Preventive medicine
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This paper reviews research studies evaluating the use of financial incentives to promote weight control conducted between 1972 and 2010. It provides an overview of behavioral theories pertaining to incentives and describes empirical studies evaluating specific aspects of incentives. Research on financial incentives and weight control has a history spanning more than 30 years. ⋯ Thus, many important questions about the use of incentives have not yet been clearly answered. Weight-maintenance studies using financial incentives are particularly sparse, so that their long-term efficacy and thus, value in addressing the public health problem of obesity is unclear. Major obstacles to sustained applications of incentive in weight control are funding sources and acceptance by those who might benefit.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialHealthy Habits, Happy Homes: methods and baseline data of a randomized controlled trial to improve household routines for obesity prevention.
To develop a home-based intervention for parents of 2-5 year old children to promote household routines to prevent overweight/obesity. ⋯ Household routines that increase obesity risk were prevalent among low-income families in this study. If proven to be effective, promotion of household routines related to family meals, sleep, and screen time may prevent young children from becoming overweight/obese.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2012
ReviewThe use of financial incentives in promoting smoking cessation.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and world. Despite the availability of numerous therapies for smoking cessation, additional efficacious interventions are greatly needed. We provide a narrative review of published studies evaluating financial incentives for smoking cessation and discuss the parameters important for ensuring the efficacy of incentive interventions for smoking cessation. ⋯ Consistent with the extensive literature showing that incentives are effective in reducing illicit drug use, a large body of evidence supports their effectiveness in reducing smoking. Continued efforts are warranted to further develop and disseminate incentive-based treatments for smoking cessation across clinical settings and populations.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2012
Childhood sexual abuse and risk for initiating injection drug use: a prospective cohort study.
This study examined whether childhood sexual abuse predicts initiation of injection drug use in a prospective cohort of youth. ⋯ Childhood sexual abuse places drug users at risk for initiating injection. Addiction treatment programs should incorporate services for survivors of childhood maltreatment.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2012
The role of food culture and marketing activity in health disparities.
Marketing activities have attracted increased attention from scholars interested in racial disparities in obesity prevalence, as well as the prevalence of other preventable conditions. Although reducing the marketing of nutritionally poor foods to racial/ethnic communities would represent a significant step forward in eliminating racial disparities in health, we focus instead on a critical-related question. ⋯ We build on prior research that explores the socio-cultural context in which marketing efforts are perceived and interpreted. We discuss each element of the marketing mix to highlight the complex relationship between food culture, marketing activities, and health disparities.