American journal of preventive medicine
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Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption through taxation is a promising public health response to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. This study quantifies the expected health and economic benefits of a national sugar-sweetened beverage excise tax of $0.01/ounce over 10 years. ⋯ The proposed tax could substantially reduce BMI and healthcare expenditures and increase healthy life expectancy. Concerns regarding the potentially regressive tax may be addressed by reduced obesity disparities and progressive earmarking of tax revenue for health promotion.
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The effect of obesity on mortality in people with metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors, but without pre-existing diabetes; hypertension; or cardiovascular disease (CVD), is uncertain. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of obesity and MetS risk factors on CVD and all-cause mortality in an Asian cohort. ⋯ Comorbid diabetes, hypertension, or CVD explain much of the increased risk of CVD mortality in obese individuals.
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Rates of non-access to needed medical services are elevated among uninsured and sociodemographic subpopulations. Clinical depression is associated with comorbid medical illness and reduced treatment adherence. The purpose of this study was to examine whether prior depression predicts missed needed medical care independent of health insurance status and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. ⋯ Prior depression corresponded to greater probability of missed needed medical care report in the previous year, independent of health insurance status, employment, income, and demographics.
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Underinsurance is a barrier to vaccination among children. Information on vaccination among adults aged ≥18 years by insurance status is limited. This study assesses vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥18 years in the U.S. in 2012 by health insurance status and access to care characteristics. ⋯ Overall, vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥18 years is lower among uninsured populations. Implementation of effective strategies is needed to help improve vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥18 years, especially those without health insurance.
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Smoking cessation is the most effective therapeutic intervention for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, the proportion of smokers with COPD who have received physician advice to quit smoking is unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of receipt of smoking-cessation advice among adults with COPD and explore factors predicting advice receipt. ⋯ Having no usual source of care and no health insurance are major barriers to receiving smoking-cessation advice among patients with COPD. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has the potential to increase advice receipt in this high-risk population by expanding health insurance coverage and increasing the number of people with a usual source of care.