American journal of preventive medicine
-
To counter the high prevalence of flavored tobacco use among youth, many U.S. localities have passed policies that restrict youth access to these products. This study aims to evaluate the short-term impact of a flavored tobacco restriction policy on youth access to, and use of, flavored tobacco products in a Massachusetts community. ⋯ Policies that restrict the sale of flavored tobacco have the potential to curb youth tobacco use in as few as 6 months.
-
Obesity affects 15.7% of U.S. preschoolers, with higher rates among low-income and Spanish-speaking populations. Food, physical activity, and sleep parenting practices, referred to collectively as obesity-related parenting practices, are linked with children's risk of obesity and are a common target in family-based obesity interventions. Yet, there is no brief, validated measure of obesity-related parenting practices that is appropriate for use in intervention studies and for diverse audiences. This study tests the factorial validity of a brief measure of obesity-related parenting and measurement invariance of the English and Spanish versions of the scale, as well as among mothers and fathers. ⋯ This brief obesity-parenting scale demonstrates adequate factorial validity in English and Spanish and among mothers and fathers. This measure has been integrated into an intervention, and future work will test sensitivity to change.
-
Poor diet and inadequate physical activity are common contributors to preventable death in the U.S. This paper provides a summary of the NIH-sponsored research on disease prevention that underlies public health and clinical recommendations to improve diet and physical activity. ⋯ Opportunities exist for more engagement by NIH and scientific investigators in diet- and physical activity-focused prevention research, particularly around assessment and known research gaps.
-
During the past 2 decades, gun owners have become more likely to store household firearms loaded and unlocked, and believe that guns make homes safer rather than more dangerous. ⋯ Gun owners who are most likely to assert categorically that firearms in the home make homes safer are, as a group, far more likely to store guns in their home loaded and unlocked.
-
Sports and physical activities are a frequent cause of traumatic brain injury, primarily concussions, among adolescents. These concussions may adversely affect students' ability to learn and impair academic achievement in educational settings. ⋯ School-based programs are needed to monitor students' academic performance and provide educational support and resources to promote academic success following a concussion.