Mona Arora

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Journals/Publications

• Armstrong, A., Arora, M., Hoffmann, S., McClelland, J. D., Villa-Zapata, L., Owusu-Dommey, A., Austhof, E., Schaefer, K., Boyd, K., & Pogreba-Brown, K. (2022). Complications Associated with Foodborne Listeriosis: A Scoping Review. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. doi:10.1089/fpd.2022.0012
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  Listeria monocytogenes is a relatively rare but highly pathogenic bacterium that can cause foodborne infections. In the United States there are ∼1600 cases per year, 94% of which result in hospitalizations and 20% in deaths. Per-case burden is high because the disease also causes serious complications, including sepsis, encephalitis, meningitis, miscarriage, and stillbirth. The disease burden of L. monocytogenes is underestimated because some of these acute complications can also result in long-term outcomes. In this article, we conducted a scoping review of L. monocytogenes complications and longer term outcomes from articles published between 2000 and 2018. Search terms were developed for four major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase) as well as gray literature and hand searches of review articles. We follow standard scoping review methodology and assessment. Out of 10,618 unique articles originally identified, 115 articles were included, representing 49 unique outcomes. The majority of studies were cohort designs (n = 67) and conducted in the United States or Europe (n = 98). Four major outcome groupings were death, neurological disorders, sepsis, and congenital infection. This study identifies substantial research on the common acute complications of L. monocytogenes and few long-term consequences of L. monocytogenes. We identify the need for additional studies to determine the longer term impacts of these acute complications.
• Mayer, B. M., Helm, S. V., Heinz, E. M., Barnett, M. A., & Arora, M. (2022). Doubt in Store: Vaccine Hesitancy among Grocery Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12. doi:10.1007/s10865-021-00276-0
• Mayer, B., Helm, S., Barnett, M., & Arora, M. (2022). Essential but Ill-Prepared: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affects the Mental Health of the Grocery Store Workforce.. Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 137(1), 120-127. doi:10.1177/00333549211045817
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  Frontline essential workers face elevated risks of exposure to COVID-19 because of the interactive nature of their jobs, which require high levels of interaction with the general public and coworkers. The impact of these elevated risks on the mental health of essential workers, especially outside the health care sector, is not well studied. To address this knowledge gap, we examined correlations between perceptions of workplace risks and mental health distress among grocery store workers in Arizona..We collected the first statewide sample of essential workers outside the health care sector focused on mental health and well-being. A total of 3344 grocery store workers in Arizona completed an online survey in July 2020. We used multiple regression models to identify demographic and work-based correlates of mental health distress..Levels of mental health distress among respondents were high: 557 of 3169 (17.6%) reported severe levels and 482 of 3168 (15.2%) reported moderate levels. Perceptions of workplace safety were strongly correlated with significantly reduced levels of mental health distress (ß = -1.44; SE = 0.20) and reduced perceived stress (ß = -0.97; SE = 0.16). Financially disadvantaged workers and employees aged
• Arora, M., Sami, I., Austof, E., Iroz-Elardo, N., & Keith, L. (2021). Extreme Heat at Outdoor COVID-19 Vaccination Site. Journal of Climate Change and Health, 4(2021), 100043. doi:doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100043
• Arora, M., Sami, Z., Austof, E., Iroz-Elardo, N., & Keith, L. (2021). Extreme heat at outdoor COVID-19 vaccination sites. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 4, 100043. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100043
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  Extreme heat is an increasing climate risk due to climate change and the urban heat island (UHI) effect and can jeopardize points of dispensing (PODs) for COVID-19 vaccination distribution and broader public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) response operations. These PODs were often located on large parking lot sites with high heat severity and did not take heat mitigation or management strategies into account for unacclimated workers and volunteers. To investigate the personal heat exposure of workers, volunteers, and clients at three PODs in Tucson, Arizona, we collected ambient air temperatures, wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT), surface temperatures, and thermal images. We also made qualitative observations and compared data against daily meteorological records. Ambient air temperatures at all three PODs exceeded the meteorological recorded high. WBGT on average were 8°F (4.4 °C) higher in full sun locations than shaded locations such as tents. Evaporative cooling decreased ambient air temperatures by 2°F (1.2 °C) when placed one per tent, but decreased ambient air temperatures by 7°F (3.9 °C) when placed en masse in a larger tent. Vehicle surface temperatures exceeded recommended safe limits of 140°F (60 °C) at all three sites, with a maximum temperature recorded at 170.9°F (77.2 °C). Public health professionals should consider heat resilience, including heat mitigation and management measures, in POD and PHEP response operations to reduce exposure. This includes considering the UHI effect in the siting of PODs, applying heat mitigation strategies in the design of PODs such as the adaptive use of solar panels for shading, and improving heat safety guidance for workers and volunteers.
• Arora, M., Sami, Z., Austof, E., Iroz-Elardo, N., & Keith, L. (2021). Response to correspondence on "Extreme heat at outdoor COVID-19 vaccination sites". The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 4, 100073.
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  A central tenant in minimizing personal heat exposure is that context matters. In our article reporting on personal heat exposure in outdoor COVID-19 vaccination sites in Arizona, USA during spring 2021, we emphasized that heat mitigation strategies are highly specific to the underlying climatological and site design contexts. The Mungmunpuntipantip and Wiwanitkit letter illustrates the importance of context quite well. The authors highlight a valid concern of unintended consequences of COVID-19 transmission through changing humidity levels through heat mitigation strategies such as evaporative cooling.
• Helm, S. V., Arora, M., Barnett, M. A., & Mayer, B. M. (2021). Grocery workers suffer the mental health effects of customer hostility and lack of safety in their workplace. The Conversation.
• Vilaly, A. E., Arora, M., Butterworth, M. K., Vilaly, M. A., Vilaly, A. E., Jarnagin, W., Comrie, A. C., & Arora, M. (2013). Climate, environment and disease: The case of Rift Valley fever. Progress in Physical Geography, 37(2), 259-269. doi:10.1177/0309133313478315
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  Rift Valley fever is a disease of animals and humans found throughout much of Africa, and recently in the Arabian Peninsula. It is spread via mosquito vectors and direct contact with infected tissu...

Presentations

• Arora, M. (2022). Mobilizing Partnerships to Advancing Health Equity and Addressing Disparities (AHEAD) in Arizona. Presenter. . Arizona Center for Rural Health and Arizona State Office of Rural Health Webinar Series.
• Arora, M. (2022, November). Academic‐LHD Partnerships: Lessons Learned & Recommendations for Enhancing Preparedness Post COVID.. APHA 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo.
• Arora, M. (2023, October). Extreme Heat Impacts in Rural Arizona. 2023 Arizona Heat Planning Summit. Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Department of Health Services.
• Arora, M., Lewis, L., & Schweers, L. (2023, September). Arizona Librarians Fostering Resilient Rural Communitie. Arizona Health Equity Conference. Phoenix, AZ.
• Arora, M., Lewis, L., & Shweers, L. (2023, June). Arizona Librarians Fostering Resilient Rural Communities: Lessons Learned & Best Practices. 49th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference. Flagstaff, AZ.
• Koch, B. D., & Arora, M. (2023, February). Workforce Capacity: Scaling up for the Next Fight in Arizona. Arizona Public Health Association Spring Meeting 2023Arizona Public Health Association.
• Arora, M. (2022). Exploring Partnership Opportunities between the UArizona Center for Rural Health and Libraries. . Arizona Library Association Annual Conference 2022.
• Arora, M. (2022). Strategies & Perspectives: Integrating Climate Change Into Graduate Public Health Courses. Presenter.. APHA 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo..
• Arora, M. (2023, January). Joint Panel Discussion JPD8- Panel on Climate, Environment, Health, and Early Warning. . 103rd Annual American Meteorological Society Meeting.
• Arora, M. (2021, October). Supporting an educational system that addresses climate change, health and equity. APHA 2021 Conference. Virtual: APHA Center for Climate, Health & Equity.
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  I was invited to be on this panel to discuss findings from a national evaluation of CEPH accredited institutions that I completed in 2019. The presentation highlighted the facets influencing public health education on climate change and established the need for building formal and informal support mechanisms. The presentation also highlighted pilot projects and data making the case for climate, health and equity education at all levels.
• Arora, M., Mayer, B. M., Helm, S. V., & Barnett, M. A. (2021). Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 on Grocery Store Workers in Arizona: Results from Online Surveys. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.
• Mayer, B. M., Helm, S. V., Barnett, M. A., & Arora, M. (2021, August). Essential but Ill-Prepared: Mental Health Effects among Grocery Store Workers during COVID-19’s First Wave in Arizona. American Sociological Association Annual Conference. Virtual.

Poster Presentations

• Arora, M., Halili, L., SantaMaria, B., Sibart, J., Shanks, A., Crwley, C. J., Padilla, A. R., Cameron, E., & Derksen, D. J. (2023, May). Collaborative Community Engagement to Address Substance Use and Opioid Use Disorders in Rural Arizona . National Rural Health Association Health Equity Conference. San Diego, CA: Alyssa R. Padilla5, Elena Cameron1.
• Arora, M., & Koch, B. D. (2022).

  Lessons learned as we emerge from the pandemic.

  . APHA 2022.

Others

• Arora, M., Peters, J. S., Rooney, B. C., & Koch, B. D. (2023, August). Public Health System Capacity in Arizona: Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response. Arizona Center for Rural Health. https://crh.arizona.edu/public-health-system-capacity-arizona-learning-covid-19-pandemic-response
• Arora, M., Peters, J. S., Rooney, B. C., & Koch, B. D. (2023, August). Public Health System Capacity in Arizona: Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response. https://crh.arizona.edu/public-health-system-capacity-arizona-learning-covid-19-pandemic-response
• Arora, M., Rooney, B. C., & Koch, B. D. (2023, September). Arizona Public Health Workforce: Recruitment and Retention. https://crh.arizona.edu/arizona-public-health-workforce-recruitment-and-retention
• Koch, B. D., Rooney, B. C., & Arora, M. (2023, September). Arizona Public Health Workforce: Recruitment and Retention. Arizona Center for Rural Health. https://crh.arizona.edu/arizona-public-health-workforce-recruitment-and-retention
• Arora, M., Becker, J. A., Scmeltz, M., & Schneider, R. (2021, March). Issue Paper for CEPH inclusion of Climate into Workforce Training. Online Webpage.
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  Subject matter experts and APHA International Health Section members from three universities collaborated on this Issue Brief to highlight the need for integrating climate change into public health curriculum. This brief was signed by 158 professionals from across the US as an indication of support for this issue. This brief spurred the issue of future workforce education and training on climate change among other national communities of practice (e.g., Columbia Consortium, Physicians for Health) and our workgroup continues to advocate on this topic through outreach and education.
• Austhof, E., Sami, Z., Iroz-Elardo, N., & Keith, L. (2021, April). Extreme Heat at Outdoor Vaccination Sites: UArizona POD Report. The University of Arizona.
  More info

  Exposure to extreme heat causes more than 3,000 heat-related illness emergency room visits every year in Arizona, and has caused over 2,000 deaths in the past 10 years combined (AZDHS, 2019). Given the Tucson region’s hot summer temperatures and the current COVID-19 vaccination schedule requiring mass vaccination sites through at least May 2021, the Pima County Office of Emergency Management requested assistance in better understanding heat risk at the outdoor vaccination sites.We measured ambient temperature and wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) at the UArizona POD site on March 31, 2021 from 12:00-5:00 PM. NOAA reported an average daily temperature of 69°F (range of 49-88°F) with an average wind speed of 6.4 MPH, and average humidity of 13%.
• Keith, L., Iroz-Elardo, N., Sami, Z., & Austhof, E. (2021, April). Extreme Heat at Outdoor Vaccination Sites: Tucson Medical Center (TMC) Report. The University of Arizona.
  More info

  Exposure to extreme heat causes more than 3,000 heat-related illness emergency room visits every year in Arizona, and has caused over 2,000 deaths in the past ten years combined (AZDHS, 2019). Given the Tucson region’s hot summer temperatures and the current COVID-19 vaccination schedule requiring mass vaccination sites through at least May 2021, the Pima County Office of Emergency Management requested assistance in better understanding heat risk at the outdoor vaccination sites. We measured ambient temperature and wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) at the Tucson Medical Center (TMC) vaccination site on April 2, 2021 from 12:00-5:00 PM. NOAA reported an average daily temperature of 76°F (range of 62-89°F) with an average wind speed of 6.2 MPH and average humidity of 15%.