Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2021
Which tobacco control policies do smokers support? Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.
As governments consider policy action to reduce smoking, a key factor in creating political will is the level of public support, particularly among smokers who are most affected by the policies. The goal of this paper is to assess and compare the level of support in Canada, the United States, England, and Australia for five smoking control policies: 1) banning menthol in cigarettes, 2) banning cigarette additives, 3) reducing nicotine in cigarettes to make them less addictive, 4) raising the minimum age to purchase cigarettes to 21 years and older, and 5) requiring pictorial warning labels on cigarette packs (examined in the US only). Data for these analyses come from 8165 daily cigarette smokers who responded to the 2016 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey. ⋯ Smokers who were less dependent on cigarettes and those expressing interest in quitting were more likely to support all policies. When asked how they would respond to a nicotine reduction policy, the most common response given was to try the non-nicotine cigarettes to see how they liked them (42-48%), with the next most common response being to quit smoking entirely (16-24%). The high level of support for these proposed policies among daily smokers provides important evidence for policymakers to counteract claims that such policies would be unpopular.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2021
Identifying nonfatal firearm assault incidents through linking police data and clinical records: Cohort study in Indianapolis, Indiana, 2007-2016.
Nonfatal firearm assault incidents are more prevalent than gun homicides, however, little is understood about nonfatal firearm assault incidents due to a lack of accurate data in the United States. This is a descriptive study of all nonfatal firearm assault incidents identified through police and clinical records from 2007 to 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Records were linked at the incident level to demonstrate the overlap and non-overlap of nonfatal firearm assault incidents in police and clinical records and describe differences in demographic characteristics of the victims. ⋯ The other 20% (n = 461) did not have an ICD firearm related diagnosis code. Results indicate most nonfatal firearm assault incidents overlap between police and clinical records systems, however, discrepancies between the systems exist. These findings also demonstrate an undercounting of nonfatal firearm assault incidents when relying on clinical data systems alone and more efforts are needed to link administrative police and clinical data in the study of nonfatal firearm assaults.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2021
Clinical prediction of extra-medical use of prescription pain relievers from a representative United States sample.
Use of prescription opioids 'beyond the bounds' of medical guidance can lead to opioid dependence. Yet recent efforts to predict extra-medical use of prescription pain relievers (EMPPR) have relied on electronic medical or pharmacy records. Because peak incidence of EMPPR occurs during adolescence- a time of relative health- administrative data may be inadequate. ⋯ Results are robust to survey redesign that occurred in 2015, and are not moderated by past-year use of medical services. In conclusion, while selection of predictors is limited to those with known timing prior to initiation of EMPPR rather than any cross-sectional variable, this model discriminates well. Good classification occurs even with a small set of clinically available predictors- age, a history of depression and alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis use.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2021
Seeing an occupational health psychologist reduces sickness absence due to mental disorders: A quasi-experimental study.
Mental health problems are a major public health and work-life issue. We examined in a quasi-experimental design whether occupational health psychologist (OHP) appointment reduces subsequent sickness absence (SA) due to mental disorders among younger Finnish employees. The present study was conducted among 18-39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki using register data from the City of Helsinki and the Social lnsurance Institution of Finland. ⋯ In the weighted matched sample, the mean of SA days due to mental disorders was 11.4 (95% CI, 6.4-16.5) for those treated (n = 238) and 20.2 (95% CI, 17.0-23.4) for the comparison group (p < 0.01) during the follow-up year. The corresponding figures in the full sample were (11.1, 6.7-15.4) days for those treated (n = 288) and (18.9, 16.7-21.1) days for the comparison group (p < 0.01). This quasi-experimental study suggests that seeing an OHP to support work ability reduces SA due to mental disorders.
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Preventive medicine · Aug 2021
Community social networks, individual social participation and dietary behavior among older Japanese adults: Examining mediation using nonlinear structural equation models for three-wave longitudinal data.
Community social networks positively affect older adults' dietary behavior, but the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. This study investigated if the relationship between community social networks and dietary behavior is mediated by social participation, and whether the influence of community social networks differs across sociodemographic groups. We conducted a cross-lagged panel mediation analysis employing nonlinear structural equation modeling using panel data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), a longitudinal study of Japanese older adults in 2010, 2013, and 2016, which included 11,347 men and 14,105 women aged over 65. ⋯ Community social networks may promote social participation, thereby facilitating healthier dietary behavior regardless of sociodemographic status. Social participation in turn may positively contribute to the dietary health of people living alone. Community-based interventions to encourage people living alone to participate in social activities may help reduce inequality in dietary behavior related to cohabitation status.