Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
Tdap-HPV vaccination bundling in the USA: Trends, predictors, and implications for vaccine series completion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes taking a 'bundling approach' (i.e., administering Tetanus, diphtheria toxoids, and acellular pertussis [Tdap] and human papillomavirus [HPV] vaccines in the same way and on the same day) for adolescent vaccinations. Recent trends and patterns in Tdap-HPV vaccination bundling in the USA remain undocumented. In addition, the implications of bundling Tdap-HPV vaccination for HPV vaccine series completion remain unknown. ⋯ Adolescents who received their first HPV vaccine bundled with the Tdap vaccine were more likely to complete the series compared to those who received it alone (Hazards Ratio = 1.45; 1.43-1.48). HPV vaccination bundling has increased in recent years in the USA. The increased likelihood of HPV vaccine series completion provides important evidence supporting the adoption of same-day Tdap-HPV vaccine administration in clinical practice to boost HPV vaccination coverage.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
Pre-pandemic social isolation as a predictor of the adverse impact of the pandemic on self-rated health: A longitudinal COVID-19 study in Japan.
Many studies have found adverse effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic on health. Irrespective of being infected by the coronavirus, lockdowns and other measures to restrict mobility have worsened an individual's subjective health assessment. Unlike previous studies, this study examined how pre-pandemic social isolation (in the form of no interaction with others and having no social support) affected the impact of the pandemic on self-rated health in Japan. ⋯ The state of emergency raised the probability of reporting poor health by 17.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.9-33.8) percentage points among the participants who had not interacted with others before the pandemic, compared with only 0.7 (95% CI: -3.1-4.5) percentage points among other participants. Similar results were obtained in the absence of social support prior to the pandemic. In conclusion, pre-pandemic social isolation was detrimental to health, suggesting that policy measures are needed to avoid social isolation to increase the resilience of public health to external shocks.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
Racial, ethnic, and language differences in screening measures for statin therapy following a major guideline change.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) disproportionally affects racial and ethnic minority populations. Statin prescribing guidelines changed in 2013 to improve ASCVD prevention. It is unknown whether risk screening for statin eligibility differed across race and ethnicity over this guideline change. ⋯ Among patients seen in both periods (n = 128,621), all groups had lower odds of PCE components versus LDL documented in the measures' respective period; English-preferring Black adults experienced a greater decline compared to English-preferring White adults (OR 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72-0.91). Racial/ethnic/language disparities in documented screening measures that guide statin therapy for ASCVD prevention were unaffected by a major guideline change advising this practice. It is important to understand whether the newer guidelines have altered disparate prescribing and morbidity/mortality for this disease.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
Association between medicare annual wellness visits and prevention of falls and fractures in older adults in Texas, USA.
Fall-related injuries contribute to increased frailty, disability, and premature death in older adults (≥65 years). The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began reimbursing annual wellness visits (AWVs) in 2011. In the present study, we assessed the effect of AWV receipt in 2017 on fall and fracture prevention through December 31, 2018. ⋯ Receipt of an AWV in three consecutive years (2015-2017) further lowered the risk of future falls. We conclude that the risks for future falls/fractures are lower in older adults receiving AWVs. Our study underscores the need for expanded public education programs that raise awareness about AWVs and the potential for AWV data to inform fall prevention interventions and other health promotion practices.
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Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
Factors predicting participation and potential yield of screening-detected disease among non-participants in a Swedish population-based atrial fibrillation screening study.
The success of any screening program is dependent on participation. The characteristics of participants vs. non-participants have been studied and non-participants usually have a higher risk of disease. The potential yield of screening-detected disease in non-participants could be of interest to several screening programs. ⋯ Non-participants had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores, indicating a higher stroke-risk and presumable benefit from attending screening, although estimated new atrial fibrillation detected was not significantly more common when compared to participants. Low income was the strongest factor for predicting non-attendance and should be a focus area when planning future screening scenarios.