Fiscal Year 2014 (FY2014). Seven percent of all public school students in New York City attended charter schools that year. Researchers systematically reviewed funding and spending documents involving the city's district-run and independent charter schools for FY2014. Research…

  9. Impact of residential displacement on healthcare access and mental health among original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Walters, Sarah; Culp, Gretchen; Huynh, Mary; Gould, L. Hannah

    2017-01-01

    Objectives As gentrification continues in New York City as well as other urban areas, residents of lower socioeconomic status maybe at higher risk for residential displacement. Yet, there have been few quantitative assessments of the health impacts of displacement. The objective of this paper is to assess the association between displacement and healthcare access and mental health among the original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City. Methods We used 2 data sources: 1) 2005–2014 American Community Surveys to identify gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City, and 2) 2006–2014 Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. Our cohort included 12,882 residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in 2006 who had records of emergency department visits or hospitalization at least once every 2 years in 2006–2014. Rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations post-baseline were compared between residents who were displaced and those who remained. Results During 2006–2014, 23% were displaced. Compared with those who remained, displaced residents were more likely to make emergency department visits and experience hospitalizations, mainly due to mental health (Rate Ratio = 1.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.5, 2.2), after controlling for baseline demographics, health status, healthcare utilization, residential movement, and the neighborhood of residence in 2006. Conclusions These findings suggest negative impacts of displacement on healthcare access and mental health, particularly among adults living in urban areas and with a history of frequent emergency department visits or hospitalizations. PMID:29272306

  10. Impact of residential displacement on healthcare access and mental health among original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City.

    PubMed

    Lim, Sungwoo; Chan, Pui Ying; Walters, Sarah; Culp, Gretchen; Huynh, Mary; Gould, L Hannah

    2017-01-01

    As gentrification continues in New York City as well as other urban areas, residents of lower socioeconomic status maybe at higher risk for residential displacement. Yet, there have been few quantitative assessments of the health impacts of displacement. The objective of this paper is to assess the association between displacement and healthcare access and mental health among the original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City. We used 2 data sources: 1) 2005-2014 American Community Surveys to identify gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City, and 2) 2006-2014 Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. Our cohort included 12,882 residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in 2006 who had records of emergency department visits or hospitalization at least once every 2 years in 2006-2014. Rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations post-baseline were compared between residents who were displaced and those who remained. During 2006-2014, 23% were displaced. Compared with those who remained, displaced residents were more likely to make emergency department visits and experience hospitalizations, mainly due to mental health (Rate Ratio = 1.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.5, 2.2), after controlling for baseline demographics, health status, healthcare utilization, residential movement, and the neighborhood of residence in 2006. These findings suggest negative impacts of displacement on healthcare access and mental health, particularly among adults living in urban areas and with a history of frequent emergency department visits or hospitalizations.

  11. Half-Full or Half-Empty? Health Care, Child Care, and Youth Programs for Asian American Children in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Andrew; Lee, Jessica; Lee, Larry

    This report examines the availability of health care, child care, and youth programs for Asian Americans in New York City. The Asian American community currently makes up 10 percent of the city population. Asian New Yorkers represent diverse cultures and languages but share certain underlying values and challenges. One commonality is their…

  12. Impact of a New York City Supportive Housing Program on Housing Stability and Preventable Health Care among Homeless Families.

    PubMed

    Lim, Sungwoo; Singh, Tejinder P; Hall, Gerod; Walters, Sarah; Gould, L Hannah

    2018-03-12

    To assess the impact of a New York City supportive housing program on housing stability and preventable emergency department (ED) visits/hospitalizations among heads of homeless families with mental and physical health conditions or substance use disorders. Multiple administrative data from New York City and New York State for 966 heads of families eligible for the program during 2007-12. We captured housing events and health care service utilization during 2 years prior to the first program eligibility date (baseline) and 2 years postbaseline. We performed sequence analysis to measure housing stability and compared housing stability and preventable ED visits and hospitalizations between program participants (treatment group) and eligible applicants not placed in the program (comparison group) via marginal structural modeling. We matched electronically collected data. Eighty-seven percent of supportive housing tenants experienced housing stability in 2 years postbaseline. Compared with unstably housed heads of families in the comparison group, those in the treatment group were 0.60 times as likely to make preventable ED visits postbaseline (95% CI = 0.38, 0.96). Supportive housing placement was associated with improved housing stability and reduced preventable health care visits among homeless families. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  13. New York: Multi-Speak City!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Economic Development Council, NY.

    This guide was written to help teachers make students aware of the multilingual and multi-ethnic nature of New York City in order to experience and explore different languages and customs. New York is a center for variety in language and culture in the areas of diplomacy, international commerce, media and communications, foods and fashion, the…

  14. Perception and attitudes: breastfeeding in public in New York City.

    PubMed

    Mulready-Ward, Candace; Hackett, Martine

    2014-05-01

    In the United States, 76.9% of women initiate breastfeeding but only 36.0% breastfeed exclusively for 3 months. Lack of support for public breastfeeding may prevent women from breastfeeding in public, which could contribute to low rates of breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation, despite high rates of breastfeeding initiation. This study aimed to determine whether residents of New York City, New York, were supportive of and comfortable with public breastfeeding. A population-based public opinion telephone survey of non-institutionalized New York City residents 18 years and older was conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Overall, 50.4% of respondents were not supportive of public breastfeeding. In the multivariable analysis, there was significant variation in support by race/ethnicity, age, and education. There were no significant differences in support by sex, receipt of food stamps, nativity, or the presence of children younger than 12 years in the home. One-third (33.2%) of respondents were uncomfortable with women breastfeeding near them in public. There was significant variation by education in the multivariable analysis. Lack of comfort was highest among those with a high school education or less (39.9%) and some college (33.8%). New York City residents are conflicted about whether breastfeeding is a private act or one that can be done in public. For women who want to continue with their intention to breastfeed exclusively, the negative opinion of other residents may cause them to breastfeed only in private, thereby limiting the opportunity to breastfeed for the recommended time.

  15. Adult tobacco use levels after intensive tobacco control measures: New York City, 2002-2003.

    PubMed

    Frieden, Thomas R; Mostashari, Farzad; Kerker, Bonnie D; Miller, Nancy; Hajat, Anjum; Frankel, Martin

    2005-06-01

    We sought to determine the impact of comprehensive tobacco control measures in New York City. In 2002, New York City implemented a tobacco control strategy of (1) increased cigarette excise taxes; (2) legal action that made virtually all work-places, including bars and restaurants, smoke free; (3) increased cessation services, including a large-scale free nicotine-patch program; (4) education; and (5) evaluation. The health department also began annual surveys on a broad array of health measures, including smoking. From 2002 to 2003, smoking prevalence among New York City adults decreased by 11% (from 21.6% to 19.2%, approximately 140000 fewer smokers). Smoking declined among all age groups, race/ethnicities, and education levels; in both genders; among both US-born and foreign-born persons; and in all 5 boroughs. Increased taxation appeared to account for the largest proportion of the decrease; however, between 2002 and 2003 the proportion of cigarettes purchased outside New York City doubled, reducing the effective price increase by a third. Concerted local action can sharply reduce smoking prevalence. However, further progress will require national action, particularly to increase cigarette taxes, reduce cigarette tax evasion, expand education and cessation services, and limit tobacco marketing.

  16. Racial and Ethnic Subgroup Disparities in Hypertension Prevalence, New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013–2014

    PubMed Central

    Rodriguez-Lopez, Jesica S.; Ramos, Marcel; Islam, Nadia; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Yi, Stella S.; Chernov, Claudia; Perlman, Sharon E.; Thorpe, Lorna E.

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Racial/ethnic minority adults have higher rates of hypertension than non-Hispanic white adults. We examined the prevalence of hypertension among Hispanic and Asian subgroups in New York City. Methods Data from the 2013–2014 New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to assess hypertension prevalence among adults (aged ≥20) in New York City (n = 1,476). Hypertension was measured (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or self-reported hypertension and use of blood pressure medication). Participants self-reported race/ethnicity and country of origin. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed differences in prevalence by race/ethnicity and sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Results Overall hypertension prevalence among adults in New York City was 33.9% (43.5% for non-Hispanic blacks, 38.0% for Asians, 33.0% for Hispanics, and 27.5% for non-Hispanic whites). Among Hispanic adults, prevalence was 39.4% for Dominican, 34.2% for Puerto Rican, and 27.5% for Central/South American adults. Among Asian adults, prevalence was 43.0% for South Asian and 39.9% for East/Southeast Asian adults. Adjusting for age, sex, education, and body mass index, 2 major racial/ethnic minority groups had higher odds of hypertension than non-Hispanic whites: non-Hispanic black (AOR [adjusted odds ratio], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7–3.9) and Asian (AOR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2–3.4) adults. Two subgroups had greater odds of hypertension than the non-Hispanic white group: East/Southeast Asian adults (AOR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.6–4.9) and Dominican adults (AOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1–3.5). Conclusion Racial/ethnic minority subgroups vary in hypertension prevalence, suggesting the need for targeted interventions. PMID:28427484

  17. Differential mortality in New York City (1988-1992). Part One: excess mortality among non-Hispanic blacks.

    PubMed

    Fang, J; Madhavan, S; Cohen, H; Alderman, M H

    1995-01-01

    To determine the distribution of mortality for non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites in New York City, death certificates issued in New York City during 1988 through 1992, and the relevant 1990 US census data for New York City, have been examined. Age-adjusted death rates for blacks and whites by gender and cause of death were computed based on the US population in 1940. Also, standard mortality ratios and excess mortality were calculated using the New York City mortality rate as reference. The results showed that New York City blacks had higher age-adjusted death rates than whites regardless of cause, including stroke, AIDS, homicide, and diabetes. The rate for New York City blacks was also higher than the US total for both genders. Using New York City mortality rates as a reference, more than 80% of excess deaths in blacks occurred before age 65. Injury/poisoning was the leading cause of excess death (20.1%) in black males, while in black females, cardiovascular disease was the largest single cause of excess deaths (24.8%). The higher death rates, especially premature death, of blacks in New York City are related to conditions such as violence, substance abuse, and AIDS, for which prevention rather than medical care is the more likely solution, as well as to cardiovascular diseases, where both prevention through behavioral change, and health and medical care, can influence outcome.

  18. New York City's Small Public Schools: Opportunities for Achievement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brownell, Carol, Ed.; Libby, Joan

    In 1994, four New York City school reform organizations joined to form the New York Networks for School Renewal (NYNSR) and received the first Annenberg Challenge urban grant. NYNSR goals are to expand the number of small, excellent public schools in New York City neighborhoods, particularly those with few educational options; encourage the spread…

  19. Toward a healthier city: nutrition standards for New York City government.

    PubMed

    Lederer, Ashley; Curtis, Christine J; Silver, Lynn D; Angell, Sonia Y

    2014-04-01

    Poor diet is a leading cause of disability, death, and rising health care costs. Government agencies can have a large impact on population nutrition by adopting healthy food purchasing policies. In 2007, New York City (NYC) began developing a nutrition policy for all foods purchased, served, or contracted for by City agencies. A Food Procurement Workgroup was created with representatives from all City agencies that engaged in food purchasing or service, and the NYC Health Department served as technical advisor. The NYC Standards for Meals/Snacks Purchased and Served (Standards) became a citywide policy in 2008. The first of its kind, the Standards apply to more than 3,000 programs run by 12 City agencies. This paper describes the development process and initial implementation of the Standards. With more than 260 million meals and snacks per year covered, the Standards increase demand for healthier products, model healthy eating, and may also affect clients' food choices beyond the institutional environment. Our experience suggests that implementation of nutrition standards across a wide range of diverse agencies is feasible, especially when high-level support is established and technical assistance is available. Healthy procurement policies can ensure that food purchased by a jurisdiction supports its public health efforts. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. Awareness and impact of New York City's graphic point-of-sale tobacco health warning signs.

    PubMed

    Coady, Micaela H; Chan, Christina A; Auer, Kari; Farley, Shannon M; Kilgore, Elizabeth A; Kansagra, Susan M

    2013-05-01

    To increase knowledge of smoking-related health risks and provide smoking cessation information at the point of sale, in 2009, New York City required the posting of graphic point-of-sale tobacco health warnings in tobacco retailers. This study is the first to evaluate the impact of such a policy in the USA. Cross-sectional street-intercept surveys conducted among adult current smokers and recent quitters before and after signage implementation assessed the awareness and impact of the signs. Approximately 10 street-intercept surveys were conducted at each of 50 tobacco retailers in New York City before and after policy implementation. A total of 1007 adults who were either current smokers or recent quitters were surveyed about the awareness and impact of tobacco health warning signs. Multivariate risk ratios (RR) were calculated to estimate awareness and impact of the signs. Most participants (86%) were current smokers, and the sample was 28% African-American, 32% Hispanic/Latino and 27% non-Hispanic white. Awareness of tobacco health warning signs more than doubled after the policy implementation (adjusted RR =2.01, 95% CI 1.74 to 2.33). Signage posting was associated with an 11% increase in the extent to which signs made respondents think about quitting smoking (adjusted RR =1.11, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.22). A policy requiring tobacco retailers to display graphic health warning signs increased awareness of health risks of smoking and stimulated thoughts about quitting smoking. Additional research aimed at evaluating the effect of tobacco control measures in the retail environment is necessary to provide further rationale for implementing these changes.

  1. Deaths in World Trade Center terrorist attacks--New York City, 2001.

    PubMed

    2002-09-11

    On September 11, 2001, terrorists flew two hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center (WTC) in lower Manhattan in New York City (NYC), destroying both towers of the WTC. This report presents preliminary vital statistics on the deaths caused by the terrorist attacks and describes the procedures developed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) to issue death certificates in response to the attacks. These data underscore the need for legal mechanisms to expedite the issuance of death certificates in the absence of human remains and the need for vital registration systems that can be relocated in case of emergency.

  2. Legionnaires' Disease Outbreaks and Cooling Towers, New York City, New York, USA.

    PubMed

    Fitzhenry, Robert; Weiss, Don; Cimini, Dan; Balter, Sharon; Boyd, Christopher; Alleyne, Lisa; Stewart, Renee; McIntosh, Natasha; Econome, Andrea; Lin, Ying; Rubinstein, Inessa; Passaretti, Teresa; Kidney, Anna; Lapierre, Pascal; Kass, Daniel; Varma, Jay K

    2017-11-01

    The incidence of Legionnaires' disease in the United States has been increasing since 2000. Outbreaks and clusters are associated with decorative, recreational, domestic, and industrial water systems, with the largest outbreaks being caused by cooling towers. Since 2006, 6 community-associated Legionnaires' disease outbreaks have occurred in New York City, resulting in 213 cases and 18 deaths. Three outbreaks occurred in 2015, including the largest on record (138 cases). Three outbreaks were linked to cooling towers by molecular comparison of human and environmental Legionella isolates, and the sources for the other 3 outbreaks were undetermined. The evolution of investigation methods and lessons learned from these outbreaks prompted enactment of a new comprehensive law governing the operation and maintenance of New York City cooling towers. Ongoing surveillance and program evaluation will determine if enforcement of the new cooling tower law reduces Legionnaires' disease incidence in New York City.

  3. Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks and Cooling Towers, New York City, New York, USA

    PubMed Central

    Fitzhenry, Robert; Cimini, Dan; Balter, Sharon; Boyd, Christopher; Alleyne, Lisa; Stewart, Renee; McIntosh, Natasha; Econome, Andrea; Lin, Ying; Rubinstein, Inessa; Passaretti, Teresa; Kidney, Anna; Lapierre, Pascal; Kass, Daniel; Varma, Jay K.

    2017-01-01

    The incidence of Legionnaires’ disease in the United States has been increasing since 2000. Outbreaks and clusters are associated with decorative, recreational, domestic, and industrial water systems, with the largest outbreaks being caused by cooling towers. Since 2006, 6 community-associated Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks have occurred in New York City, resulting in 213 cases and 18 deaths. Three outbreaks occurred in 2015, including the largest on record (138 cases). Three outbreaks were linked to cooling towers by molecular comparison of human and environmental Legionella isolates, and the sources for the other 3 outbreaks were undetermined. The evolution of investigation methods and lessons learned from these outbreaks prompted enactment of a new comprehensive law governing the operation and maintenance of New York City cooling towers. Ongoing surveillance and program evaluation will determine if enforcement of the new cooling tower law reduces Legionnaires’ disease incidence in New York City. PMID:29049017

  4. Going tobacco-free on 24 New York City university campuses: A public health agency's partnership with a large urban public university system.

    PubMed

    Bresnahan, Marie P; Sacks, Rachel; Farley, Shannon M; Mandel-Ricci, Jenna; Patterson, Ty; Lamberson, Patti

    2016-01-01

    The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene partnered with the nation's largest university system, the City University of New York (CUNY), to provide technical assistance and resources to support the development and implementation of a system-wide tobacco-free policy. This effort formed one component of Healthy CUNY-a larger initiative to support health promotion and disease prevention across the university system and resulted in the successful introduction of a system-wide tobacco-free policy on all CUNY campuses. Glassman et al (J Am Coll Health. 2011;59:764-768) published a blueprint for action related to tobacco policies that informed our work. This paper describes the policy development and implementation process and presents lessons learned from the perspective of the Health Department, as a practical case study to inform and support other health departments who may be supporting colleges and universities to become tobacco-free.

  5. The Professional Educator: Notes from New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mulgrew, Michael

    2014-01-01

    In New York City, as in many places across the country, there is much discussion about strengthening career and technical education (CTE). New York City's approach to Career and Technical Education (CTE) is held up as a model for getting this type of education right. A recent conference highlighted six schools that represented only a fraction of…

  6. Education Reform in New York City (2002-2013)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elwick, Alex

    2017-01-01

    In 2002 Michael Bloomberg took office as Mayor of New York City and, over the next 12 years of his administration, oversaw a series of sweeping reforms in order to "fix" the broken education system which he believed he had inherited. This paper details the key policy reforms in New York City's public school system during this period,…

  7. Building New York City's Innovation Economy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Grady, Jim; Bowles, Jonathan

    2009-01-01

    Academic research institutions have long been important economic anchors for New York City. They provide thousands of jobs and serve as a magnet for talented students and faculty, who inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy through federal research grants. Yet, even though New York's concentration of top-fight scientific…

  8. Public health in New York City, 2002-2007: confronting epidemics of the modern era.

    PubMed

    Frieden, Thomas R; Bassett, Mary T; Thorpe, Lorna E; Farley, Thomas A

    2008-10-01

    Long after the leading causes of death in the United States shifted from infectious diseases to chronic diseases, many public health agencies have not established effective policies and programmes to prevent current health problems. Starting in 2002, the New York City health department, an agency with a long history of innovation, undertook initiatives to address chronic disease prevention and control, as well as to modernize methods to address persistent health problems. All the initiatives relied on an expansive use of epidemiology; actions to prevent disease were based on policy change to create health-promoting environments as well as engagement with the health care system to improve its focus on prevention. Examples of policy-based initiatives are: a multi-component tobacco control programme that included a tax increase, a comprehensive smoke-free air law, hard-hitting anti-tobacco advertising and cessation services; elimination of trans fats from restaurants and a mandate that restaurants post-calorie information on menu boards. Examples of health care initiatives are public health 'detailing' to primary care providers, creation of a city-wide diabetes registry and development of a public health-oriented electronic health record. The infrastructure needed by local health departments to prevent chronic diseases and other modern health problems includes strong information technology systems, skillful epidemiology, expertise in communications using modern media, policy-making authority and, most importantly, political support.

  9. Institutional food as a lever for improving health in cities: the case of New York City.

    PubMed

    Tsui, E K; Wurwarg, J; Poppendieck, J; Deutsch, J; Freudenberg, N

    2015-04-01

    To describe and examine the factors that most facilitate and impede the provision of healthy foods in a complex institutional food system. Comparative case study of three institutional food settings in New York City. Document review and interviews with relevant city government staff. Factors that facilitate and impede the provision of healthy food vary across institutional food settings, and particularly between centralized and decentralized settings. Generally pro-health factors include centralized purchasing and the ability to work with vendors to formulate items to improve nutritional quality, though decentralized purchasing may offer more flexibility to work with vendors offering healthier food items and to respond to consumer preferences. Factors most often working against health in more centralized systems include financing constraints that are unique to particular settings. In less centralized systems, factors working against health may include both financing constraints and factors that are site-specific, relating to preparation and equipment. Making changes to institutional food systems that will meaningfully influence public health requires a detailed understanding of the diverse systems supporting and shaping public food provision. Ultimately, the cases in this study demonstrate that agency staff typically would like to provide healthier foods, but often feel limited by the competing objectives of affordability and consumer preference. Their ability to address these competing objectives is shaped by a combination of both forces external to the institution, like nutritional regulations, and internal forces, like an agency's structure, and motivation on the part of staff. Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. 76 FR 40234 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Harlem River, New York City, NY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-08

    ...-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Harlem River, New York City, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... at mile 0.0, across the Harlem River at New York City, New York. This interim rule is necessary to... The 103rd Street (Wards Island) Pedestrian Bridge, across the Harlem River, mile 0.0, at New York City...

  11. 24 CFR 570.421 - New York Small Cities Program design.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false New York Small Cities Program... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS Small Cities, Non-Entitlement CDBG Grants in Hawaii and Insular Areas Programs § 570.421 New York Small Cities Program design...

  12. Health care access and utilization patterns in unstably housed HIV-infected individuals in New York City.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, Chinazo O; Sohler, Nancy L; McCoy, Kate; Heller, Daliah; Selwyn, Peter A

    2005-10-01

    As part of a multisite initiative to evaluate outreach targeting underserved HIV-infected individuals, we describe baseline characteristics of unstably housed HIV-infected individuals from New York City, and their health care access and utilization patterns. Interviews with 150 HIV-infected single room occupancy (SRO) hotel residents on health care access and utilization, barriers to accessing health care, demographic characteristics, history of incarceration, severity of HIV disease, depressive symptoms, substance use, and exposure to violence were conducted. Most participants were 40 years of age or older, male, black or Latino, had public insurance, a history of substance use, depressive symptoms, and a CD4(+) count above 200 cells/mm(3). Access to and utilization of care was high with 91% reporting having a regular provider, 95% identifying a non-emergency department (ED) clinic or office as their usual location of care, 89% reporting at least one ambulatory visit, and 82% reporting optimal (>/=2) ambulatory visits during the previous 6 months. Additionally, 45% reported at least one ED visit, and 30% at least one hospitalization within the previous 6 months. Among black and Latino marginalized SRO hotel residents in New York City, this study found surprisingly high measures of access to and utilization of ambulatory care services, along with high use of acute care services. Understanding HIV-related health services access and utilization patterns among marginalized populations is essential to improve their HIV care. These patterns of high levels of access to and utilization of health care services contradict clinical experiences and other studies, and require further exploration.

  13. Exposures to multiple air toxics in New York City.

    PubMed Central

    Kinney, Patrick L; Chillrud, Steven N; Ramstrom, Sonja; Ross, James; Spengler, John D

    2002-01-01

    Efforts to assess health risks associated with exposures to multiple urban air toxics have been hampered by the lack of exposure data for people living in urban areas. The TEACH (Toxic Exposure Assessment, a Columbia/Harvard) study was designed to characterize levels of and factors influencing personal exposures to urban air toxics among high school students living in inner-city neighborhoods of New York City and Los Angeles, California. This present article reports methods and data for the New York City phase of TEACH, focusing on the relationships between personal, indoor, and outdoor concentrations in winter and summer among a group of 46 high school students from the A. Philip Randolph Academy, a public high school located in the West Central Harlem section of New York City. Air pollutants monitored included a suite of 17 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes, particulate matter with a mass median aerodynamic diameter

  14. Exposures to multiple air toxics in New York City.

    PubMed

    Kinney, Patrick L; Chillrud, Steven N; Ramstrom, Sonja; Ross, James; Spengler, John D

    2002-08-01

    Efforts to assess health risks associated with exposures to multiple urban air toxics have been hampered by the lack of exposure data for people living in urban areas. The TEACH (Toxic Exposure Assessment, a Columbia/Harvard) study was designed to characterize levels of and factors influencing personal exposures to urban air toxics among high school students living in inner-city neighborhoods of New York City and Los Angeles, California. This present article reports methods and data for the New York City phase of TEACH, focusing on the relationships between personal, indoor, and outdoor concentrations in winter and summer among a group of 46 high school students from the A. Philip Randolph Academy, a public high school located in the West Central Harlem section of New York City. Air pollutants monitored included a suite of 17 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes, particulate matter with a mass median aerodynamic diameter

  15. The Multilingual Apple: Languages in New York City. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia, Ofelia, Ed.; Fishman, Joshua A., Ed.

    This collection of papers tells the story of how languages other than English have contributed to making New York City a culturally vibrant and linguistically diverse city. Part 1, "Introduction to the Multilingual Apple," features "New York's Multilingualism: World Languages and Their Role in a U.S. City" (Ofelia Garcia). Part…

  16. 24 CFR 570.421 - New York Small Cities Program design.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true New York Small Cities Program design... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS Small Cities, Non-Entitlement CDBG Grants in Hawaii and Insular Areas Programs § 570.421 New York Small Cities Program design...

  17. Has New York City fallen into the local trap?

    PubMed

    Libman, Kimberly

    2015-04-01

    Municipal policies aiming to improve equity in food access and health often rely on the assumption that neighborhoods with limited healthy food availability and high levels of diet-related illness should be the subject of targeted policy-driven change. This study explored this assumption in the context of recent food policy developments in New York City with the objective of empirically examining the geography of everyday food behavior in high- and low-income neighborhoods. This research used a multi method comparative design. Areas at the poles of income inequality in New York City were identified using census data and geographic information systems. Qualitative and geographic data were collected from individual eaters living and/or working in those areas. A review of food policies in New York City from 2005 to 2012. Qualitative and geographic data were collected using space-time food diaries and mental mapping interviews. People living in the low-income study area had more localized food geographies than residents of the high-income study area. Individual-level qualitative data revealed that eaters with the least financial resources, those with physical disabilities, and those who were unemployed reported all or nearly all of their food events taking place within their neighborhoods. Eaters from the low-income area suggested that the barriers to healthy food that policy incentives should address were the high price of food and the consumer environment within stores, not the number of supermarkets in their area. Residents of the high-income area also expressed dissatisfaction with food prices and the in-store environment of their local supermarkets. These eaters leveraged their financial, technological, and transportation resources to overcome those barriers to fresh food. The policy review found that New York City's recent nutrition and food policies are to a great extent geographically targeted to low-income areas. As such, they miss opportunities for citywide

  18. Adult Tobacco Use Levels After Intensive Tobacco Control Measures: New York City, 2002–2003

    PubMed Central

    Frieden, Thomas R.; Mostashari, Farzad; Kerker, Bonnie D.; Miller, Nancy; Hajat, Anjum; Frankel, Martin

    2005-01-01

    Objectives. We sought to determine the impact of comprehensive tobacco control measures in New York City. Methods. In 2002, New York City implemented a tobacco control strategy of (1) increased cigarette excise taxes; (2) legal action that made virtually all work-places, including bars and restaurants, smoke free; (3) increased cessation services, including a large-scale free nicotine-patch program; (4) education; and (5) evaluation. The health department also began annual surveys on a broad array of health measures, including smoking. Results. From 2002 to 2003, smoking prevalence among New York City adults decreased by 11% (from 21.6% to 19.2%, approximately 140000 fewer smokers). Smoking declined among all age groups, race/ethnicities, and education levels; in both genders; among both US-born and foreign-born persons; and in all 5 boroughs. Increased taxation appeared to account for the largest proportion of the decrease; however, between 2002 and 2003 the proportion of cigarettes purchased outside New York City doubled, reducing the effective price increase by a third. Conclusions. Concerted local action can sharply reduce smoking prevalence. However, further progress will require national action, particularly to increase cigarette taxes, reduce cigarette tax evasion, expand education and cessation services, and limit tobacco marketing. PMID:15914827

  19. One Hundred Years of New York City's "Urban Heat Island": Temperature Trends and Public Health Impacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenthal, J. E.; Knowlton, K. M.; Rosenzweig, C.; Goldberg, R.; Kinney, P. L.

    2003-12-01

    In this paper, we examine the relationship between the historical development of New York City and its effect on the urban climate. Urban "heat islands" (UHI) are created principally by man-made surfaces, including concrete, dark roofs, asphalt lots and roads, which absorb most of the sunlight falling on them and reradiate that energy as heat. Many urban streets have fewer trees and other vegetation to shade buildings, block solar radiation and cool the air by evapotranspiration. The historical development of the NYC heat island effect was assessed in terms of average temperature differences of the city center relative to its surrounding 31-county metropolitan region, comprised of parts of New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Monthly maximum and minimum temperatures for 1900-1997 were obtained from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, the NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University for 24 weather stations within the region that are part of the U.S. Historical Climatology Network. Analysis of annual mean temperatures shows an increasing difference between NYC (Central Park weather station) and its surrounding region over the twentieth century. Analysis of the temperature differences over time between NY Central Park (NYCP) station and 23 regional weather stations classified according to distance and level of urbanization show a heat island effect existing in NYC, with mean temperatures in the NYCP Station generally higher than the surrounding stations, ranging from 1.20\\deg C to 3.02\\deg C. A difference of at least 1\\deg C already existed at the beginning of the 20th century between the mean temperature in NYC and its surrounding rural areas, and this difference increased over the twentieth century. There was a significant decrease in the monthly and seasonal variability of the UHI effect over the century. Temperature extremes and summertime heat can create heat stress and other health

  20. Injury surveillance in New York City jails.

    PubMed

    Ludwig, Ariel; Cohen, Louise; Parsons, Amanda; Venters, Homer

    2012-06-01

    To characterize injuries occurring in jails, we analyzed injury report forms from the New York City jail system. We abstracted data from 4695 injury report forms representing 3863 patients. Of the injuries reported, 66% were classified as intentional. The 2 leading causes of injuries were inmate-on-inmate aggression (40%) and slips and falls (27%). Injuries place a considerable burden on jail health care systems, and there is a need for more studies on this problem and development of injury prevention programs.

  1. [Coalition for Asian American Children and Families Fact Sheets: A Series To Promote Better Understanding of the Health and Human Services Needs of Asian American Children and Youth in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, New York, NY.

    This series of four fact sheets addresses the health and human service needs of Asian American children living in New York City. The first fact sheet, "Snapshots of New York City: An Overview of Asian American Families," discusses the diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population in New York, examining AAPI…

  2. Degrees of Difficulty: Boosting College Success in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilliard, Tom

    2017-01-01

    This report, the latest in a series of studies by the Center for an Urban Future examining opportunities to expand economic mobility in New York City, takes an in-depth look at college readiness and success among the city's public high school students. It explores opportunities to dramatically boost the rate at which New York City's students enter…

  3. Public Education in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Landes, Rosalind

    One of the major concerns of the First National City Bank's Public Affairs Committee is the cost and quality of urban education. The Bank's Regional Economics Section inquired into various aspects of public education in New York City. While the study is considered as a tentative exploration of a complex subject, questions concerning businessmen…

  4. Injury Surveillance in New York City Jails

    PubMed Central

    Ludwig, Ariel; Cohen, Louise; Parsons, Amanda

    2012-01-01

    To characterize injuries occurring in jails, we analyzed injury report forms from the New York City jail system. We abstracted data from 4695 injury report forms representing 3863 patients. Of the injuries reported, 66% were classified as intentional. The 2 leading causes of injuries were inmate-on-inmate aggression (40%) and slips and falls (27%). Injuries place a considerable burden on jail health care systems, and there is a need for more studies on this problem and development of injury prevention programs. PMID:22515857

  5. Cancer mortality disparities among New York City's Upper Manhattan neighborhoods.

    PubMed

    Hashim, Dana; Manczuk, Marta; Holcombe, Randall; Lucchini, Roberto; Boffetta, Paolo

    2017-11-01

    The East Harlem (EH), Central Harlem (CH), and Upper East Side (UES) neighborhoods of New York City are geographically contiguous to tertiary medical care, but are characterized by cancer mortality rate disparities. This ecological study aims to disentangle the effects of race and neighborhood on cancer deaths. Mortality-to-incidence ratios were determined using neighborhood-specific data from the New York State Cancer Registry and Vital Records Office (2007-2011). Ecological data on modifiable cancer risk factors from the New York City Community Health Survey (2002-2006) were stratified by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and neighborhood and modeled against stratified mortality rates to disentangle race/ethnicity and neighborhood using logistic regression. Significant gaps in mortality rates were observed between the UES and both CH and EH across all cancers, favoring UES. Mortality-to-incidence ratios of both CH and EH were similarly elevated in the range of 0.41-0.44 compared with UES (0.26-0.30). After covariate and multivariable adjustment, black race (odds ratio=1.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.46-1.93) and EH residence (odds ratio=1.20; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.35) remained significant risk factors in all cancers' combined mortality. Mortality disparities remain among EH, CH, and UES neighborhoods. Both neighborhood and race are significantly associated with cancer mortality, independent of each other. Multivariable adjusted models that include Community Health Survey risk factors show that this mortality gap may be avoidable through community-based public health interventions.

  6. Retail redlining in New York City: racialized access to day-to-day retail resources.

    PubMed

    Kwate, Naa Oyo A; Loh, Ji Meng; White, Kellee; Saldana, Nelson

    2013-08-01

    Racial residential segregation is associated with health inequalities in the USA, and one of the primary mechanisms is through influencing features of the neighborhood physical environment. To better understand how Black residential segregation might contribute to health risk, we examined retail redlining; the inequitable distribution of retail resources across racially distinct areas. A combination of visual and analytic methods was used to investigate whether predominantly Black census block groups in New York City had poor access to retail stores important for health. After controlling for retail demand, median household income, population density, and subway ridership, percent Black was associated with longer travel distances to various retail industries. Our findings suggest that Black neighborhoods in New York City face retail redlining. Future research is needed to determine how retail redlining may perpetuate health disparities and socioeconomic disadvantage.

  7. Medicaid Home Care Services and Survival in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albert, Steven M.; Simone, Bridget; Brassard, Andrea; Stern, Yaakov; Mayeux, Richard

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: New York City's Medicaid Home Care Services Program provides an integrated program of housekeeping and personal assistance care along with regular nursing assessments. We sought to determine if this program of supportive care offers a survival benefit to older adults. Design and Methods: Administrative data from New York City's Medicaid…

  8. New York City Social Indicators Survey, 1999: Pulling Ahead, Falling Behind.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyers, Marcia K.; Teitler, Julien O.

    The New York City Social Indicators Survey examines New York City's social climate, surveying a representative sample of families regarding their perceptions of life in the city and indicators of their quality of life and experiences of hardship. The 1999 survey examined the period between 1997-1999, a time of strong economic performance and…

  9. 32 CFR 1605.14 - State Director of Selective Service for New York City.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... City. 1605.14 Section 1605.14 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE... Selective Service for New York City. The Governor of the State of New York is authorized to recommend a person to be appointed by the President as State Director of Selective Service for New York City, who...

  10. 32 CFR 1605.14 - State Director of Selective Service for New York City.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... City. 1605.14 Section 1605.14 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE... Selective Service for New York City. The Governor of the State of New York is authorized to recommend a person to be appointed by the President as State Director of Selective Service for New York City, who...

  11. New York City Department of Health response to terrorist attack, September 11, 2001.

    PubMed

    2001-09-28

    In response to two jet aircraft crashing into and causing the collapse of the 110-storied World Trade Center (WTC) towers and the subsequent destruction of nearby portions of lower Manhattan, the New York City Department of Health (NYCDOH) immediately activated its emergency response protocol, including the mobilization of an Emergency Operations Center. Surveillance, clinical, environmental, sheltering, laboratory, management information systems, and operations were among the preestablished emergency committees. Because of its proximity to the WTC site, an emergency clinic was established at NYCDOH for triage and treatment of injured persons. NYCDOH focused its initial efforts on assessing the public health and medical impact of the attack and the resources needed to respond to it such as the care and management of large numbers of persons injured or killed by the crash; subsequent fire and building collapse; the health and safety of rescue workers; the environmental health risks (e.g., asbestos, smoke, dust, or chemical inhalation); other illnesses related to the disruption of the physical infrastructure (e.g., waterborne and foodborne diseases); and mental health concerns. Despite the evacuation and relocation of NYCDOH's headquarters, the department continued essential public health services, including death registration.

  12. Exposure to 911 among Youth and Their Mothers in New York City: Enduring Associations with Mental Health and Sociopolitical Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gershoff, Elizabeth T.; Aber, J. Lawrence; Ware, Angelica; Kotler, Jennifer A.

    2010-01-01

    The enduring impact of exposure to the 911 terrorist attacks on mental health and sociopolitical attitudes was examined in a sample of 427 adolescents (M = 16.20 years) and their mothers residing in New York City. Direct exposure to the terrorist attack was associated with youth depression symptoms and with mothers' posttraumatic stress disorder…

  13. Productivity vs. training in primary care: analysis of hospitals and health centers in New York City.

    PubMed

    DeLia, Derek; Cantor, Joel C; Duck, Elaine

    2002-01-01

    This paper examines the indirect costs of primary care residency in terms of ambulatory care site productivity and the influence of graduate medical education (GME) subsidies on the employment of primary care residents. Using a sample of hospitals and health centers in New York City (NYC), we find that most facilities employ significantly more primary care residents relative to nonresident primary care physicians than would be dictated by cost-minimizing behavior in the production of primary care. We also find evidence that New York's GME subsidy encourages the "overemployment" of residents, while the Medicare GME subsidy does not. We conclude that the trade-off between productivity and teaching is more serious in primary care than in inpatient settings, and that facilities heavily involved in ambulatory care teaching will be at a competitive disadvantage if GME subsidies are not targeted specifically for primary care.

  14. Violence in Advertisements in New York City Subway Stations: A Pilot Study.

    PubMed

    Basch, Corey H; Fullwood, M D; LeBlanc, Michael

    2016-04-01

    Violence has become a public health concern in the United States. Violent visually stimulating content encompasses various techniques such as fear, humor, shock, or violence, to stimulate a response or appeal toward awareness of human emotion. Exposing impressionable youth to violent advertisements can be particularly problematic. This is especially true in places like New York City where violent crime is a prevalent problem. With annual ridership reaching over 1.7 billion in 2014, the New York City subway system is abundant with advertisements. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the frequency and type of violent advertising on the Lexington Avenue/East Side Line in New York City, running through the Bronx and Manhattan to represent the lower and higher median income earning boroughs. There were no statistically different findings in median household income at site of station by number of ads or source of violent. Destruction was the most common form of violence (n = 32, 42.7 %) followed by intent to strike (n = 18, 24 %), showing a weapon (n = 15, 20 %) and horror (n = 10, 13.3 %). Most ads (n = 46, 61.3 %) were found in stations heading uptown toward and through the Bronx, the borough where median household income is lowest, whereas 29 (38.7 %) were found in stations heading downtown. Future studies could focus on additional boroughs and subways lines, and could be collected at multiple points in time to determine of how prevalent violent advertising is throughout New York City and at different time frames.

  15. Violence in Advertisements in New York City Subway Stations: A Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    Basch, Corey H.; Fullwood, M. D.; LeBlanc, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Violence has become a public health concern in the United States. Violent visually stimulating content encompasses various techniques such as fear, humor, shock, or violence, to stimulate a response or appeal toward awareness of human emotion. Exposing impressionable youth to violent advertisements can be particularly problematic. This is especially true in places like New York City where violent crime is a prevalent problem. With annual ridership reaching over 1.7 billion in 2014, the New York City subway system is abundant with advertisements. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the frequency and type of violent advertising on the Lexington Avenue/East Side Line in New York City, running through the Bronx and Manhattan to represent the lower and higher median income earning boroughs. There were no statistically different findings in median household income at site of station by number of ads or source of violent. Destruction was the most common form of violence (n = 32, 42.7 %) followed by intent to strike (n = 18, 24 %), showing a weapon (n = 15, 20 %) and horror (n = 10, 13.3 %). Most ads (n = 46, 61.3 %) were found in stations heading uptown toward and through the Bronx, the borough where median household income is lowest, whereas 29 (38.7 %) were found in stations heading downtown. Future studies could focus on additional boroughs and subways lines, and could be collected at multiple points in time to determine of how prevalent violent advertising is throughout New York City and at different time frames. PMID:26518776

  16. Legal and policy barriers to sharing data between public health programs in New York City: a case study.

    PubMed

    Gasner, M Rose; Fuld, Jennifer; Drobnik, Ann; Varma, Jay K

    2014-06-01

    Integration of public health surveillance data within health departments is important for public health activities and cost-efficient coordination of care. Access to and use of surveillance data are governed by public health law and by agency confidentiality and security policies. In New York City, we examined public health laws and agency policies for data sharing across HIV, sexually transmitted disease, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis surveillance programs. We found that recent changes to state laws provide greater opportunities for data sharing but that agency policies must be updated because they limit increased data integration. Our case study can help other health departments conduct similar reviews of laws and policies to increase data sharing and integration of surveillance data.

  17. Antidepressants and Youth Suicide in New York City, 1999-2002

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leon, Andrew C.; Marzuk, Peter M.; Tardiff, Kenneth; Bucciarelli, Angela; Piper, Tinka Markham; Galea, Sandro

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To determine the proportion of youth suicides in New York City from 1999 to 2002 in which antidepressants were detected at autopsy. Method: This is a medical examiner surveillance study of suicides in New York City among those younger than 18 years of age. The outcome measure is serum toxicology for antidepressants. Results: From 1999…

  18. Ciguatera fish poisoning - New York City, 2010-2011.

    PubMed

    2013-02-01

    During August 2010-July 2011, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) received reports of six outbreaks and one single case of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), involving a total of 28 persons. CFP results from consumption of certain large, predatory, tropical reef fish that have bioaccumulated ciguatoxins (CTX). CFP is characterized by various gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and neurologic symptoms. A prolonged period of acute illness can result, and the neurologic symptoms can last months, with variable asymptomatic and symptomatic periods. The first two outbreaks and the single case, involving 13 persons, were reported during August 6-September 13, 2010. DOHMH distributed a health alert in November 2010 requesting health-care providers be alert for CFP signs and symptoms. The health alert resulted in identification of 11 more cases that month and an additional two outbreaks involving four persons in July 2011. In comparison, only four CFP outbreaks, involving 21 persons total, had been reported in New York City (NYC) during the preceding 10 years (2000-2009). DOHMH's investigation revealed that 13 persons became ill after eating barracuda, and 15 became ill after eating grouper. Although specific and highly sensitive laboratory analyses can detect and confirm CTX in fish, no practical field tests are available for fish monitoring programs. CFP prevention depends on educating the public, seafood suppliers, and distributors about known CFP endemic areas and high-risk fish species. Traceback investigations of fish associated with outbreaks provide valuable information regarding fishing areas associated with CFP. Not all fish from CFP endemic areas are ciguatoxic, but persons who eat fish from endemic regions are at higher risk for CFP. If an illness is suspected to be CFP, public health authorities should be notified and informed of the case history for possible investigation and intervention measures.

  19. New York City at the dawn of neurological surgery.

    PubMed

    Solomon, Robert A

    2016-11-01

    Although there are many cities that can claim to have been the incubator of modern neurological surgery, the rise of this surgical subspecialty in New York City in the late 19th and early 20th century mirrors what was occurring around the world. The first confirmed brain tumor operation in the US was performed there in 1887. The author describes the role of several pioneers in the development of neurological surgery. Charles Elsberg was the first dedicated neurological surgeon in New York City and was instrumental in the development of the Neurological Institute and the careers of several other notable neurosurgeons.

  20. New York City pedestrian safety study & action plan

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-08-01

    This landmark study is the most statistically ambitious of its kind ever undertaken by a US city. : The researchers worked to identify the causes, common factors, and geographic distribution of : over 7,000 pedestrian crashes in New York City. These ...

  1. Declining Mortality Inequality within Cities during the Health Transition.

    PubMed

    Costa, Dora L; Kahn, Matthew E

    2015-05-01

    In the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century, large cities had extremely high death rates from infectious disease. Within major cities such as New York City and Philadelphia, there was significant variation at any point in time in the mortality rate across neighborhoods. Between 1900 and 1930 neighborhood mortality convergence took place in New York City and Philadelphia. We document these trends and discuss their consequences for neighborhood quality of life dynamics and the economic incidence of who gains from effective public health interventions.

  2. The New York City eClinician Project: using Personal Digital Assistants and wireless internet access to support emergency preparedness and enhance clinical care in community health centers.

    PubMed

    Adusumilli, Sri Raj; Tobin, Jonathan N; Younge, Richard G; Kendall, Mat; Kukafka, Rita; Khan, Sharib; Chang, Otto; Mahabir, Kasandra

    2006-01-01

    The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, The Community Health Care Association of New York State and Clinical Directors Network are collaborating on the "eClinician Project," which has distributed seven hundred public health-friendly, wireless (WiFi) enabled Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to primary care clinicians working in New York City, federally funded, Community Health Centers (CHC) which serve minority underserved communities that suffer a disproportionate burden of chronic disease and lack access to health promotion disease prevention services. Each participating health center also received a wireless router to create an onsite internet hot spot to enable clinicians to have internet access. The goals of the eClinician Project are to: 1) To encourage adoption of information technology among providers in Community Health Centers in New York City by providing PDAs as a first line strategy towards achieving this goal, 2) enhance access to information on emergency preparedness, 3) improve patient outcomes by providing PDA-based clinical decision-support tools that support evidence-based care, 4) encourage chronic care management and health promotion/disease prevention activities, and 5) increase productivity and efficiency. CHC clinicians have received a hands-on, on-site orientation to PDAs. Ongoing training has continued via online CME-accredited webcasts (see www.CDNetwork.org). Clinical decision-support tools are available for download via the eClinician project web portal (see www.eClinician.org ). Public health alerts can be delivered to the PDAs or to the clinicians' desktop computers. Pre and post training surveys, in addition to a case study, have been used to evaluate the population demographics, PDA adoption by the clinicians, clinician attitudes towards using PDAs, PDA influence on clinical-decision making and barriers to adoption of PDAs and information technology in general.

  3. 76 FR 3516 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Harlem River, New York City, NY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-20

    ... Operation Regulations; Harlem River, New York City, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of temporary..., across the Harlem River, New York City, New York. The deviation is necessary to facilitate bridge... River at mile 0.0 has a vertical clearance in the closed position of 55 feet at mean high water and 60...

  4. Neighborhood Contributions to Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity Among New York City Adults.

    PubMed

    Lim, Sungwoo; Harris, Tiffany G

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We assessed neighborhood confounding on racial/ethnic obesity disparities among adults in New York City after accounting for complex sampling, and how much neighborhood factors (walkability, percentage Black or Hispanic, poverty) contributed to this effect. Methods. We combined New York City Community Health Survey 2002-2004 data with Census 2000 zip code-level data. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) for obesity with 2 sets of regression analyses. First, we used the method incorporating the conditional pseudolikelihood into complex sample adjustment. Second, we compared ORs for race/ethnicity from a conventional multilevel model for each neighborhood factor with those from a hybrid fixed-effect model. Results. The weighted estimate for obesity for Blacks versus Whites (OR = 1.8; 95% confidence interval = 1.6, 2.0) was attenuated when we controlled neighborhood confounding (OR = 1.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.2, 1.6; first analysis). Percentage of Blacks in the neighborhood made a large contribution whereas the walkability contribution was minimal (second analysis). Conclusions. Percentage of Blacks in New York City neighborhoods explained a large portion of the disparity in obesity between Blacks and Whites. The study highlights the importance of estimating valid neighborhood effects for public health surveillance and intervention.

  5. Geographical distribution of patients visiting a health information exchange in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Onyile, Arit; Vaidya, Sandip R; Kuperman, Gilad; Shapiro, Jason S

    2013-01-01

    Objective For a health information exchange (HIE) organization to succeed in any given region, it is important to understand the optimal catchment area for the patient population it is serving. The objective of this analysis was to understand the geographical distribution of the patients being served by one HIE organization in New York City (NYC). Materials and Methods Patient demographic data were obtained from the New York Clinical Information Exchange (NYCLIX), a regional health information organization (RHIO) representing most of the major medical centers in the borough of Manhattan in NYC. Patients’ home address zip codes were used to create a research dataset with aggregate counts of patients by US county and international standards organization country. Times Square was designated as the geographical center point of the RHIO for distance calculations. Results Most patients (87.7%) live within a 30 mile radius from Times Square and there was a precipitous drop off of patients visiting RHIO-affiliated facilities at distances greater than 100 miles. 43.6% of patients visiting NYCLIX facilities were from the other NYC boroughs rather than from Manhattan itself (31.9%). Discussion Most patients who seek care at members of NYCLIX live within a well-defined area and a clear decrease in patients visiting NYCLIX sites with distance was identified. Understanding the geographical distribution of patients visiting the large medical centers in the RHIO can inform the RHIO's planning as it looks to add new participant organizations in the surrounding geographical area. PMID:23104049

  6. Streamlining Site Cleanup in New York City

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This joint effort, supported by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), advances the environmental cleanup goals of PlaNYC 2030, the city's comprehensive sustainability plan.

  7. Counting Calories: Resident Perspectives on Calorie Labeling in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Cynthia; Hayes, Roger

    2012-01-01

    Objective: The present study investigates consumer responses to New York City's 2008 calorie labeling regulation in 2 lower-income neighborhoods of New York City. Methods: Focus groups were conducted, and 34 fast-food consumers participated. Group summaries and descriptive and analytic depictions of group responses and interactions were developed…

  8. The impact of New York City's Health Bucks Program on electronic benefit transfer spending at farmers markets, 2006-2009.

    PubMed

    Baronberg, Sabrina; Dunn, Lillian; Nonas, Cathy; Dannefer, Rachel; Sacks, Rachel

    2013-09-26

    Increasing the accessibility and affordability of fresh produce is an important strategy for municipalities combatting obesity and related health conditions. Farmers markets offer a promising venue for intervention in urban settings, and in recent years, an increasing number of programs have provided financial incentives to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. However, few studies have explored the impact of these programs on use of SNAP benefits at farmers markets. New York City's Health Bucks Program provides SNAP recipients with a $2 coupon for every $5 spent using SNAP benefits at participating farmers markets. We analyzed approximately 4 years of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) sales data, from July 2006 through November 2009, to develop a preliminary assessment of the effect of the Health Bucks Program on EBT spending at participating markets. Farmers markets that offered Health Bucks coupons to SNAP recipients averaged higher daily EBT sales than markets without the incentive ($383.07, 95% confidence interval [CI], 333.1-433.1, vs $273.97, 95% CI, 243.4-304.5, P < 0.001) following the introduction of a direct point-of-purchase incentive. Multivariate analysis indicated this difference remained after adjusting for the year the market was held and the neighborhood poverty level. When a $2 financial incentive was distributed with EBT, use of SNAP benefits increased at participating New York City farmers markets. We encourage other urban jurisdictions to consider adapting the Health Bucks Program to encourage low-income shoppers to purchase fresh produce as one potential strategy in a comprehensive approach to increasing healthful food access and affordability in low-income neighborhoods.

  9. The impact of New York City's 1975 fiscal crisis on the tuberculosis, HIV, and homicide syndemic.

    PubMed

    Freudenberg, Nicholas; Fahs, Marianne; Galea, Sandro; Greenberg, Andrew

    2006-03-01

    In 1975, New York City experienced a fiscal crisis rooted in long-term political and economic changes in the city. Budget and policy decisions designed to alleviate this fiscal crisis contributed to the subsequent epidemics of tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and homicide in New York City. Because these conditions share underlying social determinants, we consider them a syndemic, i.e., all 3 combined to create an excess disease burden on the population. Cuts in services; the dismantling of health, public safety, and social service infrastructures; and the deterioration of living conditions for vulnerable populations contributed to the amplification of these health conditions over 2 decades. We estimate that the costs incurred in controlling these epidemics exceeded 50 billion US dollars (in 2004 dollars); in contrast, the overall budgetary saving during the fiscal crisis was 10 billion US dollars. This history has implications for public health professionals who must respond to current perceptions of local fiscal crises.

  10. Interconnecting PV on New York City's Secondary Network Distribution System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, K; Coddington, M; Burman, K

    2009-11-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has teamed with cities across the country through the Solar America Cities (SAC) partnership program to help reduce barriers and accelerate implementation of solar energy. The New York City SAC team is a partnership between the City University of New York (CUNY), the New York City Mayor s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).The New York City SAC team is working with DOE s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Con Edison, the local utility, to develop a roadmap for photovoltaic (PV) installations in themore » five boroughs. The city set a goal to increase its installed PV capacity from1.1 MW in 2005 to 8.1 MW by 2015 (the maximum allowed in 2005). A key barrier to reaching this goal, however, is the complexity of the interconnection process with the local utility. Unique challenges are associated with connecting distributed PV systems to secondary network distribution systems (simplified to networks in this report). Although most areas of the country use simpler radial distribution systems to distribute electricity, larger metropolitan areas like New York City typically use networks to increase reliability in large load centers. Unlike the radial distribution system, where each customer receives power through a single line, a network uses a grid of interconnected lines to deliver power to each customer through several parallel circuits and sources. This redundancy improves reliability, but it also requires more complicated coordination and protection schemes that can be disrupted by energy exported from distributed PV systems. Currently, Con Edison studies each potential PV system in New York City to evaluate the system s impact on the network, but this is time consuming for utility engineers and may delay the customer s project or add cost for larger installations. City leaders would like to streamline this process to facilitate faster

  11. STS-42 Earth observation of New York City (NYC), New York

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1992-01-30

    STS-42 Earth observation taken aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, is of New York City (NYC), New York (41.0N, 74.0W). Snow cover highlights the large areas of development and the many reservoirs in this wintertime scene of the metropolitan NYC area. Features such as Central Park in Manhattan, the George Washington Bridge connecting Manhattan with New Jersey, street patterns in most of the boroughs, La Guardia and JFK airports in Queens, and the extensive harbor system are easily identified.

  12. STS-42 Earth observation of New York City (NYC), New York

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    STS-42 Earth observation taken aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, is of New York City (NYC), New York (41.0N, 74.0W). Snow cover highlights the large areas of development and the many reservoirs in this wintertime scene of the metropolitan NYC area. Features such as Central Park in Manhattan, the George Washington Bridge connecting Manhattan with New Jersey, street patterns in most of the boroughs, La Guardia and JFK airports in Queens, and the extensive harbor system are easily identified.

  13. The public health benefits of reducing fine particulate matter through conversion to cleaner heating fuels in New York City.

    PubMed

    Kheirbek, Iyad; Haney, Jay; Douglas, Sharon; Ito, Kazuhiko; Caputo, Steven; Matte, Thomas

    2014-12-02

    In recent years, both New York State and City issued regulations to reduce emissions from burning heating oil. To assess the benefits of these programs in New York City, where the density of emissions and vulnerable populations vary greatly, we simulated the air quality benefits of scenarios reflecting no action, partial, and complete phase-out of high-sulfur heating fuels using the Community MultiScale Air Quality (CMAQ) model conducted at a high spatial resolution (1 km). We evaluated the premature mortality and morbidity benefits of the scenarios within 42 city neighborhoods and computed benefits by neighborhood poverty status. The complete phase-out scenario reduces annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by an estimated 0.71 μg/m(3) city-wide (average of 1 km estimates, 10-90th percentile: 0.1-1.6 μg/m(3)), avoiding an estimated 290 premature deaths, 180 hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and 550 emergency department visits for asthma each year. The largest improvements were seen in areas of highest building and population density and the majority of benefits have occurred through the partial phase out of high-sulfur heating fuel already achieved. While emissions reductions were greatest in low-poverty neighborhoods, health benefits are estimated to be greatest in high-poverty neighborhoods due to higher baseline morbidity and mortality rates.

  14. Oral Health Care Receipt and Self-Rated Oral Health for Diverse Asian American Subgroups in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Molly; Kwon, Simona C.; Edens, Neile; Northridge, Mary E.; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau

    2017-01-01

    Objectives. To identify determinants of receipt of annual oral health examinations and self-rated oral health among diverse Asian American subgroups. Methods. We used data from the Community Health Resources and Needs Assessment, a community-based survey of Asian American immigrant adults conducted in the New York City metropolitan region from 2013 to 2016 (n = 1288). We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess determinants of oral health care receipt and self-rated oral health. Results. Failure to receive an annual oral health examination was common in this sample (41.5%) and was more frequent for participants who were younger and male and those who had poorer English fluency and lower educational attainment. Not having dental insurance versus having private dental insurance resulted in 2 to 3 times the odds of nonreceipt of oral health care and poor self-rated oral health. Conclusions. Nonreceipt of annual oral health examinations and poor self-rated oral health were common across Asian American subgroups. Facilitating dental insurance sign-up and providing in-language services may improve oral health care access and ultimately oral health among Asian American immigrants. PMID:28661810

  15. Trends in cigarette, cigar, and smokeless tobacco use among New York City public high school youth smokers, 2001-2013.

    PubMed

    Elfassy, Tali; Yi, Stella S; Kansagra, Susan M

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to describe the recent trends in youth smoking behaviors, and examine cigar and smokeless tobacco use patterns among youth smokers in New York City. Data, analyzed in 2014, were from the New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted bi-annually since 1997 in a representative sample of New York City public high school students (2001-2013), n = 59,122. Cigarette smoking declined 53%, from 17.6% in 2001 to 8.2% in 2013 (p < 0.001). The proportion of cigar use among smokers doubled, from 22.2% in 2001 to 45.9% in 2013 (p < 0.001), while the proportion of smokeless tobacco use among smokers increased by 400% between 2001 and 2013 (4.2% vs. 21.2%, p < 0.001). Youth cigarette smoking rates in New York City decreased, while cigar smoking and smokeless tobacco use among smokers increased considerably. These data highlight trends in youth smoking behaviors within the context of New York City's comprehensive tobacco control program and stress the need for additional activity to spur further declines in cigarette smoking and reverse the trends in cigar and smokeless tobacco use among New York City youth. Results demonstrate the need for continuous surveillance and action by the public health community to counteract tobacco industry promotion of other products.

  16. Institutions and Organizational Change: Reforming New York City's Public School System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Traver, Amy

    2006-01-01

    This paper reviews New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's education reform agenda, "Children first", in the light of organizational theory. I argue that this reform agenda reflects both coercive and mimetic isomorphism, as Bloomberg uses mayoral control to apply business concepts and practices to New York City's public school system.…

  17. Health symptoms in relation to temperature, humidity, and self-reported perceptions of climate in New York City residential environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quinn, Ashlinn; Shaman, Jeffrey

    2017-07-01

    Little monitoring has been conducted of temperature and humidity inside homes despite the fact that these conditions may be relevant to health outcomes. Previous studies have observed associations between self-reported perceptions of the indoor environment and health. Here, we investigate associations between measured temperature and humidity, perceptions of indoor environmental conditions, and health symptoms in a sample of New York City apartments. We measured temperature and humidity in 40 New York City apartments during summer and winter seasons and collected survey data from the households' residents. Health outcomes of interest were (1) sleep quality, (2) symptoms of heat illness (summer season), and (3) symptoms of respiratory viral infection (winter season). Using mixed-effects logistic regression models, we investigated associations between the perceptions, symptoms, and measured conditions in each season. Perceptions of indoor temperature were significantly associated with measured temperature in both the summer and the winter, with a stronger association in the summer season. Sleep quality was inversely related to measured and perceived indoor temperature in the summer season only. Heat illness symptoms were associated with perceived, but not measured, temperature in the summer season. We did not find an association between any measured or perceived condition and cases of respiratory infection in the winter season. Although limited in size, the results of this study reveal that indoor temperature may impact sleep quality, and that thermal perceptions of the indoor environment may indicate vulnerability to heat illness. These are both important avenues for further investigation.

  18. Insights and implications for health departments from the evaluation of New York City's regulations on nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in child care centers.

    PubMed

    Nonas, Cathy; Silver, Lynn D; Kettel Khan, Laura

    2014-10-16

    In 2006, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, seeking to address the epidemic of childhood obesity, issued new regulations on beverages, physical activity, and screen time in group child care centers. An evaluation was conducted to identify characteristics of New York City child care centers that have implemented these regulations and to examine how varying degrees of implementation affected children's behaviors. This article discusses results of this evaluation and how findings can be useful for other public health agencies. Knowing the characteristics of centers that are more likely to comply can help other jurisdictions identify centers that may need additional support and training. Results indicated that compliance may improve when rules established by governing agencies, national standards, and local regulatory bodies are complementary or additive. Therefore, the establishment of clear standards for obesity prevention for child care providers can be a significant public health achievement.

  19. Self-reported bed bug infestation among New York City residents: prevalence and risk factors.

    PubMed

    Ralph, Nancy; Jones, Heidi E; Thorpe, Lorna E

    2013-01-01

    Bed bug infestations have risen precipitously in urban areas. Little is known about risk factors for infestations or health outcomes resulting from these infestations. In the 2009 Community Health Survey, which is a representative population-based survey, 9,934 noninstitutionalized adults in New York City reported on bed bug infestations requiring an exterminator in the past year. The authors estimated infestation prevalence and explored predictors of infestation and associations between infestations and health outcomes using logistic regression. Seven percent of adults in New York City reported bed bug infestations. Significant individual and household risk factors were younger age, increased household poverty, and having three or more adults in the household. Environmental risk factors included living in high poverty neighborhoods and in buildings with more housing units, suggesting apartment-to-apartment transmission. Bed bug infestations were not associated with stress-related outcomes of alcohol consumption or recent depression, and, unlike cockroach infestation, were not associated with recent asthma episodes caused by allergens or contaminants.

  20. "We like Fried Things": Negotiating Health and Taste among Hispanic Caribbean Communities in New York City.

    PubMed

    Fuster, Melissa

    2017-01-01

    The study was conducted to understand fried-food (FF) consumption among Hispanic Caribbean (HC) communities in New York City. Data were collected through qualitative interviews with 23 adults self-identified as Cuban, Dominican, or Puerto Rican. Most informants considered FFs an important part of their traditional diet. Potential explanations included taste, cost, convenience, and the emotive values attached to FF. FF consumption was contextualized in local foodscapes. Results include strategies to diminish FF consumption and differences across HC groups and migratory generations. The relevance for future nutrition interventions addressing health disparities in this community is discussed.

  1. Lessons learned from the New York State mental health response to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

    PubMed

    Sederer, Lloyd I; Lanzara, Carol B; Essock, Susan M; Donahue, Sheila A; Stone, James L; Galea, Sandro

    2011-09-01

    In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, the public mental health system in New York City mounted the largest mental health disaster response in history, called Project Liberty. The successes and challenges of Project Liberty are evaluated. The development of Project Liberty is summarized and analyzed from the perspective of the New York State and New York City officials and scientists who led the disaster response. Lessons learned that have implications for mental health support in future disaster responses are offered. A high level of interagency collaboration, engagement of nongovernmental organizations to provide services, media education efforts, and ongoing program evaluation all contributed to the program's successes. Mental health professionals' limited experiences with trauma, options for funding treatment, duration of clinical program, and existing needs assessments methodologies all proved challenging. Project Liberty was a massive and invaluable resource during the years of rebuilding in New York City in the wake of the attacks. Challenges faced have led to lessons of generalizable import for other mental health responses to large-scale events.

  2. Vibration level data Brighton-New York City Transit Authority

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1980-08-31

    This report documents the results of a vibration measurement program conducted on 14-15 August 1980 in the Midwood Section of Brooklyn, New York, next to the tracks of the Brighton Line of the New York City Transit Authority. The test was conducted b...

  3. Characteristics and mental health of Hispanic dementia caregivers in New York City.

    PubMed

    Luchsinger, José A; Tipiani, Dante; Torres-Patiño, Gabriela; Silver, Stephanie; Eimicke, Joseph P; Ramirez, Mildred; Teresi, Jeanne; Mittelman, Mary

    2015-09-01

    Dementia prevalence and related caregiving burden are increasing, particularly among Hispanics. We studied the characteristics and mental health of Hispanic caregivers in New York City. We recruited 139 Hispanic family caregivers. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and predictors of caregiver burden, measured with the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale, and depressive symptoms, measured with the Geriatric Depression Scale. The mean age was 59.3 ± 10.4 years. The majority of caregivers were daughters and earned less than US$30 000 a year. In multivariate analyses with linear regression, lower satisfaction with social networks was associated with higher caregiver burden and a greater number of depressive symptoms. Higher dementia severity was associated with higher caregiver burden, while higher caregiver comorbidities were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Caregiver comorbidities and satisfaction with social support may be targets for intervention that could improve caregiver burden and depressive symptoms among Hispanic caregivers. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. Three out of Ten. The Nonpublic Schools of New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Dept. of City Planning, NY.

    This document is the first comprehensive study of the characteristics of nonpublic schools in New York City. The significance of the title rests on the fact that nearly three out of ten school children in New York City attend some kind of nonpublic school. The report attempts to provide the detailed information needed to decide whether government…

  5. Health-related quality of life and health behaviors in a population-based sample of older, foreign-born, Chinese American adults living in New York City.

    PubMed

    Wyatt, Laura C; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Islam, Nadia S; Kwon, Simona C

    2014-10-01

    Although the New York City Chinese population aged ≥ 65 years increased by 50% between 2000 and 2010, the health needs of this population are poorly understood. Approximately 3,001 Chinese individuals from high-density Asian American New York City areas were included in the REACH U.S. Risk Factor Survey; 805 (26.8%) were aged ≥ 65 years and foreign-born. Four health-related quality of life and three behavioral risk factor outcome variables were examined. Descriptive statistics were conducted by gender, and logistic regression models assessed sociodemographic and health factors associated with each outcome. Few women were current smokers (1.3% vs. 14.8% of men), 19% of respondents ate fruits and vegetables more than or equal to five times daily, and one-third of individuals received sufficient weekly physical activity. Days of poor health were similar to the national population aged ≥ 65 years, while self-reported fair or poor health was much greater among our Chinese sample; over 60% of respondents rated their health as fair or poor. Lower education and lower obesity were significantly associated with cigarette smoking among men, and older age was significantly associated with insufficient physical activity overall. Female gender was significantly associated with all poor health days; older age was significantly associated with poor days of physical health, and lower income was significantly associated with poor days of physical health and fair or poor self-reported health. This study provides important health-related information on a rapidly growing older population and highlights future research areas to inform culturally appropriate health promotion and disease prevention strategies and policies within community-based settings. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  6. Sources of Health Information among Select Asian American Immigrant Groups in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Islam, Nadia S.; Patel, Shilpa; Wyatt, Laura C.; Sim, Shao-Chee; Mukherjee-Ratnam, Runi; Chun, Kay; Desai, Bhairavi; Tandon, S. Darius; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Pollack, Henry; Kwon, Simona C.

    2015-01-01

    Health information can potentially mitigate adverse health outcomes among ethnic minority populations, but little research has examined how minorities access health information. The aim of this study was to examine variations in the use of health information sources among Asian American (AA) subgroups and to identify differences in characteristics associated with the use of these sources. We analyzed data from a foreign-born community sample of 219 Asian Indians, 216 Bangladeshis, 484 Chinese, and 464 Koreans living in New York City. Results found that use of health information sources varied by AA subgroup. Print media source use, which included newspapers, magazines and/or journals, was highest among Chinese (84%), Koreans (75%), and Bangladeshis (80%), while radio was most utilized by Chinese (48%) and Koreans (38%). Television utilization was highest among Bangladeshis (74%) and Koreans (64%). Koreans (52%) and Chinese (40%) were most likely to use the Internet to access health information. Radio use was best explained by older age and longer time lived in the US, while print media was more utilized by older individuals. Results also highlighted differences in native language versus non-native language media sources for health information by subgroup. Media sources can be used as a vehicle to disseminate health information among AAs. PMID:26266574

  7. Deaths in New York City Jails, 2001–2009

    PubMed Central

    Brittain, Joan; Axelrod, George

    2013-01-01

    Approximately 90 000 inmates are admitted annually to the New York City jail system, many of whom require a high level of medical or mental health services. According to our analysis of deaths in custody from 2001 to 2009, crude death rates have dropped significantly despite the increasing age of the population. Falling HIV-related mortality appears to contribute to this change. Other observations include low rates of suicide across all 9 years and increasing age of the population in recent years. PMID:23409900

  8. Deja Vu: Family Homelessness in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Institute for Children and Poverty, New York, NY.

    This report describes family homelessness in New York City, which has risen sharply since 1980. Currently, the City's family shelter system is at capacity. Homeless children are typically raised by single mothers who receive no child support, are 27 years old, are unemployed and receiving welfare, and have had at least one public assistance…

  9. New York City park and ride study.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-01-01

    This study reviewed existing practices in Park and Ride planning, developed a methodology for evaluating : candidates, and applied the methodology to the commuter market in New York City. The team identified a : set of candidates based on availabilit...

  10. Same-sex attraction disclosure to health care providers among New York City men who have sex with men: implications for HIV testing approaches.

    PubMed

    Bernstein, Kyle T; Liu, Kai-Lih; Begier, Elizabeth M; Koblin, Beryl; Karpati, Adam; Murrill, Christopher

    2008-07-14

    While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least annual human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening for men who have sex with men (MSM), a large number of HIV infections among this population go unrecognized. We examined the association between disclosing to their medical providers (eg, physicians, nurses, physician assistants) same-sex attraction and self-reported HIV testing among MSM in New York City, New York. All men recruited from the New York City National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) project who reported at least 1 male sex partner in the past year and self-reported as HIV seronegative were included in the analysis. The primary outcome of interest was a participant having told his health care provider that he is attracted to or has sex with other men. Sociodemographic and behavioral factors were examined in relation to disclosure of same-sex attraction. Among the 452 MSM respondents, 175 (39%) did not disclose to their health care providers. Black and Hispanic MSM (adjusted odds ratios, 0.28 [95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.53] and 0.46 [95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.85], respectively) were less likely than white MSM to have disclosed to their health care providers. No MSM who identified themselves as bisexual had disclosed to their health care providers. Those who had ever been tested for HIV were more likely to have disclosed to their health care providers (adjusted odds ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-4.38). These data suggest that risk-based HIV testing, which is contingent on health care providers being aware of their patients' risks, could miss these high-risk persons.

  11. A Case Study in Policy Change: Mayoral Control in New York City's Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGlynn, Adam

    2010-01-01

    During the 33 years New York City schools were controlled primarily by community school boards, the city's mayors posited that greater mayoral influence was the cure for the ills afflicting the city's schools. This paper applies theories of policy change to the 30-year battle for control of New York's schools while highlighting the role of the…

  12. Making Safety Systematic at City University of New York.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dodson, Ann Elizabeth; Hundley, Esther

    2002-01-01

    Describes a program involving the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) in which a private contractor provides annual loss-prevention surveys and detailed safety reports for buildings at every CUNY campus. Discusses why the program has worked and its benefits. (EV)

  13. 78 FR 35756 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Harlem River, New York City, NY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-14

    ... Regulations; Harlem River, New York City, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation... from the regulation governing the operation of the Willis Avenue Bridge across the Harlem River, mile 1... found at 33 CFR 117.789(b)(2). The bridge owner, New York City Department of Transportation, requested a...

  14. PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR DISTURBED CHILDREN IN NEW YORK CITY, APPLICATION AND THEORY.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BERKOWITZ, PEARL H.; ROTHMAN, ESTHER P.

    CONCERNED WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR DISTURBED CHILDREN, VARIOUS AUTHORS DISCUSS PROGRAMS OF THE NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND PRESENT SOME THEORETICAL FORMULATIONS. PROGRAMS CONSIDERED ARE (1) "EDUCATING DISTURBED CHILDREN IN NEW YORK CITY--AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW" BY PEARL H. BERKOWITZ AND ESTHER P. ROTHMAN, (2) "THESE ARE OUR CHILDREN"…

  15. Engaging youth in food activism in New York City: lessons learned from a youth organization, health department, and university partnership.

    PubMed

    Tsui, Emma; Bylander, Kim; Cho, Milyoung; Maybank, Aletha; Freudenberg, Nicholas

    2012-10-01

    Research indicates that insufficient emphasis on community collaboration and partnership can thwart innovative community-driven work on the social determinants of health by local health departments. Appreciating the importance of enhancing community participation, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) helped lead the development of the Health Equity Project (HEP), an intervention aimed at increasing the capacity of urban youth to identify and take action to reduce food-related health disparities. DOHMH partnered with the City University of New York School of Public Health and several local youth organizations to design and implement the intervention. HEP was conducted with 373 young people in 17 cohorts at 14 unique sites: six in Brooklyn, six in the Bronx, and two in Harlem. Partnered youth organizations hosted three stages of work: interactive workshops on neighborhood health disparities, food environments, and health outcomes; food-focused research projects conducted by youth; and small-scale action projects designed to change local food environments. Through these activities, HEP appears to have been successful in introducing youth to the social, economic, and political factors that shape food environments and to the influence of food on health outcomes. The intervention was also somewhat successful in providing youth with community-based participatory research skills and engaging them in documenting and then acting to change their neighborhood food environments. In the short term, we are unable to assess how successful HEP has been in building young leaders who will continue to engage in this kind of activism, but we suspect that more extended interactions would be needed to achieve this more ambitious goal. Experiences at these sites suggest that youth organizations with a demonstrated capacity to engage youth in community service or activism and a commitment to improving food or other health-promoting community resources make the

  16. Increasing Antibiotic Resistance in Shigella spp. from Infected New York City Residents, New York, USA.

    PubMed

    Murray, Kenya; Reddy, Vasudha; Kornblum, John S; Waechter, HaeNa; Chicaiza, Ludwin F; Rubinstein, Inessa; Balter, Sharon; Greene, Sharon K; Braunstein, Sarah L; Rakeman, Jennifer L; Dentinger, Catherine M

    2017-02-01

    Approximately 20% of Shigella isolates tested in New York City, New York, USA, during 2013-2015 displayed decreased azithromycin susceptibility. Case-patients were older and more frequently male and HIV infected than those with azithromycin-susceptible Shigella infection; 90% identified as men who have sex with men. Clinical interpretation guidelines for azithromycin resistance and outcome studies are needed.

  17. The Forgotten Minority: Asian Americans in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, New York.

    Approximately 2.1 percent of New York City's population is Asian American. This report is concerned with the difficulties faced by members of the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Korean communities in the areas of immigration, employment, and as a result of media stereotyping of Asians. An overview of individual Asian communities in New York is…

  18. Reflections on New York City's 1947 Smallpox Vaccination Program and Its 1976 Swine Influenza Immunization Program.

    PubMed

    Imperato, Pascal James

    2015-06-01

    In 1947, a smallpox outbreak occurred in New York City with a total of twelve cases and two deaths. In order to contain this outbreak, the New York City Department of Health launched a mass immunization campaign that over a period of some 60 days vaccinated 6.35 million people. This article examines in detail the epidemiology of this outbreak and the measures employed to contain it. In 1976, a swine influenza strain was isolated among a few recruits at a US Army training camp at Fort Dix, New Jersey. It was concluded at the time that this virus possibly represented a re-appearance of the 1918 influenza pandemic influenza strain. As a result, a mass national immunization program was launched by the federal government. From its inception, the program encountered a myriad of challenges ranging from doubts that it was even necessary to the development of Guillain-Barré paralysis among some vaccine recipients. This paper examines the planning for and implementation of the swine flu immunization program in New York City. It also compares it to the smallpox vaccination program of 1947. Despite equivalent financial and personnel resources, leadership and organizational skills, the 1976 program only immunized approximately a tenth of the number of New York City residents vaccinated in 1947. The reasons for these marked differences in outcomes are discussed in detail.

  19. Evaluation of Selected New York City Umbrella Programs, 1974-1975 School Year.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fordham Univ., Bronx, NY. Inst. for Research and Evaluation.

    An evaluation of twelve different New York City Umbrella Programs coordinated in New York City public schools during the 1974-1975 school year is contained in this document. This report presents a description and evaluation of these programs, together with the major findings. The programs were implemented in the following areas: (1) tutoring in…

  20. The Study of Poverty in the Jewish Community, City of New York.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenshein, Joel; Ribner, Sol

    Poverty in New York City has been studied but never the specific problem of the Jewish minority groupings. The present study was geared towards presenting the incidences of poverty within the Jewish population in New York City and in presenting the beginning sociological picture of poverty among Jews. The study went through three phases. A first…

  1. The Open Admissions Story; 1970 At the City University of New York.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    City Univ. of New York, NY. Office of Univ. Relations.

    This report briefly reviews the history of the open admissions policy at the City University of New York, which offers admission to all New York City high school students graduated in June 1970 and thereafter to some college or center of the University, effective September 1970. The report consists of six sections: (1) The Decision for Open…

  2. Development of Ecological Place Meaning in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russ, Alex; Peters, Scott J.; Krasny, Marianne E.; Stedman, Richard C.

    2015-01-01

    Urban environmental education helps students to recognize ecological features and practices of cities. To understand the value and practice of developing such ecological place meaning, we conducted narrative research with educators and students in urban environmental education programs in the Bronx, New York City. Narratives showed that educators…

  3. Ground Zero recollections of US Public Health Service nurses deployed to New York City in September 2001.

    PubMed

    Knebel, Ann R; Martinelli, Angela M; Orsega, Susan; Doss, Thomas L; Balingit-Wines, Ana Marie; Konchan, Carol L

    2010-06-01

    The events of September 11, 2001, set in motion the broadest emergency response ever conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services. In this article, some of the nurses who deployed to New York City in the aftermath of that horrific attack on the United States offer their recollections of the events. Although Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHS CC) officers participated in deployments before 9/11, this particular deployment accelerated the transformation of the PHS CC, because people came to realize the tremendous potential of a uniformed service of 6,000 health care professionals. When not responding to emergencies, PHS CC nurses daily serve the mission of the PHS to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of the nation. In times of crisis, the PHS CC nurses stand ready to deploy in support of those in need of medical assistance. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Mercury Exposure in Young Children Living in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Jeffery, Nancy; Kieszak, Stephanie; Fritz, Pat; Spliethoff, Henry; Palmer, Christopher D.; Parsons, Patrick J.; Kass, Daniel E.; Caldwell, Kathy; Eadon, George; Rubin, Carol

    2007-01-01

    Residential exposure to vapor from current or previous cultural use of mercury could harm children living in rental (apartment) homes. That concern prompted the following agencies to conduct a study to assess pediatric mercury exposure in New York City communities by measuring urine mercury levels: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (NYCDOHMH) Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy, New York State Department of Health/Center for Environmental Health (NYSDOHCEH), Wadsworth Center’s Biomonitoring Program/Trace Elements Laboratory (WC-TEL), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A previous study indicated that people could obtain mercury for ritualistic use from botanicas located in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx. Working closely with local community partners, we concentrated our recruiting efforts through health clinics located in potentially affected neighborhoods. We developed posters to advertise the study, conducted active outreach through local partners, and, as compensation for participation in the study, we offered a food gift certificate redeemable at a local grocer. We collected 460 urine specimens and analyzed them for total mercury. Overall, geometric mean urine total mercury was 0.31 μg mercury/l urine. One sample was 24 μg mercury/l urine, which exceeded the (20 μg mercury/l urine) NYSDOH Heavy Metal Registry reporting threshold for urine mercury exposure. Geometric mean urine mercury levels were uniformly low and did not differ by neighborhood or with any clinical significance by children’s ethnicity. Few parents reported the presence of mercury at home, in a charm, or other item (e.g., skin-lightening creams and soaps), and we found no association between these potential sources of exposure and a child’s urinary mercury levels. All pediatric mercury levels measured in this study were well below a level considered to be of medical concern. This study found neither self-reported nor measured

  5. New York City, Hudson River, NY, USA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1991-05-06

    STS039-88-054 (28 April-6 May 1991) --- The dense urban development of the New York City metropolitan area in downstate New York, Long Island and New Jersey shows up as gray and white on this color Infrared photograph. The scene was taken on a remarkably clear spring day. Almost all the major man-made structures of the area are obvious, including ship traffic in and out of New York Harbor, the piers, all of the bridges spanning the area rivers and connecting Manhattan Island with New Jersey, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, the three major airports (Newark, La Guardia and JFK), the New York State thruway, as well as Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium. The reds and pinks are vegetated areas. Central Park clearly shows up on Manhattan, as do the string of parks along the cliffs (formed by the Palisades sill) along the west side of the Hudson north of the George Washington Bridge.

  6. Perceptions, Attitudes, and Experience Regarding mHealth Among Homeless Persons in New York City Shelters.

    PubMed

    Asgary, Ramin; Sckell, Blanca; Alcabes, Analena; Naderi, Ramesh; Adongo, Philip; Ogedegbe, Gbenga

    2015-01-01

    Mobile health may be an effective means of providing access and education to the millions of homeless Americans. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 50 homeless people from different shelters in New York City to evaluate their perceptions, attitudes, and experiences regarding mobile health. Participants' average age was 51.66 (SD = 11.34) years; duration of homelessness was 2.0 (SD = 3.10) years. The majority had a mobile phone with the ability to receive and send text messages. Most participants attempted to maintain the same phone number over time. The homeless were welcoming and supportive of text messaging regarding health care issues, including appointment reminders, health education, or management of diseases considering their barriers and mobility, and believed it would help them access necessary health care. Overwhelmingly they preferred text reminders that were short, positively framed, and directive in nature compared to lengthy or motivational texts. The majority believed that free cell phone plans would improve their engagement with, help them navigate, and ultimately improve their access to care. These positive attitudes and experience could be effectively used to improve health care for the homeless. Policies to improve access to mobile health and adapted text messaging strategies regarding the health care needs of this mobile population should be considered.

  7. Advancing the Use of Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance Data, New York City, 2012-2016.

    PubMed

    Lall, Ramona; Abdelnabi, Jasmine; Ngai, Stephanie; Parton, Hilary B; Saunders, Kelly; Sell, Jessica; Wahnich, Amanda; Weiss, Don; Mathes, Robert W

    The use of syndromic surveillance has expanded from its initial purpose of bioterrorism detection. We present 6 use cases from New York City that demonstrate the value of syndromic surveillance for public health response and decision making across a broad range of health outcomes: synthetic cannabinoid drug use, heat-related illness, suspected meningococcal disease, medical needs after severe weather, asthma exacerbation after a building collapse, and Ebola-like illness in travelers returning from West Africa. The New York City syndromic surveillance system receives data on patient visits from all emergency departments (EDs) in the city. The data are used to assign syndrome categories based on the chief complaint and discharge diagnosis, and analytic methods are used to monitor geographic and temporal trends and detect clusters. For all 6 use cases, syndromic surveillance using ED data provided actionable information. Syndromic surveillance helped detect a rise in synthetic cannabinoid-related ED visits, prompting a public health investigation and action. Surveillance of heat-related illness indicated increasing health effects of severe weather and led to more urgent public health messaging. Surveillance of meningitis-related ED visits helped identify unreported cases of culture-negative meningococcal disease. Syndromic surveillance also proved useful for assessing a surge of methadone-related ED visits after Superstorm Sandy, provided reassurance of no localized increases in asthma after a building collapse, and augmented traditional disease reporting during the West African Ebola outbreak. Sharing syndromic surveillance use cases can foster new ideas and build capacity for public health preparedness and response.

  8. Increasing Access to Fruits and Vegetables: Perspectives From the New York City Experience

    PubMed Central

    Yi, Stella S.; Nonas, Cathy

    2015-01-01

    Broad recognition now exists that price, availability, and other structural factors are meaningful barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption, particularly among low-income adults. Beginning in 2005, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene used the social–ecological model to develop a multifaceted effort to increase fruit and vegetable access citywide, with emphasis in low-income neighborhoods. Overall, the percentage of New York City adults who reported consuming no fruits and vegetables in the previous day decreased slightly over a 10-year period (2002: 14.3% [95% confidence interval = 13.4%, 15.2%]; 2012: 12.5% [95% confidence interval = 11.4%, 13.6%]; P for trend < .001). Our approach hypothesizes that complementary initiatives, implemented simultaneously, will create a citywide food environment that fuels changes in social norms and cultural preferences, increases consumer demand, and supports sustainable access to affordable produce. PMID:25790427

  9. Increasing access to fruits and vegetables: perspectives from the New York City experience.

    PubMed

    Sacks, Rachel; Yi, Stella S; Nonas, Cathy

    2015-05-01

    Broad recognition now exists that price, availability, and other structural factors are meaningful barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption, particularly among low-income adults. Beginning in 2005, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene used the social-ecological model to develop a multifaceted effort to increase fruit and vegetable access citywide, with emphasis in low-income neighborhoods. Overall, the percentage of New York City adults who reported consuming no fruits and vegetables in the previous day decreased slightly over a 10-year period (2002: 14.3% [95% confidence interval = 13.4%, 15.2%]; 2012: 12.5% [95% confidence interval = 11.4%, 13.6%]; P for trend < .001). Our approach hypothesizes that complementary initiatives, implemented simultaneously, will create a citywide food environment that fuels changes in social norms and cultural preferences, increases consumer demand, and supports sustainable access to affordable produce.

  10. Hurricane Sandy Evacuation Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees in New York City.

    PubMed

    Brown, Shakara; Gargano, Lisa M; Parton, Hilary; Caramanica, Kimberly; Farfel, Mark R; Stellman, Steven D; Brackbill, Robert M

    2016-06-01

    Timely evacuation is vital for reducing adverse outcomes during disasters. This study examined factors associated with evacuation and evacuation timing during Hurricane Sandy among World Trade Center Health Registry (Registry) enrollees. The study sample included 1162 adults who resided in New York City's evacuation zone A during Hurricane Sandy who completed the Registry's Hurricane Sandy substudy in 2013. Factors assessed included zone awareness, prior evacuation experience, community cohesion, emergency preparedness, and poor physical health. Prevalence estimates and multiple logistic regression models of evacuation at any time and evacuation before Hurricane Sandy were created. Among respondents who evacuated for Hurricane Sandy (51%), 24% had evacuated before the storm. In adjusted analyses, those more likely to evacuate knew they resided in an evacuation zone, had evacuated during Hurricane Irene, or reported pre-Sandy community cohesion. Evacuation was less likely among those who reported being prepared for an emergency. For evacuation timing, evacuation before Hurricane Sandy was less likely among those with pets and those who reported 14 or more poor physical health days. Higher evacuation rates were observed for respondents seemingly more informed and who lived in neighborhoods with greater social capital. Improved disaster messaging that amplifies these factors may increase adherence with evacuation warnings. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:411-419).

  11. Health Impact in New York City During the Northeastern Blackout of 2003

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Shao; Fletcher, Barbara A.; Luo, Ming; Chinery, Robert; Hwang, Syni-An

    2011-01-01

    Objective This study assessed the health effects of the 2003 Northeastern blackout, the largest one in history, on mortality and hospital admissions due to respiratory, cardiovascular, and renal diseases in New York City (NYC), and compared the disease patterns and sociodemographic profiles of cases during the blackout with those on control days. Method We investigated the effects of the blackout on health using incidence rate ratios to compare the disease on blackout days (August 14 and 15, 2003) with those on normal and comparably hot days (controls). Normal days were defined as summer days (June–August) between the 25th and 75th percentiles of maximum temperature during 1991–2004. Comparably hot days were days with maximum temperatures in the same range as that of the blackout days. We evaluated the interactive effects of demographics and the blackout using a case-only design. Results We found that mortality and respiratory hospital admissions in NYC increased significantly (two- to eightfold) during the blackout, but cardiovascular and renal hospitalizations did not. The most striking increases occurred among elderly, female, and chronic bronchitis admissions. We identified stronger effects during the blackout than on comparably hot days. In contrast to the pattern observed for comparably hot days, higher socioeconomic status groups were more likely to be hospitalized during the blackout. Conclusions This study suggests that power outages may have important health impacts, even stronger than the effects of heat alone. The findings provide some direction for future emergency planning and public health preparedness. PMID:21553667

  12. Current Sickle Cell Screening Program for Newborns in New York City, 1979-1980.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grover, Ranjeet; And Others

    1983-01-01

    Screening tests indicated that 141 out of 106,565 infants examined in New York City during 1979-80, had various forms of sickle cell anemia. Follow-up of 131 patients confirmed the original diagnoses, suggesting that the New York City Follow-up Program for Sickle Cell Screening of newborns was successful. (Author/MJL)

  13. An Oasis in This Desert: Parents Talk about the New York City Beacons.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nevarez, Nancy

    This report presents the findings of focus groups convened to determine what the parents of youth participants in the New York City Beacons think about the program. The Beacons initiative is a comprehensive model of school-community-family partnerships undertaken by New York City in 1991. The initiative originally enabled 10 community-based…

  14. Effective School Leadership and New York City's Immigrant and Migrant Children: A Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Terri Nicol

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This paper provides insight into the effective education of immigrant and migrant children: many of whom are classified in New York City's public schools as English language learners. It also highlights the ways in which New York City prepares school leaders and the policies that govern their actions. Design/methodology/approach:…

  15. Expansion of electronic health record-based screening, prevention, and management of diabetes in New York City.

    PubMed

    Albu, Jeanine; Sohler, Nancy; Matti-Orozco, Brenda; Sill, Jordan; Baxter, Daniel; Burke, Gary; Young, Edwin

    2013-01-01

    To address the increasing burden of diabetes in New York City, we designed 2 electronic health records (EHRs)-facilitated diabetes management systems to be implemented in 6 primary care practices on the West Side of Manhattan, a standard system and an enhanced system. The standard system includes screening for diabetes. The enhanced system includes screening and ensures close patient follow-up; it applies principles of the chronic care model, including community-clinic linkages, to the management of patients newly diagnosed with diabetes and prediabetes through screening. We will stagger implementation of the enhanced system across the 6 clinics allowing comparison, through a quasi-experimental design (pre-post difference with a control group), of patients treated in the enhanced system with similar patients treated in the standard system. The findings could inform health system practices at multiple levels and influence the integration of community resources into routine diabetes care.

  16. Major workforce challenges confronting New York City Transit.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this research was to identify the pressing workforce issues confronted by transit authorities : nationwide and promising ways in which they are being addressed. The study also included a closer : examination of New York City Transit (N...

  17. Impact of service delivery model on health care access among HIV-positive women in New York City.

    PubMed

    Pillai, Nandini V; Kupprat, Sandra A; Halkitis, Perry N

    2009-01-01

    As the New York City HIV=AIDS epidemic began generalizing beyond traditionally high-risk groups in the early 1990s, AIDS Service Organizations (ASO) sought to increase access to medical care and broaden service offerings to incorporate the needs of low-income women and their families. Strategies to achieve entry into and retention in medical care included the development of integrated care facilities, case management, and a myriad of supportive service offerings. This study examines a nonrandom sample of 60 HIV-positive women receiving case management and supportive services at New York City ASOs. Over 55% of the women interviewed reported high access to care, 43% reported the ability to access urgent care all of the time and 94% reported high satisfaction with obstetrics=gynecology (OB=GYN) care. This held true across race=ethnicity, income level, medical coverage, and service delivery model.Women who accessed services at integrated care facilities offering onsite medical care and case management=supportive services perceived lower access to medical specialists as compared to those who received services at nonintegrated sites. Data from this analysis indicate that supportive services increase access to and satisfaction with both HIV and non-HIV-related health care. Additionally, women who received services at a medical model agency were more likely to report accessing non-HIV care at a clinic compared to those receiving services at a nonmedical model agencies, these women were more likely to report receiving non-HIV care at a hospital.

  18. Behaviors and Knowledge of HealthCorps New York City High School Students: Nutrition, Mental Health, and Physical Activity.

    PubMed

    Heo, Moonseong; Irvin, Erica; Ostrovsky, Natania; Isasi, Carmen; Blank, Arthur E; Lounsbury, David W; Fredericks, Lynn; Yom, Tiana; Ginsberg, Mindy; Hayes, Shawn; Wylie-Rosett, Judith

    2016-02-01

    HealthCorps provides school wellness programming using curricula to promote changes in nutrition, mental health, and physical activity behaviors. The research objective was to evaluate effects of implementing its curricula on nutrition, mental health, and physical activity knowledge and behavior. Pre- and postsurvey data were collected (N = 2255) during the 2012-2013 academic year from 14 New York City public high schools. An 18-item knowledge questionnaire addressed 3 domains; 26 behavioral items were analyzed by factor analysis to identify 6 behavior domains, breakfast being a seventh 1-item domain. We examined the effects stratified by sex, applying mixed-effects models to take into account clustering effects of schools and participants adjusted for age. The HealthCorps program significantly increased all 3 knowledge domains (p < .05), and significantly changed several key behavioral domains. Boys significantly increased fruits/vegetables intake (p = .03). Girls increased acceptance of new fruits/vegetables (p = .03) and breakfast consumption (p = .04), and decreased sugar-sweetened beverages and energy dense food intake (p = .03). The associations between knowledge and behavior were stronger in boys than girls. The HealthCorps program significantly increased participants' knowledge on nutrition, mental health, and physical activity. It also improved several key behavioral domains, which are targets of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to address obesity in youth. © 2016, American School Health Association.

  19. Adverse medical complications: an under-reported contributory cause of death in New York City.

    PubMed

    Gill, J R; Ely, S F; Toriello, A; Hirsch, C S

    2014-04-01

    The current death certification system in the USA fails to accurately track deaths due to adverse medical events. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the under-reporting of deaths due to adverse medical events due to limitations in the current death certification/reporting system, and the benefits of using the term 'therapeutic complication' as the manner of death. Retrospective review and comparison of death certificates and vital statistical coding. The manner of death is certified as a therapeutic complication when death is caused by predictable complications of appropriate therapy, and would not have occurred but for the medical intervention. Based on medical examiner records, complications that caused or contributed to deaths over a five-year period were examined retrospectively. These fatalities were compared with deaths coded as medical and surgical complications by the New York City Bureau of Vital Statistics. The Medical Examiner's Office certified 2471 deaths as therapeutic complications and 312 deaths as accidents occurring in healthcare facilities. In contrast, the New York City Bureau of Vital Statistics reported 188 deaths due to complications of medical and surgical care. Use of the term 'therapeutic complication' as the manner of death identified nearly 14 times more deaths than were reported by the New York City Bureau of Vital Statistics. If these therapeutic complications and medical accidents were considered as a 'disease', they would rank as the 10th leading cause of death in New York City, surpassing homicides and suicides in some years. Nationwide policy shifts that use the term 'therapeutic complication' would improve the capture and reporting of these deaths, thus allowing better identification of fatal adverse medical events in order to focus on and assess preventative strategies. Copyright © 2013 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Is Desegregation Possible for New York City?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dodson, Dan

    1975-01-01

    This testimony, before a public hearing of the New York City Commission on Human Rights in May 1974, cites a study done in 1965 of the junior high schools of Brooklyn in which it was demonstrated that this segment of the system could be desegregated without a great amount of dislocation. (Author/JM)

  1. Marketing Small Schools in New York City: A Critique of Neoliberal School Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shiller, Jessica

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this article is to critically examine a school reform effort that has taken hold in New York City over the past seven years. A largely privately funded venture, the New Century Schools Initiative (NCSI), opened hundreds of new small high schools in poor urban communities in New York City starting in 2002. The theory behind opening…

  2. Private Lives/Public Spaces: Homeless Adults on the Streets of New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baxter, Ellen; Hopper, Kim

    This paper reports the findings of a study which examined the problems of homeless adults in New York City. The goals of the study were twofold: (1) to document and analyze the life circumstances of homeless adults in New York City who are dependent upon the public sector for their sustenance; and (2) to develop explicit standards for the…

  3. Surveillance for Mosquitoborne Transmission of Zika Virus, New York City, NY, USA, 2016

    PubMed Central

    Wahnich, Amanda; Clark, Sandhya; Bloch, Danielle; Kubinson, Hannah; Hrusa, Gili; Liu, Dakai; Rakeman, Jennifer L.; Deocharan, Bisram; Jones, Lucretia; Slavinski, Sally; Stoute, Alaina; Mathes, Robert; Weiss, Don

    2018-01-01

    A large number of imported cases of Zika virus infection and the potential for transmission by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes prompted the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct sentinel, enhanced passive, and syndromic surveillance for locally acquired mosquitoborne Zika virus infections in New York City, NY, USA, during June–October 2016. Suspected case-patients were those >5 years of age without a travel history or sexual exposure who had >3 compatible signs/symptoms (arthralgia, fever, conjunctivitis, or rash). We identified 15 suspected cases and tested urine samples for Zika virus by using real-time reverse transcription PCR; all results were negative. We identified 308 emergency department visits for Zika-like illness, 40,073 visits for fever, and 17 unique spatiotemporal clusters of visits for fever. We identified no evidence of local transmission. Our experience offers possible surveillance tools for jurisdictions concerned about local mosquitoborne Zika virus or other arboviral transmission. PMID:29664375

  4. Surveillance for Mosquitoborne Transmission of Zika Virus, New York City, NY, USA, 2016.

    PubMed

    Wahnich, Amanda; Clark, Sandhya; Bloch, Danielle; Kubinson, Hannah; Hrusa, Gili; Liu, Dakai; Rakeman, Jennifer L; Deocharan, Bisram; Jones, Lucretia; Slavinski, Sally; Stoute, Alaina; Mathes, Robert; Weiss, Don; Conners, Erin E

    2018-05-01

    A large number of imported cases of Zika virus infection and the potential for transmission by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes prompted the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct sentinel, enhanced passive, and syndromic surveillance for locally acquired mosquitoborne Zika virus infections in New York City, NY, USA, during June-October 2016. Suspected case-patients were those >5 years of age without a travel history or sexual exposure who had >3 compatible signs/symptoms (arthralgia, fever, conjunctivitis, or rash). We identified 15 suspected cases and tested urine samples for Zika virus by using real-time reverse transcription PCR; all results were negative. We identified 308 emergency department visits for Zika-like illness, 40,073 visits for fever, and 17 unique spatiotemporal clusters of visits for fever. We identified no evidence of local transmission. Our experience offers possible surveillance tools for jurisdictions concerned about local mosquitoborne Zika virus or other arboviral transmission.

  5. Economic Conditions and Suicide Rates in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Nandi, Arijit; Prescott, Marta R.; Cerdá, Magdalena; Vlahov, David; Tardiff, Kenneth J.; Galea, Sandro

    2012-01-01

    Extant analyses of the relation between economic conditions and population health were often based on annualized data and were susceptible to confounding by nonlinear time trends. In the present study, the authors used generalized additive models with nonparametric smoothing splines to examine the association between economic conditions, including levels of economic activity in New York State and the degree of volatility in the New York Stock Exchange, and monthly rates of death by suicide in New York City. The rate of suicide declined linearly from 8.1 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 4.8 per 100,000 people in 1999 and then remained stable from 1999 to 2006. In a generalized additive model in which the authors accounted for long-term and seasonal time trends, there was a negative association between monthly levels of economic activity and rates of suicide; the predicted rate of suicide was 0.12 per 100,000 persons lower when economic activity was at its peak compared with when it was at its nadir. The relation between economic activity and suicide differed by race/ethnicity and sex. Stock market volatility was not associated with suicide rates. Further work is needed to elucidate pathways that link economic conditions and suicide. PMID:22362583

  6. Economic conditions and suicide rates in New York City.

    PubMed

    Nandi, Arijit; Prescott, Marta R; Cerdá, Magdalena; Vlahov, David; Tardiff, Kenneth J; Galea, Sandro

    2012-03-15

    Extant analyses of the relation between economic conditions and population health were often based on annualized data and were susceptible to confounding by nonlinear time trends. In the present study, the authors used generalized additive models with nonparametric smoothing splines to examine the association between economic conditions, including levels of economic activity in New York State and the degree of volatility in the New York Stock Exchange, and monthly rates of death by suicide in New York City. The rate of suicide declined linearly from 8.1 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 4.8 per 100,000 people in 1999 and then remained stable from 1999 to 2006. In a generalized additive model in which the authors accounted for long-term and seasonal time trends, there was a negative association between monthly levels of economic activity and rates of suicide; the predicted rate of suicide was 0.12 per 100,000 persons lower when economic activity was at its peak compared with when it was at its nadir. The relation between economic activity and suicide differed by race/ethnicity and sex. Stock market volatility was not associated with suicide rates. Further work is needed to elucidate pathways that link economic conditions and suicide.

  7. Psychopathology among New York city public school children 6 months after September 11.

    PubMed

    Hoven, Christina W; Duarte, Cristiane S; Lucas, Christopher P; Wu, Ping; Mandell, Donald J; Goodwin, Renee D; Cohen, Michael; Balaban, Victor; Woodruff, Bradley A; Bin, Fan; Musa, George J; Mei, Lori; Cantor, Pamela A; Aber, J Lawrence; Cohen, Patricia; Susser, Ezra

    2005-05-01

    Children exposed to a traumatic event may be at higher risk for developing mental disorders. The prevalence of child psychopathology, however, has not been assessed in a population-based sample exposed to different levels of mass trauma or across a range of disorders. To determine prevalence and correlates of probable mental disorders among New York City, NY, public school students 6 months following the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attack. Survey. New York City public schools. A citywide, random, representative sample of 8236 students in grades 4 through 12, including oversampling in closest proximity to the World Trade Center site (ground zero) and other high-risk areas. Children were screened for probable mental disorders with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Predictive Scales. One or more of 6 probable anxiety/depressive disorders were identified in 28.6% of all children. The most prevalent were probable agoraphobia (14.8%), probable separation anxiety (12.3%), and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (10.6%). Higher levels of exposure correspond to higher prevalence for all probable anxiety/depressive disorders. Girls and children in grades 4 and 5 were the most affected. In logistic regression analyses, child's exposure (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62), exposure of a child's family member (adjusted odds ratio, 1.80), and the child's prior trauma (adjusted odds ratio, 2.01) were related to increased likelihood of probable anxiety/depressive disorders. Results were adjusted for different types of exposure, sociodemographic characteristics, and child mental health service use. A high proportion of New York City public school children had a probable mental disorder 6 months after September 11, 2001. The data suggest that there is a relationship between level of exposure to trauma and likelihood of child anxiety/depressive disorders in the community. The results support the need to apply wide-area epidemiological approaches to mental health

  8. The cost-effectiveness of New York City's Safe Routes to School Program.

    PubMed

    Muennig, Peter A; Epstein, Michael; Li, Guohua; DiMaggio, Charles

    2014-07-01

    We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a package of roadway modifications in New York City funded under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. We used a Markov model to estimate long-term impacts of SRTS on injury reduction and the associated savings in medical costs, lifelong disability, and death. Model inputs included societal costs (in 2013 US dollars) and observed spatiotemporal changes in injury rates associated with New York City's implementation of SRTS relative to control intersections. Structural changes to roadways were assumed to last 50 years before further investment is required. Therefore, costs were discounted over 50 consecutive cohorts of modified roadway users under SRTS. SRTS was associated with an overall net societal benefit of $230 million and 2055 quality-adjusted life years gained in New York City. SRTS reduces injuries and saves money over the long run.

  9. Ed Reform Rollback in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eide, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    In his campaign for Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio positioned himself as the candidate most determined to break with the legacy of the outgoing Michael Bloomberg administration. Voters responded enthusiastically, handing de Blasio a nearly 50-point margin of victory in the November 2013 election. De Blasio, a Democrat, interpreted the win…

  10. Behaviors and Knowledge of HealthCorps New York City High School Students: Nutrition, Mental Health and Physical Activity

    PubMed Central

    Moonseong, Heo; Erica, Irvin; Natania, Ostrovsky; Carmen, Isasi; Shawn, Hayes; Judith, Wylie-Rosett

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND HealthCorps provides school wellness programming using curricula to promote changes in nutrition, mental health and physical activity behaviors. The research objective was to evaluate effects of implementing its curricula on nutrition, mental health and physical activity knowledge and behavior. METHODS Pre- and post-survey data were collected (N = 2255) during the 2012-13 academic year from 14 New York City public high schools. An 18-item knowledge questionnaire addressed 3 domains; 26 behavioral items were analyzed by factor analysis to identify 6 behavior domains, breakfast being a seventh one-item domain. We examined the effects stratified by sex, applying mixed-effects models to take into account clustering effects of schools and participants adjusted for age. RESULTS The HealthCorps program significantly increased all 3 knowledge domains (p < .05), and significantly changed several key behavioral domains. Boys significantly increased fruits/vegetables intake (p = .03). Girls increased acceptance of new fruits/vegetables (p = .03) and breakfast consumption (p = .04), and decreased sugar-sweetened beverages and energy dense food intake (p = .03). The associations between knowledge and behavior were stronger in boys than girls. CONCLUSION The HealthCorps program significantly increased participants’ knowledge on nutrition, mental health and physical activity. It also improved several key behavioral domains, which are targets of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to address obesity in youth. PMID:26762819

  11. Long-term Recovery From Hurricane Sandy: Evidence From a Survey in New York City.

    PubMed

    Petkova, Elisaveta P; Beedasy, Jaishree; Oh, Eun Jeong; Sury, Jonathan J; Sehnert, Erin M; Tsai, Wei-Yann; Reilly, Michael J

    2018-04-01

    This study aimed to examine a range of factors influencing the long-term recovery of New York City residents affected by Hurricane Sandy. In a series of logistic regressions, we analyzed data from a survey of New York City residents to assess self-reported recovery status from Hurricane Sandy. General health, displacement from home, and household income had substantial influences on recovery. Individuals with excellent or fair health were more likely to have recovered than were individuals with poor health. Those with high and middle income were more likely to have recovered than were those with low income. Also, individuals who had not experienced a decrease in household income following Hurricane Sandy had higher odds of recovery than the odds for those with decreased income. Additionally, displacement from the home decreased the odds of recovery. Individuals who applied for assistance from the Build it Back program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency had lower odds of recovering than did those who did not apply. The study outlines the critical importance of health and socioeconomic factors in long-term disaster recovery and highlights the need for increased consideration of those factors in post-disaster interventions and recovery monitoring. More research is needed to assess the effectiveness of state and federal assistance programs, particularly among disadvantaged populations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:172-175).

  12. Community Reactions to Campaigns Addressing Crystal Methamphetamine Use among Gay and Bisexual Men in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nanin, Jose E.; Parsons, Jeffrey T.; Bimbi, David S.; Grov, Christian; Brown, Justin T.

    2006-01-01

    Crystal methamphetamine (aka "crystal meth") use with high-risk sex has become an emerging health problem for gay and bisexual men in New York City since the late 1990s. Public health campaigns were eventually developed to encourage gay and bisexual men to avoid or reconsider using crystal meth. Reactions to three campaigns were measured…

  13. Effects of Geography on Mental Health Disparities on Sexual Minorities in New York City.

    PubMed

    Felson, Jacob; Adamczyk, Amy

    2018-05-01

    Gay and lesbian individuals have higher rates of psychological distress than do heterosexual individuals. The minority stress hypothesis attributes this disparity to adversity-related stress experienced by sexual minorities. In support of this idea, research in the U.S. has generally found that mental health disparities between sexual minorities and others are narrower in places where tolerance is relatively high. However, few studies have examined disparities between sexual minorities and others in neighborhoods where sexual minorities are most highly concentrated. Likewise, little research attention has been given to disparities for people who move to more tolerant places from less tolerant states and countries. Using data from the New York City Community Health Survey, we found some evidence that disparities between sexual minorities and others were lower in areas with higher concentrations of sexual minorities. However, disparities did not vary by the tolerance level of the state of birth among those born in the U.S. and were actually lower among those born in the least tolerant nations. These results complicate the idea that there is a dose-response relationship between tolerance and psychological distress among sexual minorities.

  14. Environmental Protection in the City of New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisenbud, Merril

    1970-01-01

    Reviews New York City's Environmental Protection Administration two-year effort in air, water, noise, and solid waste pollution control. Successes and difficulties are seen as applicable to other urban areas. Long-term planning considers population control, poverty programs, traffic management, and land use. (JM)

  15. Promoting the health of young adults in urban public universities: a case study from City University of New York.

    PubMed

    Freudenberg, Nicholas; Manzo, Luis; Mongiello, Lorraine; Jones, Hollie; Boeri, Natascia; Lamberson, Patricia

    2013-01-01

    Changing demographics of college students and new insights into the developmental trajectory of chronic diseases present universities with opportunities to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. The reciprocal relationships between better health and improved educational achievement also offer university health programs a chance to improve retention and graduation rates, a key objective for higher education. In 2007, City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university, launched Healthy CUNY, an initiative designed to offer life-time protection against chronic diseases and reduce health-related barriers to educational achievement. In its first 5 years, Healthy CUNY has shown that universities can mobilize students, faculty, and other constituencies to modify environments and policies that influence health. New policies on tobacco and campus food, enrollment of needy students in public food and housing assistance programs, and a dialogue on the role of health in academic achievement are first steps towards healthier universities.

  16. Public-health assessment for Old City of York Landfill, Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania, rRgion 3. CERCLIS No. PAD980692420. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1992-06-19

    The Old City of York Landfill National Priority List (NPL) site is adjacent to South Road, approximately two miles southeast of the borough of Seven Valleys in Springfield Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Site soils, groundwater, springs, seeps, and collection vaults were contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. Human exposure could occur through ingestion or dermal absorption of site contaminants from the aforementioned media. The population at potential risk includes children, hunters, hikers, or other trespassers on the site who may come into direct contact with contaminated site soils. However, environmental media associated with the site appear minimally affected bymore » the landfill. The site represents no apparent public health hazard because there is no evidence of trespassing on the site, and because nearby residents have been provided municipal water.« less

  17. Paradigms, Power, and PR in New York City: Assessing Two School Accountability Implementation Efforts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peck, Craig

    2014-01-01

    This policy study critically compares two different efforts to implement an accountability system in the New York City public schools. In 1971, the New York City Board of Education contracted with the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which created a lengthy accountability plan for the district. Fitful maneuvers to execute the ETS plan fizzled…

  18. The Tip of the Iceberg: SURR Schools and Academic Failure in New York City. Civic Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kosar, Kevin

    This report presents statistical data on academic failure in New York City's Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) schools. The tables and charts focus on: SURR schools in New York state; SURR schools by grade level; academic achievement in new SURR schools; academic performance in all SURR schools; children attending New York City SURR Schools…

  19. Urban/rural connections: the New York City watershed

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Cannonsville Reservoir, which was placed in service in 1964, is a major component of the unfiltered New York City water supply system. This year, the Watershed Agricultural Program marks a 17-year history of collaboration among producers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the De...

  20. The New York City Neighborhood-Based Services Strategy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chahine, Zeinab; van Straaten, Justine; Williams-Isom, Anne

    2005-01-01

    The New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) instituted a neighborhood-based services system through the realignment of all foster care, preventive, and protective services along community district lines. ACS, with its community partners, also formed neighborhood-based networks to improve service coordination and collaboration…

  1. Fat-related dietary behaviors of adult Puerto Ricans, with and without diabetes, in New York City.

    PubMed

    Melnik, Thomas A; Spence, Maureen M; Hosler, Akiko S

    2006-09-01

    To assess the fat-related dietary behaviors of adult Puerto Ricans with and without diagnosed diabetes, living in New York City. A random-digit-dialing telephone survey was conducted following Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System procedures. Dietary behavior was assessed using a brief Fat-Related Diet Habits Questionnaire, in which higher scores indicated higher fat intake. A total of 1,304 adult Puerto Ricans living in New York City were interviewed. Diabetes status was assessed using standard Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questions. Weighted analyses using SUDAAN software for complex surveys were done, and t tests were used to assess differences in mean fat-related dietary score by sociodemographic and health characteristics. Age-adjusted least-squared means were used to compare scores between those with and without diabetes. Linear regression was used to model characteristics associated with fat-related dietary score. Fat-related dietary score was lower among those with diabetes and varied by population and health characteristics. Age-adjusted scores were significantly lower for those with diabetes who were younger, less educated, obese, or physically active. In the regression model, family history, weight, and exercise interacted with diabetes status. Those with diabetes were significantly more likely to modify meat consumption practices (eg, remove skin or trim fat) to reduce fat compared with those without diabetes. New York City Puerto Ricans with diabetes are somewhat more likely to engage in behaviors to reduce fat compared with those without diabetes. Targeted, culturally sensitive nutrition education and counseling emphasizing lower-fat food choices and other fat-reducing behaviors can help reduce risk and control diabetes. Education messages should be tailored to the individual's diabetes status and other health and sociodemographic characteristics.

  2. The Decentralization of New York City's Public Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pellicano, Roy R.

    1985-01-01

    In an assessment of "110 Livingston Street Revisited" and "Across the River," the historical context of New York City's 15 years of public school decentralization is outlined. The last 30 years of urban education are viewed against the backdrop of competing claims regarding equity, equality, justice, and equality of…

  3. A Conversation with Randy Asher, Principal of New York City's Brooklyn Technical High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asher, Randy J.

    2016-01-01

    This is a conversation with Randy Asher, principal of New York City's Brooklyn Technical High School. Brooklyn Tech is a selective science high school in New York City, founded in 1922 as a school for boys with potential for careers in engineering and applied science. Today, it provides full-time education for both male and female students from…

  4. Exploring the determinants of pedestrian-vehicle crash severity in New York City.

    PubMed

    Aziz, H M Abdul; Ukkusuri, Satish V; Hasan, Samiul

    2013-01-01

    Pedestrian-vehicle crashes remain a major concern in New York City due to high percentage of fatalities. This study develops random parameter logit models for explaining pedestrian injury severity levels of New York City accounting for unobserved heterogeneity in the population and across the boroughs. A log-likelihood ratio test for joint model suitability suggests that separate models for each of the boroughs should be estimated. Among many variables, road characteristics (e.g., number of lanes, grade, light condition, road surface, etc.), traffic attributes (e.g., presence of signal control, type of vehicle, etc.), and land use (e.g., parking facilities, commercial and industrial land use, etc.) are found to be statistically significant in the estimated model. The study also suggests that the set of counter measures should be different for different boroughs in the New York City and the priority ranks of countermeasures should be different as well. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Intersecting Identities and the Association Between Bullying and Suicide Attempt Among New York City Youths: Results From the 2009 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey

    PubMed Central

    LeVasseur, Michael T.; Grosskopf, Nicholas A.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We examined the intersections of sexual minority, gender, and Hispanic ethnic identities and their interaction with experiences of bullying in predicting suicide attempt among New York City youths. Methods. We performed secondary data analysis of the 2009 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey, using logistic regression to examine the association of sexual identity, gender, ethnicity, and bullying with suicide attempt. We stratified results on these measures and reported adjusted odds ratios. Results. Compared with non–sexual minority youths, sexual minority youths had 4.39 and 1.96 times higher odds, respectively, of attempting suicide and reporting bullying. Identity variables did not interact with bullying in predicting suicide attempt individually; however, a four-way interaction term was significant. The effect of bullying on suicide attempt was strongest among non-Hispanic sexual minority male youths (odds ratio = 21.39 vs 1.65–3.38 for other groups). Conclusions. Sexual minority, gender, and ethnic identities interact with bullying in predicting suicide attempt among New York City youths. Interventions to limit both the prevalence and the effect of bullying among minority youths should consider an intersectional approach that considers ethnic, gender, and sexual identities. PMID:23597376

  6. Intersecting identities and the association between bullying and suicide attempt among New York city youths: results from the 2009 New York city youth risk behavior survey.

    PubMed

    LeVasseur, Michael T; Kelvin, Elizabeth A; Grosskopf, Nicholas A

    2013-06-01

    We examined the intersections of sexual minority, gender, and Hispanic ethnic identities and their interaction with experiences of bullying in predicting suicide attempt among New York City youths. We performed secondary data analysis of the 2009 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey, using logistic regression to examine the association of sexual identity, gender, ethnicity, and bullying with suicide attempt. We stratified results on these measures and reported adjusted odds ratios. Compared with non-sexual minority youths, sexual minority youths had 4.39 and 1.96 times higher odds, respectively, of attempting suicide and reporting bullying. Identity variables did not interact with bullying in predicting suicide attempt individually; however, a four-way interaction term was significant. The effect of bullying on suicide attempt was strongest among non-Hispanic sexual minority male youths (odds ratio = 21.39 vs 1.65-3.38 for other groups). Sexual minority, gender, and ethnic identities interact with bullying in predicting suicide attempt among New York City youths. Interventions to limit both the prevalence and the effect of bullying among minority youths should consider an intersectional approach that considers ethnic, gender, and sexual identities.

  7. Comparative analysis of health system performance in Montreal and New York: the importance of context for interpreting indicators.

    PubMed

    Gusmano, Michael K; Strumpf, Erin; Fiset-Laniel, Julie; Weisz, Daniel; Rodwin, Victor G

    2018-06-19

    Although eliminating financial barriers to care is a necessary condition for improving access to health services, it is not sufficient. Given the contrasting health systems with regard to financing and organization of health insurance in the United States and Canada, there is a long history of comparing these countries. We extend the empirical studies on the Canadian and US health systems by comparing access to ambulatory care as measured by hospitalization rates for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) in Montreal and New York City. We find that, in New York, ACSC rates were more than twice as high (12.6 per 1000 population) as in Montreal (4.8 per 1000 population). After controlling for age, sex, and number of diagnoses, significant differences in ACSC rates are present in both cities, but are more pronounced in New York. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that universal, first-dollar health insurance coverage has contributed to lower ACSC rates in Montreal than New York. However, Montreal's surprisingly low ACSC rate calls for further research.

  8. Community School Board Elections in New York City. A Report to the New York State Commissioner of Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rubin, Max J.

    Following reports of irregularities in the May 1973 school board elections of New York City, the New York Commissioner of Education asked the author to identify the difficulties encountered by the voters and candidates, on both election day and in the period for registration and nomination which preceded it, and to recommend such changes in the…

  9. Defining Ethnic Enclave and Its Associations with Self-Reported Health Outcomes Among Asian American Adults in New York City.

    PubMed

    Lim, Sungwoo; Yi, Stella S; Lundy De La Cruz, Nneka; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau

    2017-02-01

    Evidence on ethnic enclave-health associations for Asian Americans is limited due to an inconsistent definition of ethnic enclave. The authors aimed to establish a robust criterion for defining Asian enclaves in New York City (NYC) and assessed the association between enclave residence and health outcomes among Asian American adults. Data came from 2009-2012 NYC Community Health Surveys and 2008-2012 American Community Survey. Asian enclave was defined as an area with high dissimilarity and isolation scores as well as high concentration of Asians. Five of 55 NYC community districts were identified as Asian enclaves. After controlling for confounding, enclave residence was associated with positive perception of general health with borderline significance (prevalence ratio = 1.06, 95 % CI 0.98, 1.15), but not with current smoking, hypertension, and diabetes. Ethnic enclave residence in urban areas may not produce a substantial impact on chronic health outcomes for Asian Americans beyond individual-level factors.

  10. Defining ethnic enclave and its associations with self-reported health outcomes among Asian American adults in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Lim, Sungwoo; Yi, Stella S.; De La Cruz, Nneka Lundy; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau

    2016-01-01

    Evidence on ethnic enclave-health associations for Asian Americans is limited due to an inconsistent definition of ethnic enclave. The authors aimed to establish a robust criterion for defining Asian enclaves in New York City (NYC) and assessed the association between enclave residence and health outcomes among Asian American adults. Data came from 2009-12 NYC Community Health Surveys and 2008-12 American Community Survey. Asian enclave was defined as an area with high dissimilarity and isolation scores as well as high concentration of Asians. Five of 55 NYC community districts were identified as Asian enclaves. After controlling for confounding, enclave residence was associated with positive perception of general health with borderline significance (prevalence ratio = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.98, 1.15), but not with current smoking, hypertension, and diabetes. Ethnic enclave residence in urban areas may not produce a substantial impact on chronic health outcomes for Asian Americans beyond individual-level factors. PMID:26699378

  11. A Perfect Storm: Crack Cocaine, HSV-2, and HIV Among Non-Injecting Drug Users in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Des Jarlais, Don C.; McKnight, Courtney; Arasteh, Kamyar; Feelemyer, Jonathan; Perlman, David C.; Hagan, Holly; Dauria, Emily F.; Cooper, Hannah L.F.

    2015-01-01

    Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has reached 16% among non-injecting drug users (NIDU) in New York City, an unusually high prevalence for a predominantly heterosexual population that does not inject drugs. Using a long-term study (1983–2011, >7,000 subjects) among persons entering the Beth Israel drug-treatment programs in New York City, we identified factors that contributed to this high prevalence: a preexisting HIV epidemic among injectors, a crack cocaine epidemic, mixing between injectors and crack users, policy responses not centered on public health, and herpes-simplex virus 2 facilitating HIV transmission. Implications for avoiding high prevalence among NIDU in other areas are discussed. PMID:24502371

  12. Tales of New York City's Guerrilla Teaching Artists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katzoff, Howard Martin

    2011-01-01

    This article presents snapshots of an innovative program in which performing actor, musician, and dancer TAs work as substitute teachers. Through STARRRs (Substitute Teachers for the Arts and 3Rs) Program, New York City principals hire professional performers as licensed substitute teachers. Actors, musicians, and dancers bring their craft into…

  13. RadNet Air Data From New York City, NY

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This page presents radiation air monitoring and air filter analysis data for New York City, NY from EPA's RadNet system. RadNet is a nationwide network of monitoring stations that measure radiation in air, drinking water and precipitation.

  14. Choosing to Stay, Choosing to Leave: New York City Teaching Fellows after Two Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costigan, Arthur T.

    2005-01-01

    This study focuses on three new teachers, Arnie, Andrea, and Frank, who are New York City Teaching Fellows (NYCTF), a program of alternative teacher recruitment and certification that is in its third year at an urban public college in New York City. This study focuses on just three of the Fellows in order to have a more intense look into the…

  15. Anthropogenic Moisture production and its effect on boundary-layer circulations over New York City

    Treesearch

    Robert D. Bornstein; Yam-Tong Tam

    1977-01-01

    A heat and moisture excess over New York City is shown to exist by the analysis of helicopter soundings of temperature and wet-bulb depression. The magnitude of the temporal and spatial distribution of anthropogenic moisture emissions in New York City were estimated from fuel-usage data. The URBMET urban boundary-layer model was used to evaluate the effects on the...

  16. Emergency Department Visits for Homelessness or Inadequate Housing in New York City before and after Hurricane Sandy.

    PubMed

    Doran, Kelly M; McCormack, Ryan P; Johns, Eileen L; Carr, Brendan G; Smith, Silas W; Goldfrank, Lewis R; Lee, David C

    2016-04-01

    Hurricane Sandy struck New York City on October 29, 2012, causing not only a large amount of physical damage, but also straining people's health and disrupting health care services throughout the city. In prior research, we determined that emergency department (ED) visits from the most vulnerable hurricane evacuation flood zones in New York City increased after Hurricane Sandy for several medical diagnoses, but also for the diagnosis of homelessness. In the current study, we aimed to further explore this increase in ED visits for homelessness after Hurricane Sandy's landfall. We performed an observational before-and-after study using an all-payer claims database of ED visits in New York City to compare the demographic characteristics, insurance status, geographic distribution, and health conditions of ED patients with a primary or secondary ICD-9 diagnosis of homelessness or inadequate housing in the first week after Hurricane Sandy's landfall versus the baseline weekly average in 2012 prior to Hurricane Sandy. We found statistically significant increases in ED visits for diagnosis codes of homelessness or inadequate housing in the week after Hurricane Sandy's landfall. Those accessing the ED for homelessness or inadequate housing were more often elderly and insured by Medicare after versus before the hurricane. Secondary diagnoses among those with a primary ED diagnosis of homelessness or inadequate housing also differed after versus before Hurricane Sandy. These observed differences in the demographic, insurance, and co-existing diagnosis profiles of those with an ED diagnosis of homelessness or inadequate housing before and after Hurricane Sandy suggest that a new population cohort-potentially including those who had lost their homes as a result of storm damage-was accessing the ED for homelessness or other housing issues after the hurricane. Emergency departments may serve important public health and disaster response roles after a hurricane, particularly for

  17. Helicopter noise survey at selected New York City heliports

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1983-03-31

    The FAA conducted a noise measurement survey of helicopter operations at three principal heliports in the borough of Manhattan in New York City on November 16-17, 1982. The purpose was to gather needed information for defining noise problems with in-...

  18. Slowing Entropy: Instructional Policy Design in New York City, 2011-12. Policy Brief #14-3

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Supovitz, Jonathan

    2014-01-01

    How do policymakers craft policies, particularly centered on the Common Core State Standards, to be more resilient and less likely to disintegrate during enactment? Researcher Jonathan Supovitz in "Slowing Entropy: Instructional Policy Design in New York City, 2011-12" examines the design of a New York City Department of Education policy…

  19. Youth Unemployment in New York City: The Cost of Doing Nothing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Interface, Inc., New York, NY.

    This paper reports on a study of the costs of youth unemployment in New York City. The dollar cost is measured in two ways: first, by calculating the cost of direct benefits paid by the city to unemployed 16 to 21 year olds; and second, by projecting the tax revenues and productivity that these young people would add to the city economy if they…

  20. Demographic Trends of Adults in New York City Opioid Treatment Programs--An Aging Population.

    PubMed

    Han, Benjamin; Polydorou, Soteri; Ferris, Rosie; Blaum, Caroline S; Ross, Stephen; McNeely, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    The population of adults accessing opioid treatment is growing older, but exact estimates vary widely, and little is known about the characteristics of the aging treatment population. Further, there has been little research regarding the epidemiology, healt h status, and functional impairments in this population. To determine the utilization of opioid treatment services by older adults in New York City. This study used administrative data from New York State licensed drug treatment programs to examine overall age trends and characteristics of older adults in opioid treatment programs in New York City from 1996 to 2012. We found significant increases in utilization of opioid treatment programs by older adults in New York City. By 2012, those aged 50-59 made up the largest age group in opioid treatment programs. Among older adults there were notable shifts in demographic background including gender and ethnicity, and an increase in self-reported impairments. More research is needed to fully understand the specific characteristics and needs of older adults with opioid dependence.

  1. High Tuberculosis Strain Diversity Among New York City Public Housing Residents

    PubMed Central

    Perri, Bianca R.; Ahuja, Shama D.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. We sought to better understand tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology among New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, after a recent TB investigation identified patients who had the same TB strain. Methods. The study population included all New York City patients with TB confirmed during 2001 through 2009. Patient address at diagnosis determined NYCHA residence. We calculated TB incidence, reviewed TB strain data, and identified factors associated with TB clustering. Results. During 2001 to 2009, of 8953 individuals in New York City with TB, 512 (6%) had a NYCHA address. Among the US-born, TB incidence among NYCHA residents (6.0/100 000 persons) was twice that among non-NYCHA residents (3.0/100 000 persons). Patients in NYCHA had high TB strain diversity. US birth, younger age, and substance use were associated with TB clustering among NYCHA individuals with TB. Conclusions. High TB strain diversity among residents of NYCHA with TB does not suggest transmission among residents. These findings illustrate that NYCHA’s higher TB incidence is likely attributable to its higher concentration of individuals with known TB risk factors. PMID:26691125

  2. Deepening Disparity: Income Equality in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elliott, Mark; Grote, Mae Watson; Levin-Waldman, Oren M.

    Analysis of the Current Population Survey data for New York City reveals that the economic growth of the 1990s increased the income of families across the earnings spectrum nationally; however, earnings among families in the top quintile outpaced other quintiles, leading to an increase in income inequality. This inequality was substantially…

  3. Carbon monoxide exposures in New York City following Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

    PubMed

    Chen, B C; Shawn, L K; Connors, N J; Wheeler, K; Williams, N; Hoffman, R S; Matte, T D; Smith, S W

    2013-11-01

    On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall and devastated New York's metropolitan area, causing widespread damage to homes and the utility infrastructure. Eight days later, snow and freezing temperatures from a nor'easter storm delayed utility restoration. To examine carbon monoxide (CO) exposures in the 2 weeks following Hurricane Sandy. Methods. This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected, standardized, and de-identified data sets. CO exposures and poisonings identified from two electronic surveillance systems, the New York City Poison Control Center (NYCPCC) and New York City's Syndromic Surveillance Unit, were compared with CO exposures from identical dates in 2008-2011. Data collected from the poison center included exposure type, CO source, poisoning type, treatment, and outcomes. Data collected from the Syndromic Surveillance Unit cases, which were identified by CO-related chief complaints presenting to NYC hospitals, included visit date and time, and patient demographics. Four hundred thirty-seven CO exposures were reported to the NYCPCC, 355 from NYC callers, and the remainder from surrounding counties, which represented a significant increase when compared with CO exposures from identical dates in the preceding 4 years (p < 0.001). The total cases that were reported to the NYCPCC in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were 18, 13, 24, and 61, respectively. Excluding a single apartment fire that occurred (n = 311), the more common sources of CO were grilling indoors (26.2%) and generators (17.5%). Syndromic surveillance captured 70 cases; 6 cases were captured by both data sets. CO exposures following weather-related disasters are a significant public health concern, and the use of fuel-burning equipment is a clear source of storm-related morbidity and mortality. Multiple real-time epidemiologic surveillance tools are useful in estimating the prevalence of CO exposure and poisoning and are necessary to assist public health efforts to prevent

  4. Development of a culturally relevant consumer health information website for Harlem, New York.

    PubMed

    Smith, Michelle; Morita, Haruka; Mateo, Katrina F; Nye, Andrea; Hutchinson, Carly; Cohall, Alwyn T

    2014-09-01

    The process of creating a geographically tailored health information website with ongoing feedback from community members is one of inquiry and discovery, frustration and triumph, and development and reevaluation. This article reviews the development and implementation of GetHealthyHarlem.org, a health literacy level-appropriate consumer health information website tailored to consumers in Harlem, New York City. From 2004 to 2009, the Harlem Health Promotion Center, one of 37 Prevention Research Centers in the United States, sought to determine the use and seeking of online health information in Harlem, New York City in order to further explore the possibility of providing online health information to this community. Specifically, this article details how we sought to identify gaps, concerns, and uses of online health information and health care seeking in this local, predominantly racial and ethnic minority population. We review how we identified and addressed the multitude of variables that play a role in determining the degree of success in finding and using online health information, and include discussions about the genesis of the website and our successes and challenges in the development and implementation stages. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  5. Genomic epidemiology of Lineage 4 Mycobacterium tuberculosis subpopulations in New York City and New Jersey, 1999-2009.

    PubMed

    Brown, Tyler S; Narechania, Apurva; Walker, John R; Planet, Paul J; Bifani, Pablo J; Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis; Kreiswirth, Barry N; Mathema, Barun

    2016-11-21

    Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has rapidly become an important research tool in tuberculosis epidemiology and is likely to replace many existing methods in public health microbiology in the near future. WGS-based methods may be particularly useful in areas with less diverse Mycobacterium tuberculosis populations, such as New York City, where conventional genotyping is often uninformative and field epidemiology often difficult. This study applies four candidate strategies for WGS-based identification of emerging M. tuberculosis subpopulations, employing both phylogenomic and population genetics methods. M. tuberculosis subpopulations in New York City and New Jersey can be distinguished via phylogenomic reconstruction, evidence of demographic expansion and subpopulation-specific signatures of selection, and by determination of subgroup-defining nucleotide substitutions. These methods identified known historical outbreak clusters and previously unidentified subpopulations within relatively monomorphic M. tuberculosis endemic clone groups. Neutrality statistics based on the site frequency spectrum were less useful for identifying M. tuberculosis subpopulations, likely due to the low levels of informative genetic variation in recently diverged isolate groups. In addition, we observed that isolates from New York City endemic clone groups have acquired multiple non-synonymous SNPs in virulence- and growth-associated pathways, and relatively few mutations in drug resistance-associated genes, suggesting that overall pathoadaptive fitness, rather than the acquisition of drug resistance mutations, has played a central role in the evolutionary history and epidemiology of M. tuberculosis subpopulations in New York City. Our results demonstrate that some but not all WGS-based methods are useful for detection of emerging M. tuberculosis clone groups, and support the use of phylogenomic reconstruction in routine tuberculosis laboratory surveillance, particularly in areas with

  6. The Social Correlates of Lexical Borrowing in Spanish in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Varra, Rachel Marie

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation investigates lexical borrowing in Spanish in New York. English-origin lexical material was extracted from a stratified sample of 146 Spanish-speaking informants of different ages, national origins, classes, etc., living in New York City. ANOVAs and Pearson correlations determined whether lexical borrowing frequency and the type…

  7. Patterns of Physical Activity Among Older Adults in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Mooney, Stephen J.; Joshi, Spruha; Cerdá, Magdalena; Quinn, James W.; Beard, John R.; Kennedy, Gary J.; Benjamin, Ebele O.; Ompad, Danielle C.; Rundle, Andrew G.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Little research to date has explored typologies of physical activity among older adults. An understanding of physical activity patterns may help to both determine the health benefits of different types of activity and target interventions to increase activity levels in older adults. This analysis, conducted in 2014, used a latent class analysis approach to characterize patterns of physical activity in a cohort of older adults. Methods A total of 3,497 men and women aged 65–75 years living in New York City completed the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) in 2011. PASE scale items were used to classify subjects into latent classes. Multinomial regression was then used to relate individual and neighborhood characteristics to class membership. Results Five latent classes were identified: “least active,” “walkers,” “domestic/gardening,” “athletic,” and “domestic/gardening athletic.” Individual-level predictors, including more education, higher income, and better self-reported health, were associated with membership in the more-active classes, particularly the athletic classes. Residential characteristics, including living in single-family housing and living in the lower-density boroughs of New York City, were predictive of membership in one of the domestic/gardening classes. Class membership was associated with BMI even after controlling for total PASE score. Conclusions This study suggests that individual and neighborhood characteristics are associated with distinct physical activity patterns in a group of older urban adults. These patterns are associated with body habitus independent of overall activity. PMID:26091927

  8. Hepatitis A Cases Among Food Handlers: A Local Health Department Response-New York City, 2013.

    PubMed

    Ridpath, Alison; Reddy, Vasudha; Layton, Marcelle; Misener, Mark; Scaccia, Allison; Starr, David; Stavinsky, Faina; Varma, Jay K; Waechter, HaeNa; Zucker, Jane R; Balter, Sharon

    During 2013, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) received reports of 6 hepatitis A cases among food handlers. We describe our decision-making process for public notification, type of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) offered, and lessons learned. For 3 cases, public notification was issued and DOHMH offered only hepatitis A vaccine as PEP. Subsequent outbreaks resulted from 1 case for which no public notification was issued or PEP offered, and 1 for which public notification was issued and PEP was offered too late. DOHMH continues to use environmental assessments to guide public notification decisions and offer only hepatitis A vaccine as PEP after public notification but recognizes the need to evaluate each situation individually. The PEP strategy employed by DOHMH should be considered because hepatitis A vaccine is immunogenic in all age groups, can be obtained by local jurisdictions more quickly, and is logistically easier to administer in mass clinics than immunoglobulin.

  9. Public Television Channels in New York City: The First Six Months.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calhoun, Richard

    The end results of the first six months of public access cable television (CATV) channels in New York City were in some ways disappointing. Franchise agreements for each of New York's two CATV systems called for two public-access channels to be in operation by July 1, 1971, one year after the date of the franchise awards. The channels were to be…

  10. Evaluation of a Mobile Phone App for Providing Adolescents With Sexual and Reproductive Health Information, New York City, 2013-2016.

    PubMed

    Steinberg, Allyna; Griffin-Tomas, Marybec; Abu-Odeh, Desiree; Whitten, Alzen

    The New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released the Teens in NYC mobile phone application (app) in 2013 as part of a program to promote sexual and reproductive health among adolescents aged 12-19 in NYC. The app featured a locator that allowed users to search for health service providers by sexual health services, contraceptive methods, and geographic locations. We analyzed data on searches from the Where to Go section of the app to understand the patterns of use of the app's search functionality. From January 7, 2013, through March 20, 2016, the app was downloaded more than 20 000 times, and more than 25 000 unique searches were conducted within the app. Results suggest that the app helped adolescents discover and access a wide range of sexual health services, including less commonly used contraceptives. Those designing similar apps should consider incorporating search functionality by sexual health service (including abortion), contraceptive method, and user location.

  11. Mina Shaughnessy and Open Admissions at New York's City College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeves, LaVona L.

    2002-01-01

    Discusses basic writing pioneer Mina Shaughnessy, who advocated for a humanistic approach to writing instruction for disadvantaged students, within the context of the City University of New York's policy of open admissions. (EV)

  12. Status Report on the Impact on New York City of President Reagan's Proposed Budget Cuts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Community Service Society of New York, NY.

    This report describes the effects that President Reaqan's proposed budget cuts will have on New York City. The report lists each affected program, the proposed cuts, Senate action, the House Budget Committee recommendation, and the impact on New York City. Areas covered by the program cuts reviewed include: (1) employment; (2) income security; (3)…

  13. Consumer awareness of fast-food calorie information in New York City after implementation of a menu labeling regulation.

    PubMed

    Dumanovsky, Tamara; Huang, Christina Y; Bassett, Mary T; Silver, Lynn D

    2010-12-01

    We assessed consumer awareness of menu calorie information at fast-food chains after the introduction of New York City's health code regulation requiring these chains to display food-item calories on menus and menu boards. At 45 restaurants representing the 15 largest fast-food chains in the city, we conducted cross-sectional surveys 3 months before and 3 months after enforcement began. At both time points, customers were asked if they had seen calorie information and, if so, whether it had affected their purchase. Data were weighted to the number of city locations for each chain. We collected 1188 surveys pre-enforcement and 1229 surveys postenforcement. Before enforcement, 25% of customers reported seeing calorie information; postenforcement, this figure rose to 64% (P < .001; 38% and 72%, weighted). Among customers who saw calorie information postenforcement, 27% said they used the information, which represents a 2-fold increase in the percentage of customers making calorie-informed choices (10% vs 20%, weighted; P < .001). Posting calorie information on menu boards increases the number of people who see and use this information. Since enforcement of New York's calorie labeling regulation began, approximately 1 million New York adults have seen calorie information each day.

  14. Flood-resilient waterfront development in New York City: bridging flood insurance, building codes, and flood zoning.

    PubMed

    Aerts, Jeroen C J H; Botzen, W J Wouter

    2011-06-01

    Waterfronts are attractive areas for many-often competing-uses in New York City (NYC) and are seen as multifunctional locations for economic, environmental, and social activities on the interface between land and water. The NYC waterfront plays a crucial role as a first line of flood defense and in managing flood risk and protecting the city from future climate change and sea-level rise. The city of New York has embarked on a climate adaptation program (PlaNYC) outlining the policies needed to anticipate the impacts of climate change. As part of this policy, the Department of City Planning has recently prepared Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan for the over 500 miles of NYC waterfront (NYC-DCP, 2011). An integral part of the vision is to improve resilience to climate change and sea-level rise. This study seeks to provide guidance for advancing the goals of NYC Vision 2020 by assessing how flood insurance, flood zoning, and building code policies can contribute to waterfront development that is more resilient to climate change. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

  15. The Significance for Education Reform of the New York City Mayoral Election

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noguera, Pedro

    2014-01-01

    In this first 2014 issue of "Voices in Urban Education," Oona Chatterjee, the Annenberg Institute's associate director for New York City organizing, interviews Pedro Noguera, the Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University, a noted researcher and national commentator on topics such as urban school reform, conditions that…

  16. Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Effects of Racism on Mental Health Among Residents of Black Neighborhoods in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Goodman, Melody S.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We investigated the impact of reported racism on the mental health of African Americans at cross-sectional time points and longitudinally, over the course of 1 year. Methods. The Black Linking Inequality, Feelings, and the Environment (LIFE) Study recruited Black residents (n = 144) from a probability sample of 2 predominantly Black New York City neighborhoods during December 2011 to June 2013. Respondents completed self-report surveys, including multiple measures of racism. We conducted assessments at baseline, 2-month follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. Weighted multivariate linear regression models assessed changes in racism and health over time. Results. Cross-sectional results varied by time point and by outcome, with only some measures associated with distress, and effects were stronger for poor mental health days than for depression. Individuals who denied thinking about their race fared worst. Longitudinally, increasing frequencies of racism predicted worse mental health across all 3 outcomes. Conclusions. These results support theories of racism as a health-defeating stressor and are among the few that show temporal associations with health. PMID:25521873

  17. Cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of racism on mental health among residents of Black neighborhoods in New York City.

    PubMed

    Kwate, Naa Oyo A; Goodman, Melody S

    2015-04-01

    We investigated the impact of reported racism on the mental health of African Americans at cross-sectional time points and longitudinally, over the course of 1 year. The Black Linking Inequality, Feelings, and the Environment (LIFE) Study recruited Black residents (n = 144) from a probability sample of 2 predominantly Black New York City neighborhoods during December 2011 to June 2013. Respondents completed self-report surveys, including multiple measures of racism. We conducted assessments at baseline, 2-month follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. Weighted multivariate linear regression models assessed changes in racism and health over time. Cross-sectional results varied by time point and by outcome, with only some measures associated with distress, and effects were stronger for poor mental health days than for depression. Individuals who denied thinking about their race fared worst. Longitudinally, increasing frequencies of racism predicted worse mental health across all 3 outcomes. These results support theories of racism as a health-defeating stressor and are among the few that show temporal associations with health.

  18. Towards More Comprehensive Projections of Urban Heat-Related Mortality: Estimates for New York City under Multiple Population, Adaptation, and Climate Scenarios.

    PubMed

    Petkova, Elisaveta P; Vink, Jan K; Horton, Radley M; Gasparrini, Antonio; Bader, Daniel A; Francis, Joe D; Kinney, Patrick L

    2017-01-01

    High temperatures have substantial impacts on mortality and, with growing concerns about climate change, numerous studies have developed projections of future heat-related deaths around the world. Projections of temperature-related mortality are often limited by insufficient information to formulate hypotheses about population sensitivity to high temperatures and future demographics. The present study derived projections of temperature-related mortality in New York City by taking into account future patterns of adaptation or demographic change, both of which can have profound influences on future health burdens. We adopted a novel approach to modeling heat adaptation by incorporating an analysis of the observed population response to heat in New York City over the course of eight decades. This approach projected heat-related mortality until the end of the 21st century based on observed trends in adaptation over a substantial portion of the 20th century. In addition, we incorporated a range of new scenarios for population change until the end of the 21st century. We then estimated future heat-related deaths in New York City by combining the changing temperature-mortality relationship and population scenarios with downscaled temperature projections from the 33 global climate models (GCMs) and two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). The median number of projected annual heat-related deaths across the 33 GCMs varied greatly by RCP and adaptation and population change scenario, ranging from 167 to 3,331 in the 2080s compared with 638 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2006. These findings provide a more complete picture of the range of potential future heat-related mortality risks across the 21st century in New York City, and they highlight the importance of both demographic change and adaptation responses in modifying future risks. Citation: Petkova EP, Vink JK, Horton RM, Gasparrini A, Bader DA, Francis JD, Kinney PL. 2017. Towards more

  19. Glove Changing Habits in Mobile Food Vendors in New York City.

    PubMed

    Basch, Corey H; Guerra, Laura A; MacDonald, Zerlina; Marte, Myladys; Basch, Charles E

    2015-08-01

    The aim of this study was to determine how often mobile food cart vendors in New York City (NYC) changed gloves after exchanging money, which is required by the current NYC health code as one of various measures to prevent foodborne illness. A total of 100 carts (10 carts in 10 zones) throughout Manhattan were observed. In the majority (56.9%, n = 1,026) of the 1,804 money exchanges, food cart vendors did not change their gloves. Not changing gloves after exchanging money was widespread regardless of food type served (46.6% for breakfast to 63.7% for lunch), and across all 10 zones. Not changing gloves after touching money may result in indirect transmission of agents of disease and pose health risks for consumers.

  20. Implementing a Farmers’ Market Incentive Program: Perspectives on the New York City Health Bucks Program

    PubMed Central

    Wethington, Holly; Olsho, Lauren; Jernigan, Jan; Farris, Rosanne; Walker, Deborah Klein

    2013-01-01

    Introduction One strategy for lowering the prevalence of obesity is to increase access to and affordability of fruits and vegetables through farmers’ markets. However, little has been documented in the literature on the implementation of such efforts. To address this gap, the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) sponsored an evaluation of the New York City Health Bucks program, a farmers’ market coupon incentive program intended to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved neighborhoods while supporting local farmers. Methods We conducted a process evaluation of Health Bucks program implementation. We interviewed 6 farmer/vendors, 3 market managers, and 4 program administrators, and collected data on site at 86 farmers’ markets, including surveys of 81 managers and 141 farmer/vendors on their perspectives on promotion and redemption of the incentive coupons; knowledge and attitudes regarding the program; experiences with markets and products; and facilitators and barriers to program participation. Results Results indicate that respondents view Health Bucks as a positive program model. Farmers’ market incentive coupon programs like Health Bucks are one strategy to address the problem of obesity and were associated with higher fruit and vegetable access and purchases in low-income communities. Conclusions This evaluation identified some areas for improving implementation of the Health Bucks program. Farmers’ market incentive programs like Health Bucks may be one avenue to increase access to and affordability of fruits and vegetables among low-income persons. Further research is needed to assess the potential effects of these programs on access and health outcomes. PMID:23987251

  1. 78 FR 26416 - Environmental Impact Statement: City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-06

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Environmental Impact Statement: City... statement will be prepared for a proposed highway project in the City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York. FOR... from the US Border Port of Entry/Peace Bridge Plaza (Plaza), in the City of Buffalo, Erie County, New...

  2. A Good Investment? Race, Philanthrocapitalism and Professionalism in a New York City Small School of Choice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Amy

    2012-01-01

    Incorporating data from two years of ethnographic teacher-research, this article explores how a curriculum of "professionalism" resonates with teachers and students in a small New York City school of choice. Using the literature on Critical Whiteness Studies and philanthrocapitalism in the context of New York City Mayor Michael…

  3. Which newborns in New York City are at risk for special education placement?

    PubMed

    Goldberg, D; McLaughlin, M; Grossi, M; Tytun, A; Blum, S

    1992-03-01

    In this study of 162 third graders in New York City public schools, we found that slightly over half of the children in special education were males who had Medicaid coverage at birth and mothers with medical conditions or adverse health habits noted on the birth certificate; two thirds of the children with this combination of characteristics actually were placed in special education. These findings suggest that newborns at risk for later learning disabilities can be targeted to receive preventive interventions.

  4. Methods for Analysis of Urban Energy Systems: A New York City Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard, Bianca

    This dissertation describes methods developed for analysis of the New York City energy system. The analysis specifically aims to consider the built environment and its' impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Several contributions to the urban energy systems literature were made. First, estimates of annual energy intensities of the New York building stock were derived using a statistical analysis that leveraged energy consumption and tax assessor data collected by the Office of the Mayor. These estimates provided the basis for an assessment of the spatial distribution of building energy consumption. The energy consumption estimates were then leveraged to estimate the potential for combined heat and power (CHP) systems in New York City at both the building and microgrid scales. In aggregate, given the 2009 non-baseload GHG emissions factors for electricity production, these systems could reduce citywide GHG emissions by 10%. The operational characteristics of CHP systems were explored further considering different prime movers, climates, and GHG emissions factors. A combination of mixed integer linear programing and controlled random search algorithms were the methods used to determine the optimal capacity and operating strategies for the CHP systems under the various scenarios. Lastly a multi-regional unit commitment model of electricity and GHG emissions production for New York State was developed using data collected from several publicly available sources. The model was used to estimate average and marginal GHG emissions factors for New York State and New York City. The analysis found that marginal GHG emissions factors could reduce by 30% to 370 g CO2e/kWh in the next 10 years.

  5. Consistent Estimates of Very Low HIV Incidence Among People Who Inject Drugs: New York City, 2005–2014

    PubMed Central

    Arasteh, Kamyar; McKnight, Courtney; Feelemyer, Jonathan; Campbell, Aimée N. C.; Tross, Susan; Smith, Lou; Cooper, Hannah L. F.; Hagan, Holly; Perlman, David

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To compare methods for estimating low HIV incidence among persons who inject drugs. Methods. We examined 4 methods in New York City, 2005 to 2014: (1) HIV seroconversions among repeat participants, (2) increase of HIV prevalence by additional years of injection among new injectors, (3) the New York State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stratified extrapolation algorithm, and (4) newly diagnosed HIV cases reported to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Results. The 4 estimates were consistent: (1) repeat participants: 0.37 per 100 person-years (PY; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05/100 PY, 1.33/100 PY); (2) regression of prevalence by years injecting: 0.61 per 100 PY (95% CI = 0.36/100 PY, 0.87/100 PY); (3) stratified extrapolation algorithm: 0.32 per 100 PY (95% CI = 0.18/100 PY, 0.46/100 PY); and (4) newly diagnosed cases of HIV: 0.14 per 100 PY (95% CI = 0.11/100 PY, 0.16/100 PY). Conclusions. All methods appear to capture the same phenomenon of very low and decreasing HIV transmission among persons who inject drugs. Public Health Implications. If resources are available, the use of multiple methods would provide better information for public health purposes. PMID:26794160

  6. Health assessment for Pasley Solvents and Chemical, Garden City, New York, Region 2. CERCLIS No. NYD991292004. Preliminary report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1989-06-01

    The Pasley Solvents and Chemicals site, a National Priorities List site, is located in the Town of Hempstead, immediately east of the Village of Garden City in Nassau County, New York. Between 1969 and 1982, Pasley operated a chemical distribution facility on the lot, occasionally storing waste chemicals. Prior to this, Commander Oil used the site for gasoline storage and fuel oil distribution. The Nassau County Health Department (NCHD) investigated the site in 1981 and found the on-site soil and ground water to be contaminated with organic solvents and petroleum products. On-site sampling by NCHD and the owner has revealedmore » organic chemicals and petroleum products in both soil and ground water. Six chlorinated solvents and four aromatic compounds are in ground water above the part per million. The site is a potential threat to public health.« less

  7. Keepin' It Movin': Portraits from a New York City Transfer School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parsons, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    Many people have ideas about what it means to teach in inner-city schools, but they are often off the mark. This essay explores the challenges, beauties, and complexities of working in an alternative/transfer school in New York City, with a population that is at very high risk for dropping out. Through individual portraits of students, the author…

  8. A Large Community Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease Associated With a Cooling Tower in New York City, 2015.

    PubMed

    Weiss, Don; Boyd, Christopher; Rakeman, Jennifer L; Greene, Sharon K; Fitzhenry, Robert; McProud, Trevor; Musser, Kimberlee; Huang, Li; Kornblum, John; Nazarian, Elizabeth J; Fine, Annie D; Braunstein, Sarah L; Kass, Daniel; Landman, Keren; Lapierre, Pascal; Hughes, Scott; Tran, Anthony; Taylor, Jill; Baker, Deborah; Jones, Lucretia; Kornstein, Laura; Liu, Boning; Perez, Rodolfo; Lucero, David E; Peterson, Eric; Benowitz, Isaac; Lee, Kristen F; Ngai, Stephanie; Stripling, Mitch; Varma, Jay K

    Infections caused by Legionella are the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. We investigated a large outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York City in summer 2015 to characterize patients, risk factors for mortality, and environmental exposures. We defined cases as patients with pneumonia and laboratory evidence of Legionella infection from July 2 through August 3, 2015, and with a history of residing in or visiting 1 of several South Bronx neighborhoods of New York City. We describe the epidemiologic, environmental, and laboratory investigation that identified the source of the outbreak. We identified 138 patients with outbreak-related Legionnaires' disease, 16 of whom died. The median age of patients was 55. A total of 107 patients had a chronic health condition, including 43 with diabetes, 40 with alcoholism, and 24 with HIV infection. We tested 55 cooling towers for Legionella, and 2 had a strain indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis from 26 patient isolates. Whole-genome sequencing and epidemiologic evidence implicated 1 cooling tower as the source of the outbreak. A large outbreak of Legionnaires' disease caused by a cooling tower occurred in a medically vulnerable community. The outbreak prompted enactment of a new city law on the operation and maintenance of cooling towers. Ongoing surveillance and evaluation of cooling tower process controls will determine if the new law reduces the incidence of Legionnaires' disease in New York City.

  9. A Large Community Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease Associated With a Cooling Tower in New York City, 2015

    PubMed Central

    Boyd, Christopher; Rakeman, Jennifer L.; Greene, Sharon K.; Fitzhenry, Robert; McProud, Trevor; Musser, Kimberlee; Huang, Li; Kornblum, John; Nazarian, Elizabeth J.; Fine, Annie D.; Braunstein, Sarah L.; Kass, Daniel; Landman, Keren; Lapierre, Pascal; Hughes, Scott; Tran, Anthony; Taylor, Jill; Baker, Deborah; Jones, Lucretia; Kornstein, Laura; Liu, Boning; Perez, Rodolfo; Lucero, David E.; Peterson, Eric; Benowitz, Isaac; Lee, Kristen F.; Ngai, Stephanie; Stripling, Mitch; Varma, Jay K.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: Infections caused by Legionella are the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. We investigated a large outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City in summer 2015 to characterize patients, risk factors for mortality, and environmental exposures. Methods: We defined cases as patients with pneumonia and laboratory evidence of Legionella infection from July 2 through August 3, 2015, and with a history of residing in or visiting 1 of several South Bronx neighborhoods of New York City. We describe the epidemiologic, environmental, and laboratory investigation that identified the source of the outbreak. Results: We identified 138 patients with outbreak-related Legionnaires’ disease, 16 of whom died. The median age of patients was 55. A total of 107 patients had a chronic health condition, including 43 with diabetes, 40 with alcoholism, and 24 with HIV infection. We tested 55 cooling towers for Legionella, and 2 had a strain indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis from 26 patient isolates. Whole-genome sequencing and epidemiologic evidence implicated 1 cooling tower as the source of the outbreak. Conclusions: A large outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease caused by a cooling tower occurred in a medically vulnerable community. The outbreak prompted enactment of a new city law on the operation and maintenance of cooling towers. Ongoing surveillance and evaluation of cooling tower process controls will determine if the new law reduces the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City. PMID:28141970

  10. Annual Report, 1979-1980. New York City Technical College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Technical Coll., Brooklyn. Div. of Continuing Education and Extension Services.

    Funding, enrollments, and outcomes are reported for the programs offered during 1979-1980 by New York City Technical College's Division of Continuing Education and Extension Services. The report's introduction analyzes enrollment in the division, summarizes external evaluation of selected programs, and examines problems of staffing, space, and the…

  11. NYC CV Pilot Deployment : Safety Management Plan : New York City.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-04-22

    This safety management plan identifies preliminary safety hazards associated with the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment project. Each of the hazards is rated, and a plan for managing the risks through detailed design and deployment is ...

  12. Mapping resilience not risk: Turning the tide in New York City and Jamaica Bay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parris, A. S.; Sanderson, E. W.

    2015-12-01

    Resilience in urban coastal areas is affected by actions at multiple levels from individuals to community groups to city, state and federal governments. At any level, actions can be a response to immediate hazards (e.g. flooding of coastal homes) or long-term drivers of change (e.g. sea level rise). Jamaica Bay, a highly urbanized estuary within New York City, exemplifies the Nation's coastal zone challenges. Prior to Hurricane Sandy, city, state, and federal governments had made the estuary a major focal point for habitat restoration, improvements to public access and outdoor recreation, and sustainable development. Sandy caused the highest flood level in the recorded history of New York City, eventually claiming 44 lives and costing over $19 billion. Electrical system failure caused four of NYCs wastewater pollution control plants to shutdown, discharging untreated sewage into Jamaica Bay. The Sea Level Rise Tool for Sandy Recovery (the Tool), a flood mapping tool developed by several government agencies including FEMA, NYC, and the Executive Branch, integrated science from the National Flood Insurance Program and the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC). While compound flooding hazards (stormwater plus coastal flooding) remain an important uncertainty, the Tool and subsequent NPCC mapping efforts provide sufficient evidence for science-based discourse around coastal flood risks in Jamaica Bay. But toward what outcome? Coastal flood risk reduction measures and other management actions are managed within existing regulatory frameworks. Disaster relief funds appropriated by Congress in the immediate aftermath of Sandy have provided critical resources to the Jamaica Bay region. However, the challenge now is to transition from the short-term response to long-term resilience planning, a challenge which requires new institutional capacity. This transition to resilience planning and implementation is not only critical in New York City, but in other coastal

  13. Assessment of Urban Infrastructure Impact on New York City Neighborhoods Thermal Variations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nazari, R.; Ghandehari, M.; Karimi, M.; Vant-hull, B.; Khanbilvardi, R.

    2013-12-01

    New York City (NYC) is a highly urbanized city with most of the population living in tall buildings. Despite technological improvements and stricter regulations, cities still show increasing signs of environmental stress such as traffic congestion, noise and air quality degradation. Rethinking the current models of city planning could enable to limit these detrimental effects of urbanization. In addition, the built environment creates a new climatic regime which needs a better understanding. Building density, height and emission has a major impact on local temperature and other air quality indicators. Studies have shown that during extreme weather conditions and heat waves the mortality rate in urban areas increases. Cities are comprised of a wide variety of urban settings and various neighborhoods have different physical responses to meteorological events, so it is expected that the temperature and heat stress across a given city to fluctuate sharply. Therefore, this research has focused on neighborhood-scale field campaigns to downscale temperature and air quality predictions from city to neighborhood scale in NYC. In order to assess the temperature variability within the city at street level, during the hottest part of the day, this project used eight mobile units bearing temperature and relative humidity sensors, as well as ten weather stations mounted on light poles in various NYC neighborhoods. This study also looks at fine scale structures in the urban heat island of Manhattan at street level through an infrared camera with the spectral range of 7.5-13 μm in order to relate heat and emissions from building surfaces to land surface characteristics such as building density, vegetation coverage, proximity to water, and albedo. LandSat TM5 images were used (with 30 m resolution) for land surface classification. During the summer and early fall of 2011, 2012 and 2013 extensive field campaigns were performed, the results of which show some persistent patterns

  14. Viral Diversity of House Mice in New York City.

    PubMed

    Williams, Simon H; Che, Xiaoyu; Garcia, Joel A; Klena, John D; Lee, Bohyun; Muller, Dorothy; Ulrich, Werner; Corrigan, Robert M; Nichol, Stuart; Jain, Komal; Lipkin, W Ian

    2018-04-17

    The microbiome of wild Mus musculus (house mouse), a globally distributed invasive pest that resides in close contact with humans in urban centers, is largely unexplored. Here, we report analysis of the fecal virome of house mice in residential buildings in New York City, NY. Mice were collected at seven sites in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx over a period of 1 year. Unbiased high-throughput sequencing of feces revealed 36 viruses from 18 families and 21 genera, including at least 6 novel viruses and 3 novel genera. A representative screen of 15 viruses by PCR confirmed the presence of 13 of these viruses in liver. We identified an uneven distribution of diversity, with several viruses being associated with specific locations. Higher mouse weight was associated with an increase in the number of viruses detected per mouse, after adjusting for site, sex, and length. We found neither genetic footprints to known human viral pathogens nor antibodies to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. IMPORTANCE Mice carry a wide range of infectious agents with zoonotic potential. Their proximity to humans in the built environment is therefore a concern for public health. Laboratory mice are also the most common experimental model for investigating the pathobiology of infectious diseases. In this survey of mice trapped in multiple locations within New York City over a period of 1 year, we found a diverse collection of viruses that includes some previously not associated with house mice and others that appear to be novel. Although we found no known human pathogens, our findings provide insights into viral ecology and may yield models that have utility for clinical microbiology. Copyright © 2018 Williams et al.

  15. New York, New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santos, Thomas W.

    2008-01-01

    This article describes New York City. It presents information about its history, immigration process, geography, architecture, rivers, bridges, famous buildings and parks, famous neighborhoods, arts and entertainment, and tourist attractions and activities. The article also provides useful websites about New York City. It ends with a text about…

  16. Quantifying non-recurring delay on New York City's arterial highways.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-12-01

    This research project was undertaken for NYSDOT to provide a better understanding of the impacts of traffic incidents/accident s on traffic delays on New York Citys Arterial Highways, and to better quantify and predict non-recurring traffic delay ...

  17. New York City Metropolitan Area Retail Motor Gasoline Supply Report

    EIA Publications

    2012-01-01

    Final report of the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) emergency survey, which was started on Friday, November 2, 2012, to monitor the vehicle fuel supply conditions in the New York City metropolitan area on a temporary basis after Hurricane Sandy.

  18. New York City Transit Authority automated transit infrastructure maintenance demonstration.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-04-01

    The objective of this pilot project was to demonstrate that the safety and reliability of the New York City : Transit transportation system can be improved by automating the correlation and analysis of disparate : track related data. Through the use ...

  19. Becoming the Face of the Community for Public Education Reform in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaakir-Ansari, Zakiyah

    2014-01-01

    In May 2013, this author moderated the first mayoral debate in New York City. It was held at New York University with hundreds of parents, students, and teachers in attendance. There were more than sixty media outlets, including MSNBC. The debate had attracted national press, thanks to Anthony Weiner's entry the day before into the New York City…

  20. Missed opportunities for preventing congenital syphilis infection in New York City.

    PubMed

    Patel, Sameer J; Klinger, Ellen J; OʼToole, Dana; Schillinger, Julia A

    2012-10-01

    To describe health care providers' missed opportunities for preventing and treating congenital syphilis in New York City. Review of congenital syphilis cases reported to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009. Receipt and timing of prenatal care, serologic testing, and treatment of mothers and newborns were reviewed. Missed opportunities were defined as receipt of prenatal care plus one of the following: 1) lack of documented treatment for syphilis infection diagnosed before pregnancy; 2) absence of serologic testing during pregnancy; 3) late maternal treatment; 4) maternal treatment with a nonpenicillin regimen; or 5) lack of maternal treatment. In total, 195 newborns with congenital syphilis were born to 190 mothers with 191 pregnancies. Overall, 80% (95% confidence interval [CI] 74-86%, 152 of 190) of all mothers received prenatal care; 63% (95% CI 56-71%, 96 of 152) of these had one or more missed opportunities for prevention. Twelve mothers received inadequate treatment or no treatment during the case pregnancy for documented syphilis infection before pregnancy, and 42 mothers without previous syphilis diagnosis did not have serologic testing during the case pregnancy. Of 103 mothers with syphilis diagnosed before 30 weeks of gestation, 12 received late penicillin therapy, 27 received no therapy, and 3 received inappropriate (nonpenicillin) therapy. Seventeen percent (95% CI 12-22%, 33 of 193) of liveborn newborns received no treatment during their hospitalization. Providers missed well-defined opportunities to prevent congenital syphilis for the majority of cases. Combined efforts to prevent future cases include provider education and better integration of care between obstetricians and pediatricians. III.

  1. New York City Bilingual Technical Assistance Center (BETAC), 1987-88. OREA Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berney, Tomi D.; Sjostrom, Barbara R.

    The New York City Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Center provided technical assistance and training to members of the instructional and administrative staffs working with limited-English-proficient (LEP) students throughout the city's 32 community school districts and the division of high schools. Specifically, in 1987-88 the program…

  2. Out to eat: the emergence and evolution of the restaurant in nineteenth-century New York City.

    PubMed

    Lobel, Cindy R

    2010-01-01

    Unheard of in the eighteenth century, restaurants became an integral part of New York City's public culture in the antebellum period. This article examines the emergence and development of New York's restaurant sector in the nineteenth century, focusing on three aspects in particular: the close ties between urbanization and the rise of New York's restaurants, the role restaurants played in enforcing the city's class structure and gender mores, and the role of restaurants in shaping the public culture of the growing metropolis.

  3. School Profiles 1980-1981. New York City Public Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Board of Education, NY.

    This document presents a statistical overview of each of the elementary, intermediate, junior high, special education, and high schools in the New York City Public School System. The publication contains a wide variety of 1980-81 school year data describing the individual school plant, pupil characteristics and achievement levels, and staff…

  4. Community Organizing for School Reform in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mediratta, Kavitha

    This paper examines school reform via community organizing in New York City's lowest performing public school districts. It summarizes findings from a national study on community organizing for school reform, profiling 10 community organizing groups. In 2000, researchers conducted surveys of and interviews with all NYC groups currently engaged in…

  5. Agricultural Career Education in the City of New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chrein, George

    1975-01-01

    More than one thousand students in ten high schools throughout the City of New York are presently enrolled in an agricultural career program, specializing in farm production and management, ornamental horticulture, animal care, or conservation. More than 90 percent continue in occupational agriculture in the post-secondary schools. (Author/AJ)

  6. Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program phase 1 : performance measurement and evaluation support plan : New York City : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-07-12

    This document describes the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Support Plan for the New York City Department of Transportation New York City (NYC) Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment (CVPD) Project. The report documents the performance metrics tha...

  7. After-School Program for urban youth: Evaluation of a health careers course in New York City high schools

    PubMed Central

    Holden, Lynne; Berger, Wallace; Zingarelli, Rebecca; Siegel, Elliot

    2015-01-01

    Mentoring in Medicine (MIM) addresses an urgent national need for minority health professionals and promotes careers in health care for urban youth. The MIM After School Program (ASP or The Course) has as its primary objectives to provide academic enrichment in human biology and motivate disadvantaged youth to pursue a career in the health professions. Secondary objectives of The Course, although not evaluated here, are to improve students’ health literacy and knowledge of healthy living behaviors. Since 2009, over 1500 middle and high school students have completed the New York City based Course, which is offered once a week over a 10 week semester in an out-of-school venue. This study assesses the success of The Course in achieving its primary objectives with 84 students at five New York City high schools during the fall 2014 semester. The Course curriculum was created especially for MIM, comprises the body’s 11 organ systems, and is presented in discrete modules (one each semester), along with complementary educational activities, including field trips and class projects. This study reports on a formal evaluation using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative evaluation found that the students significantly increased their knowledge of the Gastrointestinal System. Students across the academic spectrum appeared to have learned the MIM ASP Course content – high school GPA was not a predictor of knowledge acquisition. The students also reported that The Course significantly increased their self-confidence in their ability to succeed (self-efficacy). The students expressed a significant increase in five health care related attitudes and an additional increase in their ability to overcome personal issues to succeed in their career and significantly improving their feeling toward, and likely pursuit of, a health career. The students stated that The Course significantly increased their interest and intent to seek out more information about health

  8. After-School Program for urban youth: Evaluation of a health careers course in New York City high schools.

    PubMed

    Holden, Lynne; Berger, Wallace; Zingarelli, Rebecca; Siegel, Elliot

    Mentoring in Medicine (MIM) addresses an urgent national need for minority health professionals and promotes careers in health care for urban youth. The MIM After School Program (ASP or The Course) has as its primary objectives to provide academic enrichment in human biology and motivate disadvantaged youth to pursue a career in the health professions. Secondary objectives of The Course, although not evaluated here, are to improve students' health literacy and knowledge of healthy living behaviors. Since 2009, over 1500 middle and high school students have completed the New York City based Course, which is offered once a week over a 10 week semester in an out-of-school venue. This study assesses the success of The Course in achieving its primary objectives with 84 students at five New York City high schools during the fall 2014 semester. The Course curriculum was created especially for MIM, comprises the body's 11 organ systems, and is presented in discrete modules (one each semester), along with complementary educational activities, including field trips and class projects. This study reports on a formal evaluation using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative evaluation found that the students significantly increased their knowledge of the Gastrointestinal System. Students across the academic spectrum appeared to have learned the MIM ASP Course content - high school GPA was not a predictor of knowledge acquisition. The students also reported that The Course significantly increased their self-confidence in their ability to succeed (self-efficacy). The students expressed a significant increase in five health care related attitudes and an additional increase in their ability to overcome personal issues to succeed in their career and significantly improving their feeling toward, and likely pursuit of, a health career. The students stated that The Course significantly increased their interest and intent to seek out more information about health care

  9. Black/white differences in very low birth weight neonatal mortality rates among New York City hospitals.

    PubMed

    Howell, Elizabeth A; Hebert, Paul; Chatterjee, Samprit; Kleinman, Lawrence C; Chassin, Mark R

    2008-03-01

    We sought to determine whether differences in the hospitals at which black and white infants are born contribute to black/white disparities in very low birth weight neonatal mortality rates in New York City. We performed a population-based cohort study using New York City vital statistics records on all live births and deaths of infants weighing 500 to 1499 g who were born in 45 hospitals between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2001 (N = 11 781). We measured very low birth weight risk-adjusted neonatal mortality rates for each New York City hospital and assessed differences in the distributions of non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white very low birth weight births among these hospitals. Risk-adjusted neonatal mortality rates for very low birth weight infants in New York City hospitals ranged from 9.6 to 27.2 deaths per 1000 births. White very low birth weight infants were more likely to be born in the lowest mortality tertile of hospitals (49%), compared with black very low birth weight infants (29%). We estimated that, if black women delivered in the same hospitals as white women, then black very low birth weight mortality rates would be reduced by 6.7 deaths per 1000 very low birth weight births, removing 34.5% of the black/white disparity in very low birth weight neonatal mortality rates in New York City. Volume of very low birth weight deliveries was modestly associated with very low birth weight mortality rates but explained little of the racial disparity. Black very low birth weight infants more likely to be born in New York City hospitals with higher risk-adjusted neonatal mortality rates than were very low birth weight infants, contributing substantially to black-white disparities.

  10. Integrating Emerging Technologies in Teaching Ugandan Traditional Dances in K-12 Schools in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mabingo, Alfdaniels

    2015-01-01

    Schools in New York City have made attempts to embrace and support the strand of "making connections", which is laid out in the New York City Department of Dance blueprint for teaching and learning in dance for grades PreK-12. Accordingly, some schools have integrated Ugandan traditional dances into the dance curriculum, and dance…

  11. TransitChek in the New York City and Philadelphia Areas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-10-01

    This report documents the history and current operation of the TransitCheck : programs in the New York City and Philadelphia areas, evaluates their impacts : on local commuters and operators, and assesses how well they have achieved the : goals of th...

  12. Consumer Awareness of Fast-Food Calorie Information in New York City After Implementation of a Menu Labeling Regulation

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Christina Y.; Bassett, Mary T.; Silver, Lynn D.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives. We assessed consumer awareness of menu calorie information at fast-food chains after the introduction of New York City's health code regulation requiring these chains to display food-item calories on menus and menu boards. Methods. At 45 restaurants representing the 15 largest fast-food chains in the city, we conducted cross-sectional surveys 3 months before and 3 months after enforcement began. At both time points, customers were asked if they had seen calorie information and, if so, whether it had affected their purchase. Data were weighted to the number of city locations for each chain. Results. We collected 1188 surveys pre-enforcement and 1229 surveys postenforcement. Before enforcement, 25% of customers reported seeing calorie information; postenforcement, this figure rose to 64% (P < .001; 38% and 72%, weighted). Among customers who saw calorie information postenforcement, 27% said they used the information, which represents a 2-fold increase in the percentage of customers making calorie-informed choices (10% vs 20%, weighted; P < .001). Conclusions. Posting calorie information on menu boards increases the number of people who see and use this information. Since enforcement of New York's calorie labeling regulation began, approximately 1 million New York adults have seen calorie information each day. PMID:20966367

  13. LINKING LAND COVER AND WATER QUALITY IN NEW YORK CITY'S WATER SUPPLY WATERSHEDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Catskill/Delaware reservoirs supply 90% of New York City's drinking water. The City has implemented as series of watershed protection measures, including land acquisition, aimed at preserving water quality in the Catskill/Delaware watersheds. The objective of this study was...

  14. The Fragility of Turf: The Neighborhoods of New York City. New York State History Themes #1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winkleman, Michael

    People continue to define themselves, their lifestyles, and their beliefs through their neighborhoods--their turf. In studying the history of New York City neighborhoods, it is important to consider the developmental trends and constraints (geography, economic structure, transportation, and technological advances) that contributed to the growth of…

  15. NYC311 Mobile App | City of New York

    Science.gov Websites

    Mayor Events Connect Jobs NYC311 Mobile App Share Print The NYC311 app is available for free for iPhone DocumentsSNAP (Food Stamps)Parking Signs and LocatorAbout NYC311NYC311 Mobile AppNYC311 TwitterNYC311 Facebook Mobile Apps Maps Resident Toolkit NYC Search City of New York. 2018 All Rights Reserved, NYC is a

  16. Small-area estimation of the probability of toxocariasis in New York City based on sociodemographic neighborhood composition.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Michael G; Haseeb, M A

    2014-01-01

    Toxocariasis is increasingly recognized as an important neglected infection of poverty (NIP) in developed countries, and may constitute the most important NIP in the United States (US) given its association with chronic sequelae such as asthma and poor cognitive development. Its potential public health burden notwithstanding, toxocariasis surveillance is minimal throughout the US and so the true burden of disease remains uncertain in many areas. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted a representative serologic survey of toxocariasis to estimate the prevalence of infection in diverse US subpopulations across different regions of the country. Using the NHANES III surveillance data, the current study applied the predicted probabilities of toxocariasis to the sociodemographic composition of New York census tracts to estimate the local probability of infection across the city. The predicted probability of toxocariasis ranged from 6% among US-born Latino women with a university education to 57% among immigrant men with less than a high school education. The predicted probability of toxocariasis exhibited marked spatial variation across the city, with particularly high infection probabilities in large sections of Queens, and smaller, more concentrated areas of Brooklyn and northern Manhattan. This investigation is the first attempt at small-area estimation of the probability surface of toxocariasis in a major US city. While this study does not define toxocariasis risk directly, it does provide a much needed tool to aid the development of toxocariasis surveillance in New York City.

  17. Small-Area Estimation of the Probability of Toxocariasis in New York City Based on Sociodemographic Neighborhood Composition

    PubMed Central

    Walsh, Michael G.; Haseeb, M. A.

    2014-01-01

    Toxocariasis is increasingly recognized as an important neglected infection of poverty (NIP) in developed countries, and may constitute the most important NIP in the United States (US) given its association with chronic sequelae such as asthma and poor cognitive development. Its potential public health burden notwithstanding, toxocariasis surveillance is minimal throughout the US and so the true burden of disease remains uncertain in many areas. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted a representative serologic survey of toxocariasis to estimate the prevalence of infection in diverse US subpopulations across different regions of the country. Using the NHANES III surveillance data, the current study applied the predicted probabilities of toxocariasis to the sociodemographic composition of New York census tracts to estimate the local probability of infection across the city. The predicted probability of toxocariasis ranged from 6% among US-born Latino women with a university education to 57% among immigrant men with less than a high school education. The predicted probability of toxocariasis exhibited marked spatial variation across the city, with particularly high infection probabilities in large sections of Queens, and smaller, more concentrated areas of Brooklyn and northern Manhattan. This investigation is the first attempt at small-area estimation of the probability surface of toxocariasis in a major US city. While this study does not define toxocariasis risk directly, it does provide a much needed tool to aid the development of toxocariasis surveillance in New York City. PMID:24918785

  18. Integrating Routine HIV Screening in the New York City Community Health Center Collaborative.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Vanessa; Lester, Deborah; Connelly-Flores, Alison; Barsanti, Franco A; Hernandez, Paloma

    2016-01-01

    One in seven of the 1.1 million people living in the United States infected with HIV are not aware of their HIV status. At the same time, many clinical settings have not adopted routine HIV screening, which promotes linkage to specialist medical care. We sought to improve HIV screening in a large community health center network by using a data-driven, collaborative learning approach and system-wide modifications, where counselor-based HIV screening and testing were replaced by health-care providers and medical assistants. Urban Health Plan, Inc., a network of federally qualified health centers in the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens in New York City, provided HIV screening training for its health-care providers. In January 2011, it modified its electronic medical record system to incorporate HIV test offering. This study compared the 2010 baseline year with the three-year implementation follow-up period (January 2011 through December 2013) to determine the number of eligible individuals for HIV testing, HIV tests offered and performed, HIV-positive individuals, and HIV cases linked to specialty care. A total of 26,853 individuals at baseline and 100,369 individuals in the implementation period were eligible for HIV testing. HIV testing was performed on 2,079 (8%) of 26,853 eligible individuals in 2010 and 49,646 (50%) of 100,369 eligible individuals from 2011 through 2013. HIV-positive status was determined in 19 (0.9%) of 2,079 tested individuals in 2010 and 166 (0.3%) of 49,646 tested individuals from 2011 through 2013. Linkage to care was observed in all 19 eligible individuals and 127 (77%) of 166 eligible individuals who tested HIV positive in 2010 and 2011-2013, respectively. This study enabled routine HIV implementation testing at a community health center network, which resulted in enhanced HIV testing, an increased number of HIV-positive cases identified, and a rise in the number of patients linked to HIV specialist care.

  19. Examining School Leadership in New York City Community Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campo, Stacey Elizabeth

    2017-01-01

    The community school model is rooted in John Dewey's (1902) conceptualization of the public school as a hub for the community. This work has evolved over a hundred years and recently experienced prominence in the public eye as a fundamental component of New York City's school turnaround policy. This dissertation describes findings and…

  20. Over the Counter, under the Radar: Inequitably Distributing New York City's Late-Enrolling High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arvidsson, Toi Sin; Fruchter, Norm; Mokhtar, Christina

    2013-01-01

    Every year, some 36,000 students who enroll in New York City high schools without participating in the high school choice process are labeled as "over-the-counter" or OTC students and are assigned a school by the New York City Department of Education (DOE). These young people are among the school system's highest-needs students: new…

  1. News Media Framing of New York City's Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Portion-Size Cap.

    PubMed

    Donaldson, Elisabeth A; Cohen, Joanna E; Truant, Patricia L; Rutkow, Lainie; Kanarek, Norma F; Barry, Colleen L

    2015-11-01

    We assessed news media framing of New York City's proposed regulation to prohibit the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages greater than 16 ounces. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of print and television news from within and outside New York City media markets. We examined support for and opposition to the portion-size cap in the news coverage from its May 31, 2012, proposal through the appellate court ruling on July 31, 2013. News coverage corresponded to key events in the policy's evolution. Although most stories mentioned obesity as a problem, a larger proportion used opposing frames (84%) than pro-policy frames (36%). Mention of pro-policy frames shifted toward the policy's effect on special populations. The debate's most prominent frame was the opposing frame that the policy was beyond the government's role (69%). News coverage within and outside the New York City media market was more likely to mention arguments in opposition to than in support of the portion-size cap. Understanding how the news media framed this issue provides important insights for advocates interested in advancing similar measures in other jurisdictions.

  2. Strontium-90 deposition in New York City.

    PubMed

    Volchok, H L

    1967-06-16

    Measurements of strontium-90 deposited in New York City over the past 12 years make for broader understanding of the fallout phenomenon. The data indicate a stratospheric half-residence time of 8 to 10 months. The seasonal oscillation of strontium-90 fallout is very symmetrical and consistent from year to year and completely independent of the timing and magnitude of nuclear tests. The predicted fallout of strontium-90 in 1970 is less than 1 percent of that during the peak year 1963.

  3. Effect of cause-of-death training on agreement between hospital discharge diagnoses and cause of death reported, inpatient hospital deaths, New York City, 2008-2010.

    PubMed

    Ong, Paulina; Gambatese, Melissa; Begier, Elizabeth; Zimmerman, Regina; Soto, Antonio; Madsen, Ann

    2015-01-15

    Accurate cause-of-death reporting is required for mortality data to validly inform public health programming and evaluation. Research demonstrates overreporting of heart disease on New York City death certificates. We describe changes in reported causes of death following a New York City health department training conducted in 2009 to improve accuracy of cause-of-death reporting at 8 hospitals. The objective of our study was to assess the degree to which death certificates citing heart disease as cause of death agreed with hospital discharge data and the degree to which training improved accuracy of reporting. We analyzed 74,373 death certificates for 2008 through 2010 that were linked with hospital discharge records for New York City inpatient deaths and calculated the proportion of discordant deaths, that is, death certificates reporting an underlying cause of heart disease with no corresponding discharge record diagnosis. We also summarized top principal diagnoses among discordant reports and calculated the proportion of inpatient deaths reporting sepsis, a condition underreported in New York City, to assess whether documentation practices changed in response to clarifications made during the intervention. Citywide discordance between death certificates and discharge data decreased from 14.9% in 2008 to 9.6% in 2010 (P < .001), driven by a decrease in discordance at intervention hospitals (20.2% in 2008 to 8.9% in 2010; P < .001). At intervention hospitals, reporting of sepsis increased from 3.7% of inpatient deaths in 2008 to 20.6% in 2010 (P < .001). Overreporting of heart disease as cause of death declined at intervention hospitals, driving a citywide decline, and sepsis reporting practices changed in accordance with health department training. Researchers should consider the effect of overreporting and data-quality changes when analyzing New York City heart disease mortality trends. Other vital records jurisdictions should employ similar interventions to

  4. Seeds of Change in the Big Apple: Chartering Schools in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lake, Robin J.

    2004-01-01

    In New York City and state, charter schools are slowly gaining momentum through performance that speaks for itself, and with quick action by authorizers and charter advocates when schools fail. But as the New York charter experience should demonstrate to districts and states nationwide, meeting the urgent need for systemwide improvement is far…

  5. Labor Trends: Overview of the United States, New York City, and Long Island.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jagoda, Anna May; Goldstein, Cheryl

    This overview of labor trends in the United States, New York City, and Long Island is a compilation of information and statistics derived from seven major sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Lebenthal & Co., Inc.; Queens County Overall Economic Development Corporation; Suffolk County Department of Labor; The New York Times; U.S. Department of…

  6. Programmatic Impact of 5 Years of Mortality Surveillance of New York City Homeless Populations

    PubMed Central

    Marder, Dova; Begier, Elizabeth; Gutkovich, Alexander; Mos, Robert; Griffin, Angela; Zimmerman, Regina; Madsen, Ann

    2013-01-01

    A homeless mortality surveillance system identifies emerging trends in the health of the homeless population and provides this information to key stakeholders in a timely and ongoing manner to effect evidence-based, programmatic change. We describe the first 5 years of the New York City homeless mortality surveillance system and, for the first time in peer-reviewed literature, illustrate the impact of key elements of sustained surveillance (i.e., timely dissemination of aggregate mortality data and real-time sharing of information on individual homeless decedents) on the programs of New York City’s Department of Homeless Services. These key elements had a positive impact on the department’s programs that target sleep-related infant deaths and hypothermia, drug overdose, and alcohol-related deaths among homeless persons. PMID:24148068

  7. Madison Avenue Dual Exclusive Bus Lane Demonstration - New York City

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1984-05-01

    In May 1981, the New York City Department of Transportation implemented a dual exclusive bus lane facility on Madison Avenue in midtown Manhattan, between 42nd and 59th Streets. The project was sponsored for one year as a demonstration by the Urban M...

  8. Estimating the Effects of September 11th and Other Forms of Violence on the Mental Health and Social Development of New York City's Youth: A Matter of Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aber, J. Lawrence; Gershoff, Elizabeth T.; Ware, Angelica; Kotler, Jennifer A.

    2004-01-01

    This longitudinal study examines the effects of exposure to the terrorist attack of September 11th as well as exposure to other forms of community violence on change in the mental health and social attitudes of youths in New York City. Three quarters of the youths reported some form of direct exposure to the events of September 11th, and 80%…

  9. Grade pending: lessons for hospital quality reporting from the New York City restaurant sanitation inspection program.

    PubMed

    Ryan, Andrew M; Detsky, Allan S

    2015-02-01

    Public quality reporting programs have been widely implemented in hospitals in an effort to improve quality and safety. One such program is Hospital Compare, Medicare's national quality reporting program for US hospitals. The New York City sanitary grade inspection program is a parallel effort for restaurants. The aims of Hospital Compare and the New York City sanitary inspection program are fundamentally similar: to address a common market failure resulting from consumers' lack of information on quality and safety. However, by displaying easily understandable information at the point of service, the New York City sanitary inspection program is better designed to encourage informed consumer decision making. We argue that this program holds important lessons for public quality reporting of US hospitals. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  10. Towards More Comprehensive Projections of Urban Heat-Related Mortality: Estimates for New York City under Multiple Population, Adaptation, and Climate Scenarios

    PubMed Central

    Petkova, Elisaveta P.; Vink, Jan K.; Horton, Radley M.; Gasparrini, Antonio; Bader, Daniel A.; Francis, Joe D.; Kinney, Patrick L.

    2016-01-01

    Background: High temperatures have substantial impacts on mortality and, with growing concerns about climate change, numerous studies have developed projections of future heat-related deaths around the world. Projections of temperature-related mortality are often limited by insufficient information to formulate hypotheses about population sensitivity to high temperatures and future demographics. Objectives: The present study derived projections of temperature-related mortality in New York City by taking into account future patterns of adaptation or demographic change, both of which can have profound influences on future health burdens. Methods: We adopted a novel approach to modeling heat adaptation by incorporating an analysis of the observed population response to heat in New York City over the course of eight decades. This approach projected heat-related mortality until the end of the 21st century based on observed trends in adaptation over a substantial portion of the 20th century. In addition, we incorporated a range of new scenarios for population change until the end of the 21st century. We then estimated future heat-related deaths in New York City by combining the changing temperature–mortality relationship and population scenarios with downscaled temperature projections from the 33 global climate models (GCMs) and two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Results: The median number of projected annual heat-related deaths across the 33 GCMs varied greatly by RCP and adaptation and population change scenario, ranging from 167 to 3,331 in the 2080s compared with 638 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2006. Conclusions: These findings provide a more complete picture of the range of potential future heat-related mortality risks across the 21st century in New York City, and they highlight the importance of both demographic change and adaptation responses in modifying future risks. Citation: Petkova EP, Vink JK, Horton RM, Gasparrini A, Bader

  11. The New York City Infant Day Care Study Design.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenbluth, Lucille

    This paper provides a brief introduction to the New York City Infant Day Care Study, a 5-year, longitudinal study in which children in three different child rearing environments are compared: (1) infants in group day care, (2) infants in family day care, and (3) infants reared at home. Data are being collected on three major aspects of child…

  12. Acculturation Difficulties of the Khmer in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruno, Ellen

    The intent of this paper is to provide a historical and cultural overview of the Khmer refugee movement and to outline problems the refugees face upon resettlement in New York City. The paper begins by describing the land and people of Cambodia, the social structure of Khmer society, the role of Buddhism in that society, Cambodia's recent history,…

  13. Celebrating New York City in Children's Literature: CLA Workshop Brings NYC to Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colabucci, Lesley

    2008-01-01

    New York City has been an inspiration for some of the finest and most memorable children's literature published. Regardless of whether or not readers have ever visited the Big Apple, their understanding of New York is likely to be informed by the representations found in children's books. In addition, scholars of children's literature recognize…

  14. Estimating the Hospital Delivery Costs Associated With Severe Maternal Morbidity in New York City, 2008-2012.

    PubMed

    Howland, Renata E; Angley, Meghan; Won, Sang Hee; Wilcox, Wendy; Searing, Hannah; Tsao, Tsu-Yu

    2018-02-01

    with and without severe maternal morbidity remained high ($6,126). Over 5 years, this difference resulted in approximately $83 million in total excess costs (13,502×$6,126). Severe maternal morbidity nearly doubled the cost of delivery above and beyond other drivers of cost, resulting in tens of millions of excess dollars spent in the health care system in New York City. These findings can be used to demonstrate the burden of severe maternal morbidity and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve maternal health.

  15. Six Months Later: What Has President Obama Done for New York City?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Giles, David; Fischer, David Jason; Shavitz, Marc

    2009-01-01

    The authors' of the previous January 2009 report "50+1: A Federal Agenda for New York City" suggested a wide-ranging urban policy agenda for an administration that, both by political inclination and the life experiences of its leader and many top officials, promised to be more sympathetic to the needs and priorities of cities than any…

  16. Assessing urban forest effects and values, New York City's urban forest

    Treesearch

    David J. Nowak; Robert E., III Hoehn; Daniel E. Crane; Jack C. Stevens; Jeffrey T. Walton

    2007-01-01

    An analysis of trees in New York City reveals that this city has about 5.2 million trees with canopies that cover 20.9 percent of the area. The most common tree species are tree of heaven, black cherry, and sweetgum. The urban forest currently stores about 1.35 million tons of carbon valued at $24.9 million. In addition, these trees remove about 42,300 tons of carbon...

  17. Where Have All the Dollars Gone? Public Expenditures for Human Resource Development in New York City, 1961-71.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brecher, Charles

    The author has reviewed the rise in the expense budget of New York City from the early 1960's to the early 1970's, concentrating on the expenditures for human resources development (education, health, welfare, and family back-up services) which account for about 70 percent of the total. One reason for rising expenses has been the expansion of…

  18. A simple methodology to finance public health initiatives: reimbursement for tuberculosis directly observed therapy services in New York State.

    PubMed

    Klein, S J; Laufer, F N

    1995-01-01

    New York State (NYS) used Medicaid reimbursement to create incentives for health care providers to offer directly observed therapy (DOT) services for active tuberculosis (TB) disease. This resulted in proliferation of 26 new TB DOT providers and expanded capacity for the New York City (NYC). Department of Health. As a result, over 1,200 individuals now receive DOT in NYC. The reimbursement methodology was also used for other NYS public health initiatives. It is applicable for public health initiatives elsewhere.

  19. Digging the New York City Skyline: Soil Fungal Communities in Green Roofs and City Parks

    PubMed Central

    McGuire, Krista L.; Payne, Sara G.; Palmer, Matthew I.; Gillikin, Caitlyn M.; Keefe, Dominique; Kim, Su Jin; Gedallovich, Seren M.; Discenza, Julia; Rangamannar, Ramya; Koshner, Jennifer A.; Massmann, Audrey L.; Orazi, Giulia; Essene, Adam; Leff, Jonathan W.; Fierer, Noah

    2013-01-01

    In urban environments, green roofs provide a number of benefits, including decreased urban heat island effects and reduced energy costs for buildings. However, little research has been done on the non-plant biota associated with green roofs, which likely affect their functionality. For the current study, we evaluated whether or not green roofs planted with two native plant communities in New York City functioned as habitats for soil fungal communities, and compared fungal communities in green roof growing media to soil microbial composition in five city parks, including Central Park and the High Line. Ten replicate roofs were sampled one year after planting; three of these roofs were more intensively sampled and compared to nearby city parks. Using Illumina sequencing of the fungal ITS region we found that green roofs supported a diverse fungal community, with numerous taxa belonging to fungal groups capable of surviving in disturbed and polluted habitats. Across roofs, there was significant biogeographical clustering of fungal communities, indicating that community assembly of roof microbes across the greater New York City area is locally variable. Green roof fungal communities were compositionally distinct from city parks and only 54% of the green roof taxa were also found in the park soils. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis revealed that park soils had greater microbial biomass and higher bacterial to fungal ratios than green roof substrates. City park soils were also more enriched with heavy metals, had lower pH, and lower quantities of total bases (Ca, K, and Mg) compared to green roof substrates. While fungal communities were compositionally distinct across green roofs, they did not differentiate by plant community. Together, these results suggest that fungi living in the growing medium of green roofs may be an underestimated component of these biotic systems functioning to support some of the valued ecological services of green roofs. PMID:23469260

  20. Digging the New York City Skyline: soil fungal communities in green roofs and city parks.

    PubMed

    McGuire, Krista L; Payne, Sara G; Palmer, Matthew I; Gillikin, Caitlyn M; Keefe, Dominique; Kim, Su Jin; Gedallovich, Seren M; Discenza, Julia; Rangamannar, Ramya; Koshner, Jennifer A; Massmann, Audrey L; Orazi, Giulia; Essene, Adam; Leff, Jonathan W; Fierer, Noah

    2013-01-01

    In urban environments, green roofs provide a number of benefits, including decreased urban heat island effects and reduced energy costs for buildings. However, little research has been done on the non-plant biota associated with green roofs, which likely affect their functionality. For the current study, we evaluated whether or not green roofs planted with two native plant communities in New York City functioned as habitats for soil fungal communities, and compared fungal communities in green roof growing media to soil microbial composition in five city parks, including Central Park and the High Line. Ten replicate roofs were sampled one year after planting; three of these roofs were more intensively sampled and compared to nearby city parks. Using Illumina sequencing of the fungal ITS region we found that green roofs supported a diverse fungal community, with numerous taxa belonging to fungal groups capable of surviving in disturbed and polluted habitats. Across roofs, there was significant biogeographical clustering of fungal communities, indicating that community assembly of roof microbes across the greater New York City area is locally variable. Green roof fungal communities were compositionally distinct from city parks and only 54% of the green roof taxa were also found in the park soils. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis revealed that park soils had greater microbial biomass and higher bacterial to fungal ratios than green roof substrates. City park soils were also more enriched with heavy metals, had lower pH, and lower quantities of total bases (Ca, K, and Mg) compared to green roof substrates. While fungal communities were compositionally distinct across green roofs, they did not differentiate by plant community. Together, these results suggest that fungi living in the growing medium of green roofs may be an underestimated component of these biotic systems functioning to support some of the valued ecological services of green roofs.

  1. A case study of the New York City trans-fat story for international application.

    PubMed

    Tan, Andy S L

    2009-04-01

    Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New York City and contributes to significant burden of disease in the United States and internationally. Excessive intake of artificial trans-fatty acids has been causally associated with increased risk of heart disease. This article describes New York City's 2007 trans-fatty acids regulation, which was aimed at lowering the prevalence of heart disease among the city's residents by prohibiting the use of trans-fatty acids in the preparation of food in the city's food outlets. The author describes sequentially: (1) formulation, (2) public consultation, (3) implementation and (4) evaluation of the policy. He proposes a strategic framework for food policy development for international policymakers who are considering similar regulations. The framework includes four domains: (1) background research, (2) stakeholder support, (3) effective policy implementation and (4) evaluation and dissemination.

  2. From Public to Private Care The Historical Trajectory of Medical Services in a New York City Jail

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Over the past 25 years, incarceration rates in the United States have more than tripled. Providing health care services for this growing number of inmates poses immense medical and public health challenges. Focusing on the administrative and financial shifts in health care delivery, I examined the history of medical services in one of the nation's largest correctional facilities, Rikers Island in New York City. Over time, medical services at Rikers have become increasingly privatized. This trend toward privatization is mirrored nationwide and coincides with the rising prevalence of incarceration. PMID:19372534

  3. From public to private care the historical trajectory of medical services in a New York city jail.

    PubMed

    Shalev, Noga

    2009-06-01

    Over the past 25 years, incarceration rates in the United States have more than tripled. Providing health care services for this growing number of inmates poses immense medical and public health challenges. Focusing on the administrative and financial shifts in health care delivery, I examined the history of medical services in one of the nation's largest correctional facilities, Rikers Island in New York City. Over time, medical services at Rikers have become increasingly privatized. This trend toward privatization is mirrored nationwide and coincides with the rising prevalence of incarceration.

  4. Climate Hazard Assessment for Stakeholder Adaptation Planning in New York City

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Horton, Radley M.; Gornitz, Vivien; Bader, Daniel A.; Ruane, Alex C.; Goldberg, Richard; Rosenzweig, Cynthia

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a time-sensitive approach to climate change projections, developed as part of New York City's climate change adaptation process, that has provided decision support to stakeholders from 40 agencies, regional planning associations, and private companies. The approach optimizes production of projections given constraints faced by decision makers as they incorporate climate change into long-term planning and policy. New York City stakeholders, who are well-versed in risk management, helped pre-select the climate variables most likely to impact urban infrastructure, and requested a projection range rather than a single 'most likely' outcome. The climate projections approach is transferable to other regions and consistent with broader efforts to provide climate services, including impact, vulnerability, and adaptation information. The approach uses 16 Global Climate Models (GCMs) and three emissions scenarios to calculate monthly change factors based on 30-year average future time slices relative to a 30- year model baseline. Projecting these model mean changes onto observed station data for New York City yields dramatic changes in the frequency of extreme events such as coastal flooding and dangerous heat events. Based on these methods, the current 1-in-10 year coastal flood is projected to occur more than once every 3 years by the end of the century, and heat events are projected to approximately triple in frequency. These frequency changes are of sufficient magnitude to merit consideration in long-term adaptation planning, even though the precise changes in extreme event frequency are highly uncertain

  5. Estimating Potential Reductions in Premature Mortality in New York City From Raising the Minimum Wage to $15

    PubMed Central

    Konty, Kevin J.; Van Wye, Gretchen; Barbot, Oxiris; Hadler, James L.; Linos, Natalia; Bassett, Mary T.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To assess potential reductions in premature mortality that could have been achieved in 2008 to 2012 if the minimum wage had been $15 per hour in New York City. Methods. Using the 2008 to 2012 American Community Survey, we performed simulations to assess how the proportion of low-income residents in each neighborhood might change with a hypothetical $15 minimum wage under alternative assumptions of labor market dynamics. We developed an ecological model of premature death to determine the differences between the levels of premature mortality as predicted by the actual proportions of low-income residents in 2008 to 2012 and the levels predicted by the proportions of low-income residents under a hypothetical $15 minimum wage. Results. A $15 minimum wage could have averted 2800 to 5500 premature deaths between 2008 and 2012 in New York City, representing 4% to 8% of total premature deaths in that period. Most of these avertable deaths would be realized in lower-income communities, in which residents are predominantly people of color. Conclusions. A higher minimum wage may have substantial positive effects on health and should be considered as an instrument to address health disparities. PMID:27077350

  6. Estimating Potential Reductions in Premature Mortality in New York City From Raising the Minimum Wage to $15.

    PubMed

    Tsao, Tsu-Yu; Konty, Kevin J; Van Wye, Gretchen; Barbot, Oxiris; Hadler, James L; Linos, Natalia; Bassett, Mary T

    2016-06-01

    To assess potential reductions in premature mortality that could have been achieved in 2008 to 2012 if the minimum wage had been $15 per hour in New York City. Using the 2008 to 2012 American Community Survey, we performed simulations to assess how the proportion of low-income residents in each neighborhood might change with a hypothetical $15 minimum wage under alternative assumptions of labor market dynamics. We developed an ecological model of premature death to determine the differences between the levels of premature mortality as predicted by the actual proportions of low-income residents in 2008 to 2012 and the levels predicted by the proportions of low-income residents under a hypothetical $15 minimum wage. A $15 minimum wage could have averted 2800 to 5500 premature deaths between 2008 and 2012 in New York City, representing 4% to 8% of total premature deaths in that period. Most of these avertable deaths would be realized in lower-income communities, in which residents are predominantly people of color. A higher minimum wage may have substantial positive effects on health and should be considered as an instrument to address health disparities.

  7. Effect of Cause-of-Death Training on Agreement Between Hospital Discharge Diagnoses and Cause of Death Reported, Inpatient Hospital Deaths, New York City, 2008–2010

    PubMed Central

    Ong, Paulina; Gambatese, Melissa; Begier, Elizabeth; Zimmerman, Regina; Soto, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Accurate cause-of-death reporting is required for mortality data to validly inform public health programming and evaluation. Research demonstrates overreporting of heart disease on New York City death certificates. We describe changes in reported causes of death following a New York City health department training conducted in 2009 to improve accuracy of cause-of-death reporting at 8 hospitals. The objective of our study was to assess the degree to which death certificates citing heart disease as cause of death agreed with hospital discharge data and the degree to which training improved accuracy of reporting. Methods We analyzed 74,373 death certificates for 2008 through 2010 that were linked with hospital discharge records for New York City inpatient deaths and calculated the proportion of discordant deaths, that is, death certificates reporting an underlying cause of heart disease with no corresponding discharge record diagnosis. We also summarized top principal diagnoses among discordant reports and calculated the proportion of inpatient deaths reporting sepsis, a condition underreported in New York City, to assess whether documentation practices changed in response to clarifications made during the intervention. Results Citywide discordance between death certificates and discharge data decreased from 14.9% in 2008 to 9.6% in 2010 (P < .001), driven by a decrease in discordance at intervention hospitals (20.2% in 2008 to 8.9% in 2010; P < .001). At intervention hospitals, reporting of sepsis increased from 3.7% of inpatient deaths in 2008 to 20.6% in 2010 (P < .001). Conclusion Overreporting of heart disease as cause of death declined at intervention hospitals, driving a citywide decline, and sepsis reporting practices changed in accordance with health department training. Researchers should consider the effect of overreporting and data-quality changes when analyzing New York City heart disease mortality trends. Other vital records jurisdictions

  8. Risk Factors for Serogroup C Meningococcal Disease during Outbreak among Men who Have Sex with Men, New York City, New York, USA.

    PubMed

    Ridpath, Alison; Greene, Sharon K; Robinson, Byron F; Weiss, Don

    2015-08-01

    Risk factors for illness during a serogroup C meningococcal disease outbreak among men who have sex with men in New York City, New York, USA, in 2012-2013 included methamphetamine and cocaine use and sexually transmitted infections. Outbreak investigations should consider routinely capturing information regarding drug use and sex-related risk factors.

  9. SCHOOL INTEGRATION CONTROVERSIES IN NEW YORK CITY, A PILOT STUDY.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    SWANSON, BERT E.

    THE MAJOR PROBLEM OF THIS PREPARATORY RESEARCH PROGRAM WAS TO ASCERTAIN THE FEASIBILITY OF MAKING A FULL-SCALE STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF SCHOOL INTEGRATION CONTROVERSIES IN NEW YORK CITY. METHODS INVOLVED INTERVIEWING AND OBSERVING LEADERS AT CITYWIDE AND NEIGHBORHOOD LEVELS, INCLUDING SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, TEACHERS, PARENT…

  10. Behavioral Risk Reduction in a Declining HIV Epidemic: Injection Drug Users in New York City, 1990-1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Des Jarlais, Don C.; Perlis, Theresa; Friedman, Samuel R.; Chapman, Timothy; Kwok, John; Rockwell, Russell; Paone, Denise; Milliken, Judith; Monterroso, Edgar

    2000-01-01

    Assessed trends in HIV risk behaviors among New York City injection drug users from 1990-97. Interviews at a drug detoxification program and a research storefront in a high drug-use area showed continuing risk reduction among users that indicated a declining phase in the large HIV epidemic in New York City. HIV prevention programs appeared to be…

  11. Bottom-Up Efforts to Improve New York City's Schooling: The New Localism as Neighborhood-Based Education Organizing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fruchter, Norm

    2009-01-01

    On a frigid Martin Luther King Day in 2008, some 800 parents and youth from neighborhoods throughout New York City rallied at St. Paul's Church in lower Manhattan, and marched to the headquarters of the city's Department of Education to launch a citywide middle grades school improvement effort. The rally was organized by the New York City…

  12. Helmet use among cyclists in New York City.

    PubMed

    Basch, Corey H; Zagnit, Emily A; Rajan, Sonali; Ethan, Danna; Basch, Charles E

    2014-10-01

    Lack of helmet use while bicycling can have deleterious effects on health. Despite evidence that helmets can greatly reduce the risk of head injury, the prevalence of helmet use among riders, including those in urban bicycle-share programs, has been shown to be very low. Building upon the authors' previous work, this study's aim was to assess prevalence of helmet use among cyclists riding on widely used New York City (NYC) bike lanes. Across a 2-month period, cyclists were filmed in five NYC locations with bike lanes. Filming took place at two separate time periods (recreation and commute) at each location. Helmet use was coded for each cyclist. A total of 1,921 riders were observed across 10 h. Overall, half (50.0 %) of all riders were observed wearing a helmet. Rates of using a helmet were consistent across all five locations. In addition, only 21.7 % of Citi Bike users and 15.3 % of other bicycle rentals were observed wearing helmets while cycling. The prevalence of helmet use was significantly higher among males than females (z = 4.48, p < .001). Cyclists observed during the recreational time period were also less likely than those observed during the commuting time period to be wearing a helmet (z = 7.17, p < .001). The results of this study contribute to the growing literature about cyclist helmet use in urban areas.

  13. Media Leader Tapped to Head New York City Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samuels, Christina A.

    2010-01-01

    When Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg sought a leader for the New York City schools in 2002, his outside-the-box choice was Joel I. Klein, a former assistant U.S. attorney general who had no experience as a school administrator. Eight years later, in seeking a replacement for Mr. Klein, Mr. Bloomberg has tapped yet another person from outside education:…

  14. 50+1: A Federal Agenda for New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowles, Jonathan; Colton, Tara; Fischer, David Jason; Giles, David; O'Grady, Jim

    2009-01-01

    The inauguration of a new president is a typically a time of great hope, and this year is certainly no exception. But the advent of the Obama administration offers residents of New York and other city-dwellers special grounds for optimism: that the period of years, if not decades, when the federal government all but turned its back on the needs of…

  15. Random matrices and the New York City subway system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jagannath, Aukosh; Trogdon, Thomas

    2017-09-01

    We analyze subway arrival times in the New York City subway system. We find regimes where the gaps between trains are well modeled by (unitarily invariant) random matrix statistics and Poisson statistics. The departure from random matrix statistics is captured by the value of the Coulomb potential along the subway route. This departure becomes more pronounced as trains make more stops.

  16. Noise Assessment of the New York City Rail Rapid Transit System

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1979-01-01

    The report describes the noise climate on and near the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) urban rail system, including the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA). Noise level data is also presented for the Port Authority Trans-...

  17. School Perspectives on Collaborative Inquiry: Lessons Learned from New York City, 2009-2010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Marian A.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Through its Children First initiative, New York City policymakers promoted collaborative inquiry as a process for helping administrators and teachers use student data to improve instruction and raise student achievement. Since 2007, city schools were expected to engage higher proportions of faculty in the inquiry work each year.…

  18. Deterioration of marble. A retrospective analysis of tombstone measurements in the New York City area

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Husar, R.B.; Patterson, D.E.; Baer, N.S.

    1985-03-01

    A data base of tombstone thickness and depth of emblem inscription at Veterans Administration cemeteries has been compiled by New York University. A subset of measurements for two cemeteries in the vicinity of New York City was selected for analysis in this study. For comparable meteorological conditions, different weathering rates of fine grain marble tombstones were observed for the two cemeteries. Tombstones in the Cypress Hills cemetery, which is located within an industrial area, were observed to have higher rates than similar stones in the semi-rural area of the Long Island cemetery. By using a retrospective air-quality model, which ismore » described in another publication, to predict SO/sub 2/ concentrations in New York City from 1880 to 1980, concentration trends of SO/sub 2/ were estimated for both cemeteries. A linear relationship was found to exist between the weathering rates and estimated SO/sub 2/ concentrations. A value of 10 mm per century per ppm of SO/sub 2/ was derived as the best estimate for the weathering coefficient of fine grain marble for the New York City area.« less

  19. Economic and Demographic Change: The Case of New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ehrenhalt, Samuel M.

    1993-01-01

    Analysis of industrial and demographic dynamics of New York City at once mirrors and anticipates events in other parts of the nation. Key factors are the sharp loss of manufacturing jobs, the rise in knowledge-based jobs, and the increased role of women and minorities in the labor force. (Author)

  20. Smart Cities: New York. Electronic Education for the New Millennium.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McClintock, Robert

    This pedagogical framework describes how the New York City Board of Education plans to improve education using information technologies. By providing advanced Internet services connecting students and their families, as well as teachers, schools staff, and the interested public, to a high-quality educational ISP/Portal, available to anyone at any…

  1. Patterns of waste generation: A gradient boosting model for short-term waste prediction in New York City.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Nicholas E; Ianiuk, Olga; Cazap, Daniel; Liu, Linglan; Starobin, Daniel; Dobler, Gregory; Ghandehari, Masoud

    2017-04-01

    Historical municipal solid waste (MSW) collection data supplied by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) was used in conjunction with other datasets related to New York City to forecast municipal solid waste generation across the city. Spatiotemporal tonnage data from the DSNY was combined with external data sets, including the Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics data, the American Community Survey, the New York City Department of Finance's Primary Land Use and Tax Lot Output data, and historical weather data to build a Gradient Boosting Regression Model. The model was trained on historical data from 2005 to 2011 and validation was performed both temporally and spatially. With this model, we are able to accurately (R2>0.88) forecast weekly MSW generation tonnages for each of the 232 geographic sections in NYC across three waste streams of refuse, paper and metal/glass/plastic. Importantly, the model identifies regularity of urban waste generation and is also able to capture very short timescale fluctuations associated to holidays, special events, seasonal variations, and weather related events. This research shows New York City's waste generation trends and the importance of comprehensive data collection (especially weather patterns) in order to accurately predict waste generation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Coping with Higher Sea Levels and Increased Coastal Flooding in New York City. Chapter 13

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gornitz, Vivien; Horton, Radley; Bader, Daniel A.; Orton, Philip; Rosenzweig, Cynthia

    2017-01-01

    The 837 km New York City shoreline is lined by significant economic assets and dense population vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal flooding. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, New York City developed a comprehensive plan to mitigate future climate risks, drawing upon the scientific expertise of the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC), a special advisory group comprised of university and private-sector experts. This paper highlights current NPCC findings regarding sea level rise and coastal flooding, with some of the City's ongoing and planned responses. Twentieth century sea level rise in New York City (2.8 cm/decade) exceeded the global average (1.7 cm/decade), underscoring the enhanced regional risk to coastal hazards. NPCC (2015) projects future sea level rise at the Battery of 28 - 53 cm by the 2050s and 46 - 99 cm by the 2080s, relative to 2000 - 2004 (mid-range, 25th - 75th percentile). High-end SLR estimates (90th percentile) reach 76 cm by the 2050s, and 1.9 m by 2100. Combining these projections with updated FEMA flood return period curves, assuming static flood dynamics and storm behavior, flood heights for the 100-year storm (excluding waves) attain 3.9-4.5 m (mid-range), relative to the NAVD88 tidal datum, and 4.9 m (high end) by the 2080s, up from 3.4 m in the 2000s. Flood heights with a 1% annual chance of occurrence in the 2000s increase to 2.0 - 5.4% (mid-range) and 12.7% per year (high-end), by the 2080s. Guided by NPCC (2013, 2015) findings, New York City has embarked on a suite of initiatives to strengthen coastal defenses, employing various approaches tailored to specific neighborhood needs. NPCC continues its collaboration with the city to investigate vulnerability to extreme climate events, including heat waves, inland floods and coastal storms. Current research entails higher-resolution neighborhood-level coastal flood mapping, changes in storm characteristics, surge height interactions with sea level rise, and stronger engagement

  3. Cost estimates for flood resilience and protection strategies in New York City.

    PubMed

    Aerts, Jeroen C J H; Botzen, W J Wouter; de Moel, Hans; Bowman, Malcolm

    2013-08-01

    In the aftermaths of Hurricanes Irene, in 2011, and Sandy, in 2012, New York City has come to recognize the critical need to better prepare for future storm surges and to anticipate future trends, such as climate change and socio-economic developments. The research presented in this report assesses the costs of six different flood management strategies to anticipate long-term challenges the City will face. The proposed strategies vary from increasing resilience by upgrading building codes and introducing small scale protection measures, to creating green infrastructure as buffer zones and large protective engineering works such as storm surge barriers. The initial investment costs of alternative strategies vary between $11.6 and $23.8 bn, maximally. We show that a hybrid solution, combining protection of critical infrastructure and resilience measures that can be upgraded over time, is less expensive. However, with increasing risk in the future, storm surge barriers may become cost-effective, as they can provide protection to the largest areas in both New York and New Jersey. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

  4. Climate Change and Fetal Health: The Impacts of Exposure to Extreme Temperatures in New York City

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ngo, Nicole S.; Horton, Radley M.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Climate change is projected to increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves while reducing cold extremes, yet few studies have examined the relationship between temperature and fetal health. Objectives: We estimate the impacts of extreme temperatures on birth weight and gestational age in Manhattan, a borough in New York City, and explore differences by socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: We combine average daily temperature from 1985 to 2010 with birth certificate data in Manhattan for the same time period. We then generate 33 downscaled climate model time series to project impacts on fetal health. Results: We find exposure to an extra day where average temperature 25 F and 85 F during pregnancy is associated with a 1.8 and 1.7 g (respectively) reduction in birth weight, but the impact varies by SES, particularly for extreme heat, where teen mothers seem most vulnerable. We find no meaningful, significant effect on gestational age. Using projections of temperature from these climate models, we project average net reductions in birth weight in the 2070- 2099 period of 4.6 g in the business-as-usual scenario. Conclusions: Results suggest that increasing heat events from climate change could adversely impact birth weight and vary by SES.

  5. Technology transfer in New York City - The NASA/NYC Applications Project.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Karen, A.; Orrick, D.; Anuskiewicz, T.

    1973-01-01

    New York City faces many varied and complex problems ranging from truck hijacking to graffiti. In answer to a request from NYC officials NASA is sponsoring the efforts of a project aimed at applying aerospace-derived solutions to a series of city technical problems. An immediate result has been a pilot experiment to improve security in the City's schools. Other problem areas for NASA review have been selected from the Fire, Police and Air Resources Departments. The Project offers a significant example of a viable approach to the crucial process of bridging the communications gap between urban officials and technologists.

  6. Mortality among the Puerto Rican Born in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenwaike, Ira

    1983-01-01

    Interesting mortality experience of Puerto Ricans resident in New York City in 1970 are discussed. For example, Puerto Rican males 55 years of age and above and females 75 and over had lower death rates than other White New Yorkers. Puerto Rican young adults had higher death rates than other Whites. (Author/RM)

  7. Exploring Motivations of Taekwondo Athletes/Students in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeng, Howard Z.; Cynarski, Wojciech J.; Baatz, Shannon; Park, Shawn J.

    2015-01-01

    This study explored what reasons/factors can truly motivate athletes/students to continually participate in taekwondo practices and competitions in New York City (NYC). Participants were 85 taekwondo athletes/students (51 Boys, 34 Girls; age range 10-22 years) from seven taekwondo schools/clubs in NYC. Data collection was done by the Adapted…

  8. Delivering Coordinated, Community-Based Services by Putting Networks into Action: New York City's Change Capital Fund. No. 3

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aceves, Aurelia De La Rosa; Greenberg, David M.; Schell, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    This brief is the third in a series documenting the implementation of an economic mobility initiative supported by New York City's Change Capital Fund (CCF). CCF is a consortium of New York City donors formed to invest in local nonprofits that undertake data-driven antipoverty strategies integrating housing, education, and employment services. CCF…

  9. THE INTERNATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF QUALITY-OF-LIFE POLICING AS PRACTICED IN NEW YORK CITY

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Bruce D.; Golub, Andrew; McCabe, James

    2008-01-01

    The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has made enforcement of laws against disorder and quality-of-life offenses a central part of their policing strategy. Concomitantly, New York City (NYC) experienced a renaissance in orderliness, cleanliness, tourism, real estate value, and crime reduction, although other problems such as poverty, unemployment, drug abuse, racial tensions and homelessness persist. This paper examines quality-of-life policing practices in NYC, describes the philosophical underpinnings, explores the critical response to the program and presents lessons of potential relevance to other policing organizations in the U.S. and around the world. PMID:20368765

  10. Counting calories: resident perspectives on calorie labeling in New York City.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Cynthia; Hayes, Roger

    2012-01-01

    The present study investigates consumer responses to New York City's 2008 calorie labeling regulation in 2 lower-income neighborhoods of New York City. Focus groups were conducted, and 34 fast-food consumers participated. Group summaries and descriptive and analytic depictions of group responses and interactions were developed based on a thorough examination of the notes and tapes. Findings included that there is support for the regulation, as well as skepticism regarding the potency of calorie posting as a behavior change tool. In addition, there were strong beliefs about both parental responsibility for children's eating habits as well as the role of poverty, hunger, and lack of education in food selection. Calorie labeling is one avenue for educating consumers about nutrition; however, given competing factors in food choice decisions as well as the realities of hunger and poverty, more proactive measures are needed. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  11. A Tale of Two ObesCities: The Role of Municipal Governance in Reducing Childhood Obesity in New York City and London

    PubMed Central

    Libman, Kimberly; O’Keefe, Eileen

    2010-01-01

    As rates of childhood obesity and overweight rise around the world, researchers and policy makers seek new ways to reverse these trends. Given the concentration of the world’s population, income inequalities, unhealthy diets, and patterns of physical activity in cities, urban areas bear a disproportionate burden of obesity. To address these issues, in 2008, researchers from the City University of New York and London Metropolitan University created the Municipal Responses to Childhood Obesity Collaborative. The Collaborative examined three questions: What role has city government played in responding to childhood obesity in each jurisdiction? How have municipal governance structures in each city influenced its capacity to respond effectively? How can policy and programmatic interventions to reduce childhood obesity also reduce the growing socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities in its prevalence? Based on a review of existing initiatives in London and New York City, the Collaborative recommended 11 broad strategies by which each city could reduce childhood obesity. These recommendations were selected because they can be enacted at the municipal level; will reduce socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequalities in obesity; are either well supported by research or are already being implemented in one city, demonstrating their feasibility; build on existing city assets; and are both green and healthy. PMID:20811951

  12. Projecting Heat-Related Mortality Impacts Under a Changing Climate in the New York City Region

    PubMed Central

    Knowlton, Kim; Lynn, Barry; Goldberg, Richard A.; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Hogrefe, Christian; Rosenthal, Joyce Klein; Kinney, Patrick L.

    2007-01-01

    Objectives. We sought to project future impacts of climate change on summer heat-related premature deaths in the New York City metropolitan region. Methods. Current and future climates were simulated over the northeastern United States with a global-to-regional climate modeling system. Summer heat-related premature deaths in the 1990s and 2050s were estimated by using a range of scenarios and approaches to modeling acclimatization (e.g., increased use of air conditioning, gradual physiological adaptation). Results. Projected regional increases in heat-related premature mortality by the 2050s ranged from 47% to 95%, with a mean 70% increase compared with the 1990s. Acclimatization effects reduced regional increases in summer heat-related premature mortality by about 25%. Local impacts varied considerably across the region, with urban counties showing greater numbers of deaths and smaller percentage increases than less-urbanized counties. Conclusions. Although considerable uncertainty exists in climate forecasts and future health vulnerability, the range of projections we developed suggests that by midcentury, acclimatization may not completely mitigate the effects of climate change in the New York City metropolitan region, which would result in an overall net increase in heat-related premature mortality. PMID:17901433

  13. Urban public health assessment and pattern analysis: comparison of four cities in different countries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Meirong; Chen, Chen; Lu, Weiwei; Liu, Gengyuan; Yang, Zhifeng; Chen, Bin

    2013-06-01

    Urban public health is an important global issue, and receives extensive attention. It is necessary to compare urban public health status among different cities, so that each city can define its own health patterns and limiting factors. The following assessment indicators were established to evaluate urban public health status: living conditions, physical health, education and culture, environmental quality, and social security. A weighted-sum model was used in combination with these indicators to compare the urban public health status in four cities—Beijing, New York, London, and Tokyo—using data for 2000-2009. Although the urban public health level of Beijing was lower than that of the other cities, it showed the greatest increase in this level over the study period. Different patterns of urban public health were identified: London had the most balanced, steady pattern (almost all factors performed well and developed stably); New York and Tokyo showed balanced, but unsteady patterns (most factors remained high, though social security and environmental quality fluctuated); Beijing had the most unbalanced, unsteady pattern (the different factors were at different levels, and education and culture and social security fluctuated). For enhanced urban public health status, environmental quality and education and culture clearly need to be improved in Beijing. This study demonstrates that a comparison of different cities is helpful in identifying limiting factors for urban public health and providing an orientation for future urban development.

  14. Step On It! Impact of a Workplace New York City Taxi Driver Health Intervention to Increase Necessary Health Care Access

    PubMed Central

    Gany, Francesca; Bari, Sehrish; Gill, Pavan; Loeb, Rebecca

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We describe the impact of the Step On It! intervention to link taxi drivers, particularly South Asians, to health insurance enrollment and navigate them into care when necessary. Methods. Step On It! was a worksite initiative held for 5 consecutive days from September 28 to October 2, 2011, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Data collected included sociodemographics, employment, health care access and use, height, weight, blood pressure, and random plasma glucose. Participants were given their results, counseled by a medical professional, and invited to participate in free workshops provided by partner organizations. Results. Of the 466 drivers participated, 52% were uninsured, and 49% did not have a primary care provider. Of 384 drivers who had blood pressure, glucose, or both measured, 242 (63%) required urgent or regular follow-up. Of the 77 (32%) requiring urgent follow-up, 50 (65%) sought medical care at least once, of whom 13 (26%) received a new diagnosis. Of the 165 (68%) requiring regular follow-up, 68 (41%) sought medical care at least once, of whom 5 (7%) received a new diagnosis. Conclusions. This study provides encouraging results about the potential impact of an easy-to-deliver, easily scalable workplace intervention with a large, vulnerable population. PMID:25211738

  15. Presence of Counterfeit Marlboro Gold Packs in Licensed Retail Stores in New York City: Evidence From Test Purchases.

    PubMed

    Kurti, Marin; He, Yi; Silver, Diana; Giorgio, Margaret; von Lampe, Klaus; Macinko, James; Ye, Hua; Tan, Fidelis; Mei, Victoria

    2018-05-26

    There are no independent studies measuring the availability of premium brand counterfeit cigarettes in New York City from licensed retailers. We forensically analyzed the cigarette packaging of Marlboro Gold (n = 1021) purchased from licensed tobacco retailers in New York City, using ultraviolet irradiation and light microscopy to determine whether they were counterfeit. We find that while only 0.5% (n = 5) of our sample exhibits at least one characteristic synonymous with counterfeit packaging, none of our packs can be conclusively classified as counterfeit. We do not find any counterfeit Marlboro Gold packs purchased at full price from licensed cigarette retailers throughout New York City. Future research using test purchases should include other venues (eg, street and online) and specifically ask for discounts to ascertain the overall presence of counterfeit cigarettes. This is the first study to independently measure the availability of counterfeit cigarette packs purchased at full price from licensed retailers in New York City. We find that none of the Marlboro Gold packs purchased from licensed cigarette retailers are counterfeit.

  16. A LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS OF NEW YORK CITY'S WATER SUPPLY (1973-1998)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Currently the city of New York is trying to save taxpayers the cost of a billion dollar filtration system by protecting water quality through implementing a long-range watershed protection program. The goals of this study are 1) improvements in environmental risk assessment and ...

  17. PARTICULATE ORGANIC SOURCE MARKERS IN THE NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA

    EPA Science Inventory

    A sampling network of four sites was established for the Speciation of Organics for Apportionment of PM2.5 (SOAP) project during 2002-2003 to investigate composition, seasonal and spatial variability, and source contributions to particulate organic matter in the New York City met...

  18. New arrivals to New York City: vulnerability to HIV among urban migrant young gay men.

    PubMed

    Kobrak, Paul; Ponce, Rafael; Zielony, Robert

    2015-10-01

    This qualitative study explored the social experiences and HIV-related sexual practices of 30 young gay and bisexual men who moved to New York City in the past 3 years from other countries or elsewhere in the United States. For many migrants, a key basis of vulnerability to HIV was their engagement with New York City's unfamiliar sexual culture. Many recent arrivals migrated from places with small gay communities and low HIV prevalence, and some came with a practice of limited condom use. Participants described encountering an abundance of sexual opportunity in New York City, accessible to even the newest arrivals through internet sex sites. Some migrants expressed surprise that few men they met were interested in dating or establishing trust before having sex. Although frequent HIV testing was common, HIV status, testing history, and condom use were seldom discussed with sex partners for some men even with new partners or before sex without condoms. International and in-country migrants who are beginning to navigate New York City's gay sexual culture may be more vulnerable to HIV infection than established residents if they are inexperienced in encountering vast sexual opportunity, are less practiced in local norms of sexual communication, or if their lack of economic resources or social connections encourages them to have sex for money or shelter. This article suggests HIV prevention interventions for urban migrants and other men who have sex with men.

  19. Roots of increased health care inequality in New York.

    PubMed

    Wallace, D

    1990-01-01

    During the 1970s, New York city experienced an epidemic of housing destruction by contagious fire and building abandonment. This epidemic was triggered by reductions in municipal services, especially fire control, in the poor areas of high population density and aging housing. The rapid loss of low rent housing led to a wave of forced internal migration of the poor within the city and overcrowding of areas adjacent to the burned out ones. The spread of overcrowding spread the high fire incidence. The massive upheaval resulted in destruction of social networks and in degraded living conditions. Public health, as measured by many indices such as disease incidence, substance abuse incidence, infant mortality, and incidence of homicide, deteriorated. This deterioration caused increased demand for hospital health care, especially emergency service. The data on average stay length in the poorest areas in comparison with wealthier areas hints that the overloading of the voluntary hospitals in the poorest areas has caused care rationing and greater inequality in access to care.

  20. Providing ART to HIV Seropositive Persons Who Use Drugs: Progress in New York City, Prospects for "Ending the Epidemic".

    PubMed

    Jarlais, Don C Des; Arasteh, Kamyar; McKnight, Courtney; Feelemyer, Jonathan; Hagan, Holly; Cooper, Hannah L F; Campbell, Aimee N C; Tross, Susan; Perlman, David C

    2016-02-01

    New York City has experienced the largest HIV epidemic among persons who use psychoactive drugs. We examined progress in placing HIV seropositive persons who inject drugs (PWID) and HIV seropositive non-injecting drug users (NIDU) onto antiretroviral treatment (ART) in New York City over the last 15 years. We recruited 3511 PWID and 3543 NIDU from persons voluntarily entering drug detoxification and methadone maintenance treatment programs in New York City from 2001 to 2014. HIV prevalence declined significantly among both PWID and NIDU. The percentage who reported receiving ART increased significantly, from approximately 50 % (2001-2005) to approximately 75 % (2012-2014). There were no racial/ethnic disparities in the percentages of HIV seropositive persons who were on ART. Continued improvement in ART uptake and TasP and maintenance of other prevention and care services should lead to an "End of the AIDS Epidemic" for persons who use heroin and cocaine in New York City.

  1. Health Care Utilization, Barriers to Care, and Hormone Usage Among Male-to-Female Transgender Persons in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Sanchez, John P.; Danoff, Ann

    2009-01-01

    Objectives. We investigated health care utilization, barriers to care, and hormone use among male-to-female transgender persons residing in New York City to determine whether current care is in accord with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the goals of Healthy People 2010. Methods. We conducted interviews with 101 male-to-female transgender persons from 3 community health centers in 2007. Results. Most participants reported having health insurance (77%; n = 78) and seeing a general practitioner in the past year (81%; n = 82). Over 25% of participants perceived the cost of medical care, access to specialists, and a paucity of transgender-friendly and transgender-knowledgeable providers as barriers to care. Being under a physician's care was associated with high-risk behavior reduction, including smoking cessation (P = .004) and obtaining needles from a licensed physician (P = .002). Male-to-female transgender persons under a physician's care were more likely to obtain hormone therapies from a licensed physician (P < .001). Conclusions. Utilization of health care providers by male-to-female transgender persons is associated with their reduction of some high-risk behaviors, but it does not result in adherence to standard of care recommendations for transgender individuals. PMID:19150911

  2. Socioeconomic and Outdoor Meteorological Determinants of Indoor Temperature and Humidity in New York City Dwellings

    PubMed Central

    Tamerius, JD; Perzanowski, MS; Acosta, LM; Jacobson, JS; Goldstein, IF; Quinn, JW; Rundle, AG; Shaman, J

    2013-01-01

    Background Numerous mechanisms link outdoor weather and climate conditions to human health. It is likely that many health conditions are more directly affected by indoor rather than outdoor conditions. Yet, the relationship between indoor temperature and humidity conditions to outdoor variability, and the heterogeneity of the relationship among different indoor environments are largely unknown. Methods We use 5–14 day measures of indoor temperature and relative humidity from 327 dwellings in New York City for the years 2008–2011 to investigate the relationship between indoor climate, outdoor meteorological conditions, socioeconomic conditions, and building descriptors. Study households were primarily middle-income and located across the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Manhattan. Results Indoor temperatures are positively associated with outdoor temperature during the warm season and study dwellings in higher socioeconomic status neighborhoods are significantly cooler. During the cool season, outdoor temperatures have little effect on indoor temperatures; however, indoor temperatures can range more than 10 °C between dwellings despite similar outdoor temperatures. Apartment buildings tend to be significantly warmer than houses and dwellings on higher floors are also significantly warmer than dwellings on lower floors. Outdoor specific humidity is positively associated with indoor specific and relative humidity, but there is no consistent relationship between outdoor and indoor relative humidity. Conclusions In New York City, the relationship between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity conditions vary significantly between dwellings. These results can be used to inform studies of health outcomes for which temperature or humidity is an established factor affecting human health and highlights the need for more research on the determinants of indoor climate. PMID:24077420

  3. The Principals' Perspective of Sustainable Partnerships in New York City's New School Initiative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein, Robert

    2010-01-01

    New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg and school's Chancellor Joel Klein made the creation of new schools an essential part of their Children First reform policy. In September 2002, 13 high schools opened replacing the lowest performing large high schools throughout the City. As of 2010, more than 400 new district and charter schools are in…

  4. The outbreak of West Nile virus infection in the New York City area in 1999.

    PubMed

    Nash, D; Mostashari, F; Fine, A; Miller, J; O'Leary, D; Murray, K; Huang, A; Rosenberg, A; Greenberg, A; Sherman, M; Wong, S; Layton, M

    2001-06-14

    In late August 1999, an unusual cluster of cases of meningoencephalitis associated with muscle weakness was reported to the New York City Department of Health. The initial epidemiologic and environmental investigations suggested an arboviral cause. Active surveillance was implemented to identify patients hospitalized with viral encephalitis and meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid, serum, and tissue specimens from patients with suspected cases underwent serologic and viral testing for evidence of arboviral infection. Outbreak surveillance identified 59 patients who were hospitalized with West Nile virus infection in the New York City area during August and September of 1999. The median age of these patients was 71 years (range, 5 to 95). The overall attack rate of clinical West Nile virus infection was at least 6.5 cases per million population, and it increased sharply with age. Most of the patients (63 percent) had clinical signs of encephalitis; seven patients died (12 percent). Muscle weakness was documented in 27 percent of the patients and flaccid paralysis in 10 percent; in all of the latter, nerve conduction studies indicated an axonal polyneuropathy in 14 percent. An age of 75 years or older was an independent risk factor for death (relative risk adjusted for the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus, 8.5; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.2 to 59.1), as was the presence of diabetes mellitus (age-adjusted relative risk, 5.1; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 17.3). This outbreak of West Nile meningoencephalitis in the New York City metropolitan area represents the first time this virus has been detected in the Western Hemisphere. Given the subsequent rapid spread of the virus, physicians along the eastern seaboard of the United States should consider West Nile virus infection in the differential diagnosis of encephalitis and viral meningitis during the summer months, especially in older patients and in those with muscle weakness.

  5. A menu for health: changes to New York City school food, 2001 to 2011.

    PubMed

    Perlman, Sharon E; Nonas, Cathy; Lindstrom, Lauren L; Choe-Castillo, Julia; McKie, Herman; Alberti, Philip M

    2012-10-01

    The high prevalence of obesity puts children at risk for chronic diseases, increases health care costs, and threatens to reduce life expectancy. As part of the response to this epidemic, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE)--the nation's largest school district--has worked to improve the appeal and nutritional quality of school food. This article highlights some of the structural and policy changes that have improved the school food environment over the past decade, with the aim to share lessons learned and provide recommendations and resources for other districts interested in making similar modifications. This article details changes DOE has implemented over 10 years, including revised nutrition standards for school meals and competitive foods; new school food department staffing; food reformulations, substitutions, and additions; and transitions to healthier beverages. NYC's revised nutrition standards and hiring of expert staff increased availability of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy and decreased sugary beverages, and foods high in saturated fats and added sugars--the major contributors to discretionary calorie intake. DOE also introduced healthier beverages: switching from high-calorie, high-fat whole milk to low-fat milk and increasing access to water. NYC has successfully improved the quality of its school food environment and shown that healthier food service is possible, even under budgetary constraints. Several broad factors facilitated these efforts: fostering community partnerships and inter-agency collaboration, implementing policies and initiatives that target multiple sectors for greater impact, and working to make incremental improvements each year. © 2012, American School Health Association.

  6. Over the Counter, under the Radar: Inequitably Distributing New York City's Late-Enrolling High School Students. Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arvidsson, Toi Sin; Fruchter, Norm; Mokhtar, Christina

    2013-01-01

    Every year, some 36,000 students who enroll in New York City high schools without participating in the high school choice process are labeled as "over-the-counter" or OTC students and are assigned a school by the New York City Department of Education (DOE). These young people are among the school system's highest-needs students: new…

  7. Refining historical limits method to improve disease cluster detection, New York City, New York, USA.

    PubMed

    Levin-Rector, Alison; Wilson, Elisha L; Fine, Annie D; Greene, Sharon K

    2015-02-01

    Since the early 2000s, the Bureau of Communicable Disease of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has analyzed reportable infectious disease data weekly by using the historical limits method to detect unusual clusters that could represent outbreaks. This method typically produced too many signals for each to be investigated with available resources while possibly failing to signal during true disease outbreaks. We made method refinements that improved the consistency of case inclusion criteria and accounted for data lags and trends and aberrations in historical data. During a 12-week period in 2013, we prospectively assessed these refinements using actual surveillance data. The refined method yielded 74 signals, a 45% decrease from what the original method would have produced. Fewer and less biased signals included a true citywide increase in legionellosis and a localized campylobacteriosis cluster subsequently linked to live-poultry markets. Future evaluations using simulated data could complement this descriptive assessment.

  8. Local environmental and meteorological conditions influencing the invasive mosquito Ae. albopictus and arbovirus transmission risk in New York City.

    PubMed

    Little, Eliza; Bajwa, Waheed; Shaman, Jeffrey

    2017-08-01

    Ae. albopictus, an invasive mosquito vector now endemic to much of the northeastern US, is a significant public health threat both as a nuisance biter and vector of disease (e.g. chikungunya virus). Here, we aim to quantify the relationships between local environmental and meteorological conditions and the abundance of Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in New York City. Using statistical modeling, we create a fine-scale spatially explicit risk map of Ae. albopictus abundance and validate the accuracy of spatiotemporal model predictions using observational data from 2016. We find that the spatial variability of annual Ae. albopictus abundance is greater than its temporal variability in New York City but that both local environmental and meteorological conditions are associated with Ae. albopictus numbers. Specifically, key land use characteristics, including open spaces, residential areas, and vacant lots, and spring and early summer meteorological conditions are associated with annual Ae. albopictus abundance. In addition, we investigate the distribution of imported chikungunya cases during 2014 and use these data to delineate areas with the highest rates of arboviral importation. We show that the spatial distribution of imported arboviral cases has been mostly discordant with mosquito production and thus, to date, has provided a check on local arboviral transmission in New York City. We do, however, find concordant areas where high Ae. albopictus abundance and chikungunya importation co-occur. Public health and vector control officials should prioritize control efforts to these areas and thus more cost effectively reduce the risk of local arboviral transmission. The methods applied here can be used to monitor and identify areas of risk for other imported vector-borne diseases.

  9. Local environmental and meteorological conditions influencing the invasive mosquito Ae. albopictus and arbovirus transmission risk in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Bajwa, Waheed; Shaman, Jeffrey

    2017-01-01

    Ae. albopictus, an invasive mosquito vector now endemic to much of the northeastern US, is a significant public health threat both as a nuisance biter and vector of disease (e.g. chikungunya virus). Here, we aim to quantify the relationships between local environmental and meteorological conditions and the abundance of Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in New York City. Using statistical modeling, we create a fine-scale spatially explicit risk map of Ae. albopictus abundance and validate the accuracy of spatiotemporal model predictions using observational data from 2016. We find that the spatial variability of annual Ae. albopictus abundance is greater than its temporal variability in New York City but that both local environmental and meteorological conditions are associated with Ae. albopictus numbers. Specifically, key land use characteristics, including open spaces, residential areas, and vacant lots, and spring and early summer meteorological conditions are associated with annual Ae. albopictus abundance. In addition, we investigate the distribution of imported chikungunya cases during 2014 and use these data to delineate areas with the highest rates of arboviral importation. We show that the spatial distribution of imported arboviral cases has been mostly discordant with mosquito production and thus, to date, has provided a check on local arboviral transmission in New York City. We do, however, find concordant areas where high Ae. albopictus abundance and chikungunya importation co-occur. Public health and vector control officials should prioritize control efforts to these areas and thus more cost effectively reduce the risk of local arboviral transmission. The methods applied here can be used to monitor and identify areas of risk for other imported vector-borne diseases. PMID:28832586

  10. New York City's iZone. CRPE Working Paper #2011-1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lake, Robin; Gross, Betheny

    2011-01-01

    Can public schools learn to embrace innovation and employ cutting edge technology to solve students' most persistent learning problems? In 2010, New York City's Department of Education (NYCDOE) created the Innovation Zone (iZone) to try to accomplish just that. This report reflects the findings of a CRPE study of the iZone, its goals and…

  11. Use of pharmacy data to evaluate smoking regulations' impact on sales of nicotine replacement therapies in New York City.

    PubMed

    Metzger, Kristina B; Mostashari, Farzad; Kerker, Bonnie D

    2005-06-01

    Recently, New York City and New York State increased cigarette excise taxes and New York City implemented a smoke-free workplace law. To assess the impact of these policies on smoking cessation in New York City, we examined over-the-counter sales of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products. Pharmacy sales data were collected in real time as part of nontraditional surveillance activities. We used Poisson generalized estimating equations to analyze the effect of smoking-related policies on pharmacy-specific weekly sales of nicotine patches and gum. We assessed effect modification by pharmacy location. We observed increases in NRT product sales during the weeks of the cigarette tax increases and the smoke-free workplace law. Pharmacies in low-income areas generally had larger and more persistent increases in response to tax increases than those in higher-income areas. Real-time monitoring of existing nontraditional surveillance data, such as pharmacy sales of NRT products, can help assess the effects of public policies on cessation attempts. Cigarette tax increases and smoke-free workplace regulations were associated with increased smoking cessation attempts in New York City, particularly in low-income areas.

  12. Manual on Student Suspensions in New York City Public Schools. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Advocates for Children of New York, Inc., Long Island City.

    This revised manual presents updated guidelines and regulations regarding student suspensions in New York City public schools. The manual is divided into four main sections: principal's suspension; superintendent's suspension; search and seizure; and suspension of special education students. The manual is specifically designed to assist the…

  13. "Gray murder": characteristics of elderly compared with nonelderly homicide victims in New York City.

    PubMed

    Abrams, Robert C; Leon, Andrew C; Tardiff, Kenneth; Marzuk, Peter M; Sutherland, Kari

    2007-09-01

    We compared characteristics of homicides among New York City residents aged 18 years and older from 1990 to 1998 to determine differences in demographics, cause and place of death, and presence of illicit drugs and alcohol in the deceased's system. All medical examiner-certified homicides among New York City residents aged 18 years and older from 1990 to 1998 were studied (n = 11,850). Nonelderly (aged 18 to 64 years) and elderly (aged 65 years and older) victims were compared by gender, race/ethnicity, cause of death, place of death, and presence of illicit drugs or alcohol. Population-based homicide rates stratified by age, gender, and race were also calculated. Nonelderly homicide victims were significantly more likely to be male, non-White, to have been shot in the city streets, and to have evidence of illicit drug or alcohol use. Elderly victims were more likely to be female, White, to have been killed by nonfirearm injuries, and to have been killed in their own homes. The gender and race differences between age groups remained but were attenuated when population-based rates were compared. The characteristics of homicide in nonelderly adults do not apply to elderly adults in New York City. Demographic factors and vulnerabilities of the elderly may underlie these differences, pointing to the need for oversight of isolated or homebound elderly persons and for protective interventions.

  14. Ozone production in the New York City urban plume

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kleinman, Lawrence I.; Daum, Peter H.; Imre, Dan G.; Lee, Jai H.; Lee, Yin-Nan; Nunnermacker, Linda J.; Springston, Stephen R.; Weinstein-Lloyd, Judith; Newman, Leonard

    2000-06-01

    In the summer of 1996 the Department of Energy G-1 aircraft was deployed in the New York City metropolitan area as part of the North American Research Strategy for Tropospheric Ozone-Northeast effort to determine the causes of elevated O3 levels in the northeastern United States. Measurements of O3, O3 precursors, and other photochemically active trace gases were made upwind and downwind of New York City with the objective of characterizing the O3 formation process and its dependence on ambient levels of NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Four flights are discussed in detail. On two of these flights, winds were from the W-SW, which is the typical direction for an O3 episode. On the other two flights, winds were from the NW, which puts a cleaner area upwind of the city. The data presented include plume and background values of O3, CO, NOx, and NOy concentration and VOC reactivity. On the W-SW flow days O3 reached 110 ppb. According to surface observations the G-1 intercepted the plume close to the region where maximum O3 occurred. At this point the ratio NOx/NOy was 20-30%, indicating an aged plume. Plume values of CO/NOy agree to within 20% with emission estimates from the core of the New York City metropolitan area. Steady state photochemical calculations were performed using observed or estimated trace gas concentrations as constraints. According to these calculations the local rate of O3 production P(O3) in all four plumes is VOC sensitive, sometimes strongly so. The local sensitivity calculations show that a specified fractional decrease in VOC concentration yields a similar magnitude fractional decrease in P(O3). Imposing a decrease in NOx, however, causes P(O3) to increase. The question of primary interest from a regulatory point of view is the sensitivity of O3 concentration to changes in emissions of NOx and VOCs. A qualitative argument is given that suggests that the total O3 formed in the plume, which depends on the entire time evolution of the

  15. Peeling Lead Paint Turns into Poisonous Dust. Guess Where It Ends Up? A Media Campaign to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greene, Danielle; Tehranifar, Parisa; DeMartini, Diana P.; Faciano, Andrew; Nagin, Deborah

    2015-01-01

    Successful public health media campaigns promote messages, increase awareness, engage the public, and encourage behavior change. Between 2004 and 2006, the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducted a media campaign grounded in social learning theory and the social marketing model to…

  16. Evaluating New York City's abortion reporting system: insights for public health data collection systems.

    PubMed

    Toprani, Amita; Madsen, Ann; Das, Tara; Gambatese, Melissa; Greene, Carolyn; Begier, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    New York City (NYC) mandates reporting of all abortion procedures. These reports enable tracking of abortion incidence and underpin programs, policy, and research. Since January 2011, the majority of abortion facilities must report electronically. We conducted an evaluation of NYC's abortion reporting system and its transition to electronic reporting. We summarize the evaluation methodology and results and draw lessons relevant to other vital statistics and public health reporting systems. The evaluation followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems. We interviewed key stakeholders and conducted a data provider survey. In addition, we compared the system's abortion counts with external estimates and calculated the proportion of missing and invalid values for each variable on the report form. Finally, we assessed the process for changing the report form and estimated system costs. NYC Health Department's Bureau of Vital Statistics. Usefulness, simplicity, flexibility, data quality, acceptability, sensitivity, timeliness, and stability of the abortion reporting system. Ninety-five percent of abortion data providers considered abortion reporting important; 52% requested training regarding the report form. Thirty percent reported problems with electronic biometric fingerprint certification, and 18% reported problems with the electronic system's stability. Estimated system sensitivity was 88%. Of 17 variables, education and ancestry had more than 5% missing values in 2010. Changing the electronic reporting module was costly and time-consuming. System operating costs were estimated at $80 136 to $89 057 annually. The NYC abortion reporting system is sensitive and provides high-quality data, but opportunities for improvement include facilitating biometric certification, increasing electronic platform stability, and conducting ongoing outreach and training for data providers. This evaluation will help data

  17. Linking Research and Practice in New York: A New York City Small Schools of Choice Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Robert; Silver, David; Thompson, Saskia; Unterman, Rebecca

    2012-01-01

    Over the last decade, New York City (NYC) has been the site of a systemwide high school reform effort that is unprecedented in its scope and pace. Since 2002, the school district has closed more than 20 failing high schools, opened more than 200 new secondary schools, and implemented a centralized high school admission process in which…

  18. Multi-Union Efforts in New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newfield, Marcia

    2008-01-01

    The Professional Staff Congress (PSC), the union for twenty-two thousand faculty and staff members at the City University of New York (CUNY), has been successful at gaining New York State aid for tuition remission for doctoral students and health insurance for graduate student employees, increasing budget allotments to CUNY, and obtaining transit…

  19. Insurance-Related Barriers to Accessing Dental Care Among African American Adults With Oral Health Symptoms in Harlem, New York City

    PubMed Central

    Siegel, Karolynn; Wolfson, Natalie H.; Mitchell, Dennis A.; Kunzel, Carol

    2011-01-01

    Although ability to pay is associated with dental care utilization, provision of public or private dental insurance has not eliminated dental care disparities between African American and White adults. We examined insurance-related barriers to dental care in interviews with a street-intercept sample of 118 African American adults in Harlem, New York City, with recent oral health symptoms. Although most participants reported having dental insurance (21% private, 50% Medicaid), reported barriers included (1) lack of coverage, (2) insufficient coverage, (3) inability to find a dentist who accepts their insurance, (4) having to wait for coverage to take effect, and (5) perceived poor quality of care for the uninsured or underinsured. These findings provide insights into why disparities persist and suggest strategies to removing these barriers to dental care. PMID:21680926

  20. The impact of cigarette excise tax increases on purchasing behaviors among New York city smokers.

    PubMed

    Coady, Micaela H; Chan, Christina A; Sacks, Rachel; Mbamalu, Ijeoma G; Kansagra, Susan M

    2013-06-01

    We examined the relationship between cigarette excise tax increases and tax-avoidant purchasing behaviors among New York City adult smokers. We analyzed data from the city's annual Community Health Survey to assess changes in rates of tax avoidance over time (2003-2010) and smokers' responses to the 2008 state cigarette tax increase. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified correlates of buying more cigarettes on the street in response to the increase. After the 2002 tax increase, the percentage of smokers engaged in tax-avoidant behavior decreased with time from 30% in 2003 to 13% in 2007. Following the 2008 tax increase, 21% of smokers reported buying more cigarettes from another person on the street. Low-income, younger, Black, and Hispanic smokers were more likely than respondents with other sociodemographic characteristics to purchase more cigarettes on the street. To maximize public health impact, cigarette tax increases should be paired with efforts to limit the flow of untaxed cigarettes entering jurisdictions with high cigarette pack prices.

  1. A Neighborhood Analysis of Public Library Use in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Japzon, Andrea C.; Gong, Hongmian

    2005-01-01

    The use of 200 public libraries in New York City was analyzed according to their neighborhood characteristics. In addition to demographic, economic, and cultural factors traditionally considered, the social and spatial interactions within a neighborhood were related to public library use. Correlation and regression analyses were implemented for…

  2. School-Based Budgeting in New York City: Perceptions of School Communities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iatarola, Patrice; Stiefel, Leanna

    1998-01-01

    Summarizes results of surveys and interviews of community members from 29 New York City schools involved in school-level budgeting during 1995-96. Analyzes respondents' knowledge about school budgets, ideas about resource decision making, perceptions of budgetary power, and suggestions. Fully 80% of respondents supported a participatory process.…

  3. Temporal and Spatial Patterns in Utilization of Mental Health Services During and After Hurricane Sandy: Emergency Department and Inpatient Hospitalizations in New York City.

    PubMed

    He, Fangtao Tony; Lundy De La Cruz, Nneka; Olson, Donald; Lim, Sungwoo; Levanon Seligson, Amber; Hall, Gerod; Jessup, Jillian; Gwynn, Charon

    2016-06-01

    Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 29, 2012, causing a coastal storm surge and extensive flooding, which led to the closure of several health care facilities in New York City (NYC) and prolonged interruptions in service delivery. The impact on mental health-related emergency department (ED) and inpatient hospital service utilization was studied. Data came from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. We obtained mental health-related data among NYC residents from 2010 to 2013. Patients were grouped into 5 geographic areas, including service areas of closed hospitals, the Hurricane Sandy evaluation zone, and all of NYC. The Farrington method was used to detect increases in ED visits and hospitalizations for the post-Sandy period. Open hospitals experienced a substantial increase in psychiatric ED visits from patients living in the service areas of closed hospitals. This surge in psychiatric ED visits persisted for 4 to 6 months after Hurricane Sandy. However, the increase in psychiatric hospitalizations was observed for 1 to 3 months. Several NYC hospitals received a substantially larger number of ED patients from service areas of closed hospitals after Hurricane Sandy, unlike other hospitals that experienced a decrease. Because of potential surges in the number of psychiatric ED visits, resource allocation to hospitals should be considered. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:512-517).

  4. New York City School Survey 2008-2010: Assessing the Reliability and Validity of a Progress Report Measure. Technical Appendices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nathanson, Lori; Cole, Rachel; Kemple, James J.; Lent, Jessica; McCormick, Meghan; Segeritz, Micha

    2013-01-01

    The Research Alliance for New York City Schools examined Department of Education (DOE) School Survey data from 2008-2010 to better understand the richness and complexities of the information elicited by the Survey from parents, students, and teachers. This document provides the appendices to the technical report "New York City School Survey…

  5. Exposure to 9/11 among youth and their mothers in New York City: enduring associations with mental health and sociopolitical attitudes.

    PubMed

    Gershoff, Elizabeth T; Aber, J Lawrence; Ware, Angelica; Kotler, Jennifer A

    2010-01-01

    The enduring impact of exposure to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on mental health and sociopolitical attitudes was examined in a sample of 427 adolescents (M = 16.20 years) and their mothers residing in New York City. Direct exposure to the terrorist attack was associated with youth depression symptoms and with mothers' posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. There was no evidence of reciprocal effects of mother exposure on youth or of youth exposure on mothers. Although mothers reported engaging in more emotional processing coping assistance with their children, coping assistance was not associated with youth's symptomatology. Media exposure was found to be a strong predictor of youth's and mothers' sociopolitical attitudes about issues such as prejudice toward immigrants, social mistrust, and current events.

  6. Con un pie en dos islas: cultural bridges that inform sexual and reproductive health in the Dominican Republic and New York.

    PubMed

    Breitbart, Vicki; Morales, Haydee; Brown, Jaweer; Betances, Bethania; Kahalnik, Farra

    2010-06-01

    Immigrants from the Dominican Republic have grown in number and currently make up a substantial portion of New York City's population. In order to better understand the cultural context of Dominican women's sexual and reproductive health attitudes and practices, focus groups were conducted with Dominican women living in New York City as well as with women living in the Dominican Republic. Analysis found that women in the USA had more economic independence and a greater sense of freedom in regards to sexuality than women in the Dominican Republic. However, those in New York City also hoped to maintain their cultural identity in many ways. Women associated the prevalence of gender-based violence with male unemployment and alcohol abuse. Women in both locales reported limited condom use and saw contraception as a woman's responsibility. Many barriers to using the healthcare system were identified and, in many cases, there exists a preference for herbal treatments and folk remedies. This study provided many important insights that have the potential to increase the quality of sexual and reproductive health care for Dominican women.

  7. Extreme Urban Stargazing: Outreach in New York City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendall, Jason S.

    2013-01-01

    There is a fundamental need for the professional community to cultivate and nurture active relationships with amateur organizations. The rewards of such work are highly beneficial to general public education and town-gown relations, but are time-consuming and hard-won. New York City and the surrounding area is both ideally suited and unambiguously ill-suited for astronomy public outreach. I will detail the results of three major outreach efforts in coordination with the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. I will highlight large public-space observing in the context of the Transit of Venus and star parties at other locations. I will also outline outreach efforts at William Paterson University, where two public nights and a Curiosity EDL event created a clear impact in Northern New Jersey. I will detail methods for encouraging and bringing out amateur observers to events, urban crowd management, publicity issues, and the benefits and pitfalls of social media in the promotion and execution of large-scale and moderate events.

  8. City, region, and in between: New York City's water supply and the insights of regional history.

    PubMed

    Soll, David

    2012-01-01

    Urban historians have greatly expanded their geographical purview in recent years, incorporating suburbs and hinterlands into their analysis of social and environmental change. Urban environmental historians and suburban historians have played a critical role in the regionalization of urban history over the last decade. This case study of the development of New York City’s water supply reveals the benefits of taking a regional approach to urban history. From the New York Public Library to Central Park’s Great Lawn to neighborhood parks, the New York City landscape bears the traces of the continuous development of the city’s water network. Expansion of the water system in rural hinterlands enabled municipal officials to put urban reservoirs to new uses, creating some of the city’s most beloved public spaces. The rehabilitation of urban infrastructure underscores the intimate linkages between rural development and the urban built environment.

  9. Coping with Workfare: The Experience of New York City's Community Colleges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCormick, Lynn

    2003-01-01

    Examines the extent to which urban community colleges are able to develop new programs for welfare recipients under welfare reform. Reports that, according to a survey of New York City's community colleges, although the policy environment has dampened new programming for welfare recipients among these institutions, some exemplary programs have…

  10. Bullying in New York City Schools: Educators Speak out, 2009-2010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, 2010

    2010-01-01

    On September 3, 2008, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced Chancellor's Regulation A-832, which established a procedure for preventing and addressing student-to-student bias-based harassment in New York City public schools. Community members and advocates stood with the mayor and chancellor as they announced this…

  11. Can They Make It on Their Own? Aging out of Foster Care--A Report on New York City's Independent Living Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, NY.

    Every year the New York City foster care system discharges approximately 650 young people between the ages of 18 and 21 to live on their own. This study was conducted to determine how the voluntary foster care agencies in New York City have interpreted state and city independent living regulations and implemented programming and services that lead…

  12. New York City Goes to College: A First Look at Patterns of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Degree Attainment for New York City High School Students. Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coca, Vanessa

    2014-01-01

    Over the past 15 years, in New York City and across the country, expectations for high schools--and high school students--have changed dramatically. Increasingly, high schools are being asked not only to reduce dropout rates and boost graduation rates, but also to impart knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prepare students to succeed in…

  13. Neighborhood walkability and active travel (walking and cycling) in New York City.

    PubMed

    Freeman, Lance; Neckerman, Kathryn; Schwartz-Soicher, Ofira; Quinn, James; Richards, Catherine; Bader, Michael D M; Lovasi, Gina; Jack, Darby; Weiss, Christopher; Konty, Kevin; Arno, Peter; Viola, Deborah; Kerker, Bonnie; Rundle, Andrew G

    2013-08-01

    Urban planners have suggested that built environment characteristics can support active travel (walking and cycling) and reduce sedentary behavior. This study assessed whether engagement in active travel is associated with neighborhood walkability measured for zip codes in New York City. Data were analyzed on engagement in active travel and the frequency of walking or biking ten blocks or more in the past month, from 8,064 respondents to the New York City 2003 Community Health Survey (CHS). A neighborhood walkability scale that measures: residential, intersection, and subway stop density; land use mix; and the ratio of retail building floor area to retail land area was calculated for each zip code. Data were analyzed using zero-inflated negative binomial regression incorporating survey sample weights and adjusting for respondents' sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, 44 % of respondents reported no episodes of active travel and among those who reported any episode, the mean number was 43.2 episodes per month. Comparing the 75th to the 25th percentile of zip code walkability, the odds ratio for reporting zero episodes of active travel was 0.71 (95 % CI 0.61, 0.83) and the exponentiated beta coefficient for the count of episodes of active travel was 1.13 (95 % CI 1.06, 1.21). Associations between lower walkability and reporting zero episodes of active travel were significantly stronger for non-Hispanic Whites as compared to non-Hispanic Blacks and to Hispanics and for those living in higher income zip codes. The results suggest that neighborhood walkability is associated with higher engagement in active travel.

  14. School Brand Management: The Policies, Practices, and Perceptions of Branding and Marketing in New York City's Public High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DiMartino, Catherine; Jessen, Sarah Butler

    2016-01-01

    Over the past 20 years, market-based choice initiatives have become a popular approach to education reform. Since 2002, the New York City Department of Education has opened over 250 high schools, creating a marketplace so widespread that many students no longer have a zoned or neighborhood school. This article uses two New York City--based case…

  15. Evaluation design of New York City's regulations on nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early child care centers.

    PubMed

    Breck, Andrew; Goodman, Ken; Dunn, Lillian; Stephens, Robert L; Dawkins, Nicola; Dixon, Beth; Jernigan, Jan; Kakietek, Jakub; Lesesne, Catherine; Lessard, Laura; Nonas, Cathy; O'Dell, Sarah Abood; Osuji, Thearis A; Bronson, Bernice; Xu, Ye; Kettel Khan, Laura

    2014-10-16

    This article describes the multi-method cross-sectional design used to evaluate New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's regulations of nutrition, physical activity, and screen time for children aged 3 years or older in licensed group child care centers. The Center Evaluation Component collected data from a stratified random sample of 176 licensed group child care centers in New York City. Compliance with the regulations was measured through a review of center records, a facility inventory, and interviews of center directors, lead teachers, and food service staff. The Classroom Evaluation Component included an observational and biometric study of a sample of approximately 1,400 children aged 3 or 4 years attending 110 child care centers and was designed to complement the center component at the classroom and child level. The study methodology detailed in this paper may aid researchers in designing policy evaluation studies that can inform other jurisdictions considering similar policies.

  16. The Effect of Private School Vouchers on Political Participation: Experimental Evidence from New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlson, Deven; Chingos, Matthew M.; Campbell, David E.

    2017-01-01

    In 1997, the New York School Choice Scholarships Foundation Program (SCSF) randomly offered three-year scholarships to attend private schools to approximately 1,000 low-income families in New York City. In this paper we leverage exogenous variation generated by the SCSF to estimate the causal effect of the private school voucher offer--and the…

  17. Focus on Learning: A Report on Reorganizing General and Special Education in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fruchter, Norm; And Others

    This report is the result of a year-long evaluation of special education in New York City (New York) and presents major recommendations for reorganizing general and special education. It proposes a school-based model with an integrated general/special education system, and use of an enrichment allocation from merged special and general education…

  18. Factors Influencing Health Service Utilization Among Asian Immigrant Nail Salon Workers in the Greater New York City Area.

    PubMed

    Seo, Jin Young; Chao, Ying-Yu; Yeung, Ka Man; Strauss, Shiela M

    2018-06-23

    Most nail salon workers in the greater New York City area are Asian immigrant women. They are exposed daily to potentially toxic chemicals and hazards in their workplace, making them more vulnerable for possible health problems. The study's primary purpose was to identify factors influencing past year healthcare utilization among Asian immigrant women working in nail salons. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on a modification of Andersen's behavioral model of healthcare utilization in which 148 Korean and Chinese immigrant women currently working in nail salons were surveyed. The questionnaire included: (1) individual health determinants, (2) health service utilization in the past year, and (3) work environment, work-related health concerns, and work-related health problems. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models assessed factors related to past year healthcare utilization. Women who had health insurance (p < .01), a usual source of care (p < .01), low educational attainment (p < .05), and more work-related health symptoms (p < .05) were more likely to visit a primary care provider. Women who had health insurance (p < .01), a usual source of care (p < .05), and low educational attainment (p < .05), were also more likely to visit a woman's health provider. Korean (rather than Chinese) women (p < .05) and women who perceived themselves to be in fair/poor health (p < .05) were more likely to see a traditional provider of Eastern medicine. Asian immigrant women who work in nail salons have workplace health and safety concerns. They generally use Western rather than traditional medicine, with different factors related to these two types of medicine.

  19. Is All Urban Green Space the Same? A Comparison of the Health Benefits of Trees and Grass in New York City.

    PubMed

    Reid, Colleen E; Clougherty, Jane E; Shmool, Jessie L C; Kubzansky, Laura D

    2017-11-18

    Living near vegetation, often called "green space" or "greenness", has been associated with numerous health benefits. We hypothesized that the two key components of urban vegetation, trees and grass, may differentially affect health. We estimated the association between near-residence trees, grass, and total vegetation (from the 2010 High Resolution Land Cover dataset for New York City (NYC)) with self-reported health from a survey of NYC adults (n = 1281). We found higher reporting of "very good" or "excellent" health for respondents with the highest, compared to the lowest, quartiles of tree (RR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.06-1.44) but not grass density (relative risk (RR) = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.86-1.17) within 1000 m buffers, adjusting for pertinent confounders. Significant positive associations between trees and self-reported health remained after adjustment for grass, whereas associations with grass remained non-significant. Adjustment for air pollutants increased beneficial associations between trees and self-reported health; adjustment for parks only partially attenuated these effects. Results were null or negative using a 300 m buffer. Findings imply that higher exposure to vegetation, particularly trees outside of parks, may be associated with better health. If replicated, this may suggest that urban street tree planting may improve population health.

  20. Voucher Research Controversy: New Looks at the New York City Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howell, William G.; Peterson, Paul E.

    2004-01-01

    In "The Education Gap: Vouchers and Urban Schools" (Brookings, 2002), the authors and their colleagues reported that attending a private school had no discernible impact, positive or negative, on the test scores of non-African-American students participating in school voucher programs in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Dayton, Ohio.…

  1. Selective Energy Feasibility Study -- Richmond College, City University of New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Consulting Engineer, 1974

    1974-01-01

    A study of the presently available data on magnitude, duration, and coincidence of electrical demands determined that onsite electrical power generation in the form of a selective energy system should be incorporated within the central utilities plant projected for the Richmond College Campus of the City University of New York (CUNY). (Author/MLF)

  2. Transforming Community College Education at The City University of New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, Benno

    2013-01-01

    The City University of New York (CUNY) developed and implemented two evidence-based, educational initiatives at its community colleges. Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), on six campuses, helped 55 percent of students who enter with one or two developmental needs earn an associate degree within three years. This compares with 20…

  3. Spatial Shift in the Utilization of Mental Health Services After Hurricane Sandy Among New York City Residents Enrolled in Medicaid.

    PubMed

    Hall, Gerod; Jessup, Jillian; Lim, Sungwoo; Olson, Donald; Seligson, Amber Levanon; He, Fangtao Tony; De La Cruz, Nneka; Gwynn, Charon

    2016-06-01

    Closure of several New York City (NYC) hospitals after Hurricane Sandy caused an unanticipated, extended surge in patient demand at open hospitals. This study identified hospitals with a significant increase in mental-health-related emergency department, inpatient, and outpatient visits from Medicaid patients displaced by Hurricane Sandy. NYC Medicaid patients were classified into non-mutually-exclusive geographic categories corresponding to residence in areas served by Bellevue Hospital Center and Coney Island Hospital, the hurricane impact area, and all of NYC. For each geographic region, we compared the observed to the expected number of service visits in the 6 months after the storm. The expected number of visits was calculated from 2-year trends in mental health claims. Twenty-four facilities in all 5 NYC boroughs experienced patient redistribution from storm-affected areas. Eighteen facilities had a concurrent surge in total Medicaid patients, which suggested that redistribution had a greater impact on resource use at these locations. The redistribution of Medicaid patients after Hurricane Sandy increased mental health service utilization at facilities not near flooded areas. Our findings can aid in surge capacity planning and thereby improve the continuity of mental health care after a natural disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:420-427).

  4. A model of integrated health care in a poverty-impacted community in New York City: Importance of early detection and addressing potential barriers to intervention implementation.

    PubMed

    Acri, Mary C; Bornheimer, Lindsay A; O'Brien, Kyle; Sezer, Sara; Little, Virna; Cleek, Andrew F; McKay, Mary M

    2016-04-01

    Disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are chronic, impairing, and costly behavioral health conditions that are four times more prevalent among children of color living in impoverished communities as compared to the general population. This disparity is largely due to the increased exposure to stressors related to low socioeconomic status including community violence, unstable housing, under supported schools, substance abuse, and limited support systems. However, despite high rates and greater need, there is a considerably lower rate of mental health service utilization among these youth. Accordingly, the current study aims to describe a unique model of integrated health care for ethnically diverse youth living in a New York City borough. With an emphasis on addressing possible barriers to implementation, integrated models for children have the potential to prevent ongoing mental health problems through early detection and intervention.

  5. Quantitative analysis of residential parking intrusions by passenger vehicles in New York City.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-05-01

    This paper investigates the spatial patterns of residential parking intrusions in New York City, their determinants, and an : estimated number and spatial patterns of induced excessive vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The paper analyzes parking tickets ...

  6. Neighborhood Disparities in Prevalence of Childhood Obesity Among Low-Income Children Before and After Implementation of New York City Child Care Regulations

    PubMed Central

    Edmunds, Lynn S.; Dalenius, Karen; Jernigan, Jan; Davis, Christopher F.; Giddings, Mark; Lesesne, Catherine; Kettel Khan, Laura

    2014-01-01

    Introduction New York City Article 47 regulations, implemented in 2007, require licensed child care centers to improve the nutrition, physical activity, and television-viewing behaviors of enrolled children. To supplement an evaluation of the Article 47 regulations, we conducted an exploratory ecologic study to examine changes in childhood obesity prevalence among low-income preschool children enrolled in the Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in New York City neighborhoods with or without a district public health office. We conducted the study 3 years before (from 2004 through 2006) and after (from 2008 through 2010) the implementation of the regulations in 2007. Methods We used an ecologic, time-trend analysis to compare 3-year cumulative obesity prevalence among WIC-enrolled preschool children during 2004 to 2006 and 2008 to 2010. Outcome data were obtained from the New York State component of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System. Results Early childhood obesity prevalence declined in all study neighborhoods from 2004–2006 to 2008–2010. The greatest decline occurred in Manhattan high-risk neighborhoods where obesity prevalence decreased from 18.6% in 2004–2006 to 15.3% in 2008–2010. The results showed a narrowing of the gap in obesity prevalence between high-risk and low-risk neighborhoods in Manhattan and the Bronx, but not in Brooklyn. Conclusion The reductions in early childhood obesity prevalence in some high-risk and low-risk neighborhoods in New York City suggest that progress was made in reducing health disparities during the years just before and after implementation of the 2007 regulations. Future research should consider the built environment and markers of differential exposure to known interventions and policies related to childhood obesity prevention. PMID:25321632

  7. Neighborhood disparities in prevalence of childhood obesity among low-income children before and after implementation of New York City child care regulations.

    PubMed

    Sekhobo, Jackson P; Edmunds, Lynn S; Dalenius, Karen; Jernigan, Jan; Davis, Christopher F; Giddings, Mark; Lesesne, Catherine; Kettel Khan, Laura

    2014-10-16

    New York City Article 47 regulations, implemented in 2007, require licensed child care centers to improve the nutrition, physical activity, and television-viewing behaviors of enrolled children. To supplement an evaluation of the Article 47 regulations, we conducted an exploratory ecologic study to examine changes in childhood obesity prevalence among low-income preschool children enrolled in the Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in New York City neighborhoods with or without a district public health office. We conducted the study 3 years before (from 2004 through 2006) and after (from 2008 through 2010) the implementation of the regulations in 2007. We used an ecologic, time-trend analysis to compare 3-year cumulative obesity prevalence among WIC-enrolled preschool children during 2004 to 2006 and 2008 to 2010. Outcome data were obtained from the New York State component of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System. Early childhood obesity prevalence declined in all study neighborhoods from 2004-2006 to 2008-2010. The greatest decline occurred in Manhattan high-risk neighborhoods where obesity prevalence decreased from 18.6% in 2004-2006 to 15.3% in 2008-2010. The results showed a narrowing of the gap in obesity prevalence between high-risk and low-risk neighborhoods in Manhattan and the Bronx, but not in Brooklyn. The reductions in early childhood obesity prevalence in some high-risk and low-risk neighborhoods in New York City suggest that progress was made in reducing health disparities during the years just before and after implementation of the 2007 regulations. Future research should consider the built environment and markers of differential exposure to known interventions and policies related to childhood obesity prevention.

  8. "Hopelessly Insane, Some Almost Maniacs": New York City's War on "Unfit" Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chmielewski, Kristen

    2018-01-01

    This article explores how Dr. Emil Altman and the New York City Board of Education manipulated prevailing narratives of disability in a crusade to rid their city school system of "unfit" teachers during the late 1920s through to the early 1940s. Capitalising on fears of disability related to ideas about efficiency and eugenics, Altman…

  9. The Changing Face of Poverty. Trends in New York City's Population in Poverty: 1960-1990.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tobier, Emanuel

    This report is the first product of the Community Service Society's Economic and Social Monitoring Unit which analyzes and forecasts the status of the poor in New York City (NYC). The report documents the following major findings: (1) nationwide, there are now fewer elderly and more minorities and women among the poor; the trends in New York City…

  10. Hurricane Sandy and Adaptation Pathways in New York: Lessons from a First-Responder City

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Solecki, William

    2014-01-01

    Two central issues of climate change have become increasingly evident: Climate change will significantly affect cities; and rapid global urbanization will increase dramatically the number of individuals, amount of critical infrastructure, and means of economic production that are exposed and vulnerable to dynamic climate risks. Simultaneously, cities in many settings have begun to emerge as early adopters of climate change action strategies including greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation. The objective of this paper is to examine and analyze how officials of one city - the City of New York - have integrated a flexible adaptation pathways approach into the municipality's climate action strategy. This approach has been connected with the City's ongoing response to Hurricane Sandy, which struck in the October 2012 and resulted in damages worth more than US$19 billion. A case study narrative methodology utilizing the Wise et al. conceptual framework (see this volume) is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the flexible adaptation pathways approach in New York City. The paper finds that Hurricane Sandy serves as a ''tipping point'' leading to transformative adaptation due to the explicit inclusion of increasing climate change risks in the rebuilding effort. The potential for transferability of the approach to cities varying in size and development stage is discussed, with elements useful across cities including the overall concept of flexible adaptation pathways, the inclusion of the full metropolitan region in the planning process, and the co-generation of climate-risk information by stakeholders and scientists.

  11. 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in pregnant women requiring intensive care - New York City, 2009.

    PubMed

    2010-03-26

    Pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness and complications from infection with seasonal influenza and 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1). To characterize the severity of 2009 H1N1 infection in pregnant women, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) conducted active and passive surveillance for cases of 2009 H1N1 infection in pregnant women requiring intensive care. This report summarizes the results of that surveillance, which found that, during 2009, 16 pregnant women and one who was postpartum were admitted to New York City intensive-care units (ICUs). Two women died. Of the 17 women, 12 had no recognized risk factors for severe influenza complications other than pregnancy. All 17 women received antiviral treatment with oseltamivir; however, treatment was initiated or=5 days after symptom onset in four women. Because initiation of antiviral treatment health-care providers should initiate empiric antiviral therapy for these women as soon as possible, even if >2 days after symptom onset. Health departments and health-care providers should educate pregnant and postpartum women regarding the risks posed by influenza and highlight the effectiveness and safety of influenza vaccination. Obstetricians and other health-care providers should offer influenza vaccination to their pregnant patients.

  12. The Struggle for Equality: School Integration Controversy in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swanson, Bert E.

    A study of the problems and decision making processes associated with the integration of New York City's public schools focuses on the reaction of the dominant white community to proposed integration policies. The research was funded by the U.S. Office of Education, Cooperative Research Program. The volume discusses the scope and method of this…

  13. New York City Police Department Street Crime Unit: An Exemplary Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halper, Andrew; Ku, Richard

    The document presents a description of the policies and procedures of the New York City Street Crime Unit (SCU) which conducts street surveillance and decoy activities. The organization and administrative structure of the SCU is studied according to the size of a unit and the chain of command requirements. The SCU's methods for selecting and…

  14. The Adjustment Experience of Chinese Immigrant Children in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sung, Betty Lee

    This book examines the role of three major social institutions--community, school, and family--in helping Chinese immigrant children cope with and adapt to a new life in New York City. The following aspects of Chinese life are explored: (1) immigration networking; (2) determinants of immigrant types; (3) the community; (4) the school--enrollment…

  15. Financing Public Education in New York City and the Rest of the State. IESP Policy Brief No. 01-11

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Debraggio, Elizabeth; Schwartz, Amy Ellen; Stiefel, Leanna

    2011-01-01

    New York City (NYC) is home to the largest school district in the U.S., with over one million students and more than 1,600 schools. While it is only one of approximately seven hundred school districts in New York State (NYS), the city educates about one-third of the state's students. In recent work examining school finance during Mayor Bloomberg's…

  16. Survey of New York City Resident Physicians on Cause-of-Death Reporting, 2010

    PubMed Central

    Wexelman, Barbara A.; Eden, Edward

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Death certificates contain critical information for epidemiology, public health research, disease surveillance, and community health programs. In most teaching hospitals, resident physicians complete death certificates. The objective of this study was to examine the experiences and opinions of physician residents in New York City on the accuracy of the cause-of-death reporting system. Methods In May and June 2010, we conducted an anonymous, Internet-based, 32-question survey of all internal medicine, emergency medicine, and general surgery residency programs (n = 70) in New York City. We analyzed data by type of residency and by resident experience in reporting deaths. We defined high-volume respondents as those who completed 11 or more death certificates in the last 3 years. Results A total of 521 residents from 38 residency programs participated (program response rate, 54%). We identified 178 (34%) high-volume respondents. Only 33.3% of all respondents and 22.7% of high-volume residents believed that cause-of-death reporting is accurate. Of all respondents, 48.6% had knowingly reported an inaccurate cause of death; 58.4% of high-volume residents had done so. Of respondents who indicated they reported an inaccurate cause, 76.8% said the system would not accept the correct cause, 40.5% said admitting office personnel instructed them to “put something else,” and 30.7% said the medical examiner instructed them to do so; 64.6% cited cardiovascular disease as the most frequent diagnosis inaccurately reported. Conclusion Most resident physicians believed the current cause-of-death reporting system is inaccurate, often knowingly documenting incorrect causes. The system should be improved to allow reporting of more causes, and residents should receive better training on completing death certificates. PMID:23660118

  17. Disparities in community viral load among HIV-infected persons in New York City.

    PubMed

    Laraque, Fabienne; Mavronicolas, Heather A; Robertson, McKaylee M; Gortakowski, Heidi W; Terzian, Arpi S

    2013-08-24

    HIV infection is a major problem in New York City (NYC), with more than 100,000 living HIV-infected persons. Novel public health approaches are needed to control the epidemic. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) analysed community viral load (CVL) for a baseline to monitor the population-level impact of HIV control interventions. A cross-sectional study using routinely collected surveillance data. All HIV-infected persons reported to the NYC HIV Registry who were at least 13 years of age, with at least one viral load test result in 2008, and alive at the end of 31 December 2008 were included. CVL was defined as the mean of individual viral load means reported between January and December 2008. Detectable viral load was defined as an individual mean of more than 400 copies/ml. Differences in CVL and proportion undetectable were computed by socio-demographic characteristics and summary measures were mapped. New York City CVL was 21,318 copies/ml overall (N=62,550) and 44,749 copies/ml (N=28,366) among persons with detectable mean viral loads. CVL varied by demographic and clinical characteristics, with statistically significant differences (P<0.001) in all groups except race/ethnicity (P=0.16). Men, persons aged 20-49 years, MSM, persons with AIDS, those with a CD4 cell count of 200 cells/μl or less and persons diagnosed after 2006 had higher mean viral load. Overall, 54.7% of HIV-infected persons had a suppressed mean viral load, with individual and neighbourhood variations (P<0.0001). This analysis showed strong disparities in reported CVL by individual characteristics and neighbourhoods. CVL patterns can be utilized to target interventions and track their impact.

  18. Increasing seat belt use in New York City : evaluation of a demonstration project.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-11-01

    A high-visibility seat belt enforcement program was implemented along Northern Boulevard and surrounding neighborhoods in northern Queens, New York City. The goal was to determine if high-visibility enforcement could increase belt use in a localized ...

  19. Hazardous Waste Cleanup: CWM Chemical Services, LLC in Model City, New York

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The CWM facility is located at 1550 Balmer Road in northwestern New York State in Model City (the towns of Lewiston and Porter.) The property has been operated as a hazardous waste disposal area since 1972. Prior to 1972, the site property was used for a

  20. City University of New York--Availability of Student Computer Resources. Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCall, H. Carl

    This audit reports on the availability of computer resources at the City University of New York's (CUNY) senior colleges. CUNY is the largest urban and the third largest public university system in the United States. Of the 19 CUNY campuses located throughout the five boroughs, 11 are senior colleges offering four-year degrees. For the fall 2001…

  1. Stumbling Through: How Joel Klein Reinvented the New York City Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Viteritti, Joseph P.

    2012-01-01

    In this essay, the author reviews "Education Reform in New York City: Ambitious Change in the Nation's Most Complex School System," by Jennifer A. O'Day, Catherine S. Bitter, and Louis Gomez. The book under review explores a larger set of issues, and some time has passed. But many of the issues studied remain relevant and the consistent…

  2. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE, Perc) levels in residential dry cleaner buildings in diverse communities in New York City.

    PubMed

    McDermott, Michael J; Mazor, Kimberly A; Shost, Stephen J; Narang, Rajinder S; Aldous, Kenneth M; Storm, Jan E

    2005-10-01

    Fugitive tetrachloroethylene (PCE, perc) emissions from dry cleaners operating in apartment buildings can contaminate residential indoor air. In 1997, New York State and New York City adopted regulations to reduce and contain perc emissions from dry cleaners located in residential and other buildings. As part of a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) study, indoor air perc levels were determined in 65 apartments located in 24 buildings in New York City where dry cleaners used perc on site. Sampling occurred during 2001-2003, and sampled buildings were dispersed across minority and nonminority as well as low-income and higher income neighborhoods. For the entire study area, the mean apartment perc level was 34 microg/m3, 10-fold lower than mean apartment levels of 340-360 microg/m3 documented before 1997. The maximum detected perc level was 5,000 microg/m3, 5-fold lower than the maximum of 25,000 microg/m3 documented before 1997. Despite these accomplishments, perc levels in 17 sampled apartments still exceeded the NYSDOH residential air guideline of 100 microg/m3, and perc levels in 4 sampled apartments exceeded 1,000 microg/m3. Moreover, mean indoor air perc levels in minority neighborhoods (75 microg/m3) were four times higher than in nonminority households (19 microg/m3) and were > 10 times higher in low-income neighborhoods (256 microg/m3) than in higher income neighborhoods (23 microg/m3). Logistic regression suitable for clustered data (apartments within buildings) indicated that perc levels on floors 1-4 were significantly more likely to exceed 100 microg/m3 in buildings located in minority neighborhoods (odds ratio = 6.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-30.5) than in nonminority neighborhoods. Factors that may be contributing to the elevated perc levels detected, especially in minority and low-income neighborhoods, are being explored.

  3. Food insecurity and obesity in New York City primary care clinics.

    PubMed

    Karnik, Arati; Foster, Byron Alexander; Mayer, Victoria; Pratomo, Vanessa; McKee, Diane; Maher, Stacia; Campos, Giselle; Anderson, Matthew

    2011-07-01

    Hunger continues to be a problem in New York City; paradoxically, the city also has disproportionally high rates of diabetes and obesity. Some research suggests that food insecurity leads to obesity. We undertook a cross-sectional "card study" in which doctors working at 8 New York City area primary care practices administered a brief, anonymous survey to patients they saw during clinic sessions. The survey included a 2-question food insecurity screen and questions about enrollment in nutrition assistance programs. Height and weight were also measured at the visit. Cards were completed for 558 patients (65.1% female; 74.7% adults; 78.5% conducted in English). Fifty-five percent of patients were receiving some form of food assistance. More than half of patients (51.7%) reported some degree of food insecurity. Of adult participants, 21.8% had normal weight, 29.1% were overweight, and 48.2% were obese. Food insecurity was significantly associated with increasing body mass index in women not receiving food assistance. There was no significant association between body mass index and food insecurity in children. In an urban population, overweight and obesity are very common as is food insecurity. We found an association between food insecurity and obesity only among women not receiving food assistance suggesting a possible protective role for food assistance. Providers should consider food insecurity in similar populations when trying to address obesity.

  4. Estimating the effects of a calorie-based sugar-sweetened beverage tax on weight and obesity in New York City adults using dynamic loss models.

    PubMed

    Ruff, Ryan Richard; Zhen, Chen

    2015-05-01

    Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of obesity. In this article, we determine the effects of an innovative SSB tax on weight and obesity in New York City adults. Dynamic weight loss models were used to estimate the effects of an expected 5800-calorie reduction resulting from an SSB tax on weight and obesity. Baseline data were derived from the New York City Community Health Survey. One, five, and 10-year simulations of weight loss were performed. Calorie reductions resulted in a per-person weight loss of 0.46 kg in year 1 and 0.92 kg in year 10. A total of 5,531,059 kg was expected to be lost over 10 years when weighted to the full New York City adult population. Approximately 50% of overall bodyweight loss occurred within the first year, and 95% within 5 years. Results showed consistent but nonsignificant decreases in obesity prevalence. SSB taxes may be viable strategies to reduce obesity when combined with other interventions to maximize effects in the population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Connected vehicle pilot deployment program phase 1, deployment outreach plan -- New York City.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-07-19

    This document is a high level plan that describes the Outreach Plan for the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment. The plan defines the communications strategy for the CV Pilot Deployment; identifies roles and responsibilities of persons t...

  6. Approaches of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-Funded Intermediary Organizations to Structuring and Supporting Small High Schools in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foley, Eileen

    2010-01-01

    In 2003, a few years after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began implementing its small schools reform agenda, the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education (DOE) announced a plan to replace large failing high schools in New York City with 200 small schools. In short order, the foundation and the Chancellor became partners…

  7. Project 2011 and the Preparation of Black and Latino Students for Admission to Specialized High Schools in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebanks, Mercedes E.; Toldson, Ivory A.; Richards, Soyini; Lemmons, Brianna P.

    2012-01-01

    Public elite and specialized high schools in New York City have a very low enrollment of Black and Latino students. Project 2011 is an intensive preparatory instructional program to improve acceptance rates for Black and Latino children to the eight specialized public high schools in New York City. Initiated and funded by District 17 and 18 of the…

  8. Long-term Energy and Emissions Savings Potential in New York City Buildings

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhatt, Vatsal; Lee, John; Klein, Yehuda

    2012-09-30

    The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) partnered with the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and the City University of New York (CUNY) to develop an integrated methodology that is capable of quantifying the impact of energy efficiency and load management options in buildings, including CUNY’s campus buildings, housing projects, hospitals, and hotels, while capturing the synergies and offsets in a complex and integrated energy-environmental system. The results of this work serve as a guideline in implementing urban energy efficiency and other forms of urban environmental improvement through cost-effective planning at the institutional and local level.

  9. Empowered or Beleaguered? Principals' Accountability under New York City's Diverse Provider Regime

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shipps, Dorothy

    2012-01-01

    By 2008, New York City's school governing regime contained two market-creation policies. Each reshaped principal incentives. One closed large high schools, replacing them with four-to-eight small schools. Another replaced uniform district-provided services with eleven School Support Organizations (SSOs). Both aimed to empower principals with new…

  10. The Challenge of Bilingualism in Education in the City of New York.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guerra, Emilio L.

    In this brief account are discussed the efforts made by New York City public schools to establish special programs for non-English speaking students, especially Puerto Rican migrants. The pioneer project using bilingual teachers to instruct "orientation classes" in East Harlem's Benjamin Franklin High School is described. Special…

  11. School-Based Management/Shared Decision-Making: A Study of School Reform in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jewell, Kenneth E.; Rosen, Jacqueline L.

    School-Based Management/Shared Decision Making is a city-wide program supported by New York City Schools in collaboration with Bank Street College, based on the belief that students, parents, school staff, and communities have unique needs, and that these needs can best be addressed by these persons. Participating schools formed teams of…

  12. Identifying Perceived Neighborhood Stressors Across Diverse Communities in New York City.

    PubMed

    Shmool, Jessie L C; Yonas, Michael A; Newman, Ogonnaya Dotson; Kubzansky, Laura D; Joseph, Evelyn; Parks, Ana; Callaway, Charles; Chubb, Lauren G; Shepard, Peggy; Clougherty, Jane E

    2015-09-01

    There is growing interest in the role of psychosocial stress in health disparities. Identifying which social stressors are most important to community residents is critical for accurately incorporating stressor exposures into health research. Using a community-academic partnered approach, we designed a multi-community study across the five boroughs of New York City to characterize resident perceptions of key neighborhood stressors. We conducted 14 community focus groups; two to three in each borough, with one adolescent group and one Spanish-speaking group per borough. We then used systematic content analysis and participant ranking data to describe prominent neighborhood stressors and identify dominant themes. Three inter-related themes regarding the social and structural sources of stressful experiences were most commonly identified across neighborhoods: (1) physical disorder and perceived neglect, (2) harassment by police and perceived safety and (3) gentrification and racial discrimination. Our findings suggest that multiple sources of distress, including social, political, physical and economic factors, should be considered when investigating health effects of community stressor exposures and psychological distress. Community expertise is essential for comprehensively characterizing the range of neighborhood stressors that may be implicated in psychosocial exposure pathways.

  13. Lead poisoning in pregnant women who used Ayurvedic medications from India--New York City, 2011-2012.

    PubMed

    2012-08-24

    Lead poisoning still occurs in the United States despite extensive prevention efforts and strict regulations. Exposure to lead can damage the brain, kidneys, and nervous and reproductive systems. Fetal exposure to lead can adversely affect neurodevelopment, decrease fetal growth, and increase the risk for premature birth and miscarriage. During 2011-2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) investigated six cases of lead poisoning associated with the use of 10 oral Ayurvedic medications made in India. All six cases were in foreign-born pregnant women assessed for lead exposure risk by health-care providers during prenatal visits, as required by New York state law. Their blood lead levels (BLLs) ranged from 16 to 64 µg/dL. Lead concentrations of the medications were as high as 2.4%; several medications also contained mercury or arsenic, which also can have adverse health effects. DOHMH distributed information about the medications to health-care providers, product manufacturers, and government agencies in the United States and abroad, via postal and electronic mail. DOHMH also ordered a local business selling contaminated products to cease sales. Health-care providers should ask patients, especially foreign-born or pregnant patients, about any use of foreign health products, supplements, and remedies such as Ayurvedic medications. Public health professionals should consider these types of products when investigating heavy metal exposures and raise awareness among health-care providers and the public regarding the health risks posed by such products.

  14. Noise Levels Associated With New York City's Mass Transit Systems

    PubMed Central

    Gershon, Robyn R. M.; Zeltser, Marina; Canton, Allison; Akram, Muhammad

    2009-01-01

    Objectives. We measured noise levels associated with various forms of mass transit and compared them to exposure guidelines designed to protect against noise-induced hearing loss. Methods. We used noise dosimetry to measure time-integrated noise levels in a representative sample of New York City mass transit systems (subways, buses, ferries, tramway, and commuter railways) aboard transit vehicles and at vehicle boarding platforms or terminals during June and July 2007. Results. Of the transit types evaluated, subway cars and platforms had the highest associated equivalent continuous average (Leq) and maximum noise levels. All transit types had Leq levels appreciably above 70 A-weighted decibels, the threshold at which noise-induced hearing loss is considered possible. Conclusions. Mass transit noise exposure has the potential to exceed limits recommended by the World Health Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency and thus cause noise-induced hearing loss among riders of all forms of mass transit given sufficient exposure durations. Environmental noise–control efforts in mass transit and, in cases in which controls are infeasible, the use of personal hearing protection would benefit the ridership's hearing health. PMID:19542046

  15. A Population-Based Assessment of the Health of Homeless Families in New York City, 2001–2003

    PubMed Central

    Bainbridge, Jay; Kennedy, Joseph; Bennani, Yussef; Agerton, Tracy; Marder, Dova; Forgione, Lisa; Faciano, Andrew; Thorpe, Lorna E.

    2011-01-01

    Objectives. We compared estimated population-based health outcomes for New York City (NYC) homeless families with NYC residents overall and in low-income neighborhoods. Methods. We matched a NYC family shelter user registry to mortality, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and blood lead test registries maintained by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2001–2003). Results. Overall adult age-adjusted death rates were similar among the 3 populations. HIV/AIDS and substance-use deaths were 3 and 5 times higher for homeless adults than for the general population; only substance-use deaths were higher than for low-income adults. Children who experienced homelessness appeared to be at an elevated risk of mortality (41.3 vs 22.5 per 100 000; P < .05). Seven in 10 adult and child deaths occurred outside shelter. Adult HIV/AIDS diagnosis rates were more than twice citywide rates but comparable with low-income rates, whereas tuberculosis rates were 3 times higher than in both populations. Homeless children had lower blood lead testing rates and a higher proportion of lead levels over 10 micrograms per deciliter than did both comparison populations. Conclusions. Morbidity and mortality levels were comparable between homeless and low-income adults; homeless children's slightly higher risk on some measures possibly reflects the impact of poverty and poor-quality, unstable housing. PMID:21233439

  16. The Association of Health-Related Fitness and Chronic Absenteeism Status in New York City Middle School Youth.

    PubMed

    D'Agostino, Emily M; Day, Sophia E; Konty, Kevin J; Larkin, Michael; Saha, Subir; Wyka, Katarzyna

    2018-03-23

    Extensive research demonstrates the benefits of fitness on children's health and academic performance. Although decreases in health-related fitness may increase school absenteeism, multiple years of prospective, child-level data are needed to examine whether fitness changes predict subsequent chronic absenteeism status. Six cohorts of New York City public school students were followed from grades 5-8 (2006/2007-2012/2013; N = 349,381). A longitudinal 3-level logistic generalized linear mixed model with random intercepts was used to test the association of individual children's changes in fitness and 1-year lagged chronic absenteeism. The odds of chronic absenteeism increased 27% [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25-1.30], 15% (OR 95% CI, 1.13-1.18), 9% (OR 95% CI, 1.07-1.11), and 1% (OR 95% CI, 0.98-1.04), for students who had a >20% decrease, 10%-20% decrease, <10% increase or decrease, and 10%-20% increase in fitness, respectively, compared with >20% fitness increase. These findings contribute important longitudinal evidence to a cross-sectional literature, demonstrating reductions in youth fitness may increase absenteeism. Given only 25% of youth aged 12-15 years achieve the recommended daily 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity, future work should examine the potential for youth fitness interventions to reduce absenteeism and foster positive attitudes toward lifelong physical activity.

  17. Arab American immigrants in New York: health care and cancer knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs.

    PubMed

    Shah, Susan M; Ayash, Claudia; Pharaon, Nora Alarifi; Gany, Francesca M

    2008-10-01

    Arab immigrants living in the United States total between 1.5 million and 3.5 million, and have been growing in number each decade. New York's Arab population, at 405,000, ranks third in the U.S. after California and Michigan. Despite the large numbers, little health research has focused on this population. Data about the cancer incidence, mortality, and screening practices of Arab Americans is overwhelmingly lacking. To better understand the health care and cancer knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Arab American immigrants, five single-gender focus groups were convened with Arab men and women in New York City. Attention was given to factors that act as barriers to utilization of general health care services, and of cancer prevention, treatment, and support services. The data revealed the importance of providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health interventions in partnership with trusted community leaders, and the need for follow-up research of this understudied immigrant population.

  18. Understanding Barriers to and Facilitators of Diabetes Control and Prevention in the New York City Bangladeshi Community: A Mixed-Methods Approach

    PubMed Central

    Tandon, Darius; Mukherji, Runi; Tanner, Michael; Ghosh, Krittika; Alam, Gulnahar; Haq, Mamnunal; Rey, Mariano Jose; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau

    2012-01-01

    We have reported results from the formative stage of a community health worker intervention designed to improve diabetes management among Bangladeshi patients in New York City. Trained community health workers conducted focus groups (n = 47) and surveys (n = 169) with Bangladeshi individuals recruited from community locations. Results indicated that participants faced numerous barriers to care, had high rates of limited English proficiency, and had low levels of knowledge about diabetes. Most participants expressed interest in participating in a community health worker intervention. PMID:22390512

  19. Improving population health by reducing poverty: New York's Earned Income Tax Credit.

    PubMed

    Wicks-Lim, Jeannette; Arno, Peter S

    2017-12-01

    Despite the established relationship between adverse health outcomes and low socioeconomic status, researchers rarely test the link between health improvements and poverty-alleviating economic policies. New research, however, links individual-level health improvements to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a broad-based income support policy. We build on these findings by examining whether the EITC has ecological, neighborhood-level health effects. We use a difference-in-difference analysis to measure child health outcomes in 90 low- and middle- income neighborhoods before and after the expansion of New York State and New York City's EITC policy between 1997-2010. Our study takes advantage of the relatively exogenous source of income variation supplied by the EITC-legislative changes to EITC policy parameters. This feature minimizes the endogeneity problem in studying the relationship between income and health. Our estimates link a 15-percentage-point increase in EITC benefit rates to a 0.45 percentage-point reduction in the low birthweight rate. We do not observe any measurable link between EITC benefits and prenatal health or asthma-related pediatric hospitalization. The magnitude of the EITC's impact on low birthweight rates suggests ecological effects, and an additional channel through which anti-poverty measures can serve as public health interventions.

  20. High Rates of Access to Health Care, Disclosure of Sexuality and Gender Identity to Providers Among House and Ball Community Members in New York City.

    PubMed

    Cahill, Sean; Trieweiler, Sarah; Guidry, John; Rash, Nelisa; Stamper, Layla; Conron, Kerith; Turcotte, Nicole; Gratch, Ilana; Lowery, Paige

    2018-01-01

    The House and Ball community is an important cultural manifestation of resiliency for Black and Latino gay and bisexual men and transgender women. Participants at the August 2013 House of Latex Ball in New York City were surveyed about insurance coverage, health care access, experiences in health care, and housing instability. The sample (n = 367) was 58% Black/African American and 20% Hispanic/Latino, with a mean age of 31. Fifty-five percent were gay and bisexual men. Although only 6% identified as transgender, nearly one half were gender nonconforming. Strong majorities had health insurance, were in regular medical care, and were "out" to their providers. Some were unstably housed and had recently exchanged sex for shelter or money. High rates of health care access and disclosure indicate resiliency and agency. Unstable housing and income insecurity may be structural drivers of vulnerability for this population to HIV infection and other health risks.

  1. Fishing for improvements: managing fishing by boat on New York City water supply reservoirs and lakes

    Treesearch

    Nicole L. Green; Jennifer A. Cairo

    2008-01-01

    In 2003, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Water Supply undertook a 5-year initiative to improve fishing by boat on its water supply reservoirs and controlled lakes in upstate New York. The project includes: revising administrative procedures; cleaning up boat fishing areas on reservoir shores; improving two-way communication with...

  2. Applying Goldwater-Nichols Reforms to Foster Interagency Cooperation Between Public Safety Agencies in New York City

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-03-01

    release; distribution is unlimited APPLYING GOLDWATER-NICHOLS REFORMS TO FOSTER INTERAGENCY COOPERATION BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFTEY AGENCIES IN NEW YORK...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited APPLYING GOLDWATER... Applying Goldwater-Nichols Reforms to Foster Interagency Cooperation Between Public Safety Agencies in New York City 6. AUTHOR(S) Joseph P

  3. Poor Administration of the 1977 Summer Program for Economically Disadvantaged Youth in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

    This report provides background and data from an investigation of New York City's summer youth employment program. It concludes that the program was poorly planned and poorly administered by both the Department of Labor and the city. Although some of the worksites visited were providing useful work experience to enrolled youths, over half of the…

  4. The relationship of residential instability to medical care utilization among poor mothers in New York City.

    PubMed

    Duchon, L M; Weitzman, B C; Shinn, M

    1999-12-01

    This study examines the relationship between residential instability, including mobility and previous homelessness, and the use of medical care among previously sheltered and never-sheltered mothers in New York City. The study represents one of the first efforts to follow up on families after they are no longer homeless. Mothers from 543 welfare families in New York City were interviewed, once in 1988 (Time 1) and again beginning in 1992 (Time 2). The sample included 251 families who first entered shelters after their 1988 interview, and 292 families who spent no time in shelters before or after that point. Mothers were asked about the source and volume of medical care used in the year before follow-up. Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that previously sheltered mothers had a greater reliance on emergency departments (EDs) and weaker ties to private physicians or health maintenance organizations (HMOs) than did mothers who never used shelters. Mobility before the Time 1 interview was associated with greater reliance on EDs and absence of a usual source of care. More recent mobility was not associated with a usual source of care. Current residential stability reduced the likelihood of using an emergency department or having no regular source of care. None of the measures of residential instability were related to the volume of outpatient care used by mothers. A history of residential instability, particularly previous shelter use, strongly predicts where poor mothers currently seek health care. Further research is needed to determine whether these patterns of health care use existed before mothers entered shelters. The study provides evidence that upon leaving shelters, mothers are not being well integrated into primary care services.

  5. School Wellness Programs: Magnitude and Distribution in New York City Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stiefel, Leanna; Elbel, Brian; Pflugh Prescott, Melissa; Aneja, Siddhartha; Schwartz, Amy E.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Public schools provide students with opportunities to participate in many discretionary, unmandated wellness programs. Little is known about the number of these programs, their distribution across schools, and the kinds of students served. We provide evidence on these questions for New York City (NYC) public schools. Methods: Data on…

  6. The Usefulness of Tactual Maps of the New York City Subway System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luxton, K.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Sixteen people with blindness or visual impairments used three different types of tactual maps of the New York City subway system presenting information at three levels of specificity. Results indicated that the tactual maps improved participants' attitudes toward the subway and benefited blind as well as low vision participants. (Author/DB)

  7. Routine HIV screening in two health-care settings--New York City and New Orleans, 2011-2013.

    PubMed

    Lin, Xia; Dietz, Patricia M; Rodriguez, Vanessa; Lester, Deborah; Hernandez, Paloma; Moreno-Walton, Lisa; Johnson, Grant; Van Handel, Michelle M; Skarbinski, Jacek; Mattson, Christine L; Stratford, Dale; Belcher, Lisa; Branson, Bernard M

    2014-06-27

    Approximately 16% of the estimated 1.1 million persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States are unaware of their infection and thus unable to benefit from effective treatment that improves health and reduces transmission risk. Since 2006, CDC has recommended that health-care providers screen for HIV all patients aged 13-64 years unless prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection in their patients has been documented to be <0.1%. This report describes novel HIV screening programs at the Urban Health Plan (UHP), Inc. in New York City and the Interim Louisiana Hospital (ILH) in New Orleans. Data were provided by the two programs. UHP screened a monthly average of 986 patients for HIV during January 2011-September 2013. Of the 32,534 patients screened, 148 (0.45%) tested HIV-positive, of whom 147 (99%) received their test result and 43 (29%) were newly diagnosed. None of the 148 patients with HIV infection were previously receiving medical care, and 120 (81%) were linked to HIV medical care. The ILH emergency department (ED) and the urgent-care center (UCC) screened a monthly average of 1,323 patients from mid-March to December 2013. Of the 12,568 patients screened, 102 (0.81%) tested HIV-positive, of whom 100 (98%) received their test result, 77 (75%) were newly diagnosed, and five (5%) had acute HIV infection. Linkage to HIV medical care was successful for 67 (74%) of 91 patients not already in care. Routine HIV screening identified patients with new and previously diagnosed HIV infection and facilitated their linkage to medical care. The two HIV screening programs highlighted in this report can serve as models that could be adapted by other health-care settings.

  8. Is All Urban Green Space the Same? A Comparison of the Health Benefits of Trees and Grass in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Clougherty, Jane E.; Shmool, Jessie L.C.; Kubzansky, Laura D.

    2017-01-01

    Living near vegetation, often called “green space” or “greenness”, has been associated with numerous health benefits. We hypothesized that the two key components of urban vegetation, trees and grass, may differentially affect health. We estimated the association between near-residence trees, grass, and total vegetation (from the 2010 High Resolution Land Cover dataset for New York City (NYC)) with self-reported health from a survey of NYC adults (n = 1281). We found higher reporting of “very good” or “excellent” health for respondents with the highest, compared to the lowest, quartiles of tree (RR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.06–1.44) but not grass density (relative risk (RR) = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.86–1.17) within 1000 m buffers, adjusting for pertinent confounders. Significant positive associations between trees and self-reported health remained after adjustment for grass, whereas associations with grass remained non-significant. Adjustment for air pollutants increased beneficial associations between trees and self-reported health; adjustment for parks only partially attenuated these effects. Results were null or negative using a 300 m buffer. Findings imply that higher exposure to vegetation, particularly trees outside of parks, may be associated with better health. If replicated, this may suggest that urban street tree planting may improve population health. PMID:29156551

  9. Diarrheal Illness Detected Through Syndromic Surveillance After a Massive Power Outage: New York City, August 2003

    PubMed Central

    Marx, Melissa A.; Rodriguez, Carla V.; Greenko, Jane; Das, Debjani; Heffernan, Richard; Karpati, Adam M.; Mostashari, Farzad; Balter, Sharon; Layton, Marcelle; Weiss, Don

    2006-01-01

    Objectives. We investigated increases in diarrheal illness detected through syndromic surveillance after a power outage in New York City on August 14, 2003. Methods. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene uses emergency department, pharmacy, and absentee data to conduct syndromic surveillance for diarrhea. We conducted a case–control investigation among patients presenting during August 16 to 18, 2003, to emergency departments that participated in syndromic surveillance. We compared risk factors for diarrheal illness ascertained through structured telephone interviews for case patients presenting with diarrheal symptoms and control patients selected from a stratified random sample of nondiarrheal patients. Results. Increases in diarrhea were detected in all data streams. Of 758 patients selected for the investigation, 301 (40%) received the full interview. Among patients 13 years and older, consumption of meat (odds ratio [OR]=2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.2, 6.1) and seafood (OR=4.8; 95% CI=1.6, 14) between the power outage and symptom onset was associated with diarrheal illness. Conclusions. Diarrhea may have resulted from consumption of meat or seafood that spoiled after the power outage. Syndromic surveillance enabled prompt detection and systematic investigation of citywide illness that would otherwise have gone undetected. PMID:16380562

  10. “Gray Murder”: Characteristics of Elderly Compared With Nonelderly Homicide Victims in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Abrams, Robert C.; Leon, Andrew C.; Tardiff, Kenneth; Marzuk, Peter M.; Sutherland, Kari

    2007-01-01

    Objectives. We compared characteristics of homicides among New York City residents aged 18 years and older from 1990 to 1998 to determine differences in demographics, cause and place of death, and presence of illicit drugs and alcohol in the deceased’s system. Methods. All medical examiner–certified homicides among New York City residents aged 18 years and older from 1990 to 1998 were studied (n = 11 850). Nonelderly (aged 18 to 64 years) and elderly (aged 65 years and older) victims were compared by gender, race/ethnicity, cause of death, place of death, and presence of illicit drugs or alcohol. Population-based homicide rates stratified by age, gender, and race were also calculated. Results. Nonelderly homicide victims were significantly more likely to be male, non-White, to have been shot in the city streets, and to have evidence of illicit drug or alcohol use. Elderly victims were more likely to be female, White, to have been killed by nonfirearm injuries, and to have been killed in their own homes. The gender and race differences between age groups remained but were attenuated when population-based rates were compared. Conclusions. The characteristics of homicide in nonelderly adults do not apply to elderly adults in New York City. Demographic factors and vulnerabilities of the elderly may underlie these differences, pointing to the need for oversight of isolated or homebound elderly persons and for protective interventions. PMID:17666708

  11. Association of neighborhood-level factors with hospitalization for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, New York City, 2006: a multilevel observational study.

    PubMed

    Farr, Amanda M; Marx, Melissa A; Weiss, Don; Nash, Denis

    2013-02-13

    Hospitalizations with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection have increased in New York City, with substantial geographic variation across neighborhoods. While individual-level risk factors, such as age, sex, HIV infection, and diabetes have been described, the role of neighborhood-level factors (e.g., neighborhood HIV prevalence or income) has not been examined. To explore plausible neighborhood-level factors associated with CA-MRSA-related hospitalizations, a retrospective analysis was conducted using New York City hospital discharges from 2006 and New York City-specific survey and health department surveillance data. CA-MRSA-related hospitalizations were identified using diagnosis codes and admission information. Associations were determined by using sex-specific multilevel logistic regression. The CA-MRSA hospitalization rate varied by more than six-fold across New York City neighborhoods. Females hospitalized with CA-MRSA had more than twice the odds of residing in neighborhoods in the highest quintile of HIV prevalence (adjusted odds ratio [AOR](Q5 vs. Q1) 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.7). Both males and females hospitalized with CA-MRSA had nearly twice the odds of residing in neighborhoods with moderately high proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM) residing in the neighborhood (males: AOR(Q4 vs. Q1) 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.7; females: AOR(Q4 vs. Q1) 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.6); but this association did not hold for neighborhoods in the highest quintile (males: AOR(Q5 vs. Q1) 1.2, 95% CI: 0.76, 1.8; females: AOR(Q5 vs. Q1) 1.5, 95% CI: 0.82, 2.7). Neighborhood-level characteristics were associated with CA-MRSA hospitalization odds, independent of individual-level risk factors, and may contribute to the population-level burden of CA-MRSA infection.

  12. Ebola virus disease in a humanitarian aid worker - New York City, October 2014.

    PubMed

    Yacisin, Kari; Balter, Sharon; Fine, Annie; Weiss, Don; Ackelsberg, Joel; Prezant, David; Wilson, Ross; Starr, David; Rakeman, Jennifer; Raphael, Marisa; Quinn, Celia; Toprani, Amita; Clark, Nancy; Link, Nathan; Daskalakis, Demetre; Maybank, Aletha; Layton, Marcelle; Varma, Jay K

    2015-04-03

    In late October 2014, Ebola virus disease (Ebola) was diagnosed in a humanitarian aid worker who recently returned from West Africa to New York City (NYC). The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) actively monitored three close contacts of the patient and 114 health care personnel. No secondary cases of Ebola were detected. In collaboration with local and state partners, DOHMH had developed protocols to respond to such an event beginning in July 2014. These protocols included safely transporting a person at the first report of symptoms to a local hospital prepared to treat a patient with Ebola, laboratory testing for Ebola, and monitoring of contacts. In response to this single case of Ebola, initial health care worker active monitoring protocols needed modification to improve clarity about what types of exposure should be monitored. The response costs were high in both human resources and money: DOHMH alone spent $4.3 million. However, preparedness activities that include planning and practice in effectively monitoring the health of workers involved in Ebola patient care can help prevent transmission of Ebola.

  13. Constructing New York City's urban forest. The politics and governance of the MillionTreesNYC campaign

    Treesearch

    Lindsay K. Campbell

    2014-01-01

    In 2005-2006, bureaucrats at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) began to marshal quantitative evidence to argue for investment in tree planting as part of Mayor Bloomberg's long-term sustainability plan, PlaNYC 2030, launched in 2007. Concurrently, Bette Midler—the celebrity founder of the non-profit New York Restoration Project (...

  14. Getting "boater" all the time: managing fishing by boat on New York city water supply reservoirs

    Treesearch

    Jennifer A. Cairo

    2007-01-01

    In 2003 the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Water Supply undertook a five-year initiative to improve fishing by boat on its Water Supply reservoirs and controlled lakes in upstate New York. The project includes cleanup of administrative procedures and boat fishing areas on reservoir shores; improving two-way communication with anglers;...

  15. Geographic Distribution of Disaster-Specific Emergency Department Use After Hurricane Sandy in New York City.

    PubMed

    Lee, David C; Smith, Silas W; Carr, Brendan G; Doran, Kelly M; Portelli, Ian; Grudzen, Corita R; Goldfrank, Lewis R

    2016-06-01

    We aimed to characterize the geographic distribution of post-Hurricane Sandy emergency department use in administrative flood evacuation zones of New York City. Using emergency claims data, we identified significant deviations in emergency department use after Hurricane Sandy. Using time-series analysis, we analyzed the frequency of visits for specific conditions and comorbidities to identify medically vulnerable populations who developed acute postdisaster medical needs. We found statistically significant decreases in overall post-Sandy emergency department use in New York City but increased utilization in the most vulnerable evacuation zone. In addition to dialysis- and ventilator-dependent patients, we identified that patients who were elderly or homeless or who had diabetes, dementia, cardiac conditions, limitations in mobility, or drug dependence were more likely to visit emergency departments after Hurricane Sandy. Furthermore, patients were more likely to develop drug-resistant infections, require isolation, and present for hypothermia, environmental exposures, or administrative reasons. Our study identified high-risk populations who developed acute medical and social needs in specific geographic areas after Hurricane Sandy. Our findings can inform coherent and targeted responses to disasters. Early identification of medically vulnerable populations can help to map "hot spots" requiring additional medical and social attention and prioritize resources for areas most impacted by disasters. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:351-361).

  16. Beyond the Bridge: Evaluating a Novel Mental Health Program in the New York City Jail System

    PubMed Central

    Glowa-Kollisch, Sarah; Lim, Sungwoo; Summers, Cynthia; Cohen, Louise; Selling, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. We evaluated Beyond the Bridge, a novel mental health program in the New York City jail system designed to provide residentially based cognitive behavioral therapy in jail mental observation units. Methods. We used propensity score matching and a dose–response analysis. Outcome measures included reduction in violent incidents and fights, reduction in uses of force by corrections officers, reduction in time spent on suicide watch and incidents of self-injurious behavior, and increased length of community survival. Results. There were significant reductions in all outcomes when we compared program participants (n = 218) with an earlier cohort of patients residing on the mental observation unit before programming began (n = 413). However, when we compared program participants with a cohort of other patients residing on the units at the same time but who chose not to participate (n = 267), only time spent on suicide watch unit (rate ratio [RR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59, 0.89) and recidivism (RR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.59,0.83) were significantly reduced. Conclusions. This evaluation and the model we piloted may provide useful information for other settings contemplating similar interventions. PMID:25211737

  17. Slicing the Apple: Need Amidst Affluence in New York City, 2002. Volume I: Technical Report [and] Volume II: Appendicies [and] Summary Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    2002

    This report provides a broad overview of significant issues and trends affecting human services in New York City. Written for decision makers, policymakers, service providers, and financial supporters, the first volume includes (1) "Introduction" (the social temperature of New York City); (2) "Who are New Yorkers?" (population…

  18. Collaborative Efforts of Business and the New York City Public High Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tapper, Donna M.

    1985-01-01

    This document describes collaborative efforts in New York City between public high schools and the business sector. Business involvement with the schools assumes many forms and operates on a number of different levels: (1) forming a special relationship with particular schools or departments, (2) being a resource to provide speakers for classes,…

  19. Critical Small Schools: Beyond Privatization in New York City Urban Educational Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hantzopoulos, Maria, Ed.; Tyner-Mullings, Alia R., Ed.

    2012-01-01

    Critical Small Schools: Beyond Privatization in New York City Urban Educational Reform features the most current empirical research about the successes and challenges of the small schools movement and the implications of such for urban public educational policy. Situated in a climate of hierarchical reform, many of the principles of the original…

  20. The Academic Effects of Summer Instruction and Retention in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mariano, Louis T.; Martorell, Paco

    2013-01-01

    This article examines the impacts of summer instruction and test-based grade retention in New York City. We use a research design that exploits test score cutoffs used in assignment to these treatments. We find modest positive effects of summer instruction on English language arts (ELA) achievement for students assigned to summer instruction…

  1. Performance-Driven Budgeting: The Example of New York City's Schools. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegel, Dorothy

    This digest examines a completed pilot program in performance-driven budgeting (PDB) in the New York City public-school system. PDB links school-level budgeting and school planning; that is, decisions about resources must be aligned with school-developed instructional-improvement plans. The digest highlights how PDB came about; its primary goal;…

  2. Patterns of Orofacial Clefting in New York City From 1983 to 2010: Trends by Racial Background, Birthplace, and Public Health Strategies.

    PubMed

    Butts, Sydney C; Reynolds, Simone; Gitman, Lyuba; Patel, Prayag; Joseph, Michael

    2018-01-01

    To determine the role of racial background, public health initiatives, and residence on the prevalence of orofacial clefts (OFCs) in New York City (NYC). Retrospective review of OFC cases from the New York State Congenital Malformations Registry. Patients born with an OFC and all live births to mothers residing in NYC between 1983 and 2010. Orofacial cleft birth prevalence by cleft type, race, and borough of maternal residence for each year and by time period around the implementation of public health interventions including folate supplementation. A total of 3557 cases were reviewed. The prevalence remained stable for cleft palate and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) in sequential time periods of the study. Among CL ± P cases, cleft lip prevalence decreased early in the study compared to increases in cleft lip and palate prevalence. For most years, the prevalence of OFCs was lower among African Americans than whites. A total of 12% to 26% of mothers in 4 of the NYC boroughs deliver outside of their borough of residence, choosing to give birth in Manhattan most often. No difference in OFC prevalence was shown in any of the 5 NYC boroughs. The period prevalence remained relatively stable during the time periods before and after the implementation of folate supplementation for OFCs in NYC. Prevalence of OFC subtypes was lower for most time periods during this study among African Americans compared to whites. Several factors may explain the choice of birthplace outside of the mother's borough of residence.

  3. Teaching Climate Change Through Data Analytics: Updates on the TRELLIS Project at the City University of New York

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenzweig, B.; Cak, A. D.

    2017-12-01

    Community colleges have been identified as a particularly important gateway for the United States' scientific workforce. However, students that begin their higher education at community colleges often face barriers in developing the skills needed for higher-level STEM careers, including basic training in mathematics, programming and communications, deep analytical and problem-solving skills, and experience with working across disciplines. As part of the Undergraduate STEM Interventions in Industry (USI2) Consortium, we have developed a summer bridge program for students in diverse STEM fields transferring from City University of New York (CUNY) community colleges to the City College of New York. Students participating in the program receive training and work on team data analysis projects on various themes related to climate change resilience and New York City. We will discuss our experiences during the first 2 years of implementation of the summer bridge program along with plans for a capstone program for students in their senior year.

  4. Cancer Screening Practices of Asian American Physicians in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Islam, Nadia; Kwon, Simona C.; Zojwalla, Naseem; Ahsan, Habibul; Senie, Ruby T.

    2012-01-01

    Cancer screening rates are lower among Asian Americans than the general USA population. While prior studies examined characteristics of Asian American patients as predictors of cancer screening, few investigated their health care providers. Asian American primary care physicians practicing in New York City were surveyed by questionnaire regarding their demographics, practice characteristics, and cancer screening of their Asian American patients. Of the 117 eligible respondents, 96% recommended mammograms to their Asian patients 50+ years of age and 70% to patients 40–49-year-old. Only 30% of respondents use both age and onset of sexual activity to determine when to recommend Pap smears. For colorectal cancer screening, the rates of performing fecal occult blood testing or recommending colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy were 77% and 74%. About 70% recommend screening for hepatitis B. Gender and ethnicity of the physician were found to be significant predictors for cancer screening practice. PMID:17653863

  5. Reconsidering access: park facilities and neighborhood disamenities in New York City.

    PubMed

    Weiss, Christopher C; Purciel, Marnie; Bader, Michael; Quinn, James W; Lovasi, Gina; Neckerman, Kathryn M; Rundle, Andrew G

    2011-04-01

    With increasing concern about rising rates of obesity, public health researchers have begun to examine the availability of parks and other spaces for physical activity, particularly in cities, to assess whether access to parks reduces the risk of obesity. Much of the research in this field has shown that proximity to parks may support increased physical activity in urban environments; however, as yet, there has been limited consideration of environmental impediments or disamenities that might influence individuals' perceptions or usage of public recreation opportunities. Prior research suggests that neighborhood disamenities, for instance crime, pedestrian safety, and noxious land uses, might dissuade people from using parks or recreational facilities and vary by neighborhood composition. Motivated by such research, this study estimates the relationship between neighborhood compositional characteristics and measures of park facilities, controlling for variation in neighborhood disamenities, using geographic information systems (GIS) data for New York City parks and employing both kernel density estimation and distance measures. The central finding is that attention to neighborhood disamenities can appreciably alter the relationship between neighborhood composition and spatial access to parks. Policy efforts to enhance the recreational opportunities in urban areas should expand beyond a focus on availability to consider also the hazards and disincentives that may influence park usage.

  6. New York city area as seen from STS-62

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1994-03-05

    STS062-81-010 (4-18 March 1994) --- The recent heavy snowfalls help to accentuate the major transportation networks, (railroads, highways and airports), throughout the New York City metropolitan area. This particular scene also highlights the land-water boundaries and the lighter open spaces, such as parks, cemeteries and recreational areas. The snows have produced a white blanket effect on these areas. Even some of the snow-covered lakes can be discerned. The boroughs of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Manhattan are also recognizable on the photograph.

  7. Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Hispanic Women in New York City: Investigation of Health Disparities.

    PubMed

    Howell, Elizabeth A; Egorova, Natalia N; Janevic, Teresa; Balbierz, Amy; Zeitlin, Jennifer; Hebert, Paul L

    2017-02-01

    To investigate differences in severe maternal morbidity between Hispanic mothers and three major Hispanic subgroups compared with non-Hispanic white mothers and the extent to which differences in delivery hospitals may contribute to excess morbidity among Hispanic mothers. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using linked 2011-2013 New York City discharge and birth certificate data sets (n=353,773). Rates of severe maternal morbidity were calculated using a published algorithm based on diagnosis and procedure codes. Mixed-effects logistic regression with a random hospital-specific intercept was used to generate risk-standardized severe maternal morbidity rates for each hospital taking into consideration patient sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities. Differences in the distribution of Hispanic and non-Hispanic white deliveries were assessed among these hospitals in relation to their risk-adjusted morbidity. Sensitivity analyses were conducted after excluding isolated blood transfusion from the morbidity composite. Severe maternal morbidity occurred in 4,541 deliveries and was higher among Hispanic than non-Hispanic white women (2.7% compared with 1.5%, P<.001); this rate was 2.9% among those who were Puerto Rican, 2.7% among those who were foreign-born Dominican, and 3.3% among those who were foreign-born Mexican. After adjustment for patient characteristics, the risk remained elevated for Hispanic women (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-1.66) and for all three subgroups compared with non-Hispanic white women (P<.001). Risk for Hispanic women was attenuated in sensitivity analyses (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02-1.33). Risk-standardized morbidity across hospitals varied sixfold. We estimate that Hispanic-non-Hispanic white differences in delivery location may contribute up to 37% of the ethnic disparity in severe maternal morbidity rates in New York City hospitals. Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic white mothers are more

  8. Learning Together: How Families Responded to Education Incentives in New York City's Conditional Cash Transfer Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenberg, David; Dechausay, Nadine; Fraker, Carolyn

    2011-01-01

    In 2007, New York City's Center for Economic Opportunity launched Opportunity NYC-Family Rewards, an experimental, privately funded, conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to help families break the cycle of poverty. Family Rewards provided payments to low-income families in six of the city's poorest communities for achieving specific goals…

  9. Prioritizing preferable locations for increasing urban tree canopy in New York City

    Treesearch

    Dexter Locke; J. Morgan Grove; Jacqueline W.T. Lu; Austin Troy; Jarlath P.M. O' Neil-Dunne; Brian Beck

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a set of Geographic Information System (GIS) methods for identifying and prioritizing tree planting sites in urban environments. It uses an analytical approach created by a University of Vermont service-learning class called "GIS Analysis of New York City's Ecology" that was designed to provide research support to the MillionTreesNYC...

  10. Spring Breaks and Cigarette Tax Noncompliance: Evidence From a New York City College Sample.

    PubMed

    Consroe, Kimberly; Kurti, Marin; Merriman, David; von Lampe, Klaus

    2016-08-01

    Estimate cigarette tax noncompliance (tax avoidance and evasion) before and after mid-semester recesses in a New York City college campus, where the majority of students are residents of nearby lower-tax states, using data derived from garbology, an archaeological method that reconstructs patterns of human behavior from discarded materials. We systematically divided the college campus into four geographic areas and established a total of 12 transects (survey lines) and five quadrats (survey spheres) in those areas to encompass 74 outdoor trash cans. Weekly collections of discarded cigarette packs (n = 174) in the four areas during Spring 2012 and 2013 were conducted to quantify the percentage of cigarette packs that were tax noncompliant. Overall, we find that 72.4% of the cigarette packs collected in Spring 2012 and 2013 did not bear the required joint New York City and New York State tax stamp. Additionally, we find that cigarette tax avoidance significantly increased after recesses (mid-March and early April) in Spring 2012 and subsequently declined. We also find that packs with a Virginia tax stamp became more prevalent as time elapsed after each recess. College students practice tax avoidance, drawing on legal purchases from their own home states as the primary source of cheap cigarettes. As stocks decline, some students shift to tax evasion by illegally purchasing cigarettes in New York City that have been bootlegged from low tax states (eg, Virginia). Our study adds to the growing literature on cigarette tax noncompliance (ie, tax avoidance and evasion). First, we provide evidence that college students in our New York City sample avoid the payment of taxes in high tax states by purchasing low taxed cigarettes in their home state. Second, we find that once those sources are depleted, students find access to the black market nearby campus. This black market functions through cigarette tax evasion: the resale of cigarettes purchased in low tax states. Our study

  11. Nutrition intake and physical activity in a middle school in New York City.

    PubMed

    Gonzalez, Marisol; Feinstein, Ronald; Iezzi, Carina; Fisher, Martin

    2015-08-01

    The threat of childhood obesity has never been greater. Behavior changes implemented during childhood and adolescence are believed to be the most successful means of thwarting the progression of this epidemic. The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed a public health campaign that promotes awareness of clinical guidelines for nutrition and physical activity. The campaign is based on a concept developed by the Maine Center for Public Health referred to as "5-2-1-0 Healthy". The simple clear message of this concept outlines steps families can take to help prevent and treat childhood obesity. The purpose of the present study is to determine the current level of compliance and health education needs of a middle school population related to the "5-2-1-0" concept. A modified version of the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) was distributed to students at a private, nonsectarian, middle school in New York City. The school is located in the borough of Manhattan, but includes youngsters from all five boroughs of the city. The questions were grouped and analyzed according to "5-2-1-0" categories. Surveys were scored, and the association between targeted questionnaire items and demographic variables (i.e., sex and grade) was examined. All 140 students completed the survey, and there was great variability in their responses to both the nutrition and physical activity questions. Of all students, 65% reported eating one cup or more of fruit daily, and 38% reported eating one cup or more of vegetables daily. There was no statistically significant difference reported in consumption of fruits or vegetables by gender or grade. Over 60% of students indicated <2 h of DVD/video or computer/video game time per day, while 10% indicated more than 3 h per day for each. A significant difference existed in the screen time reported between grades (more screen time by the older students) and a

  12. Barriers and Facilitators to Engagement of Vulnerable Populations in HIV Primary Care in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Remien, Robert H.; Bauman, Laurie J.; Mantell, Joanne; Tsoi, Benjamin; Lopez-Rios, Javier; Chhabra, Rosy; DiCarlo, Abby; Watnick, Dana; Rivera, Angelic; Teitelman, Nehama; Cutler, Blayne; Warne, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    Background Engagement in HIV care helps to maximize viral suppression, which, in turn, reduces morbidity and mortality and prevents further HIV transmission. With more HIV cases than any other US city, New York City reported in 2012 that only 41% of all persons estimated to be living with HIV (PLWH) had a suppressed viral load, while nearly three-quarters of those in clinical care achieved viral suppression. Thus, retaining PLWH in HIV care addresses this central goal of both the US National HIV/AIDS Strategy and Governor Cuomo's plan to end the AIDS epidemic in New York State. Methods We conducted 80 in-depth qualitative interviews with PLWH in four NYC populations that were identified as being inconsistently engaged in HIV medical care: African immigrants, previously incarcerated adults, transgender women, and young men who have sex with men. Results Barriers to and facilitators of HIV care engagement fell into three domains: (1) system factors (e.g., patient-provider relationship, social service agencies, transitions between penal system and community); (2) social factors (e.g., family and other social support; stigma related to HIV, substance use, sexual orientation, gender identity, and incarceration); and (3) individual factors (e.g., mental illness, substance use, resilience). Similarities and differences in these themes across the four populations as well as research and public health implications were identified. Conclusions Engagement in care is maximized when the social challenges confronted by vulnerable groups are addressed; patient-provider communication is strong; and coordinated services are available, including housing, mental health and substance use treatment, and peer navigation. PMID:25867774

  13. Physical Activity, Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Chinese, Hispanics, and Blacks in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Wyatt, Laura C.; Kranick, Julie A.; Islam, Nadia S.; Devia, Carlos; Horowitz, Carol; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We explored the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and adequate physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake among racial/ethnic minority groups aged 60 years or older living in New York City (NYC). Methods. Survey data from 2009 to 2012 targeted minority groups in NYC ethnic enclaves; we analyzed 3594 individuals (Blacks, Hispanics, and Chinese) aged 60 years or older. Descriptive statistics were run; unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression evaluated the relationship of HRQOL with PA and F&V intake. Results. Hispanics were most likely to engage in sufficient PA and eat recommended F&Vs and had significantly worse HRQOL. After multivariable adjustment, significant associations were found between PA and self-reported health, activity limitation and physical health days for all groups, and PA and mental health days for Hispanics. Significant associations were found between F&V intake and physical health days for Hispanics and F&V intake and self-reported health for Chinese. Conclusions. Findings indicated variations between HRQOL and PA by racial/ethnic subgroup. Despite being highly insured, recommendations for PA and F&V intake were not met. There is a need to promote healthy living behaviors among aging NYC racial/ethnic populations. PMID:25905844

  14. Race, foster care, and the politics of abandonment in New York City.

    PubMed Central

    Rosner, D; Markowitz, G

    1997-01-01

    Following the end of the Great Depression of the 1930s, the sectarian system of foster care services in New York City practiced open discrimination. African-American children were generally segregated in a small number of overcrowded and understaffed all-Black institutions. As the African-American migration to the city accelerated in the years following the outbreak of World War II, a small group of psychologists, jurists, philanthropists, and social workers began a systematic challenge to this system. This paper explores the role of racism in shaping New York's foster care system and the experience of African-American children who were forced to depend on services originally organized to serve Whites. It also looks at the ways race affected the way children were typed--as mentally ill, delinquent, or even criminal--in response to the structural realities of a system that sorted children into separate types of institutions according to race. The paper also provides the background for understanding the landmark challenge to segregation of children in sectarian and public institutions represented by Wilder v Sugarman. PMID:9366642

  15. Report on Three Demonstration Projects in the City Schools from the New York City Commission on Human Rights.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Commission on Human Rights, NY.

    Reported are the findings of hearings on the operation of three demonstration projects, IS 201, Two-Bridges, and Ocean Hill-Brownsville, in decentralized school districts in New York City. The hearings were concerned with the impact of the projects on the schools and community in these districts and with any evidence of improved education as a…

  16. Case Studies of Student Mentoring in Three New York City Community-Based Organizations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Truitt, Brett J.

    2012-01-01

    This researcher examined three selected New York City community-based organizations' roles in student mentoring and the building of social capital. The methodology included focus group interviews, individual interviews, shadowing, and the collection of archival materials. The data were analyzed through pattern, theme and discrepancy analysis to…

  17. Connected vehicle pilot deployment program phase 2 : data privacy plan – New York City.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-12-27

    This document represents a data privacy plan for ensuring the data privacy and security of those participating in the New York City connected vehicle pilot. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Sensitive PII (SPII) will be collected from var...

  18. Rationale, design and respondent characteristics of the 2013-2014 New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES 2013-2014).

    PubMed

    Thorpe, Lorna E; Greene, Carolyn; Freeman, Amy; Snell, Elisabeth; Rodriguez-Lopez, Jesica S; Frankel, Martin; Punsalang, Amado; Chernov, Claudia; Lurie, Elizabeth; Friedman, Mark; Koppaka, Ram; Perlman, Sharon E

    2015-01-01

    Capacity to monitor non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at state or local levels is limited. Emerging approaches include using biomeasures and electronic health record (EHR) data. In 2004, New York City (NYC) performed a population-based health study on adult residents using biomeasures (NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Study, or NYC HANES), modeled after NHANES. A second NYC HANES was launched in 2013 to examine change over time, evaluate municipal policies, and validate a proposed EHR-based surveillance system. We describe the rationale and methods of NYC HANES 2013-2014. NYC HANES was a population-based, cross-sectional survey of NYC adults using three-stage cluster sampling. Between August 2013 and June 2014, selected participants completed a health interview and physical exam (blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference). Fasting biomeasures included diabetes, lipid profiles, kidney function, environmental biomarkers, and select infectious diseases. Of the 3065 households approached, 2742 were eligible and 1827 were successfully screened (67%). A total of 1524 of eligible participants completed the survey (54%), for an overall response rate of 36%. Completing a second NYC HANES a decade after the first study affords an opportunity to understand changes in prevalence, awareness and control of NCDs and evaluate municipal efforts to manage them.

  19. Lead exposure among automobile radiator repair workers and their children in New York City.

    PubMed

    Nunez, C M; Klitzman, S; Goodman, A

    1993-05-01

    Despite a comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Administration lead standard, exposure to lead continues in many industries. This paper describes a blood lead screening and education program for automobile radiator repair workers and their families in New York City. Results showed that 67% of automobile radiator repair workers (n = 62) in 89% of the shops tested (n = 24) had blood lead levels in excess of 25 micrograms/dl. The vast majority of workers had never been tested previously, and none had received health and safety training regarding occupational lead exposure. Although none of the workers' children's blood lead levels were in excess of then-current guidelines, several had levels which may be associated with subclinical toxicity and in excess of the revised Centers for Disease Control guidelines of 10 micrograms/dl. This project demonstrates that lead exposure in the automotive radiator repair industry continues to be widespread and that local health departments can assist in hazard identification and remediation.

  20. Mass Commuting and Influenza Vaccination Prevalence in New York City: Protection in a Mixing Environment

    PubMed Central

    Levine, Burton; Wilcosky, Tim; Wagener, Diane; Cooley, Phillip

    2010-01-01

    Objective Assess influenza vaccination among commuters using mass transit in New York City (NYC). Methods We used the 2006 NYC Community Health Survey (CHS) to analyze the prevalence of influenza immunization by commuting behaviors and to understand what socioeconomic and geographic factors may explain any differences found. Results Vaccination prevalence is significantly lower for New Yorkers who commute on public transportation compared to other New Yorkers. This difference is largely attenuated after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and neighborhood of residence. Conclusions The analysis identified a low prevalence of immunization among commuters, and given the transmissibility in that setting, targeting commuters for vaccination campaigns may impede influenza spread. PMID:21218159

  1. "In the Midst of Strange and Terrible Times": The New York City Draft Riots of 1863

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cruz, Barbara C.; Patterson, Jennifer Marques

    2005-01-01

    During the New York City Draft Riots the city's own inhabitants unleashed a torrent of violence and destruction that chiefly targeted African Americans. What originated as a protest against the enforcement of the Conscription Act quickly escalated into a riot that erupted at the volatile nineteenth century crossroads of race, class, and economic…

  2. Legal Issues in the Classification of Handicapped Children in New York City; Special Report No. 1 in a Series: Assuring Equal Educational Opportunity for Handicapped Children in New York City.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Susan G.

    Recent legal decisions, coupled with Federal and State statutes, require the New York City Board of Education to follow definite guidelines in providing equal educational opportunities for its handicapped children. Among the problems raised are those of classification and labeling, criticized by some as a procedure that focuses more on pathology…

  3. Spatial variation in the parasite communities and genomic structure of urban rats in New York City.

    PubMed

    Angley, L P; Combs, M; Firth, C; Frye, M J; Lipkin, I; Richardson, J L; Munshi-South, J

    2018-02-01

    Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are a globally distributed pest. Urban habitats can support large infestations of rats, posing a potential risk to public health from the parasites and pathogens they carry. Despite the potential influence of rodent-borne zoonotic diseases on human health, it is unclear how urban habitats affect the structure and transmission dynamics of ectoparasite and microbial communities (all referred to as "parasites" hereafter) among rat colonies. In this study, we use ecological data on parasites and genomic sequencing of their rat hosts to examine associations between spatial proximity, genetic relatedness and the parasite communities associated with 133 rats at five sites in sections of New York City with persistent rat infestations. We build on previous work showing that rats in New York carry a wide variety of parasites and report that these communities differ significantly among sites, even across small geographical distances. Ectoparasite community similarity was positively associated with geographical proximity; however, there was no general association between distance and microbial communities of rats. Sites with greater overall parasite diversity also had rats with greater infection levels and parasite species richness. Parasite community similarity among sites was not linked to genetic relatedness of rats, suggesting that these communities are not associated with genetic similarity among host individuals or host dispersal among sites. Discriminant analysis identified site-specific associations of several parasite species, suggesting that the presence of some species within parasite communities may allow researchers to determine the sites of origin for newly sampled rats. The results of our study help clarify the roles that colony structure and geographical proximity play in determining the ecology of R. norvegicus as a significant urban reservoir of zoonotic diseases. Our study also highlights the spatial variation present in urban

  4. Effects of the World Trade Center Attack on NYC Public School Students: Initial Report to the New York City Board of Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    2002

    This study investigated the mental health needs of New York City (NYC) public school students 6 months after the September 11, 2001 attack. A needs assessment survey was conducted on 8,266 students in grades 4-12 from 94 schools in the Ground Zero area, other presumed high risk areas, and the remainder of NYC. The survey assessed such factors as…

  5. Youth Corps Case Studies: The New York City Volunteer Corps Exit Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaffe, Natalie; Freedman, Marc

    This exit report chronicles the last 20 months of the 3-year demonstration phase of the New York City Volunteer Corps (CVC), whose members worked in teams at various sites to either provide human services or do physical work. These final months were characterized by the following factors: (1) a change in Corps leadership; (2) concern about…

  6. The New York City Beacons: Rebuilding Communities of Support in Urban Neighborhoods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kleinbard, Peter

    2005-01-01

    The first ten New York City Beacons began operation in 1991 as a result of the recommendation of a commission appointed by then-mayor David N. Dinkins. Richard Murphy, commissioner of youth services, led the development and implementation. Michele Cahill served as a consultant in the design and created the Youth Development Institute (YDI) as part…

  7. Evaluation of the New York City Beacons. Summary of Phase I Findings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warren, Constancia

    This report presents findings from Phase 1 of an evaluation of the New York City Beacons initiative, a model of school-community-family partnerships initiated in 1991. Beacons are community centers located in public schools, offering a range of activities and services to participants of all ages, before and after school, in the evenings, and on…

  8. A Geographical Perspective on Inequality: The New York City School Funding Controversy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koch, Tom; Denike, Ken

    2003-01-01

    Students often ask whether the examples we give as instructors have any relevance to their worlds, to their lives. Too often the answer is no. This paper describes a case that is obviously pertinent to both secondary and university students and their instructors. The legal battle over equality and racial discrimination in the New York City School…

  9. Space radar image of New York City

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    This radar image of the New York city metropolitan area. The island of Manhattan appears in the center of the image. The green-colored rectangle on Manhattan is Central Park. This image was acquired by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/ X-SAR) aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on October 10, 1994. North is toward the upper right. The area shown is 75.0 kilometers by 48.8 kilometers (46.5 miles by 30.2 miles). The image is centered at 40.7 degrees north latitude and 73.8 degrees west longitude. In general, light blue areas correspond to dense urban development, green areas to moderately vegetated zones and black areas to bodies of water. The Hudson River is the black strip that runs from the left edge to the upper right corner of the image. It separates New Jersey, in the upper left of the image, from New York. The Atlantic Ocean is at the bottom of the image where two barrier islands along the southern shore of Long Island are also visible. John F. Kennedy International Airport is visible above these islands. Long Island Sound, separating Long Island from Connecticut, is the dark area right of the center of the image. Many bridges are visible in the image, including the Verrazano Narrows, George Washington and Brooklyn bridges. The radar illumination is from the left of the image; this causes some urban zones to appear red because the streets are at a perpendicular angle to the radar pulse. The colors in this image were obtained using the following radar channels: red represents the L-band (horizontally transmitted and received); green represents the L-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); blue represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received). Radar images like this one could be used as a tool for city planners and resource managers to map and monitor land use patterns. The radar imaging systems can clearly detect the variety of landscapes in the area, as well as the density of urban

  10. Evaluating the Impacts of Real-Time Information on Subway Ridership in New York City

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2018-05-21

    It is now common for transit operators to provide real-time information (RTI) to passengers about the location or predicted arrival times of transit vehicles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City has recently made RTI avai...

  11. NorthEast Under/graduate Research Organization for Neuroscience (NEURON): Our Third New York City Meeting

    PubMed Central

    Goyette, Sharon Ramos; Edinger, Kassandra L.; Luine, Vicki; Young, Jason; Frye, Cheryl A.

    2007-01-01

    The NorthEast Under/graduate Research Organization for Neuroscience (N.E.U.R.O.N.) promotes preparation, education, and undergraduate research in Neuroscience. The N.E.U.R.O.N. Conference was initially held at undergraduate institutions primarily in New England. Then, for the previous two years, to broaden its impact and increase diversity, the meeting moved to Hunter College, CUNY, New York. This year represents the first year in which two N.E.U.R.O.N. meetings were held, one in Boston and one in New York City. The following is a report of the New York City meeting which was held at Hunter College on April 28, 2007. Eminent Neuroscientist, Dr. Carol Sue Carter, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, delivered the keynote address. The meeting also included the second bestowal of the Suzannah Bliss Tieman Research Awards for outstanding poster presentations and a workshop aimed at increasing minority participation in Neuroscience research. These highlights and future plans for N.E.U.R.O.N. are discussed. PMID:23495318

  12. Institutional Discharges and Subsequent Shelter Use among Unaccompanied Adults in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Metraux, Stephen; Byrne, Thomas; Culhane, Dennis P.

    2010-01-01

    This study empirically examines the link between homelessness and discharges from other institutions. An administrative record match was undertaken to determine rates of discharge from institutional care for 9,247 unaccompanied adult shelter users in New York City. Cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis was then used to…

  13. Elementary Forms of Cosmopolitanism: Blood, Birth, and Bodies in Immigrant New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kromidas, Maria

    2011-01-01

    In this article, Maria Kromidas explores how nine-, ten-, and eleven-year-old children in a diverse neighborhood school in immigrant New York City navigated and often undermined hegemonic notions of difference and belonging offered by mainstream multiculturalism and raciology. Based on ethnographic research and utilizing a fine-grained…

  14. Self-reported sitting time in New York City adults, the Physical Activity and Transit Survey, 2010-2011.

    PubMed

    Yi, Stella S; Bartley, Katherine F; Firestone, Melanie J; Lee, Karen K; Eisenhower, Donna L

    2015-05-28

    Recent studies have demonstrated the negative health consequences associated with extended sitting time, including metabolic disturbances and decreased life expectancy. The objectives of this study were to characterize sitting time in an urban adult population and assess the validity of a 2-question method of self-reported sitting time. The New York City Health Department conducted the 2010-2011 Physical Activity and Transit Survey (N = 3,597); a subset of participants wore accelerometers for 1 week (n = 667). Self-reported sitting time was assessed from 2 questions on time spent sitting (daytime and evening hours). Sedentary time was defined as accelerometer minutes with less than 100 counts on valid days. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of sitting time by demographic characteristics. Validity of sitting time with accelerometer-measured sedentary time was assessed using Spearman's correlation and Bland-Altman techniques. All data were weighted to be representative of the New York City adult population based on the 2006-2008 American Community Survey. Mean daily self-reported sitting time was 423 minutes; mean accelerometer-measured sedentary time was 490 minutes per day (r = 0.32, P < .001). The mean difference was 49 minutes per day (limits of agreement: -441 to 343). Sitting time was higher in respondents at lower poverty and higher education levels and lower in Hispanics and people who were foreign-born. Participants of higher socioeconomic status, who are not typically the focus of health disparities-related research, had the highest sitting times; Hispanics had the lowest levels. Sitting time may be accurately assessed by self-report with the 2-question method for population surveillance but may be limited in accurately characterizing individual-level behavior.

  15. Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1 : Human Use Approval Summary : New York City

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-08-04

    The New York City (NYC) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment will be the largest deployment of connected vehicle technology to date. The purpose of the human use approval activity is to apply the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process to the NYC...

  16. Mental Health Service Need and Use in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy: Findings in a Population-Based Sample of New York City Residents.

    PubMed

    Lowe, Sarah R; Sampson, Laura; Gruebner, Oliver; Galea, Sandro

    2016-01-01

    The majority of disaster survivors suffering from psychiatric disorders do not utilize mental health services. Only one study to date has explored postdisaster service use after Hurricane Sandy, and the disaster literature is further limited by a lack of attention to survivors' perceived need for services. We drew on data from a population-based sample of adults living in New York City neighborhoods that were most severely affected by Hurricane Sandy (N = 454). Less than 10 % of participants reported service needs (7.8 %) and service use (4.4 %) since the hurricane, 5.9 % were classified as having unmet needs (i.e., needs without use), and 2.5 % as using services without needs. Predictors of unmet mental health service needs included younger age, male gender, higher education, and exposure to more disaster-related stressors. The results suggest that efforts to reduce unmet postdisaster service needs could focus on reaching survivors with these characteristics.

  17. Calorie labeling and food choices: a first look at the effects on low-income people in New York City.

    PubMed

    Elbel, Brian; Kersh, Rogan; Brescoll, Victoria L; Dixon, L Beth

    2009-01-01

    We examined the influence of menu calorie labels on fast food choices in the wake of New York City's labeling mandate. Receipts and survey responses were collected from 1,156 adults at fast-food restaurants in low-income, minority New York communities. These were compared to a sample in Newark, New Jersey, a city that had not introduced menu labeling. We found that 27.7 percent who saw calorie labeling in New York said the information influenced their choices. However, we did not detect a change in calories purchased after the introduction of calorie labeling. We encourage more research on menu labeling and greater attention to evaluating and implementing other obesity-related policies.

  18. Scanning elastic lidar observations of aerosol transport in New York City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diaz, Adrian; Dominguez, Victor; Dobryansky, Selma; Wu, Yonghua; Arend, Mark; Vladutescu, Daniela Viviana; Gross, Barry; Moshary, Fred

    2018-04-01

    In this study, spatial distribution of aerosols in New York City is observed using a scanning eyesafe 532 nm elastic-backscatter micro-pulse lidar system. Observations show dynamics of the boundary layer and inhomogeneous distribution and transport of aerosols. The data acquired are complemented with simultaneous measurements of particulate matter and wind speed and direction. Furthermore, the system observations are validated by comparing them with a colocated multi-wavelength lidar.

  19. Population-Based Biomonitoring of Exposure to Organophosphate and Pyrethroid Pesticides in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Jacobson, J. Bryan; Kass, Daniel; Barr, Dana Boyd; Davis, Mark; Calafat, Antonia M.; Aldous, Kenneth M.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Organophosphates and pyrethroids are the most common classes of insecticides used in the United States. Widespread use of these compounds to control building infestations in New York City (NYC) may have caused higher exposure than in less-urban settings. Objectives: The objectives of our study were to estimate pesticide exposure reference values for NYC and identify demographic and behavioral characteristics that predict exposures. Methods: The NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was a population-based, cross-sectional study conducted in 2004 among adults ≥ 20 years of age. It measured urinary concentrations of organophosphate metabolites [dimethylphosphate (DMP), dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP), dimethyldithiophosphate, diethylphosphate, diethylthiophosphate, and diethyldithiophosphate] in 883 participants, and pyrethroid metabolites [3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (trans-DCCA), 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid, and cis-3-(2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid] in 1,452 participants. We used multivariable linear regression to estimate least-squares geometric mean total dialkylphospate (ΣDAP) and 3-PBA concentrations across categories of predictors. Results: The dimethyl organophosphate metabolites had the highest 95th percentile concentrations (87.4 μg/L and 74.7 μg/L for DMP and DMTP, respectively). The highest 95th percentiles among pyrethroid metabolites were measured for 3-PBA and trans-DCCA (5.23 μg/L and 5.94 μg/L, respectively). Concentrations of ΣDAP increased with increasing age, non-Hispanic white or black compared with Hispanic race/ethnicity, professional pesticide use, and increasing frequency of fruit consumption; they decreased with non-green vegetable consumption. Absolute differences in geometric mean urinary 3-PBA concentrations across categories of predictors were too small to be meaningful. Conclusion: Estimates of exposure to

  20. Towards More Comprehensive Projections of Urban Heat-Related Mortality: Estimates for New York City Under Multiple Population, Adaptation, and Climate Scenarios

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Petkova, Elisaveta P.; Vink, Jan K.; Horton, Radley M.; Gasparrini, Antonio; Bader, Daniel A.; Francis, Joe D.; Kinney, Patrick L.

    2016-01-01

    High temperatures have substantial impacts on mortality and, with growing concerns about climate change, numerous studies have developed projections of future heat-related deaths around the world. Projections of temperature-related mortality are often limited by insufficient information necessary to formulate hypotheses about population sensitivity to high temperatures and future demographics. This study has derived projections of temperature-related mortality in New York City by taking into account future patterns of adaptation or demographic change, both of which can have profound influences on future health burdens. We adopt a novel approach to modeling heat adaptation by incorporating an analysis of the observed population response to heat in New York City over the course of eight decades. This approach projects heat-related mortality until the end of the 21st century based on observed trends in adaptation over a substantial portion of the 20th century. In addition, we incorporate a range of new scenarios for population change until the end of the 21st century. We then estimate future heat-related deaths in New York City by combining the changing temperature-mortality relationship and population scenarios with downscaled temperature projections from the 33 global climate models (GCMs) and two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs).The median number of projected annual heat-related deaths across the 33 GCMs varied greatly by RCP and adaptation and population change scenario, ranging from 167 to 3331 in the 2080s compared to 638 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2006.These findings provide a more complete picture of the range of potential future heat-related mortality risks across the 21st century in New York, and highlight the importance of both demographic change and adaptation responses in modifying future risks.

  1. Microbial Community Patterns Associated with Automated Teller Machine Keypads in New York City.

    PubMed

    Bik, Holly M; Maritz, Julia M; Luong, Albert; Shin, Hakdong; Dominguez-Bello, Maria Gloria; Carlton, Jane M

    2016-01-01

    a specific and unexplored microhabitat for microbial communities. Although the number of built environment and urban microbial ecology studies has expanded greatly in recent years, the majority of research to date has focused on mass transit systems, city soils, and plumbing and ventilation systems in buildings. ATM surfaces, potentially retaining microbial signatures of human inhabitants, including both commensal taxa and pathogens, are interesting from both a biodiversity perspective and a public health perspective. By focusing on ATM keypads in different geographic areas of New York City with distinct population demographics, we aimed to characterize the diversity and distribution of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes, thus making a unique contribution to the growing body of work focused on the "urban microbiome." In New York City, the surface area of urban surfaces in Manhattan far exceeds the geographic area of the island itself. We have only just begun to describe the vast array of microbial taxa that are likely to be present across diverse types of urban habitats.

  2. Microbial Community Patterns Associated with Automated Teller Machine Keypads in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Maritz, Julia M.; Luong, Albert

    2016-01-01

    represent a specific and unexplored microhabitat for microbial communities. Although the number of built environment and urban microbial ecology studies has expanded greatly in recent years, the majority of research to date has focused on mass transit systems, city soils, and plumbing and ventilation systems in buildings. ATM surfaces, potentially retaining microbial signatures of human inhabitants, including both commensal taxa and pathogens, are interesting from both a biodiversity perspective and a public health perspective. By focusing on ATM keypads in different geographic areas of New York City with distinct population demographics, we aimed to characterize the diversity and distribution of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes, thus making a unique contribution to the growing body of work focused on the “urban microbiome.” In New York City, the surface area of urban surfaces in Manhattan far exceeds the geographic area of the island itself. We have only just begun to describe the vast array of microbial taxa that are likely to be present across diverse types of urban habitats. PMID:27904880

  3. Out of the frying pan: New York City hospitals in an age of deregulation.

    PubMed

    Salit, Sharon; Fass, Steven; Nowak, Mark

    2002-01-01

    For several decades New York City hospitals had been distinguished by their tightly regulated environment, chronically weak finances, high occupancy rates, teaching intensity, dependency on public payers, low managed care penetration, and minimal merger activity. Then in the late 1990s a rapid convergence of forces--the Balanced Budget Act, managed care growth, state deregulation of commercial rates, escalating costs, and plunging hospital occupancy rates--threw the city's hospital industry into turmoil. In this paper we describe this period of turbulent change that has left most of the city's safety-net and small community hospitals near bankruptcy.

  4. Public support for smoke-free air strategies among smokers and nonsmokers, New York City, 2010-2012.

    PubMed

    Waddell, Elizabeth Needham; Farley, Shannon M; Mandel-Ricci, Jenna; Kansagra, Susan M

    2014-01-30

    From 2010 through 2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene engaged in multiple smoke-free-air activities in collaboration with community, institution, and government partners. These included implementing a law prohibiting smoking in all parks and beaches as well as working to increase compliance with existing Smoke-free Air Act provisions. We investigated trends in awareness of existing smoke-free rules publicized with new signage and public support for new smoke-free air strategies by using 3 waves of survey data from population-based samples of smoking and nonsmoking adults in New York City (2010-2012). Analyses adjusted for the influence of sociodemographic characteristics. Among both smokers and nonsmokers, we observed increased awareness of smoke-free regulations in outdoor areas around hospital entrances and grounds and in lines in outdoor waiting areas for buses and taxis. Regardless of smoking status, women, racial/ethnic minorities, and adults aged 25 to 44 years were more likely than men, non-Hispanic whites, and adults aged 65 years or older to support smoke-free air strategies. New signage was successful in increasing population-wide awareness of rules. Our analysis of the association between demographic characteristics and support for tobacco control over time provide important contextual information for community education efforts on secondhand smoke and smoke-free air strategies.

  5. Ending Social Promotion Without Leaving Children Behind: The Case of New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCombs, Jennifer Sloan, Ed.; Kirby, Sheila Nataraj, Ed.; Mariano, Louis T., Ed.

    2009-01-01

    Many states and school districts are implementing test-based requirements for promotion at key transitional points in students' schooling careers, thus ending the practice of "social promotion"--promoting students who have failed to meet academic standards and requirements for that grade. In 2003-2004, the New York City Department of…

  6. A New Politics of the Principalship? Accountability-Driven Change in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shipps, Dorothy; White, Monica

    2009-01-01

    How do principals adjust to new standards and measurement rulers of school performance when they are coupled with high-stakes consequences? Adopting a contingent view of leadership and a multiple accountabilities framework, this qualitative study explores how high school principals enacted their accountability in New York City, by comparing two…

  7. Approaches of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-Funded Intermediary Organizations to Structuring and Supporting Small High Schools in New York City. Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foley, Eileen

    2010-01-01

    In 2003, a few years after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began implementing its small schools reform agenda, the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education (DOE) announced a plan to replace large failing high schools in New York City with 200 small schools. In short order, the foundation and the Chancellor became partners with…

  8. Intra-urban vulnerability to heat-related mortality in New York City, 1997–2006

    PubMed Central

    Rosenthal, Joyce Klein; Kinney, Patrick L.; Metzger, Kristina B.

    2015-01-01

    The health impacts of exposure to summertime heat are a significant problem in New York City (NYC) and for many cities and are expected to increase with a warming climate. Most studies on heat-related mortality have examined risk factors at the municipal or regional scale and may have missed the intra-urban variation of vulnerability that might inform prevention strategies. We evaluated whether place-based characteristics (socioeconomic/demographic and health factors, as well as the built and biophysical environment) may be associated with greater risk of heat-related mortality for seniors during heat events in NYC. As a measure of relative vulnerability to heat, we used the natural cause mortality rate ratio among those aged 65 and over (MRR65+), comparing extremely hot days (maximum heat index 100 °F+) to all warm season days, across 1997–2006 for NYC's 59 Community Districts and 42 United Hospital Fund neighborhoods. Significant positive associations were found between the MRR65+ and neighborhood-level characteristics: poverty, poor housing conditions, lower rates of access to air-conditioning, impervious land cover, surface temperatures aggregated to the area-level, and seniors’ hypertension. Percent Black/African American and household poverty were strong negative predictors of seniors’ air conditioning access in multivariate regression analysis. PMID:25199872

  9. Public health assessment for Pasley Solvents and Chemicals Inc. , Garden City, Nassau County, New York, Region 2. Cerclis No. NYD991292004. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-08-22

    The Pasley Solvents and Chemicals site, which is on the National Priorities List, is situated between the borders of the Village of Garden City and Uniondale in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York. Soils at the site are contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), primarily solvent constituents and petroleum hydrocarbons compounds; semi-volatile compounds (primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds); and several metals. Groundwater in the shallow and deep aquifers under the site is contaminated with VOCs, primarily solvent constituents and petroleum hydrocarbons compounds, and two semi-volatile compounds at the concentrations exceeding public health assessment comparison values. Limited information ismore » available on soil gas intrusion and indoor air contamination, and this pathway is of concern since occupied buildings are nearby and above contaminated groundwater plumes.« less

  10. Night image of New York City as seen from STS-59 Endeavour

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1994-04-20

    STS059-50-003 (9-20 April 1994) --- This 35mm night image of the New York City metropolitan area was captured by the crew of the STS-59 crew during the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL) mission. Scientists studying film from the Space Shuttle Endeavour feel this is the best nocturnal view of this region from the manned space program.

  11. Is Tomorrow Another Day? The Labor Supply of New York City Cabdrivers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farber, Henry S.

    2005-01-01

    The labor supply of taxi drivers is consistent with the existence of intertemporal substitution. My analysis of the stopping behavior of New York City cabdrivers shows that daily income effects are small and that the decision to stop work at a particular point on a given day is primarily related to cumulative daily hours to that point. This is in…

  12. Developing Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change in the New York City Infrastructure-Shed: Process, Approach, Tools, and Strategies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Solecki, William D.; Blake, Reginald; Bowman, Malcolm; Faris, Craig; Gornitz, Vivien; Horton, Radley; Jacob, Klaus; LeBlanc, Alice; Leichenko, Robin; hide

    2010-01-01

    While current rates of sea level rise and associated coastal flooding in the New York City region appear to be manageable by stakeholders responsible for communications, energy, transportation, and water infrastructure, projections for sea level rise and associated flooding in the future, especially those associated with rapid icemelt of the Greenland and West Antarctic Icesheets, may be beyond the range of current capacity because an extreme event might cause flooding and inundation beyond the planning and preparedness regimes. This paper describes the comprehensive process, approach, and tools developed by the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) in conjunction with the region s stakeholders who manage its critical infrastructure, much of which lies near the coast. It presents the adaptation approach and the sea-level rise and storm projections related to coastal risks developed through the stakeholder process. Climate change adaptation planning in New York City is characterized by a multi-jurisdictional stakeholder-scientist process, state-of-the-art scientific projections and mapping, and development of adaptation strategies based on a risk-management approach.

  13. A loss of moral experience: understanding HIV-related stigma in the New York City House and Ball Community.

    PubMed

    Galindo, Gabriel R

    2013-02-01

    I incorporated qualitative methods to explore how HIV-related stigma functions in New York City's House and Ball Community (HBC). From January through March 2009, I conducted 20 in-depth 1-on-1 interviews with a diverse sample of New York City HBC members. Interviews addressed perceptions of HIV-related stigma, the treatment of HIV-positive members in the community, and the potential impact of HIV-related stigma on risk behaviors. HIV-related stigma contributes to a loss of moral experience for HBC members. Moral experience (i.e., threats to what really matters in a community) disrupts established social connections and hinders the attainment of "ball status" (i.e., amassing social recognition) in the local world of these individuals. My recommendations address HIV-related stigma in the New York City HBC from the vantage of moral experience and highlight the need for longitudinal studies of individual house members and for the implementation of stigma-focused interventions in the community that utilize the unique ball status hierarchy and HBC network to influence social norms surrounding the treatment of HIV-positive community members.

  14. Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program phase 1 : partnership status summary : New York City : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-08-01

    This document describes the process and status of developing and implementing agreements, contracts and subcontracts among partner organizations in the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment (NYC CVPD). Details include the work elements as ...

  15. Discordance between sexual behavior and self-reported sexual identity: a population-based survey of New York City men.

    PubMed

    Pathela, Preeti; Hajat, Anjum; Schillinger, Julia; Blank, Susan; Sell, Randall; Mostashari, Farzad

    2006-09-19

    Persons reporting sexual identity that is discordant with their sexual behavior may engage in riskier sexual behaviors than those with concordant identity and behavior. The former group could play an important role in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. To describe discordance between self-described sexual identity and behavior among men who have sex with men and associations between identity-behavior and risk behaviors. Cross-sectional, random digit-dialed telephone survey of health status and risk behaviors. New York City. Population-based sample of 4193 men. Concurrent measures of sexual identity and sexual behaviors, including number and sex of sex partners, condom use during last sexual encounter, and recent testing for HIV infection. Sex partner information was ascertained in a separate section from sexual identity; all participants were asked about the number of male sex partners and then were asked about the number of female sex partners in the past year. Of New York City men reporting a sexual identity, 12% reported sex with other men. Men who had sex with men exclusively but self-identified as heterosexual were more likely than their gay-identified counterparts to belong to minority racial or ethnic groups, be foreign-born, have lower education and income levels, and be married. These men were more likely than gay-identified men who have sex with men to report having only 1 sexual partner in the previous year. However, they were less likely to have been tested for HIV infection during that time (adjusted prevalence ratio, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.4 to 0.9]) and less likely to have used condoms during their last sexual encounter (adjusted prevalence ratio, 0.5 [CI, 0.3 to 1.0]). The survey did not sample groups that cannot be reached by using residential telephone services. Many New York City men who have sex with men do not identify as gay. Medical providers cannot rely on patients' self-reported identities to appropriately assess risk for HIV infection

  16. New York City's First Conditional Cash Transfer Program: What Worked, What Didn't

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riccio, James; Miller, Cynthia

    2016-01-01

    This report summarizes the findings of a long-term evaluation of Opportunity NYC--Family Rewards, an experimental, privately funded, conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to help families break the cycle of poverty. Family Rewards was the first comprehensive CCT program in a developed country. Launched in 2007 by New York City's Center for…

  17. Supporting On-Site Teacher-Consultants: New York City Writing Project's Community of Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Osterman, Ed

    2008-01-01

    This monograph describes and analyzes the particular processes and structures that the New York City Writing Project (NYCWP) directors and on-site teacher-consultants have developed that enable them to support and learn from each other and to reflect critically upon the work they do with teachers, students, and administrators. Over time the…

  18. Attitudes and Perceptions of Vocational Education in New York City: Implications for the Mayor's School Reform Initiative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Rupert

    2012-01-01

    Under-performing New York City (NYC) schools precipitated Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to advance a vocational education initiative. The initiative was to address the problem of the many city high school graduates lacking both the skills for gainful employment and the academic preparedness to pursue higher education. The mayor's initiative…

  19. New York harbor water quality survey, 1993. (Includes appendices). Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brosnan, T.M.; O`Shea, M.L.

    1994-11-30

    The 84th Water Quality Survey of New York Harbor was performed by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in 1993. Common indicators of water quality which were monitored include human health indicators, such as the sewage-related coliform bacteria, and environmental health indicators such as dissolved oxygen, the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, and phytoplankton densities as estimated from chlorophyll `a`.

  20. Filthy lucre: A metagenomic pilot study of microbes found on circulating currency in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Maritz, Julia M.; Sullivan, Steven A.; Prill, Robert J.; Aksoy, Emre; Scheid, Paul; Carlton, Jane M.

    2017-01-01

    Background Paper currency by its very nature is frequently transferred from one person to another and represents an important medium for human contact with—and potential exchange of—microbes. In this pilot study, we swabbed circulating $1 bills obtained from a New York City bank in February (Winter) and June (Summer) 2013 and used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to profile the communities found on their surface. Using basic culture conditions, we also tested whether viable microbes could be recovered from bills. Results Shotgun metagenomics identified eukaryotes as the most abundant sequences on money, followed by bacteria, viruses and archaea. Eukaryotic assemblages were dominated by human, other metazoan and fungal taxa. The currency investigated harbored a diverse microbial population that was dominated by human skin and oral commensals, including Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Micrococcus luteus. Other taxa detected not associated with humans included Lactococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus, microbes typically associated with dairy production and fermentation. Culturing results indicated that viable microbes can be isolated from paper currency. Conclusions We conducted the first metagenomic characterization of the surface of paper money in the United States, establishing a baseline for microbes found on $1 bills circulating in New York City. Our results suggest that money amalgamates DNA from sources inhabiting the human microbiome, food, and other environmental inputs, some of which can be recovered as viable organisms. These monetary communities may be maintained through contact with human skin, and DNA obtained from money may provide a record of human behavior and health. Understanding these microbial profiles is especially relevant to public health as money could potentially mediate interpersonal transfer of microbes. PMID:28384336

  1. Microbial sewage contamination associated with Superstorm Sandy flooding in New York City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Mullan, G.; Dueker, M.; Sahajpal, R.; Juhl, A. R.

    2013-05-01

    The lower Hudson River Estuary commonly experiences degraded water quality following precipitation events due to the influence of combined sewer overflows. During Super-storm Sandy large scale flooding occurred in many waterfront areas of New York City, including neighborhoods bordering the Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek Superfund sites known to frequently contain high levels of sewage associated bacteria. Water, sediment, and surface swab samples were collected from Newtown Creek and Gowanus Canal flood impacted streets and basements in the days following the storm, along with samples from the local waterways. Samples were enumerated for the sewage indicating bacterium, Enterococcus, and DNA was extracted and amplified for 16S ribosomal rRNA gene sequence analysis. Waterways were found to have relatively low levels of sewage contamination in the days following the storm. In contrast, much higher levels of Enterococci were detected in basement and storm debris samples and these bacteria were found to persist for many weeks in laboratory incubations. These data suggest that substantial sewage contamination occurred in some flood impacted New York City neighborhoods and that the environmental persistence of flood water associated microbes requires additional study and management attention.

  2. Connected vehicle pilot deployment program phase 1, concept of operations (ConOps) - New York City.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-04-08

    This document describes the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC) Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment (CVPD) Project. This ConOps describes the current state of operations, establishes the reasons for ...

  3. THE RACE/ETHNICITY DISPARITY IN MISDEMEANOR MARIJUANA ARRESTS IN NEW YORK CITY*

    PubMed Central

    GOLUB, ANDREW; JOHNSON, BRUCE D.; DUNLAP, ELOISE

    2008-01-01

    Research Summary This article examines the growth in marijuana misdemeanor arrests in New York City (NYC) from 1980 to 2003 and its differential impact on blacks and Hispanics. Since 1980, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) expanded its use of arrest and detention for minor offenses under its quality-of-life (QOL) policing initiative. Arrest data indicate that during the 1990s the primary focus of QOL policing became smoking marijuana in public view (MPV). By 2000, MPV had become the most common misdemeanor arrest, accounting for 15% of all NYC adult arrests and rivaling controlled substance arrests as the primary focus of drug abuse control. Of note, most MPV arrestees have been black or Hispanic. Furthermore, black and Hispanic MPV arrestees have been more likely to be detained prior to arraignment, convicted, and sentenced to jail than their white counterparts. Policy Implications In light of the disparities, we recommend that the NYPD consider scaling back on MPV enforcement and reducing the harshness of treatment by routinely issuing Desk Appearance Tickets when the person is not wanted on other charges, so that most MPV arrestees would not be detained. Furthermore, we recommend that legislators should consider making smoking marijuana in public a violation and not a misdemeanor. Lastly, we suggest ways that NYC could monitor the effectiveness of these policy modifications to assure that the city continues to meet its goals for order maintenance. PMID:18841246

  4. Exploring Migratory Dynamics on HIV Transmission: The Case of Mexicans in New York City and Puebla, Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent; McCarthy, Katharine; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel A.; de Lourdes Rosas López, Maria

    2014-01-01

    Migration and population movement are increasingly viewed as important factors associated with HIV transmission risk. With growing awareness of the potential impact of migration on HIV transmission, several perspectives have emerged that posit differing dynamics of risk. We considered available data on the role of migration on HIV transmission among Mexican migrants in New York City and Puebla, Mexico. Specifically, we examined 3 distinct models of migratory dynamics of HIV transmission—namely, the structural model, the local contextual model, and the interplay model. In doing so, we reframed current public health perspectives on the role of migration on HIV transmission. PMID:24825203

  5. Incorporating Environmental Education into an Urban After-School Program in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruyere, Brett L.; Wesson, Mark; Teel, Tara

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the integration of environmental education (EE) into an after-school program in the Bronx borough of New York City. In this qualitative case study, focus group interviews were conducted to first determine parent and educator interest in and barriers to participation in nature programs and incorporation of EE into curriculum.…

  6. Introducing a longitudinal study of community gardeners and gardens in New York City

    Treesearch

    Erika S. Svendsen; Lindsay K. Campbell; Nancy Falxa-Raymond; Jessica Northridge; Edie Stone

    2012-01-01

    For almost a decade, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation GreenThumb program has collected data about hundreds of New York City community gardens citywide to understand how these gardens function. Building on a data set that includes surveys and interviews conducted periodically with garden representatives since 2003, GreenThumb and USDA Forest Service...

  7. Does Small High School Reform Lift Urban Districts? Evidence from New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stiefel, Leanna; Schwartz, Amy Ellen; Wiswall, Matthew

    2015-01-01

    Research finds that small high schools deliver better outcomes than large high schools for urban students. An important outstanding question is whether this better performance is gained at the expense of losses elsewhere: Does small school reform lift the whole district? We explore New York City's small high school reform in which hundreds of new…

  8. One City, Two Worlds, and Yet...: New York from "Roller Skates" to "Stevie."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendrickson, Linnea

    1998-01-01

    Explores Ruth Sawyer's "Roller Skates" and John Steptoe's "Stevie"--two very different works linked by common themes and settings. Concludes that these works portray children exploring the variety and richness of life in New York City of the 1890s and of the 1960s, and that both emphasize the importance of love, family, and…

  9. Lead in New York City community garden chicken eggs: influential factors and health implications.

    PubMed

    Spliethoff, Henry M; Mitchell, Rebecca G; Ribaudo, Lisa N; Taylor, Owen; Shayler, Hannah A; Greene, Virginia; Oglesby, Debra

    2014-08-01

    Raising chickens for eggs in urban areas is becoming increasingly common. Urban chickens may be exposed to lead, a common urban soil contaminant. We measured lead concentrations in chicken eggs from New York City (NYC) community gardens and collected information on factors that might affect those concentrations. Lead was detected between 10 and 167 μg/kg in 48 % of NYC eggs. Measures of lead in eggs from a henhouse were significantly associated (p < 0.005) with lead concentrations in soil. The association between soil and egg lead has been evaluated only once before, by a study of a rural region in Belgium. In our study, the apparent lead soil-to-egg transfer efficiency was considerably lower than that found in Belgium, suggesting that there may be important geographic differences in this transfer. We developed models that suggested that, for sites like ours, lead concentrations in >50 % of eggs from a henhouse would exceed store-bought egg concentrations (<7-13 μg/kg; 3 % above detection limit) at soil lead concentrations >120 mg/kg and that the concentration in one of six eggs from a henhouse would exceed a 100 μg/kg guidance value at soil lead concentrations >410 mg/kg. Our models also suggested that the availability of dietary calcium supplements was another influential factor that reduced egg lead concentrations. Estimates of health risk from consuming eggs with the lead concentrations we measured generally were not significant. However, soil lead concentrations in this study were <600 mg/kg, and considerably higher concentrations are not uncommon. Efforts to reduce lead transfer to chicken eggs and associated exposure are recommended for urban chicken keepers.

  10. Lead in New York City Community Garden Chicken Eggs: Influential Factors and Health Implications

    PubMed Central

    Spliethoff, Henry M.; Mitchell, Rebecca G.; Ribaudo, Lisa N.; Taylor, Owen; Shayler, Hannah A.; Greene, Virginia; Oglesby, Debra

    2014-01-01

    Raising chickens for eggs in urban areas is becoming increasingly common. Urban chickens may be exposed to lead, a common urban soil contaminant. We measured lead concentrations in chicken eggs from New York City (NYC) community gardens and collected information on factors that might affect those concentrations. Lead was detected between 10 and 167 μg/kg in 48% of NYC eggs. Measures of lead in eggs from a henhouse were significantly associated (p<0.005) with lead concentrations in soil. The association between soil and egg lead has been evaluated only once before, by a study of a rural region in Belgium. In our study, the apparent lead soil-to-egg transfer efficiency was considerably lower than that found in Belgium, suggesting that there may be important geographic differences in this transfer. We developed models that suggested that, for sites like ours, lead concentrations in >50% of eggs from a henhouse would exceed store-bought egg concentrations (<7–13 μg/kg; 3% above detection limit) at soil lead concentrations >120 mg/kg, and that the concentration in one of six eggs from a henhouse would exceed a 100 μg/kg guidance value at soil lead concentrations >410 mg/kg. Our models also suggested that the availability of dietary calcium supplements was another influential factor that reduced egg lead concentrations. Estimates of health risk from consuming eggs with the lead concentrations we measured generally were not significant. However, soil lead concentrations in this study were <600 mg/kg, and considerably higher concentrations are not uncommon. Efforts to reduce lead transfer to chicken eggs and associated exposure are recommended for urban chicken keepers. PMID:24287691

  11. Global contexts, social capital, and acculturative stress: experiences of Indian immigrant men in New York City.

    PubMed

    Bhattacharya, Gauri

    2011-08-01

    Immigrants depend on within-group social networks for social support during the acculturation process. Within-group social networks are linked to higher mutual concern and reciprocity, lower acculturative stress, and lower depression among immigrants Studies are limited, however, about immigrants' social support in the contexts of global connectedness and transnational connectivity. Grounded in social capital approach and immigrant health framework, this qualitative, community-based study examined the social networks of immigrant men from India to New York City. Drawing upon the participants' narratives, the author illustrates the ways that social capital influences social networking and acculturative stress in post-immigration sociocultural contexts along with its implications for community-based interventions.

  12. Improving Transgender Healthcare in the New York City Correctional System.

    PubMed

    Jaffer, Mohamed; Ayad, John; Tungol, Jose Gabriel; MacDonald, Ross; Dickey, Nathaniel; Venters, Homer

    2016-04-01

    Correctional settings create unique challenges for patients with special needs, including transgender patients, who have an increased rate of overall discrimination, sexual abuse, healthcare disparities, and improper housing. As part of our correctional health quality improvement process, we sought to review and evaluate the adequacy of care for transgender patients in the New York City jail system. Using correctional pharmacy records, transgender patients receiving hormonal treatment were identified. A brief in-person survey was conducted to evaluate their care in the community before incarceration, medical care in jail, and experience in the jail environment. Survey findings and analysis of transgender patient healthcare-related complaints revealed opportunities for improvements in the provision of care and staff understanding of this population. Utilizing these findings, we conducted lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) trainings in all 12 jail clinics for medical, nursing, and mental health staff. Three months after LGBT training, patient complaints dropped by over 50%. After the development and implementation of a newly revised transgender healthcare policy, complaints dropped to zero within 6 months. Our efforts to assess the quality of care provided to transgender patients revealed significant areas for improvement. Although we have made important gains in providing quality care through the implementation of policies and procedures rooted in community standards and the express wishes of our patients, we continue to engage this patient population to identify other issues that impact their health and well-being in the jail environment.

  13. The Cornell Urban Scholars Program: Cultivating New York City's Next Generation of Civic Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reardon, Kenneth M.

    2005-01-01

    This article describes the origins, evolution, and development of a comprehensive civic engagement program designed to encourage Ivy League students to pursue public service careers with nonprofits and municipal government organizations serving New York City's poorest children, families, and neighborhoods. The article offers a detailed description…

  14. 78 FR 66911 - Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment; City of New York

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-07

    ... City of New York's existing Cannonsville Dam, which impounds its Cannonsville Water Supply Reservoir. The dam and reservoir are located on the West Branch of the Delaware River, near the Township of... EA) which analyzes the potential environmental effects of construction and operation of the project...

  15. Hospitalization Rates Among People With HIV/AIDS in New York City, 2013.

    PubMed

    Lazar, Rachael; Kersanske, Laura; Xia, Qiang; Daskalakis, Demetre; Braunstein, Sarah L

    2017-08-01

    Hospitalizations are an important indicator of healthcare quality and access for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This study assesses hospitalization rates among people with HIV/AIDS in New York City. We performed a deterministic match between people in the New York City HIV surveillance registry alive as of 1 January 2013 and diagnosed with HIV as of 31 December 2013 and patient-level inpatient hospitalization records during 2013. Event-level data were analyzed to determine characteristics of and reasons for hospitalizations. Primary diagnoses were classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. We estimated hospitalization rates as the number of hospitalizations per 100 person-years for all causes, AIDS-defining illnesses, and non-AIDS-defining infections. Nearly one-fifth of hospitalizations were attributed to non-AIDS-defining infections, whereas AIDS-defining illness diagnoses were infrequent (3.6% of hospitalizations). Other common causes were cardiovascular (10.9%) and substance use (9.8%). The estimated all-cause hospitalization rate was 36.7 per 100 person-years. Higher all-cause hospitalization rates were observed among females (46.8 per 100 person-years), Black and Latino/Hispanic people (41.8 and 39.5 per 100 person-years, respectively), people living in high-poverty neighborhoods (47.4 per 100 person-years), and people with a history of injection drug use (74.9 per 100 person-years). The estimated AIDS-defining illness and non-AIDS-defining infection hospitalization rates were 1.3 and 7.2 per 100 person-years, respectively. People with HIV in New York City were frequently hospitalized. While AIDS-defining illnesses were relatively rare, non-AIDS-defining infection hospitalizations were more common. Disparities in hospitalization rates indicate a need for targeted improved primary care and comorbid disease management. © The Author 2017

  16. Risk Management and Adaptation Transition Mechanisms and Pathways in New York City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Link, H. D.

    2016-12-01

    Understanding the values that drive current decision-making is essential to effective management of critical urban infrastructure. As urban infrastructure becomes increasingly interconnected, risks in one sector can translate to citywide risk in the flash of a photon or the blink of an eye. Approaches and goals of risk management vary across geographies. Administrators and residents attempt to reduce vulnerability to hazards and limit the scope of disasters in different ways in different contexts. Public and personal risk management decision making regimes are complex and often shifting. While the overarching goal is to try to reduce the level of risk faced by stakeholders in a particular locale, the conditions and changing character of local risk management decisions are affected by physical, economic and social factors. Opportunities for meaningful action are found at this nexus. To illuminate this nexus, this paper provides a detailed discussion and analysis of the New York City risk management regime and its trajectory as defined by local experts. The risk focus of the analysis is storm surge and flooding, and heat stress. The analysis examines the factors that enable movement and transition between different adaptive regimes, and on factors that support lock-in of current regime status The research utilizes a risk management framework based on four policy states developed for the Transformation and Resilience in the Urban Coast (TRUC) project (Solecki et al. 2016). "Collapse"; a state where there is no strategic risk planning; "Resistance"; risk planning that is directed at stability and aims at protecting current development pathways; "Resilience"; flexible planning that aims at introducing some changes to maintain current development, and "Transformation"; planning for fundamental changes in risk management including changing development choices and paths to accommodate uncertainty and future risk scenarios. (Solecki et al. 2016). To examine the risk

  17. Evaluating the cascading impacts of sea level rise and coastal flooding on emergency response spatial accessibility in Lower Manhattan, New York City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Jie; Yu, Dapeng; Lin, Ning; Wilby, Robert L.

    2017-12-01

    This paper describes a scenario-based approach for evaluating the cascading impacts of sea level rise (SLR) and coastal flooding on emergency responses. The analysis is applied to Lower Manhattan, New York City, considering FEMA's 100- and 500-year flood scenarios and New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC2)'s high-end SLR projections for the 2050s and 2080s, using the current situation as the baseline scenario. Service areas for different response timeframes (3-, 5- and 8-min) and various traffic conditions are simulated for three major emergency responders (i.e. New York Police Department (NYPD), Fire Department, New York (FDNY) and Emergency Medical Service (EMS)) under normal and flood scenarios. The modelling suggests that coastal flooding together with SLR could result in proportionate but non-linear impacts on emergency services at the city scale, and the performance of operational responses is largely determined by the positioning of emergency facilities and the functioning of traffic networks. Overall, emergency service accessibility to the city is primarily determined by traffic flow speed. However, the situation is expected to be further aggravated during coastal flooding, with is set to increase in frequency and magnitude due to SLR.

  18. Lesson From the New York City Out-of-Hospital Uncontrolled Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death Program.

    PubMed

    Wall, Stephen P; Kaufman, Bradley J; Williams, Nicholas; Norman, Elizabeth M; Gilbert, Alexander J; Munjal, Kevin G; Maikhor, Shana; Goldstein, Michael J; Rivera, Julia E; Lerner, Harvey; Meyers, Chad; Machado, Marion; Montella, Susan; Pressman, Marcy; Teperman, Lewis W; Dubler, Nancy N; Goldfrank, Lewis R

    2016-04-01

    In 2006, the Institute of Medicine emphasized substantial potential to expand organ donation opportunities through uncontrolled donation after circulatory determination of death (uDCDD). We pilot an out-of-hospital uDCDD kidney program for New York City in partnership with communities that it was intended to benefit. We evaluate protocol process and outcomes while identifying barriers to success and means for improvement. We conducted a prospective, participatory action research study in Manhattan from December 2010 to May 2011. Daily from 4 to 12 pm, our organ preservation unit monitored emergency medical services (EMS) frequencies for cardiac arrests occurring in private locations. After EMS providers independently ordered termination of resuscitation, organ preservation unit staff determined clinical eligibility and donor status. Authorized parties, persons authorized to make organ donation decisions, were approached about in vivo preservation. The study population included organ preservation unit staff, authorized parties, passersby, and other New York City agency personnel. Organ preservation unit staff independently documented shift activities with daily operations notes and teleconference summaries that we analyzed with mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. The organ preservation unit entered 9 private locations; all the deceased lacked previous registration, although 4 met clinical screening eligibility. No kidneys were recovered. We collected 837 notes from 35 organ preservation unit staff. Despite frequently recounting protocol breaches, most responses from passersby including New York City agencies were favorable. No authorized parties were offended by preservation requests, yielding a Bayesian posterior median 98% (95% credible interval 76% to 100%). In summary, the New York City out-of-hospital uDCDD program was not feasible. There were frequent protocol breaches and confusion in determining clinical eligibility. In the small sample of

  19. A century of transitions in New York City's measles dynamics.

    PubMed

    Hempel, Karsten; Earn, David J D

    2015-05-06

    Infectious diseases spreading in a human population occasionally exhibit sudden transitions in their qualitative dynamics. Previous work has successfully predicted such transitions in New York City's historical measles incidence using the seasonally forced susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) model. This work relied on a dataset spanning 45 years (1928-1973), which we have extended to 93 years (1891-1984). We identify additional dynamical transitions in the longer dataset and successfully explain them by analysing attractors and transients of the same mechanistic epidemiological model. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  20. Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 2 : Comprehensive Maintenance and Operations Plan - New York City

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2018-05-31

    This Comprehensive Maintenance and Operations Plan (CMOP) describes the types and number of equipment to be operated and maintained for the proposed New York City (NYC) Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment (CVPD) system. Its objective is to develop a p...