American journal of preventive medicine
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Physical inactivity is prevalent among African-American women in rural Alabama. The purpose of this study was to explore personal, social, and physical environmental factors associated with activity to help plan interventions. ⋯ Social environmental factors were associated with higher levels of activity and need to be considered when planning interventions. More research is needed to identify associations between specific aspects of the social environment and physical activity behaviors.
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Personal, social, and environmental correlates of physical activity in rural Midwestern white women.
Physical activity is a promising component of cardiovascular disease prevention among women. Research in this area is expanding, but much needs to be done to assess subgroups of the population (e.g., people living in rural environments). The study goal was to determine personal, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates of physical activity among rural white women aged 20 to 50 years. ⋯ More research is needed on the assessment of important issues regarding physical activity in women. Interventions should use assessment information to tailor programs and to address personal, social environmental, and physical environmental components.
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Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are leading causes of death among Native Americans. Little is known about the impact of negative childhood exposures, including parental alcoholism, childhood maltreatment, and out-of-home placement, on risk of lifetime DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition) diagnosis of alcohol dependence in this population. ⋯ Effects of childhood exposures on high-risk behaviors emphasize screening for violence in medical settings and development of social and educational programs for parents and children living on and near tribal reservations.
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African-American women are at higher risk than white women of cardiovascular disease and stroke. In addition, fewer African-American women reap the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, because of low physical activity. The study goals were to identify personal, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates of physical activity of urban-dwelling, Midwestern, African-American women and to obtain their recommendations for increasing exercise in their communities. ⋯ Interventions that target urban African-American women must address the safety of the physical environment and personal and social environmental correlates of physical activity, and they should focus especially on inactive women who have less than a high school education or perceive themselves to be in poor health.
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Data on the involvement of nonphysician healthcare providers in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening delivery are sparse. This article describes physicians' use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide CRC screening with the fecal occult blood test (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy, as well as physicians' attitudes toward using these providers to perform flexible sigmoidoscopy. ⋯ These results show current involvement of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the delivery of CRC screening to be limited. Use of nonphysician healthcare providers for CRC screening with FOBT and flexible sigmoidoscopy is one possible solution to the challenge of boosting low screening rates. However, physician beliefs about the ability of nurse practitioners and physician assistants to perform flexible sigmoidoscopy are a potential barrier to increasing the involvement of nonphysician providers in CRC screening delivery.