American journal of preventive medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Physical Activity and Performance Impact Long-term Quality of Life in Older Adults at Risk for Major Mobility Disability.
Older adults are a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. ⋯ Declining mobility measured by physical performance is associated with lower quality of life in sedentary older adults. Physical activity interventions can slow the decline in quality of life, and targeting specific subgroups may enhance the effects of such interventions.
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Latinos in the U.S. bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular risk factors, including physical inactivity. Previous research among Latinos has focused on leisure-time physical activity, limiting understanding of the different ways in which populations, particularly working-class groups, achieve recommended levels of physical activity. This study examined associations of race/ethnicity; nativity; and leisure-time, transportation, and occupation-related physical activity among Latino and non-Latino white adults. ⋯ These findings suggest variability in the relationship between nativity and the physical activity domain Latinos engage in compared with non-Latino whites, with occupation contributing substantially to meeting physical activity recommendations for all population groups.
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Optimism-the expectation that good things will happen-has emerged as a promising health asset, as it appears to be related to healthier behaviors and reduced disease risk. Growing research finds that higher optimism is associated with lower mortality, yet it is critical to understand whether this prolonged longevity is accompanied by good health. This study tested whether higher optimism was associated with increased likelihood of healthy aging. ⋯ Higher optimism was associated with increased likelihood of healthy aging, suggesting that optimism, a potentially modifiable health asset, merits further research for its potential to improve health in aging.
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The National Academy of Medicine recommends childhood obesity prevention efforts making healthier options the passive choice. This review evaluated the effectiveness of population-level policies and programs from natural experiments for childhood obesity prevention. ⋯ Natural experiments evaluating school-based policies focusing on both the food/beverage and physical activity environments (versus targeting only one) consistently showed improvement in BMI. However, most studies had high risk of bias, highlighting the need for improved methods for evaluation of natural experiments for childhood obesity prevention.
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The opioid epidemic in the U.S. continues to increase in severity, and misuse of prescription opioids is of particular concern since it commonly precedes heroin use. This study examined whether sexual orientation (i.e., sexual identity and sexual attraction) is a risk factor for prescription opioid misuse and use disorder among a nationally representative sample of adults in the U.S. ⋯ Sexual orientation disparities in opioid misuse and use disorder among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults was found.