American journal of preventive medicine
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Public health is moving toward the goal of implementing evidence-based interventions. To accomplish this, there is a need to select, adapt, and evaluate intervention studies. ⋯ This article describes the diverse types of feasibility studies conducted in the field of cancer prevention, using a group of recently funded grants from the National Cancer Institute. The grants were submitted in response to a request for applications proposing research to identify feasible interventions for increasing the utilization of the Cancer Information Service among underserved populations.
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Young adults have the highest smoking rate of any age group in the U.S., and new strategies to decrease young adult smoking are needed. The objective of the current study was to identify psychographic and demographic factors associated with current smoking and quitting behaviors among young adults. ⋯ Young adults are vulnerable to tobacco-industry advertising. Media campaigns that denormalize the tobacco industry and appeal to young adults appear to be a powerful intervention to decrease young adult smoking.
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Portion-size estimation is an important component of weight management. Literacy and numeracy skills may be important for accurate portion-size estimation. It was hypothesized that low literacy and numeracy would be associated with decreased accuracy in portion estimation. ⋯ In this study, many participants had poor portion-size estimation skills. Lower literacy skills were associated with less accuracy when participants were asked to serve a single serving. Opportunities may exist to improve portion-size estimation by addressing literacy.
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Comparative Study
Measuring food availability and access in African-American communities: implications for intervention and policy.
Obesity is a major public health concern in the U. S. As compared to whites, minority populations are disproportionately at risk, with the highest prevalence rates of overweight and obesity occurring among African American women. ⋯ A major challenge has been the need for reliable and valid measures to assess aspects of the neighborhood food environment that encourage or inhibit healthful eating behaviors and weight management. Investigators have made considerable gains in the development of tools and approaches to measure neighborhood food environments overall, but few studies focus on the specific challenges and issues associated with characterizing neighborhood food environments in communities of color. This paper highlights important considerations for measuring food environments in African-American neighborhoods and their implications for developing programmatic and policy solutions to reduce racial disparities in overweight.
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Comparative Study
Fatal all-terrain vehicle crashes: injury types and alcohol use.
Since the 1990s, West Virginia has led the U.S. in the per-capita death rate from all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes, with rates eight times the national average and continually increasing. A comprehensive assessment was conducted of ATV fatalities to provide critical guidance for community interventions and public health policy to prevent further deaths. ⋯ Fatal crash and injury types differ significantly depending on the location of ATV use, although alcohol and drug abuse are frequent risk factors in all types of ATV crashes. In addition to promoting helmet use, interventions are needed to address alcohol use among ATV users.