Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Using text messages to improve patient-doctor communication among racial and ethnic minority adults: an innovative solution to increase influenza vaccinations.
Despite the 2010 CDC recommendation that all adults receive influenza vaccinations, in the 2013-2014 influenza season, only 35% of Blacks and 37% of Hispanics were vaccinated, compared to 40% of Whites. This disparity could be due to poor patient-doctor communication, among other barriers. Doctors provide more health information to active communicators; unfortunately, they perceive minority patients to be poor communicators. ⋯ A text message campaign could be effective in providing vaccine education and prompting patients to converse with their doctors about influenza vaccinations. Text prompts could improve patient communication, thus increasing their likelihood of vaccination. This campaign could accomplish Healthy People 2020 goals: increase influenza vaccination, improve patient-doctor communication, increase use of mHealth, and reduce health disparities.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Correlates of state enactment of elementary school physical education laws.
To describe variation in U.S. state elementary school physical education (PE) policies and to assess associations between state PE policy enactment and education funding, academic achievement, sociodemographic disadvantage, and political characteristics. ⋯ Limited time and high-stake testing requirements force schools to prioritize academic programs, posing barriers to state passage of specific PE laws. To facilitate PE policy enactment, it may be necessary to provide evidence on how PE policies can be implemented within existing time and staffing structures.
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The role of the built environment on walking in rural United States (U.S.) locations is not well characterized. We examined self-reported and measured built environment correlates of walking for utilitarian purposes among adult residents of small rural towns. ⋯ Environmental factors associated with utilitarian walking in cities and suburbs were important in small rural towns. Moreover, manufacturing land use was associated with utilitarian walking. Modifying the built environment of small towns could lead to increased walking in a sizeable segment of the U.S. population.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Disparities in park availability, features, and characteristics by social determinants of health within a U.S.-Mexico border urban area.
To examine disparities in park availability, features, and characteristics by income and the percentage of foreign-born population within a predominately-Hispanic border community. ⋯ Identifying disparities in park availability, features, and characteristics can aid policymakers and citizens in improving the contribution of parks to community health for all.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2014
Prediction of 4-year incident diabetes in older Chinese: recalibration of the Framingham diabetes score on Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.
To recalibrate and modify the Framingham diabetes mellitus (DM) function and establish a simple point score for predicting near-term incident diabetes in a large sample of Chinese. ⋯ The constructed GBCS point score prediction model based on GBCS coefficients could be more useful for identifying high risk individuals in Chinese populations than the original Framingham DM score.