Engaging College Students in Experiential Learning Opportunities within Extension

Providing experiential learning opportunities within Extension for college students generates benefits for multiple parties. As two campus-based faculty and two Extension county-based faculty who have collaborated to increase public health student engagement through endeavors within Extension, we have gained perspective on this topic. We describe a continuum of relevant experiential learning options, from classroom experiences through full internships. We also provide input on associated best practices. Extension faculty across the nation are encouraged to use and adapt these tools to ensure success in offering experiential learning opportunities to college students

Psychological Health Influences of Legal-Marriage and -Partnerships on Same-Sex Couples

This chapter explores whether Californians in same-sex legal marriages and partnerships reported lower levels of psychological distress than other adult Californians after the 2008 California Supreme Court Decision that legalized same-sex marriage. We pooled 10 years of California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data and employ a T1-T2 design to approximate a time series design. Dependent variables include overall self-related health, psychological distress, and household income. Independent variables include sexual identity and same-sex spouse. Bi-variate analyses compared self-reported mental and physical health between the two periods. We found decreased reports of poorer health and increased reports of very good health among gay men and lesbian women with legal spouses. Psychological distress decreased for legally coupled gay men and lesbians while increased slightly among unpartnered lesbian women and gay men. Household income increased among coupled lesbian women and gay men and decreased among others. Our project demonstrated positive health influences for Californians with legal same-sex spouses. We recommend future research projects that explore whether and how same- and opposite-sex marriage benefits health, well-being, and prosperity, and for marital status survey questions that are inclusive of sexual and gender identities and elicit the sex/gender of a respondent’s spouse

Mammography Screening Recommendations and Reading Level: Comparing Imaging Centers and Non Imaging Centers

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force & American Cancer Society offer conflicting mammography screening recommendations regarding age at first screen and frequency of screen which might lead to inconsistent provision of screening information between mammography facilities. Various information presented by mammography facilities could partially contribute to disparities in screening behaviors across Oregon. We compare the number of facilities reporting ACS, USPSTF or American College of Radiology (ACR) guidelines and compute reading levels of their recommendations. Oregon has 165 licensed machines (58% digital mammography) operated at 108 facilities (35% of mammography machines located in rural zip codes). Some facilities shared websites; therefore 48 unique websites were coded between October 2015 and February 2016. This analysis will compare recommendations and reading levels between for profit imaging centers and non-imaging centers such as clinics. 18% of mammography are located for profit imaging centers. Imaging centers were more likely in urban zip codes – 24% of urban facilities are imaging centers compared with 6. 8% in rural areas. We compared differences in recommendations for age of first screening. A statistically higher percent of imaging centers (95%) recommended earlier first screening at age 40- 49 compared with non imaging centers *81%)). We also compared recommended intervals for screening. For women under 50 years, 60% of non-imaging centers recommended screening yearly compared with 72% of imaging centers recommended screening yearly (p<. 05). There were no difference for recommendations for screening intervals from women 50 and older, Reading levels using SMOG; grade-level estimates were different between types of centers. Imaging centers had a lower reading level for their recommendations (mean 11.9 grade level sd 8) versus non imaging centers mean 15.6 grade years (sd 7) (p=.05). Imaging centers that are located in urban areas, recommend screening earlier and provide resources in a reading level easier for most women

Effect Sizes and Primary Outcomes in Large-Budget, Cardiovascular-Related Behavioral Randomized Controlled Trials Funded by NIH Since 1980

Purpose: We reviewed large-budget, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with behavioral interventions to assess (1) publication rates, (2) trial registration, (3) use of objective measures, (4) significant behavior and physiological change, and (5) effect sizes. Methods: We identified large-budget grants (>$500,000/year) funded by NIH (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) or National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)) for cardiovascular disease (dates January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2012). Among 106 grants that potentially met inclusion criteria, 20 studies were not published and 48 publications were excluded, leaving 38 publications for analysis. ClinicalTrials.gov abstracts were used to determine whether outcome measures had been pre-specified. Results: Three fourths of trials were registered in ClinicalTrials.gov and all published pre-specified outcomes. Twenty-six trials reported a behavioral outcome with 81 % reporting significant improvements for the target behavior. Thirty-two trials reported a physiological outcome. All were objectively measured, and 81 % reported significant benefit. Seventeen trials reported morbidity outcomes, and seven reported a significant benefit. Nine trials assessed mortality, and all were null for this outcome. Conclusions: Behavioral trials complied with trial registration standards. Most reported a physiological benefit, but few documented morbidity or mortality benefits.Keywords: Publication statistics, Periodicals as topics/statistics, Trial registration, Effect sizes, Randomized controlled trials as topics/statistics, Behavior, Intervention, Cardiovascula

Non-normal Screening Mammography Results, Lumpectomies, and Breast Cancer Reported by California Women, 2001-2009

Background Although screening mammography may contribute to decreases in breast cancer mortality in a population, it may also increase the risk of false positives, anxiety, and unnecessary and costly medical procedures in individuals. We report trends in self-reported non-normal screening mammography results, lumpectomies, and breast cancer in a representative sample of California women. Methods Data were obtained from the 2001, 2005, and 2009 cross-sectional California Health Interview Surveys (CHIS) and weighted to the California population. CHIS employed a multistage sampling design to administer telephone surveys in 6 languages. Our study sample was restricted to women 40 years and older who reported a screening mammogram in the past 2 years. Sample sizes were 13,974 in 2001, 12,069 in 2005, and 15,552 in 2009. Women reporting non-normal results were asked whether they had an operation to remove the lump and, if so, whether the lump was confirmed as malignant. Findings Between 2001 and 2009, the percent of California women who reported having been diagnosed with breast cancer was relatively stable. For each of the three age groups studied, the percentage of non-normal mammography results increased and the percentages of lumpectomies decreased and, for every woman reporting a diagnosis of breast cancer, three women reported a lumpectomy that turned out not to be cancer. This ratio was greater for younger women and less for older women. Conclusions Despite relatively constant rates of breast cancer diagnosis from 2001 to 2009, the percentage of non-normal mammography results increased and lumpectomies declined

Availability of Vending Machines and School Stores in California Schools

BACKGROUND: This study examined the availability of foods sold in vending machines and school stores in United States public and private schools, and associations of availability with students' food purchases and consumption. METHODS: Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and Spearman product-moment correlations were conducted on data collected from 521 students aged 8 to 15 years recruited from orthodontic offices in California. RESULTS: Vending machines were more common in private schools than in public schools, whereas school stores were common in both private and public schools. The food items most commonly available in both vending machines and school stores in all schools were predominately foods of minimal nutritional value (FMNV). Participant report of availability of food items in vending machines and/or school stores was significantly correlated with (1) participant purchase of each item from those sources, except for energy drinks, milk, fruits, and vegetables; and (2) participants' friends' consumption of items at lunch, for 2 categories of FMNV (candy, cookies, or cake; soda or sports drinks). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the Child Nutrition and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004, FMNV were still available in schools, and may be contributing to unhealthy dietary choices and ultimately to health risks.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by American School Health Association and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. It can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291746-1561/Keywords: childhood obesity, schools, foods of minimal nutritional valueKeywords: childhood obesity, schools, foods of minimal nutritional valu

South Korean Military Service Promotes Smoking: A Quasi-Experimental Design

∙ The authors have no financial conflicts of interest. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2012 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licens

A randomized controlled trial of orthodontist-based brief advice to prevent child obesity

Objective: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test whether brief exercise and diet advice provided during child patient visits to their orthodontic office could improve diet, physical activity, and age-and-genderadjusted BMI. Methods: We enrolled orthodontic offices in Southern California and Tijuana, Mexico, and recruited their patients aged 8-16 to participate in a two-year study. At each office visit, staff provided the children with "prescriptions" for improving diet and exercise behaviors. Multilevel models, which adjusted for clustering, determined differential group effects on health outcomes, and moderation of effects. Results: We found differential change in BMI favoring the intervention group, but only among male participants (p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.085). Of four dietary variables, only junk food consumption changed differentially, in favor of the intervention group (p = 0.020; d = 0.122); the effect was significant among overweight/obese (p = 0.001; d = 0.335) but not normal weight participants. Physical activity declined non-differentially in both groups and both genders. Conclusion: The intervention, based on the Geoffrey Rose strategy, had limited success in achieving its aims