Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2015
The association between muscle strengthening activities and red blood cell distribution width among a national sample of U.S. adults.
Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a novel biomarker indicative of cardiovascular disease. However, little research has examined the association of muscle strengthening activities (MSA) on RDW. ⋯ Engagement in MSA is inversely associated with RDW. Although speculative, these findings suggest that changes in RDW may be one potential mechanism through which MSA may influence cardiovascular disease.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2015
Factors influencing the disconnect between self-perceived health status and actual health profile: implications for improving self-awareness of health status.
Self-perceived health is an often used proxy measure for disease and health behavior status. Due to its convenience in clinical and epidemiological contexts, it is of interest to examine factors that may help to explain the potential disconnect between perceived and actual health, which was the purpose of this study. ⋯ Targeted public health and educational messages to young adults, non-Hispanic Blacks, and those with a higher SES may be needed to help prevent discrepancies between perceived and actual health. Preventing this disconnect may help to, for example, improve individual health awareness, and ultimately, improve health outcomes.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2015
Gender disparities among the association between cumulative family-level stress & adolescent weight status.
To investigate precursors to gender-related obesity disparities by examining multiple family-level stress indices. ⋯ Different family-level stress indices are associated with the weight status of female and male adolescents. Combining types of family-level stress into one cumulative index appears to mask these differences.
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Preventive medicine · Mar 2015
Does social support mediate the relationship among neighborhood disadvantage, incivilities, crime and physical activity?
Neighborhood disadvantage (ND), incivilities, and crime disproportionately impact minority women, discouraging physical activity (PA). Social support (SS) is a cultural tool promoting PA in minority women. Socially supportive environments may promote PA in disadvantaged neighborhoods, yet few studies have investigated the mediating role of social support among minority women. This study examined SS as a mediator among ND, incivilities, crime, and PA. ⋯ ND significantly discourages PA and limits SS. Future research should focus on developing strategies to overcoming these negative environmental factors.
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Preventive medicine · Mar 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialMediation of effects of a theory-based behavioral intervention on self-reported physical activity in South African men.
Increasing physical activity is an important public-health goal worldwide, but there are few published mediation analyses of physical-activity interventions in low-to-middle-income countries like South Africa undergoing a health transition involving markedly increased mortality from non-communicable diseases. This article reports secondary analyses on the mediation of a theory-of-planned-behavior-based behavioral intervention that increased self-reported physical activity in a trial with 1181 men in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. ⋯ The results suggest that interventions targeting theory-of-planned-behavior constructs may contribute to efforts to increase physical activity to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases among South African men.