American journal of preventive medicine
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Prices for prescription drugs vary widely in the United States, from the prices charged by retail pharmacies to 50% below average wholesale prices (AWP), depending on the purchaser's bargaining power. At higher drug prices, expenditures for essential preventive interventions, such as those aimed at hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, buy less health for the elderly. The magnitude of this effect, however, is unknown. ⋯ A Medicare drug benefit program that supports prices at the high end of the current range could yield substantially less health for the elderly, and one that promotes differential pricing could promote unequal access to preventive medications--and thus to health--by Medicare beneficiaries across the country.
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Reports on prevalence estimates and risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) are limited in that they (1) focus on specific subgroup populations that are not representative of all women or (2) involve long questionnaires that are not useful as surveillance tools. ⋯ This study provides population-based estimates of IPV prevalence and factors associated with IPV using surveillance data. By pooling BRFSS data from individual states, the resulting large sample has adequate power to detect significant associations and has increased precision in the estimates of IPV risk. In addition, this study identifies high-risk populations to target for education and intervention programs and demonstrates the need for improved IPV surveillance.
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Social cognitive theory posits that children develop intentions and positive expectations (utilities) about smoking prior to initiation. These attitudes and values result, in part, from observing others modeling the behavior. This study examines, for the first time, the association between viewing tobacco use in movies and attitudes toward smoking among children who have never smoked a cigarette. ⋯ This study provides empirical evidence that viewing movie depictions of tobacco use is associated with higher receptivity to smoking prior to trying the behavior.