Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2024
Review Meta AnalysisDaily steps and all-cause mortality: An umbrella review and meta-analysis.
This study aimed to describe the variability in estimates of the association of daily steps and all-cause mortality in systematic reviews with meta-analyses, to identify the factors potentially responsible for it, and to provide an updated estimate. ⋯ Systematic reviews and meta-analyses showed considerable variability in effect estimates due to different methods of quantifying exposure. Despite it, our study underscores the importance of increased daily steps in reducing all-cause mortality, with a minimum protective dose of 3000 steps/day, although the optimal dose differed according to age and sex. It is recommended that future studies categorise daily steps by physical activity category, perform dose-response analyses, and use increments of 1000 steps/day.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2024
Epidemiology of drug arrests in the United States: Evidence from the national survey on drug use and health, 2015-2019.
Following changes to drug criminalization policies, we re-examine the epidemiology of drug arrests among people who use drugs (PWUD) in the U.S. ⋯ Despite recent shifts away from punitive drug policies, we detected no reduction in drug arrests nationally and increasing prevalence in non-metro areas. Despite reporting the lowest level of illicit substance use and drug selling, NH Black individuals had significantly increased odds of arrest across years. Findings highlight the need for further examination of policy implementation and policing practices in different settings, with more research focused non-metro areas, to address enduring structural racism in drug enforcement and its consequences for health.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2024
ReviewDentists' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of antibiotic prescribing: A systematic review.
This study aims to explore dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding antibiotic use. ⋯ The review emphasizes that dentists' antibiotic prescribing is predominantly influenced by modifiable factors. This insight informs the potential for targeted interventions to curtail inappropriate antibiotic use, contributing to global efforts in reducing antibiotic resistance. The protocol of this systematic review can be found in PROSPERO under registration no. CRD42021253937.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2024
ReviewEffectiveness of interventions to prevent or reverse pre-frailty and frailty in middle-aged community dwelling adults: A systematic review.
Frailty, marked by diminished physiological capacity and higher health risks, is less understood in middle-aged individuals (40-65 years) than older adults. This review synthesises intervention studies for pre-frailty and frailty in this demographic, assessing effectiveness, feasibility, and implementation factors including participant experience and cost-effectiveness. ⋯ This review reveals an evidence gap in middle-aged frailty interventions. Multicomponent interventions and resistance training showed promise, but their comparative effectiveness remains uncertain. Educational and low-intensity interventions need further research to establish their effectiveness. The findings diverge from those in older adults, emphasising the need for age-specific approaches. Future studies should employ higher-quality methods and explore emerging technologies to enhance intervention effectiveness for pre-frailty and frailty in middle-aged adults.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2024
ReviewSmoking and pulmonary health in women: A narrative review and behavioral health perspective.
Cigarette smoking prevalence has declined slower among women than men, and smoking-related pulmonary disease (PD) has risen among women. Given these trends, there is a critical need to understand and mitigate PD risk among women who smoke. The purpose of this narrative review and commentary is to highlight important evidence from the literature on smoking and PD among women. ⋯ Rising rates of smoking-related PD among women risk widening diagnostic and treatment disparities. Ongoing research is needed to explore potentially complex relationships between sex, gender, and smoking-related PD processes and outcomes, and to improve smoking-cessation and PD treatment for women.