Maui Wildfire Exposure Study: Community Health, Wellbeing, and ResilienceMay 15, 2024The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is the most comprehensive study focused on understanding and mitigating the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires. It aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the effects of environmental hazards and socioeconomic challenges on the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the wildfires. Over at… Read More
Public Health Report: Initial Findings from the Maui Wildfire Exposure StudyFebruary 8, 2024Following the devastating wildfires from August 8-11, 2023, the Maui community has faced significant challenges including environmental hazards, air pollution, and toxic substances that pose additional long-term health risks. In response, we launched the Maui Wildfire Exposure Cohort Study (MauiWES). Our initial findings highlight the critical health needs to address acute conditions, including depression, hypertension,… Read More
UHERO’s Ruben Juarez to lead Maui wildfire health studyJanuary 25, 2024A team of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are asking Maui residents to participate in a study to analyze the short- and long-term health effects of exposure to the deadly wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and parts of Kula. The team, led by UH Mānoa Professors Ruben Juarez (UH Economic Research Organization–HMSA Distinguished Professor of… Read More
Social, economic, and health impacts of the Red Hill fuel spill: preliminary survey resultsJanuary 18, 2024By Leah Bremer, Tara Sutton, Ruben Juarez, Nicole Siegal, Nathan DeMaagd *University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO), Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), Department of Geography and Environment, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. BackgroundOn November 20, 2021 the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility leaked approximately 19,000 gallons of jet fuel into the Pearl Harbor… Read More
After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.August 31, 2023By Steven Bond-Smith, Daniela Bond-Smith, Carl Bonham, Leah Bremer, Kim Burnett, Makena Coffman, Peter Fuleky, Byron Gangnes, Rachel Inafuku, Ruben Juarez, Sumner La Croix, Colin Moore, Dylan Moore, Nori Tarui, Justin Tyndall, and Chris Wada The immediate recovery efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires continue, and at UHERO we share our community’s anguish over the… Read More
Public Health Report: Shaping Health in Hawaii – The Influences of Poverty, Housing and Food InsecurityJuly 12, 2023In June 2023, UHERO’s public health team, in partnership with the Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19, carried out the third wave of the UHERO Rapid Health Survey. The study engaged 1,575 adult residents of Hawai‘i and examined the links between mental health, food security and socio-economic determinants like housing conditions and poverty status. UHERO Report UHERO's… Read More
Long COVID and Unemployment in HawaiiJune 27, 2023Abstract: The state of Hawaii has seen 390,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 1900 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Although the negative impact of the pandemic on employment has been widely documented, this paper demonstrates that those who were infected and suffer from lingering symptoms (i.e., long COVID) had different employment outcomes than those… Read More
Public Health Report: Vaccination Booster Uptake Lags as COVID Impact Reach WidensJanuary 5, 2023As we enter a new phase of the pandemic, Hawai‘i’s populations are becoming more confident that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, driving COVID-19 booster uptake down. However, significant impacts exacerbated by the pandemic, including long COVID, mental health issues, and the negative effects of long COVID on unemployment pose significant challenges that warrant… Read More
New publication to understand COVID-19 disparities in Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander (NHPI)-enriched communitiesSeptember 16, 2022New publication out today by UHERO’s Ruben Juarez and team, "Vaccine-Associated Shifts in SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity Among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population in Hawaii”. Abstract: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) across the country have experienced significant disparities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19 used a community-based participatory approach… Read More
Vaccine-Associated Shifts in SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity Among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population in HawaiiSeptember 16, 2022Abstract: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) across the country have experienced significant disparities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19 used a community-based participatory approach involving academic and community partners to expand sustainable COVID-19 testing capacity and mitigate the severe consequences among NHPI communities in Hawaii. We describe the approach… Read More
Dynamics of Trust and Consumption of COVID-19 Information Implicate a Mechanism for COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster UptakeAugust 31, 2022Abstract: Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to achieving herd immunity and preventing the further spread of COVID-19. Understanding contributors to vaccine hesitancy and how they change over time may improve COVID-19 mitigation strategies and public health policies. To date, no mechanism explains how trust in and consumption of different sources of information affect vaccine… Read More
New publication reveals possible reasons behind vaccine hesitancy among Native HawaiiansJuly 8, 2022Congratulations to Ruben Juarez and team for their new publication in Vaccines. To understand vaccine hesitancy, the team surveyed 1124 adults residing in a region with one of the lowest vaccination rates in Hawaii during their COVID-19 testing program. The analyses offer novel insight on the role of trust in COVID-19 mitigation efforts in minority… Read More
UHERO Public Health Report: Health Effects and Views of COVID-19 in Hawai‘iJune 20, 2022The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant adverse impacts in the state of Hawai‘i beyond the direct effects of COVID-19 itself, including indirect effects on mental health, food security, job security, housing, poverty, etc. In order to address these adversities systematically, the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) is developing infrastructure to inform the design… Read More
New publication in Journal of General Internal MedicineJune 16, 2022A new publication led by UHERO’s Tim Halliday and Ruben Juarez describes how the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic created a perfect storm in which private laboratories can earn huge profits from PCR testing while potentially impacting health care premium costs. View Publication Halliday, T., Tan, C., Juarez, R. et al. Financial Implications of COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction… Read More
Maui Wildfire Exposure Study: Community Health, Wellbeing, and Resilience May 15, 2024 The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is the most comprehensive study focused on understanding and mitigating the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires. It aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the effects of environmental hazards and socioeconomic challenges on the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the wildfires. Over at… Read More
Ruben Juarez’s work on the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study featured in The Guardian February 13, 2024 The Guardian: "Maui wildfire survivors face soaring rates of depression and lung problems – study" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/08/maui-wildfire-survivors-health-depression-respiratory-kidney Read More
Public Health Report: Initial Findings from the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study February 8, 2024 Following the devastating wildfires from August 8-11, 2023, the Maui community has faced significant challenges including environmental hazards, air pollution, and toxic substances that pose additional long-term health risks. In response, we launched the Maui Wildfire Exposure Cohort Study (MauiWES). Our initial findings highlight the critical health needs to address acute conditions, including depression, hypertension,… Read More
UHERO’s Ruben Juarez to lead Maui wildfire health study January 25, 2024 A team of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are asking Maui residents to participate in a study to analyze the short- and long-term health effects of exposure to the deadly wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and parts of Kula. The team, led by UH Mānoa Professors Ruben Juarez (UH Economic Research Organization–HMSA Distinguished Professor of… Read More
Social, economic, and health impacts of the Red Hill fuel spill: preliminary survey results January 18, 2024 By Leah Bremer, Tara Sutton, Ruben Juarez, Nicole Siegal, Nathan DeMaagd *University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO), Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), Department of Geography and Environment, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. BackgroundOn November 20, 2021 the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility leaked approximately 19,000 gallons of jet fuel into the Pearl Harbor… Read More
Public Health Report: Shaping Health in Hawaii – The Influences of Poverty, Housing and Food Insecurity July 12, 2023 In June 2023, UHERO’s public health team, in partnership with the Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19, carried out the third wave of the UHERO Rapid Health Survey. The study engaged 1,575 adult residents of Hawai‘i and examined the links between mental health, food security and socio-economic determinants like housing conditions and poverty status. UHERO Report UHERO's… Read More
Long COVID and Unemployment in Hawaii June 27, 2023 Abstract: The state of Hawaii has seen 390,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 1900 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Although the negative impact of the pandemic on employment has been widely documented, this paper demonstrates that those who were infected and suffer from lingering symptoms (i.e., long COVID) had different employment outcomes than those… Read More
Public Health Report: Vaccination Booster Uptake Lags as COVID Impact Reach Widens January 5, 2023 As we enter a new phase of the pandemic, Hawai‘i’s populations are becoming more confident that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, driving COVID-19 booster uptake down. However, significant impacts exacerbated by the pandemic, including long COVID, mental health issues, and the negative effects of long COVID on unemployment pose significant challenges that warrant… Read More
New publication to understand COVID-19 disparities in Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander (NHPI)-enriched communities September 16, 2022 New publication out today by UHERO’s Ruben Juarez and team, "Vaccine-Associated Shifts in SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity Among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population in Hawaii”. Abstract: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) across the country have experienced significant disparities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19 used a community-based participatory approach… Read More
Dynamics of Trust and Consumption of COVID-19 Information Implicate a Mechanism for COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Uptake August 31, 2022 Abstract: Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to achieving herd immunity and preventing the further spread of COVID-19. Understanding contributors to vaccine hesitancy and how they change over time may improve COVID-19 mitigation strategies and public health policies. To date, no mechanism explains how trust in and consumption of different sources of information affect vaccine… Read More
New publication reveals possible reasons behind vaccine hesitancy among Native Hawaiians July 8, 2022 Congratulations to Ruben Juarez and team for their new publication in Vaccines. To understand vaccine hesitancy, the team surveyed 1124 adults residing in a region with one of the lowest vaccination rates in Hawaii during their COVID-19 testing program. The analyses offer novel insight on the role of trust in COVID-19 mitigation efforts in minority… Read More
UHERO Public Health Report: Health Effects and Views of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i June 20, 2022 The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant adverse impacts in the state of Hawai‘i beyond the direct effects of COVID-19 itself, including indirect effects on mental health, food security, job security, housing, poverty, etc. In order to address these adversities systematically, the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) is developing infrastructure to inform the design… Read More