Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · May 2016
Comparative effectiveness of two outreach strategies for cervical cancer screening.
Test-specific reminder letters can improve cancer screening adherence. Little is known about the effectiveness of a reminder system that targets the whole person by including multiple screening recommendations per letter. ⋯ In conclusion, for women regularly adherent to screening, an annual birthday letter containing reminders for multiple preventive services was less effective at promoting cervical cancer screening compared with a Pap-specific letter.
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Preventive medicine · May 2016
Perceptions of opportunities for physical activity in 28 European countries.
This study examined the relationship between perceptions of opportunities for physical activity in the local area and physical activity levels in European adults. ⋯ Perceptions of opportunities for physical activity in the local area were associated with increased levels of all types of physical activity. Despite small improvements in perceptions of opportunities in the local area over the past decade, a variety of further interventions will be required to reduce the disease burden resulting from low physical activity levels.
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Preventive medicine · May 2016
Review Meta AnalysisA systematic review and meta-analysis of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels in elementary school physical education lessons.
To examine elementary school students' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels during physical education (PE) lessons. ⋯ MVPA levels during elementary school PE lessons do not meet the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Kingdom's Association of Physical Education recommendation (50% of lesson time), but is higher than estimated in the previous review (34.2%). Interventions to increase MVPA in PE lessons are needed.
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Preventive medicine · May 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialPreventing obesity among Brazilian adolescent girls: Six-month outcomes of the Healthy Habits, Healthy Girls-Brazil school-based randomized controlled trial.
School-based trials to prevent and reduce prevalence of pediatric obesity in low-income countries are necessary. In Brazil, addressing adolescent obesity is a public health priority. ⋯ These findings provide some evidence for the benefit of a school-based intervention to prevent unhealthy weight gain in adolescent girls living in low-income communities.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2016
Review Meta AnalysisCigarette smoking and testosterone in men and women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
Recently Health Canada and the Food and Drug Administration warned about the cardiovascular risk of testosterone, making environmental drivers of testosterone potential prevention targets. Cotinine, a tobacco metabolite, inhibits testosterone breakdown. We assessed the association of smoking with testosterone in a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching PubMed and Web of Science through March 2015 using ("testosterone" or "androgen" or "sex hormone") and ("smoking" or "cigarette"). ⋯ In 6 studies of 6089 women, mean age 28-62years, smoking was not clearly associated with testosterone (0.11nmol/L, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.30). Fixed effects models provided similar results, but suggested a positive association in women. Whether products which raise cotinine, such as e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement, also raise testosterone, should be investigated, to inform any regulatory action for e-cigarettes, which emit nicotine into the surrounding air, with relevance for both active and passive smokers.