Errors in data input in meta-analysis on association between initial use of e-cigarettes and subsequent cigarette smoking among adolescents and young adults

To the Editor I write on behalf of my co-authors to report errors in our article, “Association Between Initial Use of e-Cigarettes and Subsequent Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” that was published online on June 26, 2017, and in the August issue of JAMA Pediatrics

Challenges and Opportunities for Tobacco Control Policies in the 21st Century

Taxation is one of the most effective means of tobacco control, but tobacco companies often argue that imposing or raising taxes on cigarettes will be counterproductive. Guindon and colleagues1 analyzed the case of British American Tobacco (BAT) in Chile and concluded that increased cigarette prices and nonprice tobacco control policies were associated with a reduction in cigarette smoking initiation. Their analyses suggest that higher cigarette prices—in this case, the result of BAT’s own pricing policy—were associated with reduced hazards of smoking initiation among youths and counter the notion commonly advanced by the tobacco industry that taxation increases black market sales

Socioeconomic determinants of cervical cancer screening in Latin America

Objective. To assess the impact of health care access and socioeconomic determinants on Pap smear screening in Latin America. Methods. Individual-level data was collected from the Demographic and Health Surveys in Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago between 1987 and 2008. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify socioeconomic and health care determinants of two outcomes: knowledge of Pap smears and recent Pap smear screening. Results. In all countries, the proportion of women with a recent Pap smear screening remained below 55%. Key determinants of knowledge of Pap smears were age, education, and recent doctor's visit. For recent Pap smear screening, key determinants were wealth and recent doctor's visit. Women were between 1.47 and 3.44 times more likely to have received a recent Pap smear if they had a recent doctor's visit. Even the poorest women with a recent doctor's visit were more likely to screen than the richest women without a recent visit. Conclusions. These data suggest that visiting a doctor is an important determinant of cervical cancer screening in Latin America. Because screening may coincide with other medical visits, physicians could effectively encourage screening

Association of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children With Preterm Birth and Infant Mortality

Importance: Nearly 4 in 10 expectant mothers in the United States received Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits during pregnancy between 2011 and 2017. Despite public support for the program, empirical evidence of the success of the program varies substantially. Objective: To assess the association of WIC program participation during pregnancy by low-income expectant mothers covered by Medicaid with infant mortality by gestational age at birth and by maternal race/ethnicity in comparison with their counterparts who did not receive WIC benefits. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study obtained data from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2017, from US live birth certificates. Data were from 11 148 261 expectant mothers who delivered live births in states that have implemented the 2003 revision of the US live birth certificate and whose insurance coverage and receipt of WIC benefits were recorded on the birth certificates. Data analysis was performed from June 2019 to October 2019. Exposures: Receipt of WIC benefits during pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The first outcome was gestational age at birth: extremely preterm (<28 weeks), very preterm (28-32 weeks), moderate-to-late preterm (32-37 weeks), and normal term (≥37 weeks) births. The second outcome was death within the first year of life. Results: Among the 11 148 261 expectant mothers who delivered live births between 2011 and 2017 and were covered by Medicaid during pregnancy, the modal age at delivery was 20 to 24 years, the predominant race/ethnicity was non-Hispanic white (4 257 790 [38.2%]), and 8 145 770 (73.1%) received WIC benefits during pregnancy. The proportion of expectant mothers covered by Medicaid who also received WIC benefits decreased from 2011 to 2017 (79.3% to 67.9%; P < .001). The odds of preterm birth compared with normal term birth were lower among expectant mothers covered by Medicaid who received WIC benefits during pregnancy compared with their counterparts who did not receive WIC benefits during pregnancy (adjusted proportional odds ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.86-0.87). The odds of mortality within 1 year of birth were lower for infants whose mothers were covered by Medicaid and received WIC benefits during pregnancy compared with those who did not receive WIC benefits during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.83-0.86). Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that receipt of WIC benefits among expectant mothers with Medicaid coverage was associated with lower risk of preterm birth and infant mortality

MicroRNA expression in lymphocyte development and malignancy

This article is available open access through the publisher’s website. Copyright @ 2008 Macmillan Publishers Limited.No abstract available.The Leukemia Research Fund, the Julian Starmer-Smith Memorial Fund, and the Medical Research Council

Assessing progress in reducing the burden of cancer mortality, 1985-2005

Purpose: Measuring the effect of cancer interventions must take into account rising cancer incidence now that people live longer because of declines in mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cancer mortality rates in the population do not accomplish this objective. We sought a measure that would reveal the effects of changing mortality rates from other diseases. Methods: We obtained annual breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer mortality rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries; we obtained noncancer mortality rates from national death certificates, 1975 to 2005. We used life-table methods to calculate the burden of cancer mortality as the average person-years of life lost (PYLL) as a result of cancer (cancer-specific PYLL) and quantify individual - and perhaps offsetting - contributions of the two factors that affect cancer-specific PYLL: mortality rates as a result of cancer and othercause mortality. Results: Falling cancer mortality rates reduced the burden of mortality from leading cancers, but increasing cancer incidence as a result of decreasing other-cause mortality rates partially offset this progress. Between 1985 and 1989 and between 2000 and 2004, the burden of lung cancer in males declined by 0.1 year of life lost. This decline reflects the sum of two effects: decreasing lung cancer mortality rates that reduced the average burden of lung cancer mortality by 0.33 years of life lost and declining other-cause mortality rates that raised it by 0.23 years. Other common cancers showed similar patterns. Conclusion: By using a measure that accounts for increased cancer incidence as a result of improvements in CVD mortality, we find that prior assessments have underestimated the impact of cancer interventions

Combustible and Electronic Tobacco and Marijuana Products in Hip-Hop Music Videos, 2013-2017

Importance: Hip-hop is the leading music genre in the United States and its fan base includes a large proportion of adolescents and young adults of all racial and ethnic groups, particularly minorities. The appearance of combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana products, especially brand placement and use by popular and influential artists, may increase the risk of tobacco and marijuana use and decrease perceptions of harm. Objective: To assess the prevalence of the appearance and use of combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana products, including brand placement, in leading hip-hop songs. Design, Setting, and Participants: Analysis of top 50 songs from 2013 to 2017 of Billboard magazine's weekly Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with videos that included the appearance or use of combustible tobacco and marijuana products (manufactured cigarettes, cigars, hookah or waterpipe, pipe, hand-rolled tobacco and marijuana products, marijuana buds); appearance of exhaled smoke or vapor without an identifiable source product; appearance or use of electronic tobacco and marijuana products (eg, electronic cigarettes); tobacco or marijuana brand placement; appearance or use of combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana by main or featured artist. Data were collected from December 6, 2017, to June 4, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence of (1) appearance or use of combustible tobacco and marijuana products, (2) appearance of smoke or vapor, (3) appearance or use of electronic tobacco and marijuana products, (4) tobacco or marijuana brand placement, and (5) appearance or use of combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana by main or featured artist. Probability of appearance or use of combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana products by quartile of viewership of videos. Results: The proportion of leading hip-hop videos containing combustible use, electronic use, or smoke or vapor ranged from 40.2% (76 of 189) in 2015, to 50.7% (102 of 201) in 2016. For each year, the leading category of combustible use was hand-rolled products. The appearance of branded products increased from 0% in 2013 (0 of 82) to 9.9% in 2017 (10 of 101) for combustible products, and from 25.0% in 2013 (3 of 12) to 87.5% in 2017 (14 of 16) for electronic products. The prevalence of combustible or electronic product use or exhaled smoke or vapor increased by quartile of total number of views: 41.9% (8700 to 19 million views) among songs in the first quartile of viewership and 49.7% among songs in the fourth quartile of viewership (112 million to 4 billion views). Conclusions and Relevance: Combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana use frequently occurred in popular hip-hop music videos. The genre's broad appeal, use of branded products by influential artists, and rise of electronic product and marijuana use may contribute to a growing public health concern of tobacco and marijuana use

Socioeconomic and physician supply determinants of racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening

Purpose: Causes of racial disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening may extend beyond individual-level characteristics. We examined how physician density, beyond socioeconomic factors, affected observed racial disadvantages in recent CRC screening for blacks and Hispanics. Methods: We obtained socioeconomic and CRC screening information on adults age > 50 years from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (1997 to 2008) and information on the number of primary care physicians and gastroenterologists from the American Medical Association Masterfile (1997 to 2008). We used fixed-effect multivariate logistic regression to model the probability of receiving a fecal occult blood test within the past year or endoscopic screening within the past 5 years as a function of individual-level socioeconomic factors and state-level physician supply. Results: In 2008, 60.6% of whites were current on CRC screening (95% CI, 60.6% to 61.0%) compared with 57.9% of blacks (95% CI, 56.7% to 59.2%) and 42.9% of Hispanics (95% CI, 41.0% to 44.8%). Inclusion of socioeconomic variables reversed black-white disparities (odds ratio [OR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.19) but did not explain disadvantage for Hispanics (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.92). Once interaction of race and physician supply was considered, likelihood of recent CRC screening became statistically indistinguishable for Hispanics and whites of similar socioeconomic status residing in states with high physician supplies. Conclusion: Socioeconomic factors and physician supply are key predictors of CRC screening. Adjustment for socio-economic determinants explained black-white disparities; further adjustment for physician supply explained Hispanic-white disparities. Physician distribution is a potentially remediable contributor to ethnic/racial disparities in CRC screening. Whether the United States is able to equitably meet future demand for screening may depend on access, physician supply, and organization of the health care system

Associations Between Exposure and Receptivity to Branded Cigarette Advertising and Subsequent Brand Preference Among US Young Adults

INTRODUCTION: Exposure and receptivity to cigarette advertising are well-established predictors of cigarette use overall. However, less is known about whether exposure and receptivity to advertising for specific brands of cigarettes (ie, Marlboro, Camel, and Newport) are longitudinally associated with any subsequent cigarette use and subsequent use of those specific brands. METHODS: We analyzed data from a US sample of 7325 young adults aged 18-24 years who completed both Wave 1 and Wave 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine (1) among Wave 1 never-smokers, associations between Wave 1 exposure and receptivity to advertising for Marlboro, Camel, and Newport and subsequent overall and brand-specific smoking initiation at Wave 2, and (2) among Wave 1 ever-smokers, associations between Wave 1 exposure and receptivity to advertising for Marlboro, Camel, and Newport and subsequent preference of those brands at Wave 2. RESULTS: Among Wave 1 young-adult never-smokers, exposure to Camel advertising, but not Marlboro or Newport, was associated with smoking initiation with any brand of cigarettes at Wave 2. Among Wave 1 young-adult ever-smokers, receptivity to Marlboro, Camel, and Newport advertising was associated with subsequent preference for each brand, respectively, at Wave 2. CONCLUSIONS: This study found evidence for the association between receptivity to branded cigarette marketing and subsequent use of that brand. These findings provide evidence regarding the pathways through which cigarette marketing attracts young adults to use cigarettes and can inform tobacco prevention and counter-marketing efforts. IMPLICATIONS: This study extends prior work on the effects of cigarette advertising exposure and receptivity by illustrating the brand specificity of this advertising. These findings provide evidence that receptivity to branded cigarette advertising is longitudinally associated with preference for those specific cigarette brands

Occurrence of Discussion about Lung Cancer Screening Between Patients and Healthcare Providers in the USA, 2017

Computed tomography lung cancer screening reduces lung cancer mortality. However, screening is underutilized. This study assesses the extent to which providers discuss lung cancer screening with their patients, as a lack of discussion and counseling may serve as a potential cause of low utilization rates. Data from 1667 adults aged 55–80 years sampled in the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey was utilized. A weighted multivariable logistic regression model was fit with past-year discussion about lung cancer screening with a provider as the outcome. The adjusted odds of discussion were higher for current cigarette smokers compared to non-cigarette smokers (adjusted odds ratio = 3.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75 to 8.74). Despite higher odds, the absolute prevalence was low with only 18% (95% CI, 11.8 to 24.2%) of current adult smokers reporting a past-year discussion. Knowledge of screening from trusted sources of medical information, such as doctors, can increase screening rates and may ultimately reduce lung cancer mortality