Medicalization of Female Beauty: A Content Analysis of Cosmetic Procedures

Over the past decade, cosmetic procedures have significantly increased in options available for females to achieve the American cultural standards of beauty. The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of brochures and to observe what cosmetic procedures are made available to female customers from plastic surgery centers, and also to examine the medical and therapeutic framing techniques used to encourage females to undergo cosmetic procedures. Three plastic surgery centers (overall response rate= 60%) located in one metropolitan area served as participants for this study. The researcher observed the locations and collected all brochures made available. Twenty - one diverse brochures were used in this study as well as the researcher locate d the websites to view any missing information of services offered not included in the brochures. A content analysis was conducted of the brochures. All of the cosmetic surgery centers were accredited and advertised each plastic surgeon’s credibility. Various invasive and noninvasive cosmetic procedures were offered by each center including procedures that focus on the face, breasts, body, and skin care. Additionally, all cosmetic surgery centers marketed their elective surgeries to females by using medical terms as well as therapeutic terms. As the rates of cosmetic procedures have significantly increased overtime, cosmetic surgeons appear to benefit from employing medical terms to diagnose beauty among their target population of healthy females. In addition, using therapeutic terms to ensure increase self - esteem among females is another beneficial framing techniqu

Physical Pain and Participation in Organized Activities Among U.S. Adolescents

Chronic physical pain is a public health problem among adolescents in the United States. One important consideration for adolescent healthy development is participation in organized activities. Therefore, the study objective was to examine the associations between repeated or chronic physical pain and participation in organized activities overall and by activity type including sports, clubs, and other organized activities (e.g., dance) among U.S. adolescents. This secondary analysis utilized the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) combined two-year dataset, and included 24,680 adolescents ages 12-17 years. We conducted unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses to examine the relationships between adolescent physical pain and participation in organized activities overall and by type (sports, clubs, other organized activities). Nearly 14% of adolescents had physical pain in the past 12-months. Unadjusted logistic regression model results indicated that adolescents with physical pain were less likely to participate in organized activities (odds ratio [OR] = 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66, 0.99) compared to adolescents without physical pain. Concerning specific organized activity type, unadjusted (OR = 0.73, 95%CI = 0.61, 0.86) and adjusted (aOR = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.70, 0.99) model results indicated that adolescents with physical pain were less likely to participate in sports compared to adolescents without physical pain. The current study found that adolescents with physical pain had lower odds of overall participation in organized activities, and specifically sports, when compared to adolescents without physical pain. Findings should be considered when developing and implementing pain prevention and treatment programming for adolescents in school and community settings

Home Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Neighborhood Support and Safety among U.S. School-Aged Children

Children who are socioeconomically disadvantaged face a myriad of environmental hardships in the neighborhoods in which they live. This study examined the associations between home tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) and neighborhood support, neighborhood safety, and school safety among U.S. school-aged children. Children ages 6-11 years were included in this secondary analysis of 2018-2019 National Survey of Children’s Health data (N = 17,300). Children’s home TSE status was categorized into three levels: (1) no TSE: Child did not live with a smoker; (2) Outside TSE only: Child lived with a smoker who did not smoke inside the home; and (3) Inside TSE: Child lived with a smoker who smoked inside the home. Parent-reported measures of perceived neighborhood support, and neighborhood and school safety were examined; covariates included the child’s age, sex, and race/ethnicity; the parent’s education; the family’s household structure, and federal poverty level. Weighted logistic and ordinal regression models were built adjusting for the covariates. In total, 13.2% of children had outside TSE and 1.7% of children had inside TSE. Multivariable logistic regression model results indicated that children with outside TSE were at decreased odds (AOR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.65-0.96) of living in a supportive neighborhood compared to children with no TSE. Ordinal regression model results indicated that children with outside TSE (AOR = 0.77, 95%CI = 0.61-0.97) and children with inside TSE were at decreased odds (AOR = 0.62, 95%CI = 0.39-0.99) of going to a school that was perceived as safe. Community-level programs, policies, and funding are needed to improve neighborhood characteristics among children with TSE to improve their future health outcomes

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Current Cannabis Use among U.S. Young Adults

Cannabis use is a significant public health issue among U.S. young adults. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and current cannabis use among U.S. young adults. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, which involved 498 U.S. young adults 18-24 years old who had data available for analysis on ACEs and current cannabis use. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were fitted to examine the associations between ACEs and current cannabis use. Adjusted models included participants’ sex, race/ethnicity, education level, and household income level. One-fourth (25.5%) of participants reported current cannabis use, and 21.3% reported one ACE, 25.2% reported 2-3 ACEs, and 38.4% reported ≥4 ACEs. Unadjusted (odds ratio [OR]=4.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.91-9.33) and adjusted (adjusted OR=4.23, 95%CI=1.57-11.38) model results indicated that participants who experienced ≥1 ACE were at increased odds of reporting current cannabis use than participants with no ACEs. Unadjusted (OR=5.79, 95%CI=2.40-14.00) and adjusted (AOR=6.48, 95%CI=2.15-19.55) model results indicated that participants who experienced ≥4 ACEs were at increased odds of reporting current cannabis use than participants with no ACEs. Adjusted model results revealed that experiencing living with a household member who had a mental illness or sexual abuse increased the odds of reporting current cannabis use. Results demonstrated relations among ACEs and current cannabis use in young adulthood, especially among those who experienced ≥4 ACEs and experienced living with a household member who had a mental illness or sexual abuse

Negative School Experiences and Pain Reliever Misuse among a National Adolescent Sample

A recent public health concern is the nonmedical use of prescription drugs among U.S. adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between negative school experiences and lifetime and past year pain reliever misuse among adolescents enrolled in high school nationwide. A secondary analysis was performed using the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2017 data. Participants included 8,337 adolescents enrolled in 9th -12th grades. A total of 6.0% of high school students reported they had misused pain relievers in their lifetime, and 3.9% reported they had misused pain relievers during the past year. High school students who reported the following negative school experiences were at increased odds of reporting lifetime pain reliever misuse: liked/hated going to school (adjusted OR [aOR] = 2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.66-2.50); felt their coursework was somewhat/very boring (aOR = 1.81, 95%CI = 1.48-2.22), seldom/never meaningful (aOR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.64-2.45), and/or would be somewhat/very unimportant to them later in life (aOR = 1.64, 95%CI = 1.33-2.01); and had teachers who seldom/never let them know they were doing a good job (aOR = 1.71, 95%CI = 1.40-2.09). High school students who had a “D” grade average or lower (aOR = 2.69, 95%CI = 1.89-3.82) and skipped school on at least one day (aOR = 2.18, 95%CI = 1.76-2.70) were more likely to report lifetime use. Similar significant findings were reported between negative school experiences and past year pain reliever misuse. Negative school experiences are risk factors for lifetime and past year pain reliever misuse among U.S. adolescents. Programming that reduces students’ negative school experiences may create a positive environment, and in turn, reduce misuse

School-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Program for Rural Elementary School Students: A Pilot Study

Children who eat unhealthy diets and engage in limited physical activity are susceptible to adverse health effects, such as obesity. This pilot intervention study examined the immediate impact of a health education program, Get Charmed, which used a short-run incentive program as a strategy for motivating rural elementary school students to learn about physical activity and healthy eating behaviors. We assessed kindergarten through fifth grade students’ knowledge of physical activity, healthy eating, and water consumption, at baseline and immediately following the intervention. Get Charmed is a six-week program geared toward elementary-aged children, with aims to increase participants’ knowledge and awareness around healthier lifestyle behaviors. A pre-post evaluation assessed knowledge about healthy eating, physical activity, and hydration among elementary school-aged children (n = 22) enrolled in grades k-5. Frequencies were calculated for the number of correct responses for each item. A series of Wilcoxon signed rank tests were performed to assess changes in knowledge from baseline to post-test. Average knowledge scores for the 3rd-5th grade students increased from 15.56 (± 1.88) to 16.78 (± 1.20), which was statistically significant (z = -2.41, p = 0.016). Average baseline knowledge for the kindergarten to 2nd grade students increased from 9.54 (± 1.66) to 10.46 (± 0.66). For the kindergarten to 2nd grade students, a statistically significant proportion of participants (six out of 13 participants) increased knowledge (z = -1.98, p = 0.048). Implementing Get Charmed with short-run incentives in rural school-based settings is a practical and economical approach to introducing new foods while increasing rural elementary students’ knowledge in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and hydration

Contribution of thirdhand smoke to overall tobacco smoke exposure in pediatric patients: study protocol.

BackgroundThirdhand smoke (THS) is the persistent residue resulting from secondhand smoke (SHS) that accumulates in dust, objects, and on surfaces in homes where tobacco has been used, and is reemitted into air. Very little is known about the extent to which THS contributes to children's overall tobacco smoke exposure (OTS) levels, defined as their combined THS and SHS exposure. Even less is known about the effect of OTS and THS on children's health. This project will examine how different home smoking behaviors contribute to THS and OTS and if levels of THS are associated with respiratory illnesses in nonsmoking children.MethodsThis project leverages the experimental design from an ongoing pediatric emergency department-based tobacco cessation trial of caregivers who smoke and their children (NIHR01HD083354). At baseline and follow-up, we will collect urine and handwipe samples from children and samples of dust and air from the homes of smokers who smoke indoors, have smoking bans or who have quit smoking. These samples will be analyzed to examine to what extent THS pollution at home contributes to OTS exposure over and above SHS and to what extent THS continues to persist and contribute to OTS in homes of smokers who have quit or have smoking bans. Targeted and nontargeted chemical analyses of home dust samples will explore which types of THS pollutants are present in homes. Electronic medical record review will examine if THS and OTS levels are associated with child respiratory illness. Additionally, a repository of child and environmental samples will be created.DiscussionThe results of this study will be crucial to help close gaps in our understanding of the types, quantity, and clinical effects of OTS, THS exposure, and THS pollutants in a unique sample of tobacco smoke-exposed ill children and their homes. The potential impact of these findings is substantial, as currently the level of risk in OTS attributable to THS is unknown. This research has the potential to change how we protect children from OTS, by recognizing that SHS and THS exposure needs to be addressed separately and jointly as sources of pollution and exposure.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02531594 . Date of registration: August 24, 2015

Increased Host Species Diversity and Decreased Prevalence of Sin Nombre Virus

Prevalence of infection was highest where fewer animal species carried the virus

Murray Valley encephalitis virus surveillance and control initiatives in Australia.

Mechanisms for monitoring Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus activity include surveillance of human cases, surveillance for activity in sentinel animals, monitoring of mosquito vectors and monitoring of weather conditions. The monitoring of human cases is only one possible trigger for public health action and the additional surveillance systems are used in concert to signal the risk of human disease, often before the appearance of human cases. Mosquito vector surveillance includes mosquito trapping for speciation and enumeration of mosquitoes to monitor population sizes and relative composition. Virus isolation from mosquitoes can also be undertaken. Monitoring of weather conditions and vector surveillance determines whether there is a potential for MVE activity to occur. Virus isolation from trapped mosquitoes is necessary to define whether MVE is actually present, but is difficult to deliver in a timely fashion in some jurisdictions. Monitoring of sentinel animals indicates whether MVE transmission to vertebrates is actually occurring. Meteorological surveillance can assist in the prediction of potential MVE virus activity by signalling conditions that have been associated with outbreaks of Murray Valley encephalitis in humans in the past. Predictive models of MVE virus activity for south-eastern Australia have been developed, but due to the infrequency of outbreaks, are yet to be demonstrated as useful for the forecasting of major outbreaks. Surveillance mechanisms vary across the jurisdictions. Surveillance of human disease occurs in all States and Territories by reporting of cases to health authorities. Sentinel flocks of chickens are maintained in 4 jurisdictions (Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and New South Wales) with collaborations between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Mosquito monitoring complements the surveillance of sentinel animals in these jurisdictions. In addition, other mosquito monitoring programs exist in other States (including South Australia and Queensland). Public health control measures may include advice to the general public and mosquito management programs to reduce the numbers of both mosquito larvae and adult vectors. Strategic plans for public health action in the event of MVE virus activity are currently developed or being developed in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. A southern tri-State agreement exists between health departments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. All partners have agreed to co-operate and provide assistance in predicting and combatting outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease in south-eastern Australia. The newly formed National Arbovirus Advisory Committee is a working party providing advice to the Communicable Diseases Network Australia on arbovirus surveillance and control. Recommendations for further enhancement of national surveillance for Murray Valley encephalitis are described