American journal of preventive medicine
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On March 13, 2020, the U.S. declared COVID-19 to be a national emergency. As communities adopted mitigation strategies, there were potential changes in the trends of injuries treated in emergency department. This study provides national estimates of injury-related emergency department visits in the U.S. before and during the pandemic. ⋯ These findings provide updates for clinical and public health practitioners on the changing profile of injury-related emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic is important to preventing future injuries.
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National Immunization Survey-Child data are used widely to assess childhood vaccination coverage in the U.S. This study compares National Immunization Survey-Child coverage estimates with estimates using other supplementary data sources. ⋯ For certain vaccines and populations of interest, the National Immunization Survey-Child, MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters, and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set data might give comparable coverage of privately insured children.
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Increased screen time is a ubiquitous part of adolescent life and is adversely associated with their well-being. However, it remains unclear whether different types of screen time have equivalent associations, or if relationships are dose-dependent. ⋯ Passive and mentally active screen time are adversely associated with psychosomatic complaints in a dose-dependent manner, with associations slightly stronger for active than passive screen time. This study supports limiting any type of screen time, either passive or active, to 2 hours/day to foster well-being.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, several studies collected small and relatively homogenous samples to track U.S. adult obesity rates and obesity-related risk factors. In this study, a much larger sample from a nationally representative survey was used to investigate changes in average BMI, obesity prevalence rates, and 4 obesity-related risk factors in the U.S. adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ During the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. adult obesity rates were higher and worsened the pre-existing epidemic of adult obesity in the U.S. Higher rates of alcohol consumption and lower smoking rates may have contributed to the higher rates of adult obesity in the U.S during the COVID-19 pandemic.