Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Comparative StudyAmericans' perceptions of disparities in COVID-19 mortality: Results from a nationally-representative survey.
As with many other infectious and chronic conditions, the COVID-19 crisis in the United States (U. S.) reveals severe inequities in health. The objective of this study was to describe public perceptions of disparities in mortality from COVID-19 and examine correlates of those perceptions. ⋯ Partisanship and information sources used were associated with perceptions of SES- and racial-disparities, with Democrats and those attune to national news-but not Fox cable news-more likely to perceive these disparities. As of April 2020, information about age- and health condition-related disparities in COVID-19 was well known by the U. S. public, while information about social disparities was less recognized and varied along socioeconomic and partisan lines.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Cannabis use and driving under the influence: Behaviors and attitudes by state-level legal sale of recreational cannabis.
As states continue to legalize the sale of recreational cannabis, there is a need to study attitudes and behaviors regarding driving after cannabis use. The purpose of this study was to describe US adults' attitudes and behaviors regarding driving after cannabis use by state-level legal sale of recreational cannabis, and to determine whether these associations differ by frequency of cannabis use. ⋯ Public health messaging campaigns to reduce driving and riding after cannabis use and to improve attitudes regarding driving after cannabis use are warranted across all U.S. states, regardless of legalization status.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Development and nationwide application of an antibiotic knowledge scale.
Misconceptions about antibiotics among the public can potentially lead to their inappropriate use. Currently, there is no antibiotic knowledge assessment tool to address this issue. This study aimed to develop and validate an antibiotic knowledge scale (AKS) and apply this scale to assess public knowledge about antibiotics in China. ⋯ The AKS demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity in identifying the population with poor antibiotic knowledge. Importantly, the majority of participants had inadequate knowledge about antibiotics. Thus, it is necessary to conduct interventions focusing on improving public knowledge about antibiotics.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Food insecurity, participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the degree to which patients anticipate help from clinics to find food in Los Angeles County.
Healthcare clinics are uniquely positioned to screen for food insecurity and refer patients to food resources. This study examines this approach to address this social condition. A 2018 intercept survey of 1,103 adult patients recruited from across 11 clinic waiting rooms in Los Angeles County was conducted to describe the prevalence of food insecurity and whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and the degree to which patients anticipated their clinics to help them locate food varied by socio-demographic factors. ⋯ An exploratory analysis showed that common reasons for not enrolling in SNAP included older adults not knowing how to apply to the program and Spanish-speaking Latinx worrying about citizenship status as it relates to the eligibility process. Findings revealed disparities in the prevalence of food insecurity and SNAP participation among patients of Los Angeles' low income clinics. Information from this study can help inform low-income clinics' efforts to intervene on food insecurity in their patient population.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
The impact of state policies for school-based BMI/fitness assessments on Children's BMI outcomes in rural versus urban schools: Evidence from a natural experiment.
Childhood obesity remains a public health crisis because of its alarming prevalence and potential for costly long-term health consequences, especially among rural children. Schools are considered natural loci for policies to combat obesity because children spend most of their active hours and consume a substantial share of their calories, at school. Recent state policy efforts have involved measuring children's BMI and/or fitness to notify parents or inform surveillance efforts, but the empirical evidence to date is far from definitive. ⋯ Results were robust to stratification based on urbanicity of the installation versus school, omission of family covariates, and other sensitivity analyses. Falsification checks on children's height, parental BMI outcomes, home food environments and neighborhood environments indicate findings are not driven by selection. BMI assessment policies were associated with children's BMI outcomes and health behaviors in rural, but not urban schools.