Public Health Commons^™

Towards A Global Policy Against Alcohol Marketing To Youth: Challenges And Recommendations For Research., Alisa Padon, Rajiv N Rimal

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reduced Nicotine Content Cigarettes In Smokers Of Low Socioeconomic Status: Study Protocol For A Randomized Control Trial., Nicolle M Krebs, Sophia I Allen, Susan Veldheer, Diane J Martinez, Kimberly Horn, Craig Livelsberger, Jennifer Modesto, Robin Kuprewicz, Ashley Wilhelm, Shari Hrabovsky, Abid Kazi, Alyse Fazzi, Jason Liao, Junjia Zhu, Emily Wasserman, Samantha M Reilly, Lisa Reinhart, Neil Trushin, Robinn E Moyer, Rebecca Bascom, Jonathan Foulds, John P Richie, Joshua E Muscat

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gave the Food and Drug Administration jurisdiction over the regulation of all tobacco products, including their nicotine content. Under this act, a major strategy to reduce harm from cigarette tobacco is lowering the nicotine content without causing unintended adverse consequences. Initial research on reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarettes has shown that smokers of these cigarettes gradually decrease their smoking frequency and biomarkers of exposure. The effectiveness of this strategy needs to be demonstrated in different populations whose response to RNC cigarettes might be substantially mediated by personal or environmental factors, such …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Smokers’ Perceptions About Lung Cancer Screening, Lindsay Gressard, Amy Degroff, Thomas B. Richards, Stephanie Melillo, Julia Kish-Doto, Christina L. Heminger, Elizabeth Rohan, Kristine Allen

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background

In 2013, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) began recommending lung cancer screening for high risk smokers aged 55–80 years using low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. In light of these updated recommendations, there is a need to understand smokers’ knowledge of and experiences with lung cancer screening in order to inform the design of patient education and tobacco cessation programs. The purpose of this study is to describe results of a qualitative study examining smokers’ perceptions around lung cancer screening tests.

Methods

In 2009, prior to the release of the updated USPSTF recommendations, we conducted 12 120-min, gender-specific …

Quantifying Syringe Exchange Program Operational Space In The District Of Columbia., Sean T. Allen, Monica Ruiz, Jeff Jones

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are effective structural interventions for HIV prevention among persons who inject drugs. In 2000, a buffer zone policy (the 1000 Foot Rule) was implemented in Washington, DC, that prohibited SEP operations within 1000 feet of schools. We examined changes in the amount of legal SEP operational space over time. We used data pertaining to school operations and their approximate physical property boundaries to quantify the impact of the 1000 Foot Rule on legal SEP operational space from its implementation in 2000-2013. Adherence to the 1000 Foot Rule reduced SEP operational space by more than 50 % …

Assessing Syringe Exchange Program Access Among Persons Who Inject Drugs (Pwid) In The District Of Columbia, Sean T. Allen, Monica S. Ruiz, Jeff Jones

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Prior research has explored spatial access to syringe exchange programs (SEPs) among persons who inject drugs (PWID), but these studies have been based on limited data from short periods of time. No research has explored changes in spatial access to SEPs among PWID longitudinally. The purpose of this research is to examine spatial access to SEPs among PWID who accessed services at a SEP in Washington, District of Columbia (DC), from 1996 to 2010. The geometric point distance estimation technique was used to calculate the mean walking distance PWID traveled from the centroid point of their zip code of home …

Smoking Cessation Support For Pregnant Women: Role Of Mobile Technology., Christina L Heminger, Jennifer M. Schindler-Ruwisch, Lorien C. Abroms

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Smoking during pregnancy has deleterious health effects for the fetus and mother. Given the high risks associated with smoking in pregnancy, smoking cessation programs that are designed specifically for pregnant smokers are needed. This paper summarizes the current landscape of mHealth cessation programs aimed at pregnant smokers and where available reviews evidence to support their use.

METHODS: A search strategy was conducted in June-August 2015 to identify mHealth programs with at least one component or activity that was explicitly directed at smoking cessation assistance for pregnant women. The search for text messaging programs and applications included keyword searches within …

Legal Space For Syringe Exchange Programs In Hot Spots Of Injection Drug Use-Related Crime., Sean T Allen, Monica S. Ruiz, Jeff Jones, Monique M Turner

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Copious evidence indicates that syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are effective structural interventions for HIV prevention among persons who inject drugs (PWID). The efficacy of SEPs in supporting the public health needs of PWID populations is partially dependent on their accessibility and consistent utilization among injectors. Research has shown that SEP access is an important predictor of PWID retention at SEPs, yet policies exist that may limit the geographic areas where SEP operations may legally occur. Since 2000 in the District of Columbia (DC), SEP operations have been subject to the 1000 Foot Rule (§48-1121), a policy that prohibits the …

Assessing Seasonality Of Travel Distance To Harm Reduction Service Providers Among Persons Who Inject Drugs., Sean T. Allen, Monica S. Ruiz, Amira Roess, Jeff Jones

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Prior research has examined access to syringe exchange program (SEP) services among persons who inject drugs (PWID), but no research has been conducted to evaluate variations in SEP access based on season. This is an important gap in the literature given that seasonal weather patterns and inclement weather may affect SEP service utilization. The purpose of this research is to examine differences in access to SEPs by season among PWID in the District of Columbia (DC).

FINDINGS: A geometric point distance estimation technique was applied to records from a DC SEP that operated from 1996 to 2011. We calculated …