Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2021
Combustible and electronic cigarette use and insufficient sleep among U.S. high school students.
The study aimed to investigate the relationships between current exclusive e-cigarette use, exclusive combustible cigarette smoking, and dual use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes, and insufficient sleep among U. S. adolescents. We conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey including 11,296 U. ⋯ When comparing current use groups, exclusive e-cigarette users were at 3.20 increased odds (95%CI = 1.65-6.22) and dual-product users were at 3.26 increased odds (95%CI = 1.51-7.03) to report insufficient sleep <8 h/night when compared with exclusive combustible cigarette smokers after covariate adjustment. Dual-product users were 1.89 times more likely (95%CI = 1.01-3.51) to report insufficient sleep <7 h/night when compared with exclusive combustible cigarette smokers. School-based prevention efforts for tobacco use may promote sufficient sleep in youth.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2021
Nonfatal use of firearms in intimate partner violence: Results of a national survey.
Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) and firearms has typically focused on homicide, so there is limited information on how firearms are used in nonfatal ways, particularly in community samples. We sought to estimate the prevalence of nonfatal firearm abuse in the context of IPV, understand how and against whom firearms are used, and examine consequences of this abuse. Using a national web-based survey of US adults who experienced IPV (n = 958), we asked respondents about experiences with nonfatal firearm abuse, including the frequency of firearm behaviors and consequences. ⋯ The most common consequences of nonfatal firearm abuse were concerns for safety (86.2%) and feeling fearful (82.7%). Additionally, 43.1% of respondents reported physical injury, and 37.4% missed days of work or school. Practice and policy around firearm access for IPV perpetrators should attend to nonfatal firearm use against intimate partners.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2021
Influence of chronic comorbidities on periodic colorectal cancer screening participation: A population-based cohort study.
Guidelines recommend regular screening for colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined the effects of chronic comorbidities on periodic CRC testing. Using linked healthcare databases from Ontario, Canada, we assembled a population-based cohort of 50-74-year olds overdue for guideline-recommended CRC screening between April 1, 2004 and March 31, 2016. ⋯ Having both medical and mental comorbidities was associated with lower testing rates than either type of comorbidity alone (HR 0.72, CI 0.71 to 0.72). In summary, chronic comorbidities present a barrier to periodic guideline-recommended CRC testing. Exploration of cancer prevention gaps in these populations is warranted.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2021
Increasing knowledge on dementia risk reduction in the general population: Results of a public awareness campaign.
Strategies to reduce dementia risk are needed to minimize the burden of this growing public health concern. Most individuals are not aware that dementia risk reduction is possible, let alone how this could be achieved. Health education, such as public awareness campaigns on the topic of dementia risk reduction, can meet this need. ⋯ More than half (54%) also believed that they lacked the necessary knowledge to make brain-healthy behavior changes. In conclusion, effective public awareness campaigns on the topic of dementia risk reduction are feasible and timely, given the state of the evidence. Special efforts need to be made to develop effective campaigns, tailored towards low-educated individuals.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2021
Influenza vaccine community outreach: Leveraging an interprofessional healthcare student workforce to immunize marginalized populations.
Vulnerable populations such as the uninsured, unemployed, and unhoused face significant morbidity and mortality from influenza but are less likely to receive the annual vaccine and have limited access to medical care. We describe an interprofessional, student-run vaccine outreach program (VOP) in Davidson County, Tennessee that lowers barriers to vaccination through free vaccination events in nontraditional community locations. We provide this framework as a model to expand novel, seasonal, or outbreak-oriented vaccine outreach to resource-poor populations. ⋯ The VOP can be adapted to meet community needs, funding, and volunteer interest. The VOP model may be applicable to a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, especially since the economic impact of COVID-19 has increased unemployment rates and housing instability. Healthcare students serve as an eager, underutilized resource who can be leveraged to disseminate vaccines to individuals with limited access to care.