American journal of preventive medicine
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Officers can be unintentionally injured during officer-suspect interactions, and these injuries are often not coded as assaults. This article defines and enumerates injuries that officers sustain while chasing, detaining, arresting, or pursuing suspects. These are termed resistance-related injuries. ⋯ More than half of officers' nonfatal injuries occurred when they were interacting, detaining, or pursuing a suspect. This highlights the need to code nonfatal injuries in a consistent and meaningful way that informs police policy and practice.
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Cannabis is frequently used and increasingly legalized in the U.S., and 27.7 million Americans aged ≥12 years are currently using cannabis. However, the public health effects of cannabis use in the general population remain unclear. This study examines the associations of cannabis use with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in U.S. adults. ⋯ Cannabis use was significantly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality among U.S. adults, especially among those who started using cannabis before age 18 years. The reasons and mechanisms underlying this association will require future research.
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Previous research indicates that sexual violence is associated with prescription opioid use and misuse. However, this literature is limited by a lack of sex-specific analyses, an inability to establish temporality between experiences of sexual violence and prescription opioid outcomes, and little understanding of mechanisms underlying these associations. ⋯ Secondary prevention efforts focused on evidence-based, trauma-informed behavioral health treatment among survivors of sexual violence may prevent prescription opioid use and misuse as strategies for coping with the psychological impact of these traumatic experiences.
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Misuse of prescription medications has led to higher mortality and morbidity in the U.S. This study investigates medical and nonmedical use of prescription medications (prescription pain relievers, stimulants, prescription tranquilizers, and sedatives) among adults aged ≥50 years. ⋯ It is important to monitor medication misuse behaviors among older adults who may be living with several chronic conditions requiring pain management. The strong associations with serious psychological distress underscore the need for increased access to mental health services among this key population.