Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2016
Social participation and the onset of functional disability by socioeconomic status and activity type: The JAGES cohort study.
The impact of social participation on older adults' health may differ by individual socioeconomic status (SES). Consequently, we examined SES effect modification on the associations between types of social activity participation and incident functional disability. Cohort data from the 2003 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) was utilized. ⋯ While men with 13 or more years of education were less likely to become disabled if they held facilitator roles, this association was weak among men with 0-5years of education (HR of interaction term between 0 and 5years of education and facilitator role dummy variable=3.95; 95% CI: 1.30, 12.05). In conclusion, the association between group participation and smaller risk of the functional disability was stronger among highly educated older adults. Intervention programs promoting social participation should consider participants' socioeconomic backgrounds.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2016
Trends and disparities in the prevalence of physicians' counseling on diet and nutrition among the U.S. adult population, 2000-2011.
Although healthy eating plays a crucial role in addressing the obesity and chronic disease epidemics, a few Americans have diets that meet dietary guidelines. Because physicians-delivered counseling is a strong predictor for behavioral modification among patients, the Healthy People Objectives have emphasized diet counseling since 2000. However, research on impact of physicians' counseling over time on a national level has been limited. ⋯ The overall prevalence of physicians' counseling on diet increased moderately between 2000 and 2011. However, substantial disparities in dietary counseling related to access to care and gender continue to exist.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2016
CommentCommentary: U.S. mortality, geography, and the anti-social determinants of health.
Drug-related overdoses appear to be a major factor behind an historic pause or even a reversal in the predominant downward trend over time in U. S. mortality rates, a departure that is especially evident among non-Hispanic white females of middle age. The new geography of accidental poisoning deaths and their covariates suggests that we should reassess traditional policies and perspectives in order to combat this threat to public health.
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Preventive medicine · Jul 2016
Socioeconomic inequalities in the healthiness of food choices: Exploring the contributions of food expenditures.
Investigations of the contribution of food costs to socioeconomic inequalities in diet quality may have been limited by the use of estimated (vs. actual) food expenditures, not accounting for where individuals shop, and possible reverse mediation between food expenditures and healthiness of food choices. This study aimed to explore the extent to which food expenditure mediates socioeconomic inequalities in the healthiness of household food choices. Observational panel data on take-home food and beverage purchases, including expenditure, throughout 2010 were obtained for 24,879 UK households stratified by occupational social class. ⋯ However, reverse mediation analyses were also significant, suggesting that 10% of socioeconomic inequalities in expenditure were mediated by healthiness of choices. Findings suggest that lower food expenditure is likely to be a key contributor to less-healthy food choices among lower socioeconomic groups. However, the potential influence of cost may have been overestimated previously if studies did not account for supermarket choice or explore possible reverse mediation between expenditure and healthiness of choices.
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Preventive medicine · Jul 2016
ReviewA systematic review of interventions to improve adherence to melanoma preventive behaviors for individuals at elevated risk.
To examine the effectiveness of behavioral interventions for melanoma prevention targeted to individuals at elevated risk due to personal and/or family history. ⋯ Findings suggest that future interventions should aim to improve adherence across multiple preventive behaviors, over a longer time period (past 8months post-intervention), and target high-risk children. Studies should include adequate sample sizes to investigate moderators and mediators of intervention effectiveness. Interventions may be strengthened by new techniques, such as incorporating family members (e.g., to improve thoroughness of skin self-examinations) and eHealth technology.