Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2019
Adverse childhood experiences and electronic cigarette use among young Australian women.
Researchers have identified positive relationships between childhood adversities and smoking, problem drinking and illicit drug abuse. Nonetheless, to our knowledge, in no studies has there been an examination of the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and e-cigarette use. This study aimed to investigate the association between ACEs and e-cigarette use. ⋯ A positive dose-response relationship was observed between the number of ACEs and the odds of e-cigarette use. This study identified an association between ACEs and e-cigarette use. Improvements in supportive parenting skills and the provision of counselling services for those exposed to ACEs may help avert health-harming behaviours, including e-cigarette use.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2019
Comparative StudyFood insecurity transitions and smoking behavior among older adults who smoke.
Cross-sectional data reveal that smoking cigarettes is highly prevalent among those who are food insecure. However, there is limited and conflicting evidence concerning whether causal factors may influence associations of food insecurity with smoking behavior. Additionally, temporality is a core feature of food insecurity that should be considered when examining linkages between food insecurity and health behaviors like smoking cessation. ⋯ In older U. S. adults, smoking cessation was associated with decreased spending power and new health problems. Future studies should examine whether findings of this study may be similar among younger adults and; whether those who quit smoking due to food insecurity are more susceptible to relapse than those who quit due to other factors.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2019
Prevalence, risk factors, and burden of disease for falls and balance or walking problems among older adults in the U.S.
This study assesses the prevalence of falls, factors predicting future falls, and health impacts of falls and balance or walking problems for U. S. older adults. Data were from participants ≥65 years in the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey Cohort 15 (baseline survey in 2012; follow-up survey in 2014; n = 164,597). ⋯ Falls are a major problem for U. S. elderly and will continue to have an even greater impact as the population ages. The nearly 50% decrease in QALYs for falls and >60% decrease for balance or walking problems demonstrates the substantial burden associated with these problems among older Americans.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2019
Trends in participation in teen pregnancy and STI prevention programming, 2002-2016.
Programs designed to help youth prevent early/unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) have been shown to yield a positive impact on youth behavior and key outcomes. However, recent evidence suggests that youth participation in prevention programming for health-risk behavior may be declining. The aim of the present study is to provide up-to-date information on the national trends in adolescent participation in prevention programming targeting early pregnancy and STI in the United States. ⋯ The downward trend in participation was observed across racial/ethnic subgroups. A consistent pattern of differences in prevalence was observed with African-American youth reporting the highest levels of participation followed by Hispanic, and then White youth. It is incumbent upon concerned citizens, scientists, and policymakers to push for change that can shift the trend line in adolescent participation in teen pregnancy and STI prevention programming to an upward tilt.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2019
Comparative StudyFrequency of E-cigarette use and cigarette smoking among Canadian students.
The emergence of electronic nicotine delivery systems (commonly referred to as e-cigarettes) has created an ongoing public health debate and concerns, especially in regards to adolescents. The present study examined associations between the frequency of e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking among school students. Data on students (grades 7-12) was obtained from the 2016-2017 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (n = 51,661). ⋯ Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed e-cigarette use was associated with higher odds of cigarette smoking, especially among more frequent e-cigarette users. Those who used an e-cigarette 21-30 days had higher odds of cigarette smoking (smoked cigarette at least once AOR = 4.83, CI = 3.33-7.01; at least 11 days AOR = 3.73, CI = 2.40-5.80; at least 21 days AOR = 3.39, CI = 2.16-5.34). Findings suggest that those who smoked cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days had a higher frequency of e-cigarette use.