Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33619475›Full record

ArticleResearch square2021

Time-varying associations between COVID-19 case incidence and community-level sociodemographic, occupational, environmental, and mobility risk factors in Massachusetts.

Koen Tieskens, Prasad Patil, Jonathan I Levy, Paige Brochu, Kevin J Lane, M Patricia Fabian, Fei Carnes, Beth M Haley, Keith R Spangler, Jessica H Leibler

Open access · greenAbstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in Research square, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Koen TieskensBoston University School of Public Health.
Prasad PatilBoston University School of Public Health.
Jonathan I LevyBoston University School of Public Health.
Paige BrochuBoston University School of Public Health.
Kevin J LaneBoston University School of Public Health.
M Patricia FabianBoston University School of Public Health.
Fei CarnesBoston University School of Public Health.
Beth M HaleyBoston University School of Public Health.
Keith R SpanglerBoston University School of Public Health.
Jessica H LeiblerBoston University School of Public Health.
Boston University · US

Funding

Environmental Epidemiology in Community SettingsT32ES014562 · NIEHS · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI Birgit Gunhild Claus Henn · 2006 to 2026
$7.7M
Project 3: Cumulative Risk and Geospatial Health Disparities Related to Chemical and Non-Chemical Stressor ExposuresP50MD010428 · NIMHD · HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI LADEN, FRANCINE, LEVY, JONATHAN I · 2015 to 2020
$4.0M
NIEHS NIH HHS T32 ES014562NIMHD NIH HHS P50 MD010428
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAssociations between community-level risk factors and COVID-19 incidence are used to identify vulnerable subpopulations and target interventions, but the variability of these associations over time remains largely unknown. We evaluated variability in the associations between community-level predictors and COVID-19 case incidence in 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts from March to October 2020.

methodsUsing publicly available sociodemographic, occupational, environmental, and mobility datasets, we developed mixed-effect, adjusted Poisson regression models to depict associations between these variables and town-level COVID-19 case incidence data across five distinct time periods. We examined town-level demographic variables, including z-scores of percent Black, Latinx, over 80 years and undergraduate students, as well as factors related to occupation, housing density, economic vulnerability, air pollution (PM

resultsAssociations between key predictor variables and town-level incidence varied across the five time periods. We observed reductions over time in the association with percentage Black residents (IRR=1.12 CI=(1.12-1.13) in spring, IRR=1.01 CI=(1.00-1.01) in fall). The association with number of long-term care facility beds per capita also decreased over time (IRR=1.28 CI=(1.26-1.31) in spring, IRR=1.07 CI=(1.05-1.09)in fall). Controlling for other factors, towns with higher percentages of essential workers experienced elevated incidence of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic (e.g., IRR=1.30 CI=(1.27-1.33) in spring, IRR=1.20, CI=(1.17-1.22) in fall). Towns with higher percentages of Latinx residents also had sustained elevated incidence over time (e.g., IRR=1.19 CI=(1.18-1.21) in spring, IRR=1.14 CI=(1.13-1.15) in fall).

conclusionsTown-level COVID-19 risk factors vary with time. In Massachusetts, racial (but not ethnic) disparities in COVID-19 incidence have decreased over time, perhaps indicating greater success in risk mitigation in selected communities. Our approach can be used to evaluate effectiveness of public health interventions and target specific mitigation efforts on the community level.

Identifiers

PMID33619475
PMCPMC7899469
OpenAlexW3184217805

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.