American journal of preventive medicine
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Prior studies suggest overuse of nonrecommended lung cancer screening tests in U.S. community practice and underuse of recommended tests. ⋯ The number of adults inappropriately screened for lung cancer greatly exceeds the number screened according to USPSTF recommendations, the prevalence of appropriate lung cancer screening is low, and the population meeting USPSTF criteria is shrinking. To realize the potential benefits of screening, better processes to appropriately triage eligible individuals to screening, plus screening with a USPSTF-recommended test, would be beneficial.
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Latinos in the U.S. bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular risk factors, including physical inactivity. Previous research among Latinos has focused on leisure-time physical activity, limiting understanding of the different ways in which populations, particularly working-class groups, achieve recommended levels of physical activity. This study examined associations of race/ethnicity; nativity; and leisure-time, transportation, and occupation-related physical activity among Latino and non-Latino white adults. ⋯ These findings suggest variability in the relationship between nativity and the physical activity domain Latinos engage in compared with non-Latino whites, with occupation contributing substantially to meeting physical activity recommendations for all population groups.
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The National Academy of Medicine recommends childhood obesity prevention efforts making healthier options the passive choice. This review evaluated the effectiveness of population-level policies and programs from natural experiments for childhood obesity prevention. ⋯ Natural experiments evaluating school-based policies focusing on both the food/beverage and physical activity environments (versus targeting only one) consistently showed improvement in BMI. However, most studies had high risk of bias, highlighting the need for improved methods for evaluation of natural experiments for childhood obesity prevention.
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Optimism-the expectation that good things will happen-has emerged as a promising health asset, as it appears to be related to healthier behaviors and reduced disease risk. Growing research finds that higher optimism is associated with lower mortality, yet it is critical to understand whether this prolonged longevity is accompanied by good health. This study tested whether higher optimism was associated with increased likelihood of healthy aging. ⋯ Higher optimism was associated with increased likelihood of healthy aging, suggesting that optimism, a potentially modifiable health asset, merits further research for its potential to improve health in aging.
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The opioid epidemic in the U.S. continues to increase in severity, and misuse of prescription opioids is of particular concern since it commonly precedes heroin use. This study examined whether sexual orientation (i.e., sexual identity and sexual attraction) is a risk factor for prescription opioid misuse and use disorder among a nationally representative sample of adults in the U.S. ⋯ Sexual orientation disparities in opioid misuse and use disorder among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults was found.