Enforcement of State Indoor Tanning Laws in the United States

Introduction Twenty-eight US states have passed legislation for indoor tanning facilities. To our knowledge, whether these state laws are actually enforced has not been evaluated previously in all 28 states. Therefore, we interviewed key informants in these states to assess enforcement practices. Methods Two trained interviewers used a structured survey instrument to interview 28 key informants who were knowledgeable about enforcement practices for laws regarding indoor tanning. Respondents provided information specific to the most populous city in their states. Results Licensure for indoor tanning businesses was required in 22 of the 28 cities. Slightly less than half of the cities gave citations to tanning facilities that violated state law. Approximately 32% of the cities did not inspect indoor tanning facilities for compliance with state law, and another 32% conducted inspections less than annually. Of those cities that inspected at all, most conducted unannounced inspections. Conclusion The relatively low rates of annual inspections and citations are of concern. We recommend that future studies assess whether legislation, enforcement practices, or a combination of the 2 affects the practices of indoor tanning facilities or of consumers

Gendered nationalism : the gender gap in support for the Scottish National Party

Recent major surveys of the Scottish electorate and of Scottish National Party (SNP) members have revealed a distinct gender gap in support for the party. Men are markedly more likely than women to vote for the SNP and they comprise more than two-thirds of its membership. In this article, we use data from those surveys to test various possible explanations for the disproportionately male support for the SNP. While popular accounts have focused on the gendered appeal of recent leaders and on the party’s fluctuating efforts at achieving gender equality in its parliamentary representation, we find much stronger support for a different explanation. Women are less inclined to support and to join the SNP because they are markedly less supportive of its central objective of independence for Scotland. Since men and women barely differ in their reported national identities, the origins of this gender gap in support for independence presents a puzzle for further research

Productivity, Wages, and Marriage: The Case of Major League Baseball

The effect of marriage on productivity and, consequently, wages has been long debated in economics. A primary explanation for the impact of marriage on wages has been through its impact on productivity, however, there has been no direct evidence for this. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by directly measuring the impact of marriage on productivity using a sample of professional baseball players from 1871 - 2007. Our results show that only lower ability men see an increase in productivity, though this result is sensitive to the empirical specification and weakly significant. In addition, despite the lack of any effect on productivity, high ability married players earn roughly 16 - 20 percent more than their single counterparts. We discuss possible reasons why employers may favor married men

Dog Ownership and Physical Activity: A Review of the Evidence.

Background: Dog walking is a strategy for increasing population levels of physical activity (PA). Numerous cross-sectional studies of the relationship between dog ownership and PA have been conducted. The purpose was to review studies comparing PA of dog owners (DO) to non-dog owners (NDO), summarize the prevalence of dog walking, and provide recommendations for research. Methods: A review of published studies (1990-2010) examining DO and NDO PA and the prevalence of dog walking was conducted (N=29). Studies estimating the relationship between dog ownership and PA were grouped to create a point-estimate using meta-analysis. Results: Most studies were conducted in the last five years, were cross-sectional, and sampled adults from Australia or the United States. Approximately 60% of DO walked their dog, with a median duration and frequency of 160 minutes/week and 4 walks/week, respectively. Meta-analysis showed DO engage in more walking and PA than NDO and the effect sizes are small to moderate (d=0.26 and d=0.16 respectively). Three studies provided evidence of a directional relationship between dog ownership and walking. Conclusions: Longitudinal and interventional studies would provide stronger causal evidence for the relationship between dog ownership and PA. Improved knowledge of factors associated with dog walking will guide intervention research

Long-Term Smoking Status of Cardiac Patients Following Symptom-Specific Cessation Advice

Although physicians routinely advise postcardiac event patients to stop smoking, the effect of a modified advice format targeting specific health concerns has not been investigated. Also, no studies of cessation advice with cardiac patients have used biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence. The present study included 48 veterans with a history of smoking and cardiac problems; of these, 31 were smoking and 17 were abstinent at initial assessment. Alveolar carbon monoxide (COa) levels served to: (1) augment cessation advice by demonstrating smoking risks and cessation benefits specific to cardiac patients and (2) verify self-report. At 12 months followup, following cessation advice, 18% of the abstinent subjects had resumed smoking while none of the smokers had become abstinent. Those who maintained abstinence significantly increased their estimates of the contribution of smoking to their cardiac problems whereas those who continued to smoke showed no change

Sun-Protection Behaviors Among African Americans

Background: Data suggest that the prevalence of sun-protection behaviors is low (44%) among African Americans; the samples in such studies, however, tended to be small or nonrepresentative. Purpose: This article aims to examine the prevalence and correlates of sun-protection behaviors among a large, random, statewide sample of African-American adults living in California to ascertain behavioral patterns and highlight directions for targeted interventions. Methods: From September 2006 through May 2008, an anonymous health survey collected data on sunscreen, sunglasses, and wide-brim hat use among a random sample of 2187 African-American adults, and assessed demographic, regional, skin type, and other potential correlates of these behaviors. The analysis was conducted in 2009. Results: Only 31% engaged in at least one sun-protection behavior; of the three behaviors, sunscreen use was the least prevalent, with 63% never using sunscreen. Multivariate logistic regressions revealed that gender, SES, and skin type were significant predictors of sun-protection behaviors. Conclusions: Tailored interventions to increase sun-protection behaviors among African Americans (men in particular) are needed. © 2010 American Journal of Preventive Medicine