Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Women with Experience in the Criminal Probation System

PROJECT SUMMARY/Abstract: In response to NOT-MD-20-019, this administrative supplement will examine the effects of the COVID-19outbreak and related local public health mandates (e.g., Shelter in Place) in a population of women heavilyaffected by health disparities. Our parent study of health literacy and health care utilization among women inthe criminal probation system (R01MD010439) maintains a cohort of 370 women, 73% of whom are AfricanAmerican and 82% of whom have one or more chronic health condition. Emerging research indicates thatthese characteristics are linked with disparities in COVID-19 risk, infection, and mortality. Our community-based study, located in Oakland (Alameda County), California, adapted to the formal Shelter-in-Place order,beginning March 17, 2020, by modifying data collection from in-person interviews to telephone-basedinterviews. Given the public health crisis and reports from participants about its immediate impacts, webegan collecting data in May 2020 to systematically assess the medical and social consequences of theoutbreak. Coupling these new data with 12 months of longitudinal data obtained prior to the COVID-19outbreak, we propose to conduct a series of rigorous analyses to address the following Specific Aims: (1) Toassess changes in health care access and utilization associated with the COVID-19 outbreak and relatedlocal public health mandates (e.g., shelter in place) (2) To examine how health literacy and socialdeterminants (e.g., housing, income) are associated with adherence to public health mandates andparticipation in COVID-19 screening. The proposed supplement furthers the objectives of NOT-MD-20-019by addressing the urgent need to understand how COVID-19 and related public health mandates arecontributing to health disparities.