Research Roundup: Charitable Food Assistance; Bias In Medical Research; Developmental Milestones; And More

Urban Institute: New Data Show About 1 In 10 Adults Turns To Charitable Food Assistance
This holiday season, many people will donate money, food, or time to a local food bank or soup kitchen. Yet how much do we know about the individuals and families who use charitable food assistance? New data from the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey (WBNS) reveal that more Americans than previously estimated turn to charitable food services to feed their families. As we discuss in our new brief, about 1 in 10 adults (10.3 percent) who were surveyed as part of the December 2018 WBNS said they or someone in their household received charitable food assistance in the 30 days before being surveyed. (Waxman, Joo and Gonzalez, 12/11)

JAMA Internal Medicine: Underappreciated Bias Created By Measurement Error In Risk Factor Assessment—A Case Study Of No Safe Level Of Alcohol Consumption
It is well appreciated that systematic measurement error can bias estimates of the population mean (eg, biased estimates of average alcohol use), but the consequences of systematic measurement error on the associations between risk factors and outcomes are often overlooked. A recent example is a study that led to widely publicized reports of no safe level of alcohol consumption. The study did not account for potential misclassification owing to underreporting of alcohol use. Systematic underreporting of alcohol use could result in overestimating the association between a low amount of alcohol consumption and the risk of adverse health outcomes, especially given evidence that heavy drinkers underreport their true levels of alcohol consumption by up to 40% to 65%. (Vance, Caverly and Hayward, 12/9)

American Academy Of Pediatrics: Establishing New Norms For Developmental Milestones
A contemporary resource of normative data for developmental milestone attainment was established. Lower developmental status was associated with child age in the presence of positive behavioral screening scores (P < .01), social determinants of health (P < .01), Medicaid (P < .01), male sex (P < .01), and child race (P < .01). Comparisons between Survey of Well-being of Young Children developmental questions and CDC guidelines reveal that a high percentage of children are reported to pass milestones by the age at which the CDC states that “most children pass” and that an even higher percentage of children are reported to pass milestones by the age at which the CDC states that parents should “act early.” (Sheldrick et al, 12/1)

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: How Many Of The Uninsured Can Purchase A Marketplace Plan For Free In 2020?
While the percent of the population without health coverage has decreased since the major coverage expansion in the ACA, at least 10% of the non-elderly population is still uninsured. This analysis looks at how many of the remaining uninsured are eligible for premium subsidies large enough to cover the entire cost of a bronze plan, which is the minimum level of coverage available on the Marketplaces. The premium tax credits that subsidize Marketplace coverage are calculated using the second-lowest cost silver plan in each rating area as a benchmark. (Fehr, Cox and Rae, 12/10)

The New York Times: C-Section Is Not Tied To Obesity In Children
Some recent reports have suggested that women who give birth by cesarean section are more likely to have obese children. But a large new study found no link between the method of birth and obesity. Swedish researchers tracked medical records of 97,291 men born between 1982 and 1987, following them to age 18. The study is in PLOS Medicine. (Bakalar, 12/10)

Modern Healthcare: Lacking Specialist Access Drives Health Disparities
Primary care is not sufficient for residents in rural communities with complex chronic conditions, according to new research that revealed a lack of access to specialists has driven up mortality rates and preventable hospitalizations. Medicare beneficiaries who lived in rural areas had a 40% higher preventable hospitalization rate and a 23% higher mortality rate compared with their urban peers, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. (Kacik, 12/3)