Ruben Juarez
Social, economic, and health impacts of the Red Hill fuel spill: preliminary survey results
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 MoreAfter the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.
By 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 MorePublic Health Report: Shaping Health in Hawaii – The Influences of Poverty, Housing and Food Insecurity
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’s Colin Moore […]
Read MoreLong COVID and Unemployment in Hawaii
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 MorePublic Health Report: Vaccination Booster Uptake Lags as COVID Impact Reach Widens
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 MoreNew publication to understand COVID-19 disparities in Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander (NHPI)-enriched communities
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 MoreVaccine-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 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 MoreDynamics of Trust and Consumption of COVID-19 Information Implicate a Mechanism for COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Uptake
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 MoreNew publication reveals possible reasons behind vaccine hesitancy among Native Hawaiians
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 […]
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