A comparison of rates of osteoarthritis in the spine by occupation allows us to understand the impact of different jobs on spine health. This study will compare the rates of spinal osteoarthritis between non-manual labor workers (such as retail/service and information technology workers) and heavy-lifting occupations (such as agricultural, building, and manufacturing laborers). We will be evaluating the spines of decedent individuals with known occupation categories, available through the New Mexico Decedent Image Database, for spinal disk space narrowing and osteophytosis with a grading scheme of 0-3. For disk degeneration, 0 = normal disk spacing, 1 = mild disk space narrowing, 2 = moderate disk space narrowing, 3 = severe degeneration of the disk space. To assess osteophytosis, we will grade the anterior side of each vertebral body for the presence of osteophytes on the 0-3 scheme (0 = no osteophytes, 1 = mild osteophytosis, 2 = moderate osteophytosis, 3 = severe osteophytosis) with a score for each vertebral body and intervertebral space. We will calculate the prevalence of osteoarthritis and perform regression analyses between the occupation categories to determine the relationship between occupation and spinal osteoarthritis. As osteoarthritis is positively correlated with age, age categories will be established for the analyses. In addition, we anticipate that different trends in the development, location, and prevalence of osteoarthritis within the spinal column may exist between the occupation groups due to differences in biomechanical loading and areas of "wear and tear." We will perform regression analyses to determine if any such pattern is present in our sample. The results of this study will increase our understanding of the prevalence of osteoarthritis by occupation, aiding health care providers in developing preventative care and treatment plans for their patients and occupational health officials find effective ways to protect their employees.

Deformities of the foot often have serious implications for people's health. In particular, hallux valgus (HV) is a painful condition in both children and adults, in which the medial column of the foot is angled outward. In severe cases, it causes gait problems. Although flat feet are considered to be one of the main causes of HV in the medical literature, the correlation between arch index (AI) and HV severity remains to be explored. The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between AI and the degree of HV deformity and to investigate how foot arch contributes to foot deformity, using footprints from 79 subjects recorded by a plantar pressure measuring device. I quantitatively analyzed each arch index and measured the angle, using Fiji ImageJ, which is an image analysis software. I drew a line tangent to each side of the footprint and calculated the angle that each creates with the midline. AI is derived by dividing the foot into three equal parts, excluding the toes, and dividing the central area by the total area. I hypothesize that the higher the AI, the more likely the foot is to have a high HV angle. The results of this study may support the development of a system to predict the likelihood of developing HV from the AI derived from the footprint by confirming the correlation between AI and HV severity. Furthermore, finding prospective patients with HV in a community of people with flat feet based on this study could lead to more specific medical prevention ideas to prevent their morbidity and improve the overall health of the community.

Previous research documents the influence of colorism (discrimination based on skin tone) on multiple adverse health outcomes among Black Americans. In general, Black Americans with darker skin tones have worse physical and mental health outcomes than their peers with lighter skin tones. Among Black mothers, colorism is associated with delayed prenatal care, low birth weight, and preterm birth. However, the influence of colorism on the risk of miscarriage has not yet been explored. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), I investigate the association between skin tone and miscarriage among Black American women. The study also explores several potential mechanisms that may explain such an association. These include the experience of discrimination by expectant mothers, class-related variables such as education and wealth, and behavioral variables such as nutrition, exercise, and smoking. Finally, it evaluates whether disparities in risk of miscarriage increase with age as psychosocial and physiological stress accumulate at different rates between women with different skin tones. Understanding the role that colorism plays in causing disparities in miscarriage among Black women will help us to identify policy interventions to mitigate this social problem.