Support for cigarette filter waste policies among US adults

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056451
Author(s):  
Minal Patel ◽  
Alison F Cuccia ◽  
Shanell Folger ◽  
Adam F Benson ◽  
Donna Vallone ◽  
...  

IntroductionLittle is known on whether cigarette filter-related knowledge or beliefs are associated with support for policies to reduce their environmental impact.MethodsA cross-sectional, population-based sample of US adults aged 18–64 years (n=2979) was used to evaluate filter-related knowledge and beliefs by smoking status using data collected between 24 October 2018 and 17 December 2018. Multivariate logistic regression models explored whether these knowledge and belief items were associated with support for two policies, a US$0.75 litter fee and a ban on sales of filtered cigarettes, controlling for demographic characteristics and smoking status.ResultsRegardless of smoking status, 71% did not know plastic was a cigarette filter component and 20% believed filters were biodegradable. Overall, 23% believed filters reduce health harms and 60% believed filters make it easier to smoke; 90% believed cigarette butts are harmful to the environment. Individuals believing cigarette butts harmed the environment were more likely to support a litter fee (adjusted OR (aOR)=2.33, 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.17). Individuals believing that filters are not biodegradable had higher odds of supporting a litter fee (OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.88). Respondents believing that filters do not make cigarettes less harmful were more likely to support a litter fee (aOR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.88) and filter ban (aOR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.64 to 2.50). Belief that filters make it easier to smoke was associated with decreased support for a filter ban (aOR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.83).ConclusionsComprehensive efforts are needed to educate the public about the impact of cigarette filters in order to build support for effective tobacco product waste policy.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert O Barker ◽  
Barbara Hanratty ◽  
Andrew Kingston ◽  
Sheena Ramsay ◽  
Fiona E Matthews

Background Care home residents have complex care and support needs, as demonstrated by their vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a perception that the needs of residents have increased, but evidence is limited. We investigated changes in health and functioning of care home residents over two decades in England and Wales. Methods We conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis over a 24-year period (1992-2016), using data from three longitudinal studies, the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS) I and II and English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). To adjust for ageing of respondents over time results are presented for the 75-84 age group. Results Analysis of 2,280 observations from 1,745 care home residents demonstrated increases in severe disability (difficulty in at least two from washing, dressing and toileting). The prevalence of severe disability increased from 63% in 1992 to 87% in 2014 (subsequent fall in 2016 although wide confidence intervals). The prevalence of complex multimorbidity (problems in at least three out of six body systems) increased within studies over time, from 33% to 54% in CFAS I/II between 1992 and 2012, and 26% to 54% in ELSA between 2006 and 2016. Conclusion Over two decades, there has been an increase in disability and the complexity of health problems amongst care home residents in England and Wales. A rise in support needs for residents places increasing demands on care home staff and health professionals. This is an important concern for policymakers when considering the impact of COVID-19 infection in care homes.


Circulation ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanna M Ross ◽  
Jacob L Barber ◽  
Xuemei Sui ◽  
Steven N Blair ◽  
Mark A Sarzynski

Purpose: To examine the cross-sectional association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) in middle-aged adults. Methods: The association between CRF and ideal CVH score was examined in 11,590 adults (8,865 men, 2,725 women) from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. CRF was measured as duration in minutes from a maximal treadmill test. The AHA’s ideal CVH score was calculated on a 14 point scale using data on smoking status, BMI, physical activity (MET-min/wk), healthy diet, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose recorded between 1987 and 1999. Participants were grouped into categories of inadequate (0-4), average (5-9), and optimum (10-14) based on their CVH score. Three CRF groups were created from age- and sex-specific quintiles based on the previously established cutpoints of treadmill time: low, moderate, and high CRF. We used general linear and logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and year of examination to evaluate the association of CRF with ideal CVH score. Results: The mean CVH score for men was 8.4 ± 2.2 and 9.7 ± 2.0 for women. Approximately 33% of men and 57% of women had optimum CVH, while only a small proportion of participants had inadequate CVH (5.1% M, 1.4% F). Treadmill time was moderately correlated (p<0.0001) with CVH score in both men (r=0.56) and women (r=0.50). CRF explained 16% and sex 18% of the variance in CVH score (both p<0.0001). Our adjusted model found that participants in the optimum CVH category had 20% and 43% higher CRF levels than those in the average and inadequate CVH groups (p<0.0001), respectively ( Figure 1 ). The adjusted odds (95% CI) of having optimum CVH were 14.0 (11.0-17.8) and 3.1 (2.4-4.0) times greater for high CRF and moderate CRF, respectively, compared to low CRF (p<0.0001). Discussion: Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with better cardiovascular health profiles in both men and women. Thus, improving fitness represents a strategy to improve cardiovascular and public health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 543-551
Author(s):  
Goël Fenech ◽  
Alexandre Vallée ◽  
Michelle Cherfan ◽  
Sofiane Kab ◽  
Marcel Goldberg ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the hypertension (HTN) awareness and associated factors in France. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the CONSTANCES population-based cohort involving 87,808 volunteer participants included between 2012 and 2018. HTN was defined as average blood pressure (BP) over 140/90 or use of BP medication, awareness as self-reported HTN. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the associated factors. RESULTS Overall, 27,160 hypertensive participants (men = 16,569) above 18 years old were analyzed. Hypertension awareness rate was 37.5%. In the multivariable regression model, awareness was predicted by female gender, age, prior cardiovascular disease (CVD), presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), level of education, and obesity or overweight. Older participants (P &lt; 0.001), females (P &lt; 0.001), participants with comorbidities (P &lt; 0.001), were more likely to be aware when compared with younger participants, males and participants without comorbidities, respectively. The unawareness among participants without cardiometabolic factors (CMF, i.e., CVD, DM, CKD) was higher than participants with CMF (67% vs. 41%, respectively, P &lt; 0.001). Moreover, some differences appeared in both genders in the association between awareness of HTN and health and lifestyle factors. CONCLUSION Our findings show that HTN awareness is low. Particular attention should be given to young men without comorbidities as these characteristics were predictors of poor awareness. Immediate action is required to improve HTN awareness in France.


Author(s):  
Ana Santamaría ◽  
Carmen Gerald ◽  
Fermina Chamorro ◽  
Víctor Herrera ◽  
Haydee Flores ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We aimed to investigate the prevalence of violence against women (VAW) in Panama and its association with social determinants of health (SDH) and to estimate the femicide rates from 2014 to 2017. Methods Data were derived from three cross-sectional population-based studies. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between SDH and VAW, expressed as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Age-standardized femicide rates were estimated using data from the Public Ministry. Results Compared to the reference categories, women in the lowest quintile (Q) of income distribution (Q1: OR 4.0 [95% CI 1.4–11.7], Q2: OR 3.0 [95% CI 1.1–7.9]), divorced/separated women (OR 1.5 [95% CI 1.0–2.1]) and those in the age categories 25–33 y and 34–49 y (OR 1.9 [95% CI 1.2–3.1]) were more likely to have experienced violence in the past year. Indigenous ethnicity (OR 2.3 [95% CI 1.3–4.1]), age 15–19 y (OR 1.8 [95% CI 1.1–2.9]) and lowest education levels (very low: OR 4.7 [95% CI 1.4–15.5]; low: OR 4.5 [95% CI 1.4–14.6]) were associated with permissive attitudes towards violence. Indigenous (OR 2.7 [95% CI 1.3–6.1]), Afro-Panamanians (OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.3–7.6]) and education level (low: OR 2.5 [95% CI 1.2–4.9]; medium: OR 3.0 [95% CI 1.4–6.6]) were associated with physical/sexual intimate partner violence. Standardized adjusted femicide rates (×100 000) from 2015 to 2017 were 1.5, 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of prevention programmes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiki Watanabe ◽  
Tsukasa Yoshida ◽  
Takashi Nakagata ◽  
Naomi Sawada ◽  
Yosuke Yamada ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundPrevious epidemiological studies have demonstrated the prevalence and relationship of various factors associated with sarcopenia in older adults; however, few have examined the status of sarcopenia in middle-aged adults. In this study, we aimed to, 1) evaluate the validity of the finger-circle test, which is potentially a useful screening tool for sarcopenia, and 2) determine the prevalence and factors associated with sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults.MethodsWe conducted face-to-face surveys of 525 adults, who were aged 40–91 years and resided in Settsu City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan to evaluate the validity of finger-circle test. The finger-circle test evaluated calf circumference by referring to an illustration printed on the survey form. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) was plotted to evaluate the validity of the finger-circle test for screening sarcopenia and compared to that evaluated by skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) measured using bioimpedance. We also conducted multisite population-based cross-sectional anonymous mail surveys of 9337 adults, who were aged 40–97 years and resided in Settsu and Hannan Cities, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling by sex and age in the elementary school zones of their respective cities. We performed multiple logistic regression analysis to explore associations between characteristics and prevalence of sarcopenia.ResultsSarcopenia, defined by SMI, was moderately predicted by a finger-circle test response showing that the subject’s calf was smaller than their finger-circle (AUROC: 0.729, < 65 years; 0.653, ≥65 years); such subjects were considered to have sarcopenia. In mail surveys, prevalence of sarcopenia screened by finger-circle test was higher in older subjects (approximately 16%) than in middle-aged subjects (approximately 8–9%). In a multiple regression model, the factors associated with sarcopenia were age, body mass index, smoking status, self-reported health, and number of meals in all the participants.ConclusionsSarcopenia, screened by the finger-circle test, was present not only among older adults but also among middle-aged adults. These results may provide useful indications for developing public health programs, not only for the prevention, but especially for the management of sarcopenia.Trial registrationUMIN000036880, registered prospectively May 29, 2019, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000042027


BMC Urology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Yin Yow ◽  
John Jeh Lung Tiong ◽  
Chun-Wai Mai ◽  
Esther van der Werf ◽  
Zulkifli Md Zainuddin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Nocturia is widely prevalent condition with detrimental effects on quality of life and general health. In Malaysia, there is a lack of up-to-date prevalence study on nocturia. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of nocturia and awareness pertaining to nocturia among Malaysian adults. Methods A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted among Malaysian adults aged ≥ 18 years old. The data was collected by mixed mode self-administered questionnaire from May 2019 to September 2019. Nocturia was defined as one or more voids at night. Results There were a total of 4616 respondents with 74.5% of response rate. The overall prevalence of nocturia among Malaysian adults was found to be 57.3%. In multivariate analysis, respondents aged 31–40 (1.91 [1.52–2.40]) or > 60 years old (2.03 [1.48–2.71]), and those who presented with hypertension (2.84 [2.28–3.53]), diabetes mellitus (1.78 [1.42–2.25]), renal disease (3.58 [1.93–6.63]) or overactive bladder (1.61 [1.10–2.35]) were associated with higher prevalence of nocturia. A significantly lower disease prevalence (p < 0.05) was noted among those aged 41–50 (0.73 [0.59–0.91]), male (0.78 [0.69–0.88]) and Chinese (0.47 [0.30–0.74]) or Indian (0.34 [0.21–0.54]) ethnicities. A total of 37.3% of respondents with nocturia reported that they faced sleeping difficulty about half the time or more after waking up in the middle of night. Those who had ≥ 2 voids per night experienced significantly higher mean bother score than those who had 1 void per night (p < 0.001). Approximately half (56.7%) of all respondents were not aware that night time urination is a medical condition. Only 25.2% of respondents with nocturia had sought medical attention for their nocturia. Conclusions The prevalence of nocturia among Malaysian adults is high and strongly influenced by age, sex, race and comorbidities. However, the general awareness pertaining to nocturia being a health issue remains low among Malaysians. The findings also highlighted the impact of nocturia on sleep and the need for nocturia education to better address this disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Chen ◽  
Hongfu Ren ◽  
Na Wang ◽  
Yaqing Xiong ◽  
Fei Xu

Abstract Background To examine associations of socioeconomic position (SEP), separately indicated by education, monthly family average income (FAI) and occupation, with health literacy (HL) among adults in regional China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among urban and rural adults (aged 25–69 years) who were randomly selected, using the probability proportionate to size sampling approach, from Nanjing municipality of China during October and December of 2016. HL, the outcome variable, was assessed using the Chinese Resident Health Literacy Scale. SEP, our independent variable, was separately measured with educational attainment, monthly family average income and occupation. Logistic regression models were introduced to examine SEP-HL association with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Totally, 8698 participants completed the survey. The proportion of participants with unweighted and weighted adequate HL was 18.0% (95%CI = 17.2, 18.8%) and 19.9% (95%CI = 16.6, 23.6%), respectively, in this study. After adjustment for possible confounding factors, each SEP indicator was in significantly positive relation to both unweighted and weight HL level. Participants who obtained 13+ and 10–12 years educational attainment, respectively, had 2.41 (95%CI = 1.60, 3.64) and 1.68 (95%CI = 1.23, 2.29) times odds to record weighted adequate HL compared to their counterparts who were with 0–9 years education. Subjects within upper (OR = 1.92, 95%CI = 1.24, 2.98) and middle FAI tertile (OR = 1.59, 95%CI = 1.19, 2.13), respectively, were more likely to report weighted adequate HL relative to those who were within lower FAI tertile. White collars were more likely to have weighted adequate HL (OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.09, 1.61) than blue collars. Conclusions Each of education, FAI and occupation was positively associated with health literacy among urban and rural adults in China. The findings have important implications that different SEP indicators can be used to identify vulnerable residents in population-based health literacy promotion campaigns.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (06) ◽  
pp. 653-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sindhu Srinivas ◽  
Katy Kozhimannil ◽  
Peiyin Hung ◽  
Laura Attanasio ◽  
Judy Jou ◽  
...  

Background A recent document by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine introduced the concept of uniform levels of maternal care (LMCs). Objective We assessed LMC across hospitals and measured their association with maternal morbidity, focusing on women with high-risk conditions. Study Design We collected data from hospitals from May to November 2015 and linked survey responses to Statewide Inpatient Databases (SID) hospital discharge data in a retrospective cross-sectional study of 247,383 births admitted to 236 hospitals. Generalized logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between hospitals' LMC and the risk of severe maternal morbidity. Stratified analyses were conducted among women with high-risk conditions. Results High-risk pregnancies were more likely to be managed in hospitals with higher LMC (p < 0.001). Women with cardiac conditions had lower odds of maternal morbidity when delivered in level I compared with level IV units (adjusted odds ratio: 0.29; 95% confidence interval: 0.08–0.99; p = 0.049). There were no other significant associations between the LMC and severe maternal morbidity. Conclusion A higher proportion of high-risk pregnancies were managed within level IV units, although there was no overall evidence that these births had superior outcomes. Further prospective evaluation of LMC designation with patient outcomes is necessary to determine the impact of regionalization on maternal outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (28_suppl) ◽  
pp. 304-304
Author(s):  
Lawson Eng ◽  
Rinku Sutradhar ◽  
Yue Niu ◽  
Ning Liu ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
...  

304 Background: ICIs are becoming a common therapeutic option for many solid tumors. Prior studies have shown that ATB exposure can negatively impact ICI outcomes through gut microbiome changes leading to poorer overall survival; however, less is known about the potential impact of ATB exposure on toxicities from ICI. We undertook a population-based retrospective cohort study in patients receiving ICIs to evaluate the impact of ATB exposure on early acute care use, defined as emergency department visit or hospitalization, within 30 days of initiation of ICI therapy. Methods: Administrative data was utilized to identify a cohort of cancer patients > 65 years of age receiving ICIs from June 2012 to October 2018 in Ontario, Canada. We linked databases deterministically to obtain socio-demographic and clinical co-variates, ATB prescription claims and acute care utilization. Patients were censored if they died within 30 days of initiating ICI therapy. The impact of ATB exposure within 60 days prior to starting ICI on early acute care use was evaluated using multi-variable logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, rurality, recent hospitalization within 60 days prior to starting ICI and comorbidity score. Results: Among 2737 patients (median age 73 years), 43% received Nivolumab, 41% Pembrolizumab and 13% Ipilimumab, most commonly for lung cancer (53%) or melanoma (34%). Of these patients, 19% had ATB within 60 days prior to ICI with a median ATB treatment duration of 9 days (SD = 13). 647 (25%) patients had an acute care episode within 30 days of starting ICIs; 182 (7%) patients passed away within 30 days without acute care use and were censored from further analyses. Any ATB exposure within 60 days prior to ICI was associated with greater likelihood of acute care use (aOR = 1.34 95% CI [1.07-1.67] p = 0.01). A dose effect was seen based on weeks of ATB exposure within 60 days prior to ICI (aOR = 1.12 per week [1.04-1.21] p = 0.004) and early acute care use. ATB class analysis identified that exposure to penicillins (aOR = 1.54 [1.11-2.15] p = 0.01) and fluoroquinolones (aOR = 1.55 [1.11-2.17] p = 0.01) within 60 days of starting ICIs were associated with a greater likelihood of acute care use, while there was no significant association between cephalosporin exposure and early acute care use (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Exposure to ATBs, specifically fluoroquinolones and penicillins, prior to ICI therapy is associated with greater likelihood of hospitalization or emergency room visits within 30 days after initiation of ICIs, even after adjustment for relevant co-variates including age, comorbidity score and recent hospitalization prior to ICI initiation. Further studies are required to better understand the mechanisms of recent ATB exposure on early acute care use among patients receiving ICIs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (suppl 2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Sérgio Dourado Arrais ◽  
Maria Eneida Porto Fernandes ◽  
Tatiane da Silva Dal Pizzol ◽  
Luiz Roberto Ramos ◽  
Sotero Serrate Mengue ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence and associated factors regarding the use of medicines by self-medication in Brazil. METHODS This cross-sectional population-based study was conducted using data from the PNAUM (National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), collected between September 2013 and February 2014 by interviews at the homes of the respondents. All people who reported using any medicines not prescribed by a doctor or dentist were classified as self-medication practitioners. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (Poisson regression) and their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated in order to investigate the factors associated with the use of self-medication by medicines. The independent variables were: sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions and access to and use of health services. In addition, the most commonly consumed medicines by self-medication were individually identified. RESULTS The self-medication prevalence in Brazil was 16.1% (95%CI 15.0–17.5), with it being highest in the Northeast region (23.8%; 95%CI 21.6–26.2). Following the adjusted analysis, self-medication was observed to be associated with females, inhabitants from the North, Northeast and Midwest regions and individuals that have had one, or two or more chronic diseases. Analgesics and muscle relaxants were the therapeutic groups most used for self-medication, with dipyrone being the most consumed medicines. In general, most of the medicines used for self-medication were classified as non-prescriptive (65.5%). CONCLUSIONS Self-medication is common practice in Brazil and mainly involves the use of non-prescription medicines; therefore, the users of such should be made aware of the possible risks.


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