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

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

Burkholderia pseudomallei Is Spatially Distributed in Soil in Northeast Thailand

Melioidosis is a severe infection caused by the environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Soil sampling is important to identify geographic regions where humans and animals are at risk of exposure. The purpose of this study was to examine a factor that has a major bearing on the accuracy of soil sampling: the spatial distribution of B. pseudomallei in soil of a specified sampling site. Soil sampling was performed using a fixed-interval grid of 100 sampling points in each of two sites (disused land and rice field) in northeast Thailand, and the presence and amount of B. pseudomallei determined using culture. Mapping of the presence and B. pseudomallei count demonstrated that samples taken from areas adjacent to sampling points that were culture positive (negative) for B. pseudomallei were also likely to be culture positive (negative), and samples taken from areas adjacent to sampling points with a high (low) B. pseudomallei count were also likely to yield a high (low) count (spatial autocorrelation). These data were used as the basis for highlighting several pitfalls in current approaches to soil sampling, together with a discussion of the suitability of a range of sampling strategies in different geographical locations and for different study objectives

Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Barmah Forest Virus Disease in Queensland, Australia

Background Barmah Forest virus (BFV) disease is a common and wide-spread mosquito-borne disease in Australia. This study investigated the spatio-temporal patterns of BFV disease in Queensland, Australia using geographical information system (GIS) tools and geostatistical analysis. Methods/Principal Findings We calculated the incidence rates and standardised incidence rates of BFV disease. Moran's I statistic was used to assess the spatial autocorrelation of BFV incidences. Spatial dynamics of BFV disease was examined using semi-variogram analysis. Interpolation techniques were applied to visualise and display the spatial distribution of BFV disease in statistical local areas (SLAs) throughout Queensland. Mapping of BFV disease by SLAs reveals the presence of substantial spatio-temporal variation over time. Statistically significant differences in BFV incidence rates were identified among age groups (χ2 = 7587, df = 7327,p<0.01). There was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of BFV incidence for all four periods, with the Moran's I statistic ranging from 0.1506 to 0.2901 (p<0.01). Semi-variogram analysis and smoothed maps created from interpolation techniques indicate that the pattern of spatial autocorrelation was not homogeneous across the state. Conclusions/Significance This is the first study to examine spatial and temporal variation in the incidence rates of BFV disease across Queensland using GIS and geostatistics. The BFV transmission varied with age and gender, which may be due to exposure rates or behavioural risk factors. There are differences in the spatio-temporal patterns of BFV disease which may be related to local socio-ecological and environmental factors. These research findings may have implications in the BFV disease control and prevention programs in Queensland

Melioidosis Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Appraisal of the Potential to Exploit Biodefense Vaccines for Public Health Purposes

The designation of Burkholderia pseudomallei as a category B select agent has resulted in considerable research funding to develop a protective vaccine. This bacterium also causes a naturally occurring disease (melioidosis), an important cause of death in many countries including Thailand and Australia. In this study, we explored whether a vaccine could be used to provide protection from melioidosis. An economic evaluation based on its use in Thailand indicated that a vaccine could be a cost-effective intervention if used in high-risk populations such as diabetics and those with chronic kidney or lung disease. A literature search of vaccine studies in animal models identified the current candidates, but noted that models failed to take account of the common routes of infection in natural melioidosis and major risk factors for infection, primarily diabetes. This review highlights important areas for future research if biodefence-driven vaccines are to play a role in reducing the global incidence of melioidosis

A systematic review on integration mechanisms in human and animal health surveillance systems with a view to addressing global health security threats

Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) targeted for elimination by mass (antifilarial) drug administration. These drugs are predominantly active against the microfilarial progeny of adult worms. New drugs or combinations are needed to improve patient therapy and to enhance the effectiveness of interventions in persistent hotspots of transmission. Several therapies and regimens are currently in (pre-)clinical testing. Clinical trial simulators (CTSs) project patient outcomes to inform the design of clinical trials but have not been widely applied to NTDs, where their resource-saving payoffs could be highly beneficial. We demonstrate the utility of CTSs using our individual-based onchocerciasis transmission model (EPIONCHO-IBM) that projects trial outcomes of a hypothetical macrofilaricidal drug. We identify key design decisions that influence the power of clinical trials, including participant eligibility criteria and post-treatment follow-up times for measuring infection indicators. We discuss how CTSs help to inform target product profiles