scholarly journals Association between State Indoor Tanning Legislation and Google Search Trends Data from 2006 to 2019: Time Series Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Heckman ◽  
Yong Lin ◽  
Mary Riley ◽  
Yaqun Wang ◽  
Trishnee Bhurosy ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or indoor tanning is the cause of the majority of skin cancers. Though indoor tanning has decreased in recent years, it remains most common among adolescents and young adults, whose skin is particularly vulnerable to long-term damage. States have adopted several types of legislation to attempt to minimize indoor tanning by minors: ban of all minors from indoor tanning, partial minor ban by age (e.g., under 14 years old), or requiring parental consent or accompaniment for tanning. Currently, there are only six states with no indoor tanning legislation for minors. OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether internet searches (as an indicator of interest) related to indoor tanning varied across states by type of indoor tanning legislation, using data from Google Trends from 2006 to 2019. METHODS A time series analysis of Google Trends data on indoor tanning from 2006 to 2019 by US state was conducted. Time series linear regression models were created to assess the Google Trends data over time by type of indoor tanning legislation. RESULTS It was found that indoor tanning search rates decreased significantly for all 50 states and the District of Columbia over time. There was a peak in searches in 2012 when there was significant attention on indoor tanning (e.g., it was banned for all minors by the first state, California). The decreasing search rate was significantly greater for states with full minor bans compared to those with less restrictive types of legislation. CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with other studies demonstrating the association between indoor tanning regulation and tanning attitudinal and behavioral trends. The main limitation of the study is that raw search data were not available for more precise analyses. As interest and norms change, indoor tanning and skin cancer risk among young people may change. Future work should continue to determine the impact of such public health policies in order to inform policy efforts and minimize risks to public health.

10.2196/29516 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e29516
Author(s):  
Carolyn Heckman ◽  
Yong Lin ◽  
Mary Riley ◽  
Yaqun Wang ◽  
Trishnee Bhurosy ◽  
...  


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-70
Author(s):  
David Moriña ◽  
Juan M Leyva-Moral ◽  
Maria Feijoo-Cid

It is common in many fields to be interested in the evaluation of the impact of an intervention over a particular phenomenon. In the context of classical time series analysis, a possible choice might be intervention analysis, but there is no analogous methodology developed for low-count time series. In this article, we propose a modified INAR model that allows us to quantify the effect of an intervention, and is also capable of taking into account possible trends or seasonal behaviour. Several examples of application in different real and simulated contexts will also be discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Martin ◽  
Edwin Amalraj Raja ◽  
Steve Turner

Abstract Background Service reconfiguration of inpatient services in a hospital includes complete and partial closure of all emergency inpatient facilities. The “natural experiment” of service reconfiguration may give insight into drivers for emergency admissions to hospital. This study addressed the question does the prevalence of emergency admission to hospital for children change after reconfiguration of inpatient services? Methods There were five service reconfigurations in Scottish hospitals between 2004 and 2018 where emergency admissions to one “reconfigured” hospital were halted (permanently or temporarily) and directed to a second “adjacent” hospital. The number of emergency admissions (standardised to /1000 children in the regional population) per month to the “reconfigured” and “adjacent” hospitals was obtained for five years prior to reconfiguration and up to five years afterwards. An interrupted time series analysis considered the association between reconfiguration and admissions across pairs comprised of “reconfigured” and “adjacent” hospitals, with adjustment for seasonality and an overall rising trend in admissions. Results Of the five episodes of reconfiguration, two were immediate closure, two involved closure only to overnight admissions and one with overnight closure for a period and then closure. In “reconfigured” hospitals there was an average fall of 117 admissions/month [95% CI 78, 156] in the year after reconfiguration compared to the year before, and in “adjacent” hospitals admissions rose by 82/month [32, 131]. Across paired reconfigured and adjacent hospitals, in the months post reconfiguration, the overall number of admissions to one hospital pair slowed, in another pair admissions accelerated, and admission prevalence was unchanged in three pairs. After reconfiguration in one hospital, there was a rise in admissions to a third hospital which was closer than the named “adjacent” hospital. Conclusions There are diverse outcomes for the number of emergency admissions post reconfiguration of inpatient facilities. Factors including resources placed in the community after local reconfiguration, distance to the “adjacent” hospital and local deprivation may be important drivers for admission pathways after reconfiguration. Policy makers considering reconfiguration might consider a number of factors which may be important determinants of admissions post reconfiguration.


2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482110132
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Konieczna ◽  
Sarah Grube Jakobsen ◽  
Christina Petrea Larsen ◽  
Erik Christiansen

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyse the potential impact from the financial crisis (onset in 2009) on suicide rates in Denmark. The hypothesis is that the global financial crisis raised unemployment which leads to raising the suicide rate in Denmark and that the impact is most prominent in men. Method: This study used an ecological study design, including register data from 2001 until 2016 on unemployment, suicide, gender and calendar time which was analysed using Poisson regression models and interrupted time series analysis. Results: The correlation between unemployment and suicide rates was positive in the period and statistically significant for all, but at a moderate level. A dichotomised version of time (calendar year) showed a significant reduction in the suicide rate for women (incidence rate ratio 0.87, P=0.002). Interrupted time series analysis showed a significant decreasing trend for the overall suicide rate and for men in the pre-recession period, which in both cases stagnated after the onset of recession in 2009. The difference between the genders’ suicide rate changed significantly at the onset of recession, as the rate for men increased and the rate for women decreased. Discussion: The Danish social welfare model might have prevented social disintegration and suicide among unemployed, and suicide prevention programmes might have prevented deaths among unemployed and mentally ill individuals. Conclusions: We found some indications for gender-specific differences from the impact of the financial crises on the suicide rate. We recommend that men should be specifically targeted for appropriate prevention programmes during periods of economic downturn.


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