American journal of preventive medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Optimizing Texting Interventions for Melanoma Prevention and Early Detection: A Latin Square Crossover RCT.
Text messaging is an effective way to reach large populations with health promotion support. This study aims to establish the optimal text messaging intervention to achieve behavior change in young adults at risk of skin cancer. ⋯ Regular text messaging interventions result in significantly increased sun protection and decreased sunburn in young adults.
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More comprehensive state-level alcohol policy environments are associated with lower alcohol-attributable homicide rates in the U.S., but few studies have explored this internationally. This study tests whether 3 national-level alcohol policy scores are associated with alcohol-attributable homicide rates. ⋯ Countries with policies that reduce alcohol's affordability or days/hours of sales tend to have fewer alcohol-attributable homicides, regardless of their income level. Alcohol-attributable homicide rates are highest in low- and middle-income countries; policies that raise alcohol-relative prices may hold promise for curbing these harms.
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Greater availability of tobacco product retailers in an area may be associated with smoking behaviors, and the majority of people who smoke purchase their cigarettes at gas stations and convenience stores. This cross-sectional study investigates the associations of overall tobacco retailer density and gas/convenience density with adult smoking behaviors. ⋯ Tobacco retailer density, especially gas/convenience density, is correlated with daily smoking, the most harmful tobacco use behavior. Calculating tobacco retailer density using gas/convenience stores may be a feasible proxy for overall tobacco retailer density.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced telehealth to be the primary means through which patients interact with their providers. There is a concern that the pandemic will exacerbate the existing disparities in overall healthcare utilization and telehealth utilization. Few national studies have examined the changes in telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic has affected telehealth utilization disproportionately on the basis of patient age and both the county-level poverty rate and urbanicity.