Poorer Nurse Staffing in Black-Serving Hospitals

Background Patients in hospitals that serve disproportionately patients of Black race have worse outcomes than patients in other hospitals, but the modifiable nursing factors that may contribute to such disparities have not been explored. Objective The study objective was to examine whether nurse staffing differs in hospitals that serve predominantly patients of Black race (Black-serving hospitals) as compared to other hospitals. Methods A cross-sectional correlational design using a nurse survey in a national hospital sample was used to fulfill the study objective. Nurse staffing was measured as the maximum number of patients cared for on the last shift from the 2015 annual registered nurse survey conducted in National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators hospitals. Hospitals were classified into subgroups of low, medium, and high percentages of patients of Black race using the 2019 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review database. Results In survey data from 179,336 registered nurses in 574 hospitals, nurse staffing was significantly worse in high-Black-serving hospitals as compared to medium- and low-Black-serving hospitals. In Poisson regression models that adjusted for nursing unit type and hospital characteristics, nurses in high-Black-serving hospitals and medium-Black-serving hospitals had more patients-per-nurse than did nurses in low-Black-serving hospitals. Discussion Small, statistically significant differences in nurse staffing that are worse in hospitals where Black patients disproportionately access their care were found using nurse survey data accounting for nursing unit type. The poorer nurse staffing in Black-serving hospitals may compromise the care and outcomes of the seven in 10 hospitalized Black older adults who receive care in Black-serving hospitals. The consequences for patient outcome disparities of poorer nurse staffing in Black-serving hospitals deserve investigation. Policies to increase nurse staffing in hospitals serving a higher proportion of patients of Black race are needed to contribute to efforts to reduce health disparities.

Happy Family, Healthy Kids: A Healthy Eating and Stress Management Program in Low-Income Parent–Preschooler Dyads

Background Substantial effort has been invested to combat childhood obesity, but overall effects are disappointing, especially in low-income racial minority children. One possible reason is a lack of focus on the important stress–eating connection. Stress can negatively influence eating behaviors, leading to an increased appetite for high-fat and energy-dense foods. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effects of a healthy eating and stress management program targeting multiple theoretical variables on improving eating behavior (dyads’ fruit/vegetable intake, emotional eating), food insecurity, anthropometric characteristics (dyads’ body mass index, % body fat), cardiovascular health (dyads’ blood pressure), and mental well-being (parental stress). Methods A one-group, quasi-experimental pilot study was conducted among 107 low-income parent–preschooler dyads. The 14-week program included a parent component, a parent–preschooler learning component, and a day care-based preschooler component. Results The program had positive effects on improving dyads’ fruit/vegetable intake, food insecurity, body mass index, and blood pressure and parents’ nutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, support, food resource management behavior, problem-focused coping, and home eating environment. The overall satisfaction rate was 95.2%, and 88.1% stated that the program assisted their families with having a healthy lifestyle. Discussion Results support the preliminary effects of the program on improving health outcomes in rural and urban low-income families. Although warranting further investigation with a more rigorous randomized controlled trial, the healthy eating and stress management program provides a potential solution to the current coexistence of an obesity epidemic and mental health crisis.