Statistical Areas Research Articles

The Role of Data Sample Uncertainty in Delineations of Core Based Statistical Areas and Rural Urban Commuting Areas

The Role of Data Sample Uncertainty in Delineations of Core Based Statistical Areas and Rural Urban Commuting Areas

Optimal feature selection and crop extraction using random forest based on GF-6 WFV data

ABSTRACT For precision agriculture, agricultural development planning, and regional food security, accurate crop mapping is essential. The GF-6 satellite offers novel approaches for crop identification. As Jinzhou, Hebei province, China, comprises a mix of grain and fruit trees, this research has selected the area for a case study. First, spectral, index, and texture features are combined in various classification feature schemes. Second, the random forest algorithm is employed to ascertain the significance of these features. Optimal features are then chosen to accurately identify winter wheat, summer maize, and pear orchards. Concurrently, land cover for wheat and maize seasons is mapped. The results demonstrate that: (1) multisource features considerably enhanced the accuracy of crop classification based on GF-6 WFV data. Among these, index features have the greatest contribution, followed by spectral features, while the contribution of texture features, is almost negligible. (2) The classification effect utilizing random forest feature optimization is superior, with an overall accuracy of 94% and a kappa coefficient of 0.91. The extracted land area for each scheme exhibits an accuracy of over 70% when compared to the statistical area. (3) The critical time phases for extracting winter wheat, summer maize, and pear orchards are identified as, in sequence, the leaf-out and jointing stage, the tasselling stage, the leaf-fall stage, fruit development, and the first flowering/full flowering stages. Based on GF-6 WFV data, these research findings will offer a technical reference for the identification of grain crops and the extraction of pear orchards.

Minimum wage effects within Census Based Statistical Areas: A matched pair cross-border analysis

Using monthly data from major U.S. metropolitan areas that span state borders, we estimate the elasticity of employment with respect to the minimum wage using a difference-in-differences design with continuous treatment in two-digit industries of 71 (Arts, Entertainment and Recreation) and 72 (Accommodation and Food Services). In specifications that control for differences in state sales, personal and corporate income tax rates, we find a negative average causal response on the treated (ACRT) in six-digit industries where we expect large numbers of young, entry-level employees but positive correlations in other industries. Our results illustrate important heterogeneities in minimum wage effects in urban versus rural areas.

Local House Price Effects of Internal Migration in Queensland: Australia's Interstate Migration Capital

AbstractWe examine the causal impact of internal migration on housing prices across 82 Statistical Areas Level 3 regions in Queensland, Australia from 2014–2019. The primary findings are: (i) an annual increase in the inflow of migrants equal to 1 per cent of a region's initial population leads to a 0.6 to 0.7 per cent annual increase in Queensland's house prices across different empirical specifications; (ii) this effect differs between the Greater Brisbane metropolitan area and Rest of State areas; (iii) migration from New South Wales fails to produce a significant influence on house price growth in Queensland.

Information shocks and celebrity exposure: The effect of "Magic" Johnson on AIDS diagnoses and mortality in the U.S.

We present evidence that Earvin "Magic" Johnson's announcement that he contracted HIV served as a public-health catalyst for rapidly correcting the public's understanding of who was at risk of infection. Using a novel identification strategy, we present evidence that there was a large but temporary increase in the number of AIDS diagnoses for heterosexual men following the announcement. This effect was concentrated in areas with greater prior exposure to Johnson. We show that these men were both more likely to have been diagnosed via a formal blood test and less likely to die within 1decade of their initial diagnosis-suggesting that Johnson's announcement caused an intertemporal substitution in testing which prolonged patients' lifespans as a result of earlier access to medical care. We estimate that Johnson's announcement caused approximately 800 additional heterosexual males in the United States in metropolitan statistical areas with National Basketball Association franchises men to discover their underlying AIDS diagnosis and, of whom, were more likely to live at least 1decade beyond their initial diagnosis date.

Urban heat island impacts on heat-related cardiovascular morbidity: A time series analysis of older adults in US metropolitan areas

Many United States (US) cities are experiencing urban heat islands (UHIs) and climate change-driven temperature increases. Extreme heat increases cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, yet little is known about how this association varies with UHI intensity (UHII) within and between cities. We aimed to identify the urban populations most at-risk of and burdened by heat-related CVD morbidity in UHI-affected areas compared to unaffected areas. ZIP code-level daily counts of CVD hospitalizations among Medicare enrollees, aged 65–114, were obtained for 120 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) between 2000 and 2017. Mean ambient temperature exposure was estimated by interpolating daily weather station observations. ZIP codes were classified as low and high UHII using the first and fourth quartiles of an existing surface UHII metric, weighted to each have 25% of all CVD hospitalizations. MSA-specific associations between ambient temperature and CVD hospitalization were estimated using quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag non-linear models and pooled via multivariate meta-analyses. Across the US, extreme heat (MSA-specific 99th percentile, on average 28.6 °C) increased the risk of CVD hospitalization by 1.5% (95% CI: 0.4%, 2.6%), with considerable variation among MSAs. Extreme heat-related CVD hospitalization risk in high UHII areas (2.4% [95% CI: 0.4%, 4.3%]) exceeded that in low UHII areas (1.0% [95% CI: −0.8%, 2.8%]), with upwards of a 10% difference in some MSAs. During the 18-year study period, there were an estimated 37,028 (95% CI: 35,741, 37,988) heat-attributable CVD admissions. High UHII areas accounted for 35% of the total heat-related CVD burden, while low UHII areas accounted for 4%. High UHII disproportionately impacted already heat-vulnerable populations; females, individuals aged 75–114, and those with chronic conditions living in high UHII areas experienced the largest heat-related CVD impacts. Overall, extreme heat increased cardiovascular morbidity risk and burden in older urban populations, with UHIs exacerbating these impacts among those with existing vulnerabilities.

Case studies for the MATHMET Quality Management System at VSL, the Dutch National Metrology Institute

The European Metrology Network MATHMET is a network in which a large number of European national metrology institutes combine their forces in the area of mathematics and statistics applied to metrological problems. One underlying principle of such a cooperation is to have a common understanding of the ‘quality’ of software, data and guidelines. To this purpose a flexible, lightweight Quality Management System (QMS), also referred to as Quality Assessment Tools (QAT), is under development by the EMN. In this contribution the application of the QMS to several use cases of different nature by VSL is presented. The benefits and usefulness of the current version of the QMS are discussed from the particular viewpoint of a particular employee of VSL, and an outlook for possible future extensions and usage of the QMS is given.

Impact of the Medicare Benefits Schedule Rebate (MBSR) freeze on General Practice (GP) use: multivariable regression analysis

BackgroundIn 2015, the Australian government froze the Medicare Benefits Schedule Rebate (MBSR) for General Practitioner (GP) service use. This paper aimed to explore the impact of the MBSR freeze on the demand for GP services in Victoria, Australia, for three years, from 2014 to 2016.MethodAnnual data on GP service utilisation by the Victorian State Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) were analysed using 2015 as the reference year (MBSR freeze year). We compared annual per-person GP service use before and after the MBSR freeze for each SA3. Socioeconomic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) scores and regions of Victoria (Greater Melbourne and the Rest of Victoria) were used to identify the most disadvantaged SA3s in Victoria. We conducted a multivariable regression analysis for the number of GP services per patient by SA3, controlling for regions of Victoria, the number of GP services, the proportion of bulk-billed visits, age group, gender and year.FindingsAfter adjusting for age group, gender, region, SEIFA, the number of GPs and the proportion of bulk-billed GP visits, mean GP services per person per year declined steadily between 2014 and 2016, with a 3% or 0.11 visit (-0.114, 95%CI: -0.134; -0.094, P = < 0.001) reduction in mean utilisation in 2016 compared to 2014. In disadvantaged SA3s, there was a fall in the number of GP services that were bulk-billed during and after the MBSR freeze compared to 2014, and this fall was large in LOW SEIFA SA3s, with a reduction in 17% of mean bulk-billed GP services.ConclusionThe MBSR freeze for GP consultations in 2015 resulted in a reduction in the annual per capita demand for GP visits, with the impact of reduced demand more significant in lower socioeconomic and regional/rural areas. The GP funding policies must consider the demand differences by social-economic status and location.

Nicotine pouch awareness, use and perceptions among young adults from six metropolitan statistical areas in the United States.

Nicotine pouches, which emerged in the US in 2016 and are marketed as 'tobacco-free', may appeal to young adults. This study examined young adults' nicotine pouch awareness, use, use intentions, and related factors. We analyzed Spring 2022 survey data from 942 young adults recruited via social media from six US cities (mean age=27.61 years, 34.3% men, 33.1% racial/ethnic minority) to characterize nicotine pouch awareness, ever use, use intentions, exposure, and perceptions. Nicotine pouch awareness and ever use were reported by 34.6% and 9.8%, respectively. Males (AOR=1.79; 95% CI: 1.33-2.38), non-White participants (vs White; AOR=1.64; 95% CI: 1.04-2.61), and those using cigarettes (AOR=2.67; 95% CI: 1.63-4.38), e-cigarettes (AOR=2.28; 95% CI: 1.57-3.31), and smokeless tobacco (SLT) (AOR=14.46; 95% CI: 1.81-115.61) had greater odds of awareness. Among those aware of nicotine pouches, males (AOR=2.27; 95% CI: 1.33-3.85), White participants (vs Asian; AOR=0.40; 95% CI: 0.17-0.94), and SLT users (AOR=4.90; 95% CI: 1.26-18.98) had greater odds of ever use; being male (B=0.39; 95% CI: -0.67 - -0.12) and using SLT (B=1.73; 95% CI: 1.10-2.36) predicted greater use intentions. Overall, 31.4% reported past-month advertising exposure, most often via tobacco retailers (67.3%). Ever users most commonly purchased them at gas stations (46.7%). The most frequently reported use motives were to quit combusted tobacco (16.8%) and reduce tobacco smell (15.4%). Nicotine pouches were perceived as less harmful and less addictive than cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and SLT, and more socially acceptable than cigarettes and SLT. Young adults were exposed to advertising, accessed nicotine pouches via various sources, and perceived these products favorably. Marketing and use surveillance is needed to monitor their impact on those likely to use them (e.g. males, SLT users).

Disparities in trajectories of cigarette and E-cigarette use across sexual orientation groups of young adult men and women in the US

IntroductionLimited research has examined differences in cigarette/e-cigarette use trajectories among specific subgroups of sexual minority (SM) young adult (SMYA) men and women. MethodsRepeated measures latent profile analyses (RMLPAs) examined past 6-month cigarette and e-cigarette use trajectories across 5 waves of data (2018–2020) among men (n = 1235; Mage = 25.56, SD = 4.85; 8.0% bisexual, 12.7% gay; 36.4% racial/ethnic minority) and women (n = 1574; Mage = 24.64, SD = 4.72; 23.8% bisexual, 5.9% lesbian; 35.3% racial/ethnic minority) residing in 6 US metropolitan statistical areas. Multinomial logistic regressions examined associations among sexual orientation (bisexual, gay/lesbian, heterosexual) and tobacco use trajectories among men and women, separately. ResultsRMLPAs yielded a 6-profile solution: stable low-level cigarette and e-cigarette use (66.6%), stable low-level cigarette and high-level e-cigarette use (12.2%), stable low-level cigarette and decreasing e-cigarette use (6.2%), stable mid-level cigarette and low-level e-cigarette use (6.2%), stable high-level cigarette and low-level e-cigarette use (4.5%), and stable high-level cigarette and e-cigarette use (4.2%). Gay (vs. heterosexual) men were less likely to display stable low-level cigarette and stable high-level e-cigarette use. Bisexual (vs. heterosexual) women were more likely to display stable low-level cigarette and stable high-level e-cigarette use, stable low-level cigarette and decreasing high-level e-cigarette use, and stable high-level cigarette and stable low-level e-cigarette use. ConclusionsBisexual women were at greatest risk for displaying several problematic cigarette and e-cigarette use trajectories, whereas few differences emerged for men. Tailored interventions and campaigns are needed to curtail ongoing tobacco use disparities among SMYA men and women, particularly bisexual women.

Introducing the New Editorial Team

Introducing the New Editorial Team

HPR130 The Impact of Stay-at-Home Orders on Binge Drinking Patterns in the US

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the stay-at-home orders, especially closing and reopening bars and other drinking establishments, on binge drinking patterns in US populations in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).

The Role of Political Belief in COVID-19 Vaccine Resistance, Virus Transmission, and Closure Policy Response.

We employ unique panel data on the universe of COVID-19 vaccination and infection cases in Israel to examine the role of political belief in COVID-19 vaccine uptake, virus transmission, and closure policy response. The paper identifies political beliefs based on statistical area votes in national elections held in Israel on the eve of the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. Unlike the U.S. and elsewhere, pandemic policy intervention in Israel was broadly supported by politicians across the belief spectrum. As such, household response to virus risk was not biased by contemporaneous partisan disagreement and debate among political leaders. Findings show, all things equal, that in the wake of emergent and localized virus risk, voters in politically right-of-center and religious areas displayed substantially higher odds of both vaccine resistance and virus transmission as compared to their left-center counterparts. Moreover, political belief is highly salient to aggregate pandemic outcomes. Model simulation shows that had all areas responded to virus risk with the more risk-averse behaviors of left-of-center areas, the number of vaccinations nationwide would have increased by 15 percent. That same scenario results in a full 30 percent reduction in total infection cases. Results also show that coercive policy measures such as economic closure were more effective in reducing virus transmission among less risk-averse right-wing and religious areas. Findings provide new evidence of the role of political belief in household response to health risks. Results further underscore the importance of timely, targeted messaging and intervention among divergent political belief groups to reduce vaccine hesitancy and enhance disease control. Future studies should explore the external validity of findings, including the use of individual voter data, if available, to evaluate political belief effects.

Illuminating the Immigration–Crime Nexus: A Test of the Immigration Revitalization Perspective

Research shows that immigration is often associated with less crime. Yet, what remains unclear is why this is the case. The primary explanation for why immigration reduces crime, according to scholars, is the immigration revitalization thesis. This perspective argues that immigration revitalizes communities by promoting local business growth, bolstering social ties, and enhancing conventional institutions (e.g., churches, voluntary organizations), which then reduce crime. These ideas, however, have never been tested. Using longitudinal data from 139 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) between 2000 and 2019, we examine whether the relationship between immigration and violent crime is mediated by changes in the percentage of households headed by married couples, number of ethnic businesses, and/or number of immigrant/ethnic-oriented organizations. The results from the generalized structural equation models (GSEM) and mediation tests offer some support for the immigration revitalization perspective.

0436 Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Patient Journey: Retrospective Analysis of Real-world Data

Abstract Introduction OSA affects about 30% of US adults and up to 90% remain undiagnosed and untreated. This study aimed to characterize the OSA patient journey by identifying the most common OSA care pathways in the U.S. We also sought to compare time from diagnosis to treatment initiation between groups. Methods Data was extracted from a national administrative claims database (01/01/2016–02/28/2020). Inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years and 12 months continuous enrollment before/after the first OSA diagnosis (index date). OSA was defined as ICD-10 diagnosis preceded by HSAT, in-lab PSG, and/or split-night PSG within the prior 12 months. Exclusion criteria included prior OSA diagnosis/treatment or central sleep apnea. Patient pathway, demographics (at time of OSA diagnosis), timeframes, and comorbidities were assessed. Associations between sex, region, payer, and median patient journey times were investigated using generalized linear models adjusted for baseline characteristics. Results A total of 86,827 OSA patients (45.1% female; median age, 50±11.8) were identified, of which 60.8% initiated PAP therapy, 1.5% received an oral appliance, and 37.6% initiated neither treatment within the year following diagnosis. For patients initiating PAP, the most common care pathways identified for patients, and their median time to treatment initiation were HSAT-only (23.4%, 35 days), PSG+titration (22.9%, 58 days), split-night titration (16.8%, 28 days), PSG-only (11.2%, 37 days), HSAT+HSAT (6.9%, 37 days), titration+titration (3.9%, 31 days) and HSAT+titration (3.5%, 75 days). Relative to patients in PSG-only, individuals in HSAT-only were more likely to initiate PAP (56.1% versus 33.6% initiation). Longer timeframes from sleep test to PAP initiation were observed for patients with commercial insurance versus Supplemental Medicare (OR: 95% CI, 1.10: 1.07–1.14) and females (1.05: 1.04–1.06). There were significant differences in patient timeframes according to region (p&amp;lt; 0.00001). Notable patterns of differences in journey time and PAP initiation were observed based on patient Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) diversity and MSA median household income levels, when combined. Conclusion This is the first national analysis to characterize common OSA treatment pathways. Time to treatment initiation varied widely between OSA care pathways. Patient sex, region, payer, and household income were associated with time to treatment initiation. Support (if any) Primasun

Investigating local variation in disease rates within high-rate regions identified using smoothing.

Exploratory disease maps are designed to identify risk factors of disease and guide appropriate responses to disease and helpseeking behaviour. However, when produced using aggregatelevel administrative units, as is standard practice, disease maps may mislead users due to the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP). Smoothed maps of fine-resolution data mitigate the MAUP but may still obscure spatial patterns and features. To investigate these issues, we mapped rates of Mental Health- Related Emergency Department (MHED) presentations in Perth, Western Australia, in 2018/19 using Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries and a recent spatial smoothing technique: the Overlay Aggregation Method (OAM). Then, we investigated local variation in rates within high-rate regions delineated using both approaches. The SA2- and OAM-based maps identified two and five high-rate regions, respectively, with the latter not conforming to SA2 boundaries. Meanwhile, both sets of high-rate regions were found to comprise a select number of localised areas with exceptionally high rates. These results demonstrate how, due to the MAUP, disease maps that are produced using aggregate-level administrative units are unreliable as a basis for delineating geographic regions of interest for targeted interventions. Instead, reliance on such maps to guide responses may compromise the efficient and equitable delivery of healthcare. Detailed investigation of local variation in rates within high-rate regions identified using both administrative units and smoothing is required to improve hypothesis generation and the design of healthcare responses.

CMS Extends Virtual Supervision of Residents to End of Year

CMS Extends Virtual Supervision of Residents to End of Year

Police Unions, Race, and Trust in the Police

Abstract It has long been recognized that trust critically influences the effective functioning of political institutions, yet the determinants of trust in the police—a classic order institution—are still not well understood. We examine the effect of police unionization on trust in the police and, in particular, in mediating the adverse impacts of police killings of civilians on trust within the U.S. multiracial context. We analyze trust responses and corresponding demographic data on approximately 5,000 respondents across eleven metropolitan statistical areas from the 2006 Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, matched to relevant city- and state-level correlates from three additional data sets. Our results confirm prior studies’ findings of a large gap between Black and non-Black trust. Although police killings of civilians normally reduce trust among non-Black people while leaving Black levels of trust unaffected, we find that in jurisdictions where police bargain collectively the drop in non-Black trust is effectively eliminated, suggesting that police unionization essentially abets the polarization of trust in the police between Black people and non-Black people.

Refining 2SVCA method for measuring telehealth accessibility of primary care physicians in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Equity in health care delivery is a longstanding concern of public health policy. Telehealth is considered an important way to level the playing field by broadening health services access and improving quality of care and health outcomes. This study refines the recently developed “2-Step Virtual Catchment Area (2SVCA) method” to assess the telehealth accessibility of primary care in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, Louisiana. The result is compared to that of spatial accessibility via physical visits to care providers based on the popular 2-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method. The study shows that both spatial and telehealth accessibilities decline from urban to low-density and then rural areas. Moreover, disproportionally higher percentages of African Americans are in areas with higher spatial accessibility scores; but such an advantage is not realized in telehealth accessibility. In the study area, absence of broadband availability is mainly a rural problem and leads to a lower average telehealth accessibility than physical accessibility in rural areas. On the other side, lack of broadband affordability is a challenge across the rural-urban continuum and is disproportionally associated with high concentrations of disadvantaged population groups such as households under the poverty level and Blacks.

The Vertical and Horizontal Equity of Property Assessment Caps

Do assessment caps make the property tax more regressive? Are they fair to all taxpayers, or do some groups get more benefit than others. This paper examines these issues using a sample from the Jacksonville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. Regression models are run using housing values averaged at the census block level and matched to census block socioeconomic and demographic data obtained from the US Census. Results show that when permanent income is used as the measure of ability to pay, the SOH benefit makes the property tax fairer, but when current income is used as the income measure, it makes the tax less fair. In addition, the assessment caps cause some serious horizontal inequities. For, example, homes in 100% Black census blocks receive, on average, 6.6 percentage points less value from the SOH benefit relative to their home’s value than the homes in 100% White census blocks.