Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2023
Differences in health care provider screening for tobacco use among youth in the United States: The National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2021.
Health care providers (HCP) are encouraged to screen youth for tobacco product use as a key step in preventing such use and associated health outcomes. However, recent data examining differences in HCP tobacco screening by sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco use is scant. ⋯ The majority of U.S. youth continue to not be screened for tobacco use by their HCP. Evidence of disparities in tobacco use screening suggest the need for policies and training that promote equity in screening.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2023
Association between neighborhood availability of physical activity facilities and cognitive performance in older adults.
The existing evidence on the contextual influence of the availability of local facilities for physical activity on the cognitive health of elderly residents is sparse. This study examined the association between neighborhood physical activity facilities and cognitive health in older individuals. A cohort study of community-dwelling older adults was performed using baseline data and follow-up data from the Taiwan Biobank. ⋯ MMSE decline during follow-up was slower in the middle- (beta = 0.15, p-value = 0.114) and high-density facility (beta = 0.27, p-value = 0.052) groups than in the low-density group (p-value for trend-test = 0.032). Greater neighborhood availability of physical activity facilities was associated with better cognitive health among older residents. These findings have implications for designing communities and developing strategies to support cognitive health of an aging population.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2023
Impact of firearm injury in children and adolescents on health care costs and use within a family.
In 2020, firearm injury became the leading cause of death in U. S. children and adolescents. This study examines sequelae of firearm injury among children and adolescents in terms of health care costs and use within a family over time using an event study design. ⋯ Quarterly total costs continued to be elevated during the second quarter post-injury ($1878 higher than pre-injury, p < .01) and number of outpatient visits remained elevated throughout the first year post-injury (0.6, 0.4, and 0.3 higher in the second through fourth quarter, respectively; p < .05 for all). Parents' number of outpatient visits increased during the second and third years after the firearm injury (0.3 and 0.5 higher per quarter than pre-injury; p < .05). Youth firearm injury has long-lasting impact on health care within a family.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2023
A population-based survey of self-reported delays in breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer screening.
The early COVID-19 pandemic was associated with cessation of screening services, but the prevalence of ongoing delays in cancer screening into the third year of the pandemic are not well-characterized. In February/March 2022, a population-based survey assessed cancer needs in New Hampshire and Vermont. The associations between cancer screening delays (breast, cervical, colorectal or lung cancer) and social determinants of health, health care access, and cancer attitudes and beliefs were tested. ⋯ Cost was the most common reason for delayed lung cancer screening (36%). COVID-19 was indicated as a delay reason in 15-29% of respondents; 12-20% reported health system capacity during the pandemic as a reason for delay, depending on screening type. Interventions that address sub-populations and reasons for screening delays are needed to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer burden and mortality.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2023
Urban-rural health disparities in Brazil: Do sociodemographic attributes play a role?
The debate over urban-rural health disparities in Latin American countries is disputed, and this relationship may not be as straightforward as initially thought. In this study, we investigate whether individual-level self-rated health (SRH) varies across urban and rural populations in the country and how sociodemographic attributes are associated with such differences. ⋯ The findings suggest that Brazilian adults living in rural areas are at a higher risk of perceiving their health as poor than their urban counterparts. The urban-rural health disparities are significant and influenced by sociodemographic attributes, highlighting the importance of developing public health interventions to improve health outcomes in these populations.