Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Leading determinants for multimorbidity in middle-aged Australian men and women: A nine-year follow-up cohort study.
Although socioeconomic, behavioural, psychological, and biological factors have been individually linked to multimorbidity, data on the importance of these factors are limited. Our study aimed to determine the leading predictors for multimorbidity of chronic conditions in middle-aged Australian adults using machine learning methods. We included 53,867 participants aged 45-64 years from the 45 and Up Study who were free of eleven predefined chronic conditions at baseline (2006-2009) in the analysis. ⋯ The corresponding percentage for women was 45-52%. Non-behavioural factors including psychological distress, low education and income and high relative economic disadvantage were among the leading risk factors for multimorbidity. In conclusion, modifications on behavioural factors including diets, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of multimorbidity in middle-aged adults, whereas individuals with low socioeconomic status or psychological distress are at the highest priority for intervention.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Comparative StudyAssociation between state stay-at-home orders and risk reduction behaviors and mental distress amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered stay-at-home orders in 43 states since March 19, 2020. Evidence is limited on how these orders affect peoples' behaviors and mental distress. We used a nationally representative survey of 1094 American adults collected between March 19 and March 31, 2020 to compare risk-reduction behaviors and mental distress in states with and without orders. ⋯ In summary, stay-at-home orders were associated with a differential increase in risk-reduction behaviors. People's mental distress rose in the first week under order and dropped afterwards. While in need for confirmation in longitudinal data, these results suggest that residents are responsive to orders.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Cannabis use and driving under the influence: Behaviors and attitudes by state-level legal sale of recreational cannabis.
As states continue to legalize the sale of recreational cannabis, there is a need to study attitudes and behaviors regarding driving after cannabis use. The purpose of this study was to describe US adults' attitudes and behaviors regarding driving after cannabis use by state-level legal sale of recreational cannabis, and to determine whether these associations differ by frequency of cannabis use. ⋯ Public health messaging campaigns to reduce driving and riding after cannabis use and to improve attitudes regarding driving after cannabis use are warranted across all U.S. states, regardless of legalization status.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Food insecurity, participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the degree to which patients anticipate help from clinics to find food in Los Angeles County.
Healthcare clinics are uniquely positioned to screen for food insecurity and refer patients to food resources. This study examines this approach to address this social condition. A 2018 intercept survey of 1,103 adult patients recruited from across 11 clinic waiting rooms in Los Angeles County was conducted to describe the prevalence of food insecurity and whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and the degree to which patients anticipated their clinics to help them locate food varied by socio-demographic factors. ⋯ An exploratory analysis showed that common reasons for not enrolling in SNAP included older adults not knowing how to apply to the program and Spanish-speaking Latinx worrying about citizenship status as it relates to the eligibility process. Findings revealed disparities in the prevalence of food insecurity and SNAP participation among patients of Los Angeles' low income clinics. Information from this study can help inform low-income clinics' efforts to intervene on food insecurity in their patient population.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
Childhood exercise as medicine: Extracurricular sport diminishes subsequent ADHD symptoms.
Extracurricular sport has been a valued educational investment to promote both physical and mental health in children and adolescents. Few longitudinal studies have tested whether extracurricular sport is associated with inattentive/hyperactive symptoms. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 758 girls and 733 boys, we examined the prospective relationship between consistent middle childhood participation in extracurricular sport and subsequent ADHD symptoms. ⋯ For girls, consistent participation in organized sport significantly predicted lower subsequent ADHD symptoms, compared with girls with low-inconsistent participation (unstandardized B = 0.07, p ≤ .05, 95% CI, 0.01-0.14). Early sustained middle childhood involvement in organized sport seems beneficial for the subsequent behavioral development of girls but no associations were found for boys. Middle childhood participation in structured venues that demand physical skill and effort with a coach or instructor may thus represent a valuable policy strategy to promote this aspect of behavioral development for girls.