Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2016
Eating behaviors among low-income obese adults in the United States: Does health care provider's advice carry any weight.
The U. S. Preventive Task Force recommends that all patients be screened for obesity and given appropriate weight loss advice, if needed, as nutrition counseling by primary care physicians is a key objective for Healthy People 2020. ⋯ There were no significant interactions between HCP's advice and attempts to lose weight. Obese adult's attempt to lose weight, and not HCP's advice to lose weight, was a predictor for healthy eating behaviors. Interventions in medical practices should train HCPs on effective strategies for motivating obese patients to adopt healthier lifestyles.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2016
Evaluating the impact of a community-based cancer awareness roadshow on awareness, attitudes and behaviors.
Improving public awareness of cancer and encouraging health behavior change are important aspects of cancer control. We investigated whether a community-based roadshow was an effective way of communicating with the public about cancer and encouraging behavior change. Data were from 1196 people who completed questionnaires at a Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Roadshow in 2013. ⋯ User of weight loss services and general practitioner visits were high at follow-up and largely attributed to the Roadshow. The Cancer Research UK Roadshow appears to improve risk factor awareness, promote positive attitudes towards help-seeking and increase smoking cessation. This approach could be a useful building block for additional cancer prevention and control strategies.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2016
ReviewObesity prevention and obesogenic behavior interventions in child care: A systematic review.
Review peer-reviewed interventions designed to reduce obesity and improve obesogenic behaviors, including physical activity, diet, and screen time, at child care centers. Interventions components and outcomes, study design, duration, use of behavioral theory, and level of social ecological influence are detailed. ⋯ Summarizing intervention strategies and assessing their effectiveness contributes to the existing literature and may provide direction for practitioners and researchers working with young children in child care. Most interventions produced the targeted changes in obesity and obesity-associated behaviors, supporting current and future efforts to collaborate with early-care centers and professionals for obesity prevention.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2016
ReviewCorrelates and predictors of sexual health among adolescent Latinas in the United States: A systematic review of the literature, 2004-2015.
Adolescent Latinas in the United States (US) are disproportionately affected by early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in comparison to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. However, only a few studies have sought to understand the multi-level factors associated with sexual health in adolescent Latinas. Adhering to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review to better understand the correlates and predictors of sexual health among adolescent Latinas in the US, identify gaps in the research, and suggest future directions for empirical studies and intervention efforts. ⋯ A majority of the studies reviewed (n=9) examined some aspect of acculturation or Latino/a cultural values in relation to sexual health. Results varied widely between studies suggesting that the relationship between individual and proximal contextual variables (including acculturation) and sexual health may be more complex than previously conceived. This review integrates the findings on correlates and predictors of sexual health among adolescent Latinas, and supports the need for strengths-based theoretically guided research on the mechanisms driving these associations.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2016
Multicenter StudyCardiovascular disease risk factors and psychological distress among Hispanics/Latinos: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).
Studies show that cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are correlated with psychological distress, yet research examining these relationships among Hispanic/Latinos is lacking. The population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos enrolled a cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults (N=16,415) 18-74years of age at the time of recruitment, from four US metropolitan areas, between March 2008 and June 2011. Psychological distress (i.e., 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, 10 item Spielberger Trait Anxiety Scale, and a combined depression/anxiety score), socio-demographics (i.e., age, education, income, insurance, sex, and Hispanic/Latino background), acculturation (i.e., country of birth and language preference), and traditional CVD risk factors (i.e., dyslipidemia, obesity, current cigarette smoking, diabetes, and hypertension) were assessed at baseline. ⋯ Elevated depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with CVD risk factors for Hispanic/Latino men and women. However, these results were not consistent across Hispanic/Latino groups. As promoted by the integrative care model, psychosocial concerns should be considered in research on CVD risk and chronic disease prevention.