American journal of preventive medicine
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Reducing violence is a critical health and economic priority. In Minnesota, as in other parts of the United States, violence is increasingly viewed as a public health problem. Helping people work together to prevent violence is one way that managed care organizations are collaborating with public health to improve the health of communities. ⋯ Outcomes of the initiative included: participation by over 1,000 Minnesotans in 12 community violence prevention forums; a widely distributed action plan; Students Stop Guns, a school-based intervention to keep Minnesota schools gun-free; the Governor's Task Force on Violence as a Public Health Problem, which led to a commitment of resources to prevent violence and respond to the victims and consequences of violence, and the Health Care Coalition on Violence, to institutionalize strategies within the Minnesota health care environment. The project's qualitative evaluation resulted in lessons and advice on how to execute a collaborative health improvement initiative. These lessons have been widely shared with Minnesota community health advocates.
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Cultural, linguistic, and economic barriers place many Asian Americans in jeopardy of missing opportunities for disease prevention, early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and participation in clinical trials. One way to learn how to address these barriers is through the development of a demonstration health education and prevention program focused on an indicator disease such as cancer. ⋯ Reaching this population with the help of ethnically and linguistically compatible students was effective, but the barriers they faced when trying to connect with their potential audience were still considerable. Rigorous evaluation of the strategies used in this intervention is warranted.
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Intervention studies to reduce cigarette sales to minors have been conducted primarily in suburban settings. Little is known about sociocultural factors influencing cigarette sales to minors in urban settings. This study sought to determine sociodemographic and cultural factors that may play a role in cigarette sales and in efforts to reduce sales to minors in urban areas. ⋯ Youth-oriented cigarette advertising is a prevalent environmental risk for urban youth. Differences between Asian and African-American merchants suggest socioethnic factors may be an influential component of illegal sales and educational campaigns to reduce smoking among minors.
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Mammography screening reduces mortality by 25% to 30% in women aged 50 to 69. Because mammography screening is often used less frequently than the recommended guidelines, many descriptive and intervention studies are underway to increase use of this important screening tool. Assessment of intervention effect is dependent on valid measurement of mammography use. Although several studies have shown a close correspondence between self-report and medical records, most had few minority participants. ⋯ Self-report alone may not provide accurate rates of mammography compliance. Further research is necessary with ethnic and low-income women.
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Access to firearms and other weapons has been cited as an important factor contributing to the rise in violence-related injury among adolescents in the United States. ⋯ Among adolescents, weapon-carrying is associated with increased involvement in physical fighting and a greater likelihood of injury among those who do fight. Efforts to reduce fight-related injuries among youth should stress avoidance of weapon-carrying.