Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Impact of the removal of light and mild descriptors from cigarette packages in Ontario, Canada: switching to "light replacement" brand variants.
This study assessed cessation and brand switching among smokers in Ontario, Canada after tobacco companies' voluntary removal of 'light' and 'mild' descriptors from cigarette packages. ⋯ Even after removing misleading descriptors from cigarette packs, smokers continued to report using light brand variants, and many switched to newly introduced light replacement brand variants. After full implementation of the ban, cessation did not vary by brand variant.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
A meta-analysis of serious digital games for healthy lifestyle promotion.
Several systematic reviews have described health-promoting effects of serious games but so far no meta-analysis has been reported. This paper presents a meta-analysis of 54 serious digital game studies for healthy lifestyle promotion, in which we investigated the overall effectiveness of serious digital games on healthy lifestyle promotion outcomes and the role of theoretically and clinically important moderators. Findings showed that serious games have small positive effects on healthy lifestyles (g=0.260, 95% CI 0.148; 0.373) and their determinants (g=0.334, 95% CI 0.260; 0.407), especially for knowledge. ⋯ Serious games are best individually tailored to both socio-demographic and change need information, and benefit from a strong focus on game theories or a dual theoretical foundation in both behavioral prediction and game theories. They can be effective either as a stand-alone or multi-component programs, and appeal to populations regardless of age and gender. Given that effects of games remain heterogeneous, further explorations of which game features create larger effects are needed.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Standing time and all-cause mortality in a large cohort of Australian adults.
To determine the association between standing time and all-cause mortality. ⋯ This study showed a dose-response association between standing time and all-cause mortality in Australian adults aged 45 years and older. Increasing standing may hold promise for alleviating the health risks of prolonged sitting.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Ciclovía participation and impacts in San Diego, CA: the first CicloSDias.
Ciclovía or Open Streets initiatives support physical activity through cycling/rolling, and walking/running. We evaluated San Diego's first Open Streets event, CicloSDias, to document attendance, reach and marketing, and effects on social cohesion, businesses, and physical activity. ⋯ Open Street initiatives are promising ways to promote physical activity and are desired by the community. Positive effects were observed for physical activity, social cohesion, and businesses, though reach should be expanded to include more underserved community members. Evaluating Open Streets is important for sustaining and improving these efforts.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Physicians' beliefs about effectiveness of cancer screening tests: a national survey of family physicians, general internists, and obstetrician-gynecologists.
To study physicians' beliefs about the effectiveness of different tests for cancer screening. ⋯ There were several substantial inconsistencies between physician beliefs in the effectiveness of cancer screening tests and the actual evidence of these tests' effectiveness which can lead both to underuse and overuse of cancer screening tests.