American journal of preventive medicine
-
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of treated and untreated substance use disorders among Medicare beneficiaries, the characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries with substance use disorders, and reasons for their unmet needs. ⋯ Few Medicare beneficiaries who need substance use disorder treatment receive it. Reducing Medicare coverage gaps and stigma may help meet this need.
-
Student loan debt has become common for young adults in the U.S. and is correlated with poor physical and mental health. It is unclear how the accumulation or repayment of student debt is associated with longer-term cardiovascular risks and chronic inflammation. ⋯ As student debt accumulates, within-cohort disparities in cardiovascular disease and related morbidities may undermine the health benefits of postsecondary education.
-
Social determinants of health influence the prevention, treatment, and progression of chronic diseases, including heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and conditions. Healthy People 2020 classifies Social Determinants of Health into 5 subcategories: (1) Neighborhood and Built Environment, (2) Education, (3) Economic Stability, (4) Social and Community Context, and (5) Health and Health Care. This study's goal is to characterize the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Fiscal Year 2008-2020 funding in overall Social Determinants of Health research and in the Healthy People 2020 subcategories. ⋯ This study identifies Social Determinants of Health grants funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute during 2008‒2020. Enhancing the understanding of these determinants and developing effective interventions will ultimately help to advance the mission of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
-
Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has risen sharply, yet there is a limited understanding of the age-specific dynamics of obesity as there is no single nationally representative cohort following children into young adulthood. Investigators constructed a pooled data set of 5 nationally representative panels and modeled age-specific obesity incidence from childhood into young adulthood. ⋯ Although many children become obese before the age of 10, obesity incidence rises from about 15 years into early adulthood, suggesting that interventions are required at multiple developmental stages.