Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2022
US Mass public shootings since Columbine: victims per incident by race and ethnicity of the perpetrator.
White individuals in the United States (US) have historically had disproportionate access to firearms. The real-life availability of firearms, including those most lethal, may still be greater among White populations, manifesting in the number of victims in shootings. We compared the severity of US mass public shootings since Columbine by race and/or ethnicity of the perpetrator using The Violence Project Database of Mass Shooters, assessing fatalities (minimum four), total victims, type, and legal status of guns used. ⋯ White shooters were overrepresented in mass public shootings with the most victims, typically involving legally owned assault rifles. To better understand the consequences when firearms are readily available, including assault rifles, we need a database of all US gun violence. Our assessment of total victims beyond fatalities emphasizes the large number of US gun violence survivors and the need to understand their experiences to capture the full impact of gun violence.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2022
Prevalence of a loaded firearm in the home among birth parents experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression.
Firearm access increases the risk of suicide among all household members. The prevalence of loaded firearms in the home among those experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) is unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional study using Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data from 2012 to 2019. ⋯ Among participants who reported attending a postpartum checkup, 78.6% (95% CI: 67.0%, 90.2%) of those with a loaded firearm in their home reported having been asked by a provider if they were feeling depressed, compared to 88.7% (95% CI: 85.3%, 92.0%) of those without. About 1 in 11 birth parents experiencing symptoms of PPD report a loaded firearm in their home. Further screening for firearm access in this population may need to be considered.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2022
Electronic cigarette use and risk of COVID-19 among young adults without a history of cigarette smoking.
It is unknown whether use of e-cigarettes increases susceptibility to COVID-19. In a large clinical sample of young adults, we evaluated whether current or ever e-cigarette use was associated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19. To address the confounding of combustible smoking, the sample was restricted to never smokers. ⋯ We did not find evidence that current (vs never) e-cigarette use was associated with risk of COVID-19 (aHR = 1.12 95%CI:0.77-1.62). However, we did find suggestive evidence that former (versus never) e-cigarette use may be associated with greater risk of COVID-19 (aHR = 1.39 95%CI:0.98-1.96). While e-cigarette use is associated with health risks for young adults, results from this study suggest that current use of e-cigarettes may not increase susceptibility for COVID-19 among young adults who have never smoked cigarettes.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2022
Secondhand smoke and the risk of incident cardiovascular disease among never-smoking women.
The prospective association between secondhand smoke (SHS) and the risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear. This study was the first to examine the association between SHS and risks of ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and total CVD in a large cohort in Asia. The study followed 24,232 never-smoking women aged 40-59 from around Japan (Akita, Iwate, Nagano, Niigata, Ibaraki, Kochi, Nagasaki, and Okinawa prefectures). ⋯ The proportional hazard assumption was not assured during the total follow-up from 1990 to 2012, but so was then the follow-up of < and ≥ 10 person-years were examined separately. The multivariable HRs (95% confidence intervals) associated with husbands' current versus non-current smoking was 2.02 (1.19-3.45) for IHD, 1.18 (0.98-1.42) for stroke, and 1.25 (1.05-1.49) for total CVD in the follow-up of ≥10 person-years. The SHS from husbands may raise the risk of IHD among middle-aged never-smoking women.