American journal of preventive medicine
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The number of U.S. adults who own and carry a firearm for self-defense is rising. Research has established that owning or carrying a firearm increases the risk of injury and death for firearm owners and the people in their lives. This study sought to better understand this paradox by estimating associations of perceived specific and diffuse threats with firearm behaviors among U.S. adults. ⋯ Perceived threats are associated with firearm behaviors among U.S. men, even after accounting for the actual violence they report experiencing or witnessing.
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Herpes zoster increases stroke and myocardial infarction risk. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of live attenuated zoster vaccination on stroke and myocardial infarction risk in patients at risk of zoster, including those with hypertension, diabetes mellites, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, asthma, and chronic liver disease. ⋯ Live attenuated zoster vaccination is associated with lower risk of stroke and myocardial infarction in adults with at-risk comorbidities, controlling for age and sex. Vaccination may provide cardiovascular benefits beyond zoster prevention.
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Youth experience significant mental health (MH) needs, and gender- and racially/ethnically-diverse youth are less likely than peers to receive care. School-based health centers (SBHCs) are a healthcare delivery model that may decrease disparities. This study examined the role of SBHCs in reducing disparities in MH care receipt among SBHC clients. ⋯ SBHCs may reach youth who are traditionally less likely to seek care in other settings, including racially/ethnically- and gender-diverse youth. As in other settings, engaging males in healthcare is an area for improvement. These findings help to demonstrate the potential of SBHCs for decreasing disparities in mental health care.
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Pandemic-era social and political tensions may have accelerated pre-existing trends in gun owner diversification and shifts toward protection from people as a primary reason for gun ownership. Specific ownership motivations may shape storage behaviors, use patterns, policy support, and perceptions of safety. This study's objective was to assess the importance of specific reasons for owning guns, including protection from whom and in what circumstances, among demographic subgroups of new and prior gun owners. ⋯ Concurrent, strongly held motivations may produce ambivalence or resistance to public health messaging that narrowly focuses on preventing violent firearm-related injury. Permissive firearm policies may compound behavioral ambivalence, exacerbating conditions that threaten collective safety and civic expression. These conditions call for more nuanced, multidimensional, societal efforts to assure collective safety.
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Few studies have examined county-level hotspots of veteran suicide and associated place-based contributors, limiting development of targeted community-level prevention strategies. The objectives of this national spatial analysis of all veteran suicides were to identify areas of the United States with higher-than-expected veteran suicide rates and determine county-level social and economic characteristics associated with areas of higher risk. ⋯ This study contributes to a comprehensive public health approach to veteran suicide prevention by identifying where resources are needed most, and which place-based intervention targets have the largest potential for impact. Findings suggest that public health efforts to address suicide among veterans should address community-level firearm access and identify ways to alleviate deleterious effects of social fragmentation.