Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2009
ReviewMonitoring the tobacco use epidemic I. Overview: Optimizing measurement to facilitate change.
This Overview paper (I of V) summarizes research work to date on monitoring the tobacco use epidemic, discusses the recommendations made at the November, 2002 National Tobacco Monitoring, Research and Evaluation Workshop sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Legacy Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on the topic of tobacco surveillance and evaluation, and discusses the current state of affairs. ⋯ Tobacco monitoring efforts play a vital role in combating the epidemic of addiction and disease produced by various tobacco products. The knowledge and experience gained by the tobacco use prevention and control community through this commitment to linkages of data collected in the domains of Vector and Environment, in addition to Agent and Host, could inform monitoring of a wide range of other public health issues as well, including diet and nutrition, physical activity, overweight and obesity, and substance abuse.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2009
ReviewMonitoring the tobacco use epidemic V: The environment: factors that influence tobacco use.
This environment paper (V of V) summarizes important surveillance and evaluation systems that monitor influences on tobacco use such as smoke-free laws and other legislation, excise taxes, mass media, and a broad range of tobacco control activities, discusses their strengths and weaknesses, and makes recommendations for enhancement. ⋯ Systematic surveillance and monitoring of key program inputs and outputs and environmental influences is central to understand the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of tobacco control efforts.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialA tailored Internet-plus-email intervention for increasing physical activity among ethnically-diverse women.
To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of an individually tailored, Internet-plus-email physical activity intervention designed for adult women. ⋯ A tailored, Internet-based intervention for adult women had a positive effect on walking and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in an ethnically-diverse sample. However, given the lack of comparable research contact in the control group, these findings should be taken cautiously.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2008
Weight loss advice U.S. obese adults receive from health care professionals.
To estimate the prevalence of obese patients advised by health professionals about weight loss and weight loss strategies. ⋯ Obese adults should be advised by health professionals more frequently about weight loss and the use of caloric reduction and increased physical activity as the recommended weight loss strategy.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2008
CommentEthnic minorities and weight control research priorities: where are we now and where do we need to be?
Within the overall obesity epidemic, the burden of obesity and related health problems is particularly high among African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and Pacific Islanders--both children and adults. The often asked question of what types of obesity interventions work in these populations reflects uncertainty about how applicable standard interventions are to diverse socio-cultural groups and socio-environmental contexts. A meta-analysis in this issue of Preventive Medicine (Seo and Sa, 2008. ⋯ S. population. We should be purposeful in identifying research needs and quality standards for conducting and reporting studies with these populations and in motivating related research. Improving the relevance to and quality of evidence on obesity prevention and treatment for a more diverse set of populations will also improve the weight control literature as a whole.