The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Black, Hispanic, and other individuals of color, although data on the effect of a person's language on SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. Considering the barriers suffered by…

IMPORTANCE: Many children and adolescents in the United States are exposed to neighborhood gun violence. Associations between violence exposure and children’s short-term mental health are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between neighborhood gun violence and…

PolicyLab responded to a request for information from the U.S. Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus regarding challenges and opportunities related to addressing social determinants of health. In this response, PolicyLab experts answer questions such as “what…

Pediatric health systems are increasingly screening caregivers for unmet social needs. However, it remains unclear how best to connect families with unmet needs to available and appropriate community resources. We aimed to explore caregivers' perceived barriers to and facilitators of…

Note: This Issue Brief was updated in March 2023 to reflect changes to the Pennsylvania policy landscape with the enactment of the Expedited Partner Therapy Act.  Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at an all-time high, a trend that has only been exacerbated by the…

The effects of poverty on child health have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent economic recession, magnifying the urgency for pediatric healthcare institutions to effectively address patients’ unmet social needs. Simultaneously, there is increasing policy and…

The burden of asthma disproportionately affects minority and low-income communities, resulting in racial and socioeconomic disparities in asthma prevalence, asthma exacerbations, and asthma-related death. Social determinants of health are increasingly implicated as root causes of…

In May 2021, PolicyLab virtually convened more than 30 experts from across the United States for a workshop on state policy levers to address unmet social needs in the pediatric setting. This workshop grew out of a PolicyLab issue brief focused on ensuring that screening for unmet…

Over the course of the past year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, growing attention has focused on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. The study by Racine and colleagues1 calls attention to a critical need that must be addressed to respond to the global…

PolicyLab responded to a request for information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding barriers in USDA programs and services; advancing racial justice and equity and support for underserved communities at USDA. In this letter, PolicyLab experts answer questions…