American journal of preventive medicine
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The Food and Drug Administration currently is assessing the public health impact of menthol cigarettes. Whether menthol cigarettes pose increased barriers to quitting is a critical issue because previous declines in smoking prevalence have stalled. ⋯ Smoking menthol cigarettes is associated with decreased cessation at the population level, and this association is more pronounced among black and Puerto Rican smokers. These findings support the recent calls to ban menthol flavoring in cigarettes.
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In an era of substantial reform to the nation's health system, there has never been a greater need for physicians to understand public health. One way to foster public health in medical education is to utilize the resources within General Preventive Medicine and Public Health (PM) residency programs. Trained in public health and clinical medicine, PM physicians are uniquely positioned to bridge these disciplines. ⋯ These results suggest that PM residency programs are an underutilized resource in fostering public health in medical education, especially on engagement at the level of graduate medical education. Strategies to improve engagement should consider the nine criteria outlined in this study, as well as common barriers.
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Evidence, mainly from cross-sectional studies, suggests that physical activity is a potentially important modifiable factor associated with physical performance and strength in older age. It is unclear whether the benefits of physical activity accumulate across life or whether there are sensitive periods when physical activity is more influential. ⋯ There are cumulative benefits of physical activity across adulthood on physical performance in midlife. Increased activity should be promoted early in adulthood to ensure the maintenance of physical performance in later life.
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This is one of six short papers that describe additional innovations to help integrate public health into medical education; these were featured in the "Patients and Populations: Public Health in Medical Education" conference. They represent relatively new endeavors or curricular components that had not been explored in prior publications. Although evaluation data are lacking, it was felt that sharing a description of the public health, prevention, population health, and policy (P4) curriculum at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix (UACOM-P), would be of value to medical educators.
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Faith-based organizations can be strategic partners in addressing the needs of low-income and underserved individuals and communities. The Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program (PH/PMR) collaborates with faith-based organizations for the purpose of resident education, community engagement, and service. These partners provide guidance for the program's community initiatives and health promotion activities designed to address health inequities. ⋯ The MSM PH/PMR Program has engaged in faith-based partnerships for 7 years. This article discusses the structure of these partnerships, how partners are identified, funding sources for supporting resident projects, and examples of resident health needs assessment and intervention activities. The MSM PH/PMR Program may serve as a model to other residency and fellowship programs that may have an interest in developing partnerships with faith-based organizations.