American journal of preventive medicine
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This study examines the correlates of screening for both breast and cervical cancer combined in a single indicator. Data used were from the 1990 National Health Interview Survey of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. We used two indices to characterize the receipt of breast and cervical cancer screening among women 50-75 years of age. ⋯ The data suggest that barriers to mammography screening remain even among women who are screened by CBE and Pap. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to educate primary care physicians and their patients to view different components of preventive health--CBE, Pap smear testing, breast self-examination, and mammographic screening--as equally necessary and interrelated. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): screening, mammography, cervical cancer, Pap, breast exam.
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Low-cost generic cigarettes grew dramatically in market share between 1990 and 1993, raising concerns that some smokers might view generics as an alternative to quitting. We report sociodemographic predictors of generic brand choice among a cross-sectional sample of California smokers and investigate changes in brand choice in a longitudinal sample of California smokers between 1990 and 1992. We also focus on brand preferences among California adolescents. ⋯ Generics were less popular among adolescents than among adults. Generic cigarettes provide a low-cost alternative to price-sensitive smokers, but further studies are needed to establish the role and influence of generic cigarettes on smoking prevalence and public health. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): smoking, smoking cessation, adolescent behavior, women, prevalence.
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To evaluate the effects of cigarette advertising on brand switching, an accurate estimate of the extent of cigarette brand and company switching among current smokers is needed. Data from the 1986 Adult Use-of-Tobacco Survey were analyzed to estimate the percentage of adult smokers who switched cigarette brands and companies in the previous year. ⋯ Based on this analysis, brand switching alone justifies only a small percentage of a cigarette company's advertising and promotion expenditures, suggesting that future research should address other potential effects of advertising, including maintenance of brand loyalty and expanding the cigarette market. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): addictive behavior, advertising, smoking, tobacco.
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Comparative Study
Overweight and obesity in native-American adolescents: comparing nonreservation youths with African-American and Caucasian peers.
Previous studies have consistently shown that, compared to national standards, Native Americans across all age groups are disproportionately overweight or obese. Although most available data on rates of obesity in this group come from studies conducted on reservations, the proportion of Native Americans residing on reservation lands is rapidly declining. This study examines the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a population of Midwestern adolescents in public school settings and contrasts Caucasian and African-American adolescents with Native-American youths of the same age. ⋯ Age-specific BMI means for Native-American and Caucasian girls fell largely below the NHANES II reference data. We present several explanations for these results. Given the study limitations, further objective study of the weight status of Native-American children and adolescents in direct comparison with other ethnic groups is recommended.