Smoke-free legislation and child health

In this paper, we aim to present an overview of the scientific literature on the link between smoke-free legislation and early-life health outcomes. Exposure to second-hand smoke is responsible for an estimated 166 ,000 child deaths each year worldwide. To protect people from tobacco smoke, the World Health Organization recommends the implementation of comprehensive smoke-free legislation that prohibits smoking in all public indoor spaces, including workplaces, bars and restaurants. The implementation of such legislation has been found to reduce tobacco smoke exposure, encourage people to quit smoking and improve adult health outcomes. There is an increasing body of evidence that shows that children also experience health benefits after implementation of smoke-free legislation. In addition to protecting children from tobacco smoke in public, the link between smoke-free legislation and improved child health is likely to be mediated via a decline in smoking during pregnancy and reduced exposure in the home environment. Recent studies have found that the implementation of smoke-free legislation is associated with a substantial decrease in the number of perinatal deaths, preterm births and hospital attendance for respiratory tract infections and asthma in children, although such benefits are not found in each study. With over 80% of the world’s population currently unprotected by comprehensive smoke-free laws, protecting (unborn) children from the adverse impact of tobacco smoking and SHS exposure holds great potential to benefit public health and should therefore be a key priority for policymakers and health workers alike

Effect of Overground Training Augmented by Mental Practice on Gait Velocity in Chronic, Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

OBJECTIVE: To compare efficacy of a regimen combining mental practice (MP) with overground training with the efficacy of a regimen comprised of overground training only on gait velocity and lower extremity motor outcomes in individuals with chronic (> 12 months post injury), incomplete, spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Randomized controlled, single blinded, study SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation laboratories located in the Midwestern and Western United States PARTICIPANTS: 18 subjects with chronic, incomplete SCI INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive: (a) Overground Training only (OT), occurring 3 days/week for 8 weeks; or (b) OT augmented by MP (MP + OT), during which randomly assigned subjects listened to a mental practice audio recording directly following OT sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects were administered a test of gait velocity as well as the Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), Spinal Cord Injury Independence Measure (SCIM), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) on 2 occasions before intervention, 1 week after intervention, and 12 weeks after intervention. RESULTS: A significant increase in gait velocity was exhibited across subjects at both 1 week post-therapy (p=0.0046) and at 12 weeks post-therapy (p=0.0056). However, no differences were seen in intervention response at either 1 or 12 weeks post intervention among subjects in the MP + OT versus the OT groups. CONCLUSION: Overground training was associated with significant gains in gait velocity, and that these gains were not augmented by further addition of mental practice