Public Health

Background: Establishments dedicated to hookah tobacco smoking recently have proliferated and helped introduce hookah use to U.S. communities. Purpose: To conduct a comprehensive, qualitative assessment of websites promoting these establishments. Methods: In June 2009, a systematic search process was initiated to access the universe of websites representing major hookah tobacco smoking establishments. In 2009 –2010, codebook development followed an iterative paradigm involving three...

This video describes the peer reviewed paper, Wertz MS, Kyriss T, Paranjape S, Glantz SA (2011) The Toxic Effects of Cigarette Additives. Philip Morris' Project Mix Reconsidered: An Analysis of Documents Released through Litigation. PLoS Med 8(12): e1001145. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001145 Background In 2009, the promulgation of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tobacco regulation focused attention on cigarette flavor additives. The tobacco industry had prepared for this...

Background: Low vitamin D status may increase mortality risk. OBJECTIVE: We used nonparametric ("highest compared with lowest" categories) and parametric (>2 categories) statistical models to evaluate associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum concentrations and mortality in observational studies among general populations. DESIGN: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and reference lists for relevant articles. We included studies that contained data on relative risks (RRs)...

The assessment of iron status where infections are common is complicated by the effects of inflammation on iron indicators and in this study we compared approaches that adjust for this influence. Blood was collected in 680 children (aged 6–35 mo) and indicators of iron status [(hemoglobin (Hb), zinc protoporphyrin (ZP), ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), and TfR/ferritin index)] and subclinical inflammation [(the acute phase proteins (APP) C-reactive protein (CRP), and a-1-acid...

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, ~40% of children <5 y old are stunted, with levels that have remained largely unchanged over the past 2 decades. Although the complex determinants of undernutrition are well recognized, few studies have evaluated strategies that combine nutrition-specific, health-based approaches with food system– and livelihood-based interventions. Objective: We examined changes in childhood stunting and its determinants after 3 y of exposure to an integrated,...

"Home Smoking Bans Among U.S. Households with Children and Smokers" Background: Public health campaigns have reduced the exposure of U.S. children to secondhand smoke at home; however, these may not have been equally effective across subgroups. Purpose: To examine prevalence of home smoking bans among U.S. households with both children and smokers, over time and by demographic subgroups. Methods: The Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS) is a nationally...

BMJ 2011; 343:d5506 http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj.d5506 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21972295 ABSTRACT We constructed a state transition, compartmental, mathematical model of tuberculosis epidemics to estimate the impact of alternative future smoking trends on tuberculosis control. We projected tuberculosis incidence, prevalence, and mortality in each World Health Organization region from 2010 to 2050, and incorporated changing trends in smoking, case detection,...

Context: The IOM released an expert committee report in 2005 that assessed the nature, extent, and influence of food and beverage marketing practices on the diets and health of American children and adolescents. The report concluded that prevailing marketing practices did not support a healthful diet and offered recommendations for diverse stakeholders to promote a healthful diet. The investigators evaluated progress made by food, beverage, and restaurant companies; trade associations;...

American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Special Issue, Sitting and Health. Volume 41, Issue 2. August 2011.

Background: Sedentary activities such as video gaming are independently associated with obesity. Active video games, in which players physically interact with images on screen, may help increase physical activity and improve body composition. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of active video games over a 6-mo period on weight, body composition, physical activity, and physical fitness. Design: We conducted a 2-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial in...