American journal of preventive medicine
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Vaccines to prevent certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and associated cancers are recommended for routine use among young women. Nationally representative reports of vaccine uptake have not explored the relationship between HPV vaccine initiation and various sexual behaviors. ⋯ This study highlights disparities in HPV vaccine initiation by insurance status among girls/women aged 15-24 years and by race/ethnicity among women aged >19 years. No association was found between HPV vaccination and risky sexual behavior.
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Blunts are hollowed-out cigars or leaf tobacco filled with marijuana. Use of blunts has increased since the 1990s and, in 2005, 3.5% of all American youth were estimated to have used blunts in the past month. Blunt smokers may have greater odds of cannabis and tobacco dependency and are at risk of smoking-related diseases. Previous studies have suggested that blunt use is more common among blacks, older teens, and men. However, data pertaining to blunt use in non-adolescent African-American populations are scarce. ⋯ Blunt use is relatively common among male African Americans aged 19-30 years and is frequently associated with concomitant cigarette use. Tobacco control efforts in this male African-American population should also address blunt usage.
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Telephone-delivered interventions targeting physical activity and dietary change have potential for broad population reach and thus have a role to play in addressing increasing rates of lifestyle-related chronic diseases. The purpose of this systematic review is to update the evidence for their potential to inform translation, including effectiveness in promoting maintenance, reporting on implementation, and costs. ⋯ Given the strength of evidence for telephone-delivered physical activity and dietary change interventions, greater emphasis on dissemination studies is warranted.
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Research consistently demonstrates that physical activity declines with age. However, such declines do not occur linearly. The transition into early adulthood is one period in which disproportionate declines in physical activity have been evident, but much of our understanding of such declines among young adults has been based on either cross-sectional data or prospective studies that focus exclusively on college/university students. ⋯ Physical activity decline was evident during young adults' transition into early adulthood, with declines being steepest among men who entered a college/university. Although there were increases in several health-risk behaviors during adolescence, individuals tend to grow out of binge drinking and smoking as they mature.