American journal of preventive medicine
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This paper describes the methodology of partial identification and its applicability to empirical research in preventive medicine and public health. ⋯ Partial identification methods are likely to be of considerable interest to clinicians and others engaged in preventive medicine and public health research.
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Patients are more likely to complete colorectal cancer screening when recommended by a race-concordant healthcare provider. Leveraging virtual healthcare assistants to deliver tailored screening interventions may promote adherence to colorectal cancer screening guidelines among diverse patient populations. The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the efficacy of the Agent Leveraging Empathy for eXams virtual healthcare assistant intervention to increase patient intentions to talk to their doctor about colorectal cancer screening. It also examines the influence of animation and race concordance on intentions to complete colorectal cancer screening. ⋯ Animated virtual healthcare assistants were efficacious compared with the static virtual healthcare assistant and attention control conditions. The influence of race concordance between source and participant was inconsistent across conditions. This warrants additional investigation in future studies given the potential for virtual healthcare assistant‒assisted interventions to promote colorectal cancer screening within guidelines.
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Psychoactive substance use may be risky for adults with functional impairments. This study investigates cannabis use and prescription opioid and tranquilizer/sedative (mis)use among adults aged ≥50 years reporting functional impairments in the U.S. ⋯ Prescription drug misuse is linked to functional impairments among adults aged ≥50 years and may pose a potential risk for this vulnerable population.
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This study identifies the longitudinal trajectories of multiple forms of substance use and handgun carrying and examines their comorbidity over time. ⋯ Both substance use and gun carrying are developmentally heterogeneous phenomena. Varied forms of substance use should be targeted to counter the distinct gun carrying patterns.