scholarly journals Tobacco Use Among College Students Across Various Disciplines in Kerala, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 1179173X2093877
Author(s):  
Priya G Menon ◽  
Sanju George ◽  
B Sivasankaran Nair ◽  
Anjana Rani ◽  
K Thennarasu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Young People ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Lifetime Prevalence ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis

Background: Tobacco use is a major public health concern in India. Its use in young people is linked to increased severity, longer duration, and reduced efforts to seek treatment for tobacco use. A significant proportion of young people are enrolled in colleges, and early prevention during this period has better effectiveness. There is preliminary evidence that prevalence may vary across courses even among students of the same sociocultural background. Hence, we compared the prevalence and correlates of tobacco use among college students enrolled in five common streams of collegiate education (medical, nursing, engineering, arts/science and others, law/fisheries) in Kerala, India. Methods: 5784 college students from 58 colleges (medical, nursing, engineering, arts, and law and fisheries) selected by cluster random sampling in the district of Ernakulum, Kerala, completed a self-administered questionnaire incorporating standardized instruments. R software was used for analyses. Lifetime prevalence and severity of tobacco use were determined. Sociodemographic variables of tobacco users and nonusers enrolled in various courses were compared using chi-square test and two-way ANOVA. Furthermore, for each course, factors influencing tobacco use were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The mean age of the sample was 19.5 ± 1.9 years, with the majority being female (65.3%). Lifetime prevalence of tobacco use varied from 0.5% in nursing students, 4.2% in medical students, 8.2% in students of arts and science, 12.5% in engineering students, and 22.8% among other students (law/fisheries). Approximately two-thirds of all tobacco users across courses showed signs of nicotine dependence. Dependent users also showed variance with none in nursing, 2.6% among medicine, 1.6% among arts and science, 1.9% among engineering, and 6.3% among others. Male gender and alcohol use were consistently associated with tobacco use across courses, whereas other examined psychosocial correlates showed variance. Conclusions: To conclude, it appears that among college students, course-level characteristics may influence risk of tobacco use. This has public health importance as it suggests that interventions need to be tailored bearing this in mind. Future research needs to examine campus-level characteristics that may explain variance.

scholarly journals Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Feasibility of Digital Health Interventions for LGBTIQ+ Young People: Systematic Review

10.2196/20158 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. e20158
Author(s):  
Dylan Gilbey ◽  
Helen Morgan ◽  
Ashleigh Lin ◽  
Yael Perry
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Sufficient Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Targeted Interventions

Background Young people (aged 12-25 years) with diverse sexuality, gender, or bodily characteristics, such as those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or queer (LGBTIQ+), are at substantially greater risk of a range of mental, physical, and sexual health difficulties compared with their peers. Digital health interventions have been identified as a potential way to reduce these health disparities. Objective This review aims to summarize the characteristics of existing evidence-based digital health interventions for LGBTIQ+ young people and to describe the evidence for their effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted using internet databases and gray literature sources, and the results were screened for inclusion. The included studies were synthesized qualitatively. Results The search identified 38 studies of 24 unique interventions seeking to address mental, physical, or sexual health–related concerns in LGBTIQ+ young people. Substantially more evidence-based interventions existed for gay and bisexual men than for any other population group, and there were more interventions related to risk reduction of sexually transmitted infections than to any other health concern. There was some evidence for the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of these interventions overall; however, the quality of evidence is often lacking. Conclusions There is sufficient evidence to suggest that targeted digital health interventions are an important focus for future research aimed at addressing health difficulties in LGBTIQ+ young people. Additional digital health interventions are needed for a wider range of health difficulties, particularly in terms of mental and physical health concerns, as well as more targeted interventions for same gender–attracted women, trans and gender-diverse people, and people with intersex variations. Trial Registration PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020128164; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=128164

Barriers to Help Seeking among Victims of Elder Abuse: A Scoping Review and Implications for Public Health Policy in Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Jessica K. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Canadian Context ◽  
Effective Assessment

Abstract Elder abuse is a serious public health concern requiring immediate intervention; however, the under-reporting of elder abuse by victims to formal and informal networks remains a major obstacle. This scoping review aims to identify barriers to help seeking that older adults experiencing abuse confront. The goal is to inform public policies and practices in the Canadian context and identify research gaps in the extant literature. Seven scholarly databases were searched from which 12 articles met the inclusion criteria and were extracted for analysis. The findings from this scoping review revealed three levels at which barriers exist: individual focused, abuser/family focused, and community/culture focused barriers. The results suggest that there are several complex obstacles that older adults face when contemplating disclosure of abuse. Future research into help seeking in the Canadian context should more readily incorporate the voices of elder abuse victim-survivors to develop effective assessment strategies and responsive service provisions.

scholarly journals Physical activity and health in Chinese children and adolescents: expert consensus statement (2020)

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (22) ◽  
pp. 1321-1331
Author(s):  
Peijie Chen ◽  
Dengfeng Wang ◽  
Hongbing Shen ◽  
Lijuan Yu ◽  
Qian Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Consensus Statement ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Chinese Children ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Activity Promotion ◽  
Chinese Children And Adolescents

China is experiencing significant public health challenges related to social and demographic transitions and lifestyle transformations following unprecedented economic reforms four decades ago. Of particular public health concern is the fourfold increase in overweight and obesity rates in the nation’s youth population, coupled with the low prevalence of adolescents meeting recommended levels of physical activity. Improving the overall health of China’s more than 170 million children and adolescents has become a national priority. However, advancing nationwide health initiatives and physical activity promotion in this population has been hampered by the lack of a population-specific and culturally relevant consensus on recommendations for achieving these ends. To address this deficiency and inform policies to achieve Healthy China 2030 goals, a panel of Chinese experts, complemented by international professionals, developed this consensus statement. The consensus was achieved through an iterative process that began with a literature search from electronic databases; in-depth reviews, conducted by a steering committee, of the resulting articles; and panel group evaluations and discussions in the form of email correspondence, conference calls and written communications. Ultimately, the panel agreed on 10 major themes with strong scientific evidence that, in children and adolescents aged 6–17, participating in moderate to vigorous physical activities led to multiple positive health outcomes. Our consensus statement also (1) highlights major challenges in promoting physical activity, (2) identifies future research that addresses current knowledge gaps, and (3) provides recommendations for teachers, education experts, parents and policymakers for promoting physical activity among Chinese school-aged children and adolescents. This consensus statement aligns with international efforts to develop global physical activity guidelines to promote physical activity and health and prevent lifestyle-related diseases in children and adolescents. More importantly, it provides a foundation for developing culturally appropriate and effective physical activity interventions, health promotion strategies and policy initiatives to improve the health of Chinese children and adolescents.

Addictions: Tobacco

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansoo Yu ◽  
Rachel Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
The United States ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Tobacco Prevention ◽  
United States Intervention

Tobacco use is a major public-health concern in the United States. Intervention and prevention strategies for tobacco use are an urgent public-health priority because tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death. To help social workers better understand tobacco use problems, this entry presents an overview, including definitions of terms, the scope and impact of tobacco use problems in terms of different segments of the population (that is, age, gender, race or ethnicity, geographic location, and education level or socioeconomic status), etiology of tobacco use (for example, biological or genetic; psychiatric; psychosocial; or environmental or sociocultural factors), policy history, tobacco prevention, clinical issues (such as cessation desire, treatment and success, or screening tools for tobacco use disorder and tobacco withdrawal), and practice interventions for tobacco use problems. Based on the information, the roles of social workers will be addressed.

LGBTQ+ College Students’ Engagement in COVID-Protective and COVID-Risk Behaviors

2021 ◽  
pp. 216769682110393
Author(s):  
S. E. Lawrence ◽  
T. L. Walters ◽  
A. N. Clark ◽  
Y. Zhang ◽  
V. Hanna-Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Political Liberalism ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Protective Behaviors ◽  
Liberal State ◽  
At Home

Characteristics of emerging adulthood may make college students less likely to engage in COVID-protective behaviors, a public health concern given that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) students may be particularly vulnerable to complications related to COVID-19. To identify individual and contextual factors related to COVID-protective behaviors among a sample of LGBTQ+ college students in the United States, we examined differences in COVID-protective and -risk behaviors by gender identity, living arrangement, statewide stay at home orders, and political liberalism of the student’s current state. Although engagement in COVID-protective behaviors was high overall, students who identified as men, did not live with a parent, lived in a state without a stay at home order, and/or lived in a less liberal state engaged in fewer COVID-protective behaviors and more frequent COVID-risk behaviors. Findings underscore the importance of clear public health messaging around COVID-protective behaviors that targets especially vulnerable college students.

scholarly journals The role movies play in alcohol consumption by youths

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susannah R. Stern
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Real People ◽  
The Media

Alcohol use and misuse among young people continue to be a major public health concern, despite decades of initiatives aimed at educating young people about the hazards of alcohol. Yet where do young people learn about alcohol use? How do they form attitudes about the effects and risks of drinking? Increasing evidence suggests that young people learn not only from real people (e.g. peers and parents) in their everyday lives but also from characters whose lives they witness through the media. In fact, the mass media have been recognised as significant sources of information about substance use that can influence young people's beliefs and expectations (Bahk, 2001; Sargent et al, 2002).

scholarly journals Exploring the relationship between pain and self-harm thoughts and behaviours in young people using network analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Verena Hinze ◽  
Tamsin Ford ◽  
Robin Evans ◽  
Bergljot Gjelsvik ◽  
Catherine Crane
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Young People ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Family Dysfunction ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Parental Distress ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Self-harm thoughts and behaviours (SHTBs) are a serious public health concern in young people. Emerging research suggests that pain may be an important correlate of SHTBs in young people. However, it remains unclear whether this association is driven by the shared association with other correlates of SHTBs. This study used network analysis to delineate the relationship between SHTBs, pain and other correlates of SHTBs in a population-based sample of young people. Methods We performed secondary analyses, using data from 7977 young people aged 5–16 years who participated in the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey in 2004. We used χ2 tests and network analysis to examine the complex interplay between SHTBs, pain and other correlates of SHTBs, including psychiatric disorders, childhood trauma, stressful life events, parental distress, family dysfunction, peer problems and inhibitory control deficits. Results Pain was associated with a doubled risk of SHTBs, and likewise, SHTBs were associated with a doubled risk of pain. Furthermore, network analysis showed that although pain was significantly associated with all measured correlates of SHTBs, except family dysfunction, pain was most strongly associated with SHTBs, after accounting for these measured correlates. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to utilise network analysis to provide novel insights into the complex relationship between SHTBs, pain and other known correlates of SHTBs in young people. Results suggest that pain is an independent correlate of SHTBs. Future research should aim to identify underlying mechanisms.

scholarly journals Assessing the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among College Students: An Evidence of 15 Countries

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Kavita Batra ◽  
Manoj Sharma ◽  
Ravi Batra ◽  
Tejinder Pal Singh ◽  
Nena Schvaneveldt
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
P Value ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Burden

Mental health issues among college students is a leading public health concern, which seems to have been exacerbating during the COVID-19 pandemic. While previous estimates related to psychological burden among college students are available, quantitative synthesis of available data still needs to be performed. Therefore, this meta-analysis endeavors to present collective evidence discussing the psychological impact of COVID-19 among college students. Bibliographical library databases, including Embase, Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, and PsycINFO, were systematically searched for relevant studies. Titles, abstracts, and full articles were screened, and two reviewers extracted data. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistic. The random-effects model was utilized to obtain the pooled estimates of psychological indicators among college students. Location, gender, level of severity, and quality scores were used as moderator variables for subgroup analyses. Funnel plot and Egger linear regression test was used to assess publication bias. Twenty-seven studies constituting 90,879 college students met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated 39.4% anxiety (95% CI: 28.6, 51.3; I2 = 99.8%; p-value < 0.0001) and 31.2% depression (95% CI: 19.7, 45.6; I2= 99.8%, p < 0.0001) among college students. The pooled prevalence of stress (26.0%), post-traumatic stress disorder (29.8%), and impaired sleep quality (50.5%) were also reported. College students bear a disproportionate burden of mental health problems worldwide, with females having higher anxiety and depression levels than males. This study‘’s findings underscore the need to develop appropriate public health interventions to address college students’ emotional and psychosocial needs. The policies should be reflective of demographic and socioeconomic differentials.

scholarly journals HIV/AIDS Among Female Prison Inmates

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cortney A. Franklin ◽  
Noelle E. Fearn ◽  
Travis W. Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Female Inmates ◽  
High Risk Behaviors ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Hiv Aids

Research points to the importance of adequate health care in women’s prisons. This is especially important as female inmates are faced with a host of unique and distinct needs, in particular, an increased risk of HIV/AIDS infection. This risk presents a significant public health concern as the majority of female offenders receive limited screening, treatment, education, and counseling related to HIV/AIDS infection and transmission while in prison. Additionally, when these women return to their communities, they are generally ill-equipped to prevent the transmission of their disease. Further, their heath concerns become the responsibility of an already overburdened public health system. Effective medical care in prison alleviates inmates’ growing medical needs and protects the public from the transmission of HIV/AIDS. This study identifies the current state of HIV/AIDS among female inmates in correctional institutions nation wide. We argue that mandatory AIDS screening for all inmates and gender-specific educational programming will lower the rate of transmission and the prevalence of high-risk behaviors, thus reducing pre- and post-release health threats. Future research directions and policy implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Youth unemployment and mental health: Prevalence and associated factors of depression among unemployed young adults in Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirbaye Mokona ◽  
Kalkidan Yohannes ◽  
Getinet Ayano
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Young People ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract Background: The high rate of unemployment among young adults in Ethiopia (aged 18 to 30 years) is a public health concern. The risk of mental health problems like depression is higher among the unemployed than among the employed. However, there is no study conducted on the prevalence and associated factors of depression among unemployed young adults in Ethiopia. Hence, this study is aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depression among unemployed young adults in Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia.Methods: Community based cross sectional study design was employed among 1452 unemployed young adults in Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia from May to July, 2019. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. The presence of depression was assessed by using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and data on socio-demographic characteristics of study participants was collected by using structured questionnaire. Data was coded and entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS version 20. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify factors associated with depression, and variables with p-values < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. The strength of the association was presented by adjusted odds ratio with their 95% confidence interval. Result: The overall prevalence of depression among unemployed young adults in the present study was 30.9% (95% CI: 28.4%, 33.1%). Of the total study participants with depression, 56.7% had mild depression, 36% had moderate depression, and 7.3% had severe depression. Being male (AOR=1.40, 95%CI: 1.10, 1.80), long duration of unemployment (≥1years) (AOR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.21, 1.99), low self-esteem (AOR=1.32, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.68), poor social support (AOR=1.98, 95%CI: 1.34, 2.93), and current alcohol use (AOR=1.86, 95%CI: 1.33, 2.59) were significantly associated with depression. Conclusion: The results of our study indicated that depression is an important public health problem among unemployed young adults in Ethiopia. The results of our study suggest that policy makers and program planners should establish appropriate strategy for prevention, early detection and management of depression among this population. Moreover, this study also indicates that addressing the need of unemployed young people, improving access to care for depression is an important next step. Furthermore, we recommend further studies to understand the nature of depression among unemployed young people and to strengthen the current results.

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