How can collaboration deliver? A structurational approach to understanding collaboration process and effectiveness

This study examines how a collaboration's internal and external factors interact over time and how the interactions affect the collaboration's process and effectiveness. Using a process-oriented case study, we examine how a voluntary collaboration that had made marginal gains over several years demonstrated significant progress during the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Drawing on strong structuration theory, we explore the collaboration's internal efforts, changes in the broader environment, and the interplay between them. Our findings reveal that collaboration's internal efforts and external environment enable and constrain each other, which shapes the collaboration's process and effectiveness. Based on these findings, we contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the collaboration process and effectiveness by (1) using a strong structurational approach to demonstrate processual mechanics of connecting processes and structures in collaboration, and (2) highlighting the emergent nature of collaboration and the importance of learning and adaptability for an effective and sustainable collaboration.

Recovery and Resilience in the Canal Community: Economic Impacts and Solutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Public health pandemics, such as COVID-19, not only impact the physical health and wellbeing of communities but also often have far-reaching effects on their social, psychological, environmental, and economic welfare. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the significant inequities experienced among those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), especially in the areas of housing instability, unemployment, and debt accrual. This study investigates the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on residents of the Canal neighborhood ("The Canal"), a low-income Latinx community in Marin County, California. This study also uplifts mitigation strategies already underway to facilitate post-pandemic recovery efforts. METHODS: This study utilized a mixed-methods, community participatory approach in which community leaders from a local nonprofit, Canal Alliance, administered a survey assessing the impact of COVID-19 on Canal residents. Additionally, community stakeholders including nonprofits, small businesses, and public officials were interviewed, and their field notes were analyzed through exploratory open coding. RESULTS: On a macro level, the data showed that Canal residents were severely impacted by COVID-19 in the form of massive job loss (61.2% of respondents were unemployed or underemployed) as well as financial stress related to eviction, housing instability, and debt accrual (78.8% of respondents struggled to cover rent and often had to borrow money from friends and family). CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the severe socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on The Canal, there is a significant opportunity for recovery and growth because of an overwhelming investment by residents, community-based organizations, and public officials to support those who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. Some key areas of policy focus include expansion of affordable housing, pandemic-resistant workforce development, and restructuring of social services to increase accessibility. This report will explore recommendations related to strategic funding of community-based programs as well as short-term and long-term solutions for economic recovery.

A Statistical Representation of the Inequities Encountered by African Americans Living in Atlanta During COVID: A Time for Action.

This research analyzes the statistically significant differences that exist between Blacks and Whites living in Atlanta via their social, economic, educational, and housing characteristics during COVID. Hypothesis tests confirmed what visual scatterplots and correlations inferred. The statistics overwhelmingly substantiate that all six of the important quality of life metrics viewed in this study are more favorable towards predominately White neighborhoods, as opposed to predominately Black neighborhoods. In particular, neighborhoods with a super majority of White residents tended to have higher life expectancies at the times of their births, sustained lower violent crime rates, held higher median household incomes, had a smaller percentage of its children living below the poverty level, had higher percentages of residents with at least a high school diploma, and maintained more occupied housing units, when compared to neighborhoods with a super majority of Black residents.

Double Jeopardy: COVID-19 and Me

The author describes her personal experience having COVID-19 and an acute case of pneumonia, and how COVID-19 has exposed long-known racial disparities in healthcare. © 2022 American Society on Aging.

Whiteness in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Who is Talking About Racism With Their Kids?

The present study investigated factors associated with parent awareness and socialization surrounding COVID-19-related racial disparities among White parents of children ages 1.5–8 living in Canada and the United States (N = 423, 88% mothers). Participants responded to an online survey about parenting during the pandemic between mid to late-April 2020. Participants reported on their level of awareness of COVID-19-related racial disparities as well as how often they discussed these with their children. Although 52% reported some level of awareness, only 34% reported any amount of discussion with their child about it. Regression models were used to further examine stress-related, socioeconomic, parenting, and news-watching associations with awareness and socialization. This study provides unique insight into which White parents are aware of racial inequities exposed by the pandemic and which are choosing to speak to their children about them. Current summary recommendations for White racial socialization and related research are also presented. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Family Issues is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Health outcomes in redlined versus non-redlined neighborhoods: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Redlining was a racialized zoning practice in the U.S. that blocked fair access to home loans during the 1930s, and recent research is illuminating health problems in the current residents of these historically redlined areas. However, this work has not yet been holistically summarized. Here, we present the first systematic review and meta-analysis comparing health outcomes in redlined versus non-redlined neighborhoods in U.S. cities. METHODS: We extracted relevant articles in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane and Science Direct databases published from January 2010 to September 2021. RESULTS: The search revealed 12 studies on preterm births (n = 3), gunshot-related injuries (n = 2), cancer (n = 1), asthma (n = 1), self-rated health (n = 1), multiple health outcomes (n = 2), heat-related outcomes (n = 1) and COVID-19 incidence and mortality (n = 1). A meta-analysis of three studies found the odds of having preterm birth was significantly higher (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.88; p = 0.02) among women living in redlined areas compared to those in non-redlined areas. Review of other outcomes revealed that gunshot-related injuries, asthma, heat-related outcomes, and multiple chronic conditions were worse in redlined areas, while associations with cancer varied by cancer type. In terms of cause-specific mortality, one study revealed no link between residential redlining and infant mortality rate, while one study on COVID-19 outcomes was inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this review presents evidence that living in historically redlined areas is associated with increased risk of multiple serious adverse health outcomes. Further research on mechanisms, remediation, and neighborhood-level interventions is needed to strengthen the understanding of the impacts of redlining on health.

Addressing the Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color.

With Black and Hispanic communities across the USA experiencing more detrimental negative effects from the COVID-19 pandemic as compared with other demographic groups, the virus has exposed the racial and ethnic disparities in treatment and care that public health experts have been grappling with for years. This paper explains how the systematic collection of racial and ethnic data gleaned from COVID-19 testing in underserved communities can be used to better understand this pandemic and inform measures within our control to prevent the spread of disease in the future.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes Based on Race of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in a New Orleans Cohort.

BACKGROUND: In Louisiana, deaths related to COVID-19 have disproportionately occurred in Black persons. Granular data are needed to better understand inequities and develop prevention strategies to mitigate further impact on Black communities. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients admitted to an urban safety net hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, with reactive SARS-CoV-2 testing from March 9 to 31, 2020. Clinical characteristics of Black and other racial/ethnic group patients were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher exact tests. The relationship between race and outcome was assessed using day 14 status on an ordinal scale. RESULTS: This study included 249 patients. The median age was 59, 44% were male, and 86% were age ≥65 years or had ≥1 comorbidity. Overall, 87% were Black, relative to 55% Black patients typically hospitalized at our center. Black patients had longer symptom duration at presentation (6.41 vs 5.88 days; P = .05) and were more likely to have asthma (P = .008) but less likely to have dementia (P = .002). There were no racial differences in initial respiratory status or laboratory values except for higher lactate dehydrogenase in Black patients. Patient age and initial oxygen requirement, but not race (adjusted proportional odds ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.70-1.20), were associated with worse day 14 outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate minor racial differences in comorbidities or disease severity at presentation, and day 14 outcomes were not different between groups. However, Black patients were disproportionately represented in hospitalizations, suggesting that prevention efforts should include strategies to limit SARS-CoV-2 exposures and transmission in Black communities as one step toward reducing COVID-19-related racial inequities.