Scoping Review and Meta-Analysis Suggests that Cannabis Use May Reduce Cancer Risk in the United States

BackgroundCannabis use and cannabis regulatory policies recently re-surfaced as noteworthy global research and social media topics, including claims that Mexicans have been sending cannabis and other drug supplies through a porous border into the United States. These circumstances prompted us to conduct an epidemiological test of whether the states bordering Mexico had exceptionally large cannabis incidence rates for 2002–2011. The resulting range of cannabis incidence rates disclosed here can serve as 2002–2011 benchmark values against which estimates from later years can be compared.MethodsThe population under study is 12-to-24-year-old non-institutionalized civilian community residents of the US, sampled and assessed with confidential audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI) during National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, 2002–2011 (aggregaten ∼ 420,000) for which public use datasets were available. We estimated state-specific cannabis incidence rates based on independent replication sample surveys across these years, and derived meta-analysis estimates for 10 pre-specified regions, including the Mexico border region.ResultsFrom meta-analysis, the estimated annual incidence rate for cannabis use in the Mexico Border Region is 5% (95% CI [4%–7%]), which is not an exceptional value relative to the overall US estimate of 6% (95% CI [5%–6%]). Geographically quite distant from Mexico and from states of the western US with liberalized cannabis policies, the North Atlantic Region population has the numerically largest incidence estimate at 7% (95% CI [6%–8%]), while the Gulf of Mexico Border Region population has the lowest incidence rate at 5% (95% CI [4%–6%]). Within the set of state-specific estimates, Vermont’s and Utah’s populations have the largest and smallest incidence rates, respectively (VT: 9%; 95% CI [8%–10%]; UT: 3%; 95% CI [3%–4%]).DiscussionBased on this study’s estimates, among 12-to-24-year-old US community residents, an estimated 6% start to use cannabis each year (roughly one in 16). Relatively minor variation in region-wise and state-level estimates is seen, although Vermont and Utah might be exceptional. As of 2011, proximity to Mexico, to Canada, and to the western states with liberalized policies apparently has induced little variation in cannabis incidence rates. Our primary intent was to create a set of benchmark estimates for state-specific and region-specific population incidence rates for cannabis use, using meta-analysis based on independent US survey replications. Public health officials and policy analysts now can use these benchmark estimates from 2002–2011 for planning, and in comparisons with newer estimates.

Download Full-text

Faculty Opinions recommendation of The treatment cascade for chronic hepatitis C virus infection in the United States: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718478490.793497065 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Philip Rosenthal

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Chronic Hepatitis ◽

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Hepatitis C Virus Infection ◽

Treatment Cascade ◽

Chronic Hepatitis C Virus

Download Full-text

The LAIs Are Coming! Implementation Science Considerations for Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy in the United States: A Scoping Review

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses ◽

10.1089/aid.2020.0126 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

John T. Kanazawa ◽

Parya Saberi ◽

John A. Sauceda ◽

Karine Dubé

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Antiretroviral Therapy ◽

Implementation Science ◽

Scoping Review ◽

The United States ◽

Long Acting

Download Full-text

The History of Adversity and Collective Strength of Individuals of Mexican Ancestry in the United States: A Scoping Literature Review and Emerging Conceptual Framework

Genealogy ◽

10.3390/genealogy5020032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 32

Author(s):

Araceli Orozco-Figueroa

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Historical Trauma ◽

The United States ◽

People Of Color ◽

Trauma Narratives ◽

Treatment And Prevention ◽

Scoping Literature Review ◽

History Of ◽

Baseline Knowledge

Recently, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) have encountered an escalation in adverse social conditions and trauma events in the United States. For individuals of Mexican ancestry in the United States (IMA-US), these recent events represent the latest chapter in their history of adversity: a history that can help us understand their social and health disparities. This paper utilized a scoping review to provide a historical and interdisciplinary perspective on discussions of mental health and substance use disorders relevant to IMA-US. The scoping review process yielded 16 peer reviewed sources from various disciplines, published from 1998 through 2018. Major themes included historically traumatic events, inter-generational responses to historical trauma, and vehicles of transmission of trauma narratives. Recommendations for healing from historical and contemporary oppression are discussed. This review expands the clinical baseline knowledge relevant to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of contemporary traumatic exposures for IMA-US.

Download Full-text

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Care Continuum, Barriers, and Facilitators among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AIDS and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10461-020-03156-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Savanah Russ ◽

Chen Zhang ◽

Yu Liu

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Black Men ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Exposure Prophylaxis

Download Full-text

A scoping review of female drowning: an underexplored issue in five high-income countries

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10920-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kym Roberts ◽

Ogilvie Thom ◽

Susan Devine ◽

Peter A. Leggat ◽

Amy E. Peden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Risk Factors ◽

United Kingdom ◽

New Zealand ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Scoping Review ◽

The United States ◽

Clinical Treatment ◽

High Income ◽

Public Health Issue

Abstract Background Drowning is a significant public health issue, with females accounting for one third of global drowning deaths. The rate of female drowning has not decreased within high-income countries and presentations to hospital have increased. This scoping review aimed to explore adult female unintentional drowning, including risk factors, clinical treatment and outcomes of females hospitalised for drowning. Methods A systematic search of the literature following the PRISMA-ScR framework was undertaken. The databases OVID MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, OVID Emcare, Web of Science, Informit and Scopus were accessed. Study locations of focus were Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Studies from January 2003 to April 2019 were included. The quality of evidence of included studies was assessed using GRADE guidelines. Results The final search results included 14 studies from Australia (n = 4), Canada (n = 1), New Zealand (n = 1), United States (n = 6), United Kingdom (n = 1), and one study reporting data from both Australia and United States. Nine studies reported risk factors for female drowning including age, with the proportion of female drowning incidence increasing with age. Although females are now engaging in risk-taking behaviours associated with drowning that are similar to males, such as consuming alcohol and swimming in unsafe locations, their exposure to risky situations and ways they assess risk, differ. Females are more likely to drown from accidental entry into water, such as in a vehicle during a flood or fall into water. This review found no evidence on the clinical treatment provided to females in hospital after a drowning incident, and only a small number of studies reported the clinical outcomes of females, with inconsistent results (some studies reported better and some no difference in clinical outcomes among females). Conclusion Adult females are a group vulnerable to drowning, that have lacked attention. There was no single study found which focused solely on female drowning. There is a need for further research to explore female risk factors, the clinical treatment and outcomes of females hospitalised for drowning. This will not only save the lives of females, but also contribute to an overall reduction in drowning.

Download Full-text