Biomedical subjects

Linda L Pederson

Publications and source records attributed to Linda L Pederson.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A national surveillance system for tracking tobacco news stories.

BACKGROUND: Two of the major goals of tobacco prevention and control activities are to change social norms and influence policy. The news media can play an important role for achieving both goals. METHODS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office on Smoking and Health created a surveillance system to track tobacco stories in the news media beginning in 2004. The system was developed based on reviewing lessons from previous news media tracking efforts, including defining the purpose of the system, using a parsimonious approach to sample media outlets, and attending to data-quality issues. Tobacco news stories were systematically identified and coded from ten newspapers, four news wire services, and seven national television networks. RESULTS: Findings indicated that from January 2004 through June 2005, tobacco-related stories were in selected major newspapers virtually every day. More than 70% of all newspaper stories contained one of only three main story themes: policy or regulation (31.0%), legal issues (23.8%), or health effects or statistics (18.1%). Television news stories on tobacco were much less common, but increased substantially during the first 6 months of 2005 compared to 2004. Health effects/statistics (50.5%) were the dominant theme for television, with policy/regulation a distant second (19.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco-related media coverage can be systematically tracked and characterized. These findings may have value to public health researchers and policymakers who wish to evaluate efforts to curb tobacco-related disease.

Mass Media↗

PubMed2006

Variables related to tobacco use among young adults: are there differences between males and females?

We sought to determine the association of four categories (chunks) of variables: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) family and friends smoking and other drug use, (3) psychosocial factors and attitude, and (4) lifestyle factors to current smoking as compared to never smoking among Canadian young adults. A cohort of 1270 young adults, followed for 10 years, completed a self-administered questionnaire. In multivariable analyses, the best final model for both genders did not include the psychosocial and attitudinal categories, but did contain variables in the demographic, family and friends, and lifestyle categories. Interventions for reducing smoking among young adults may be similar for males and females, a conclusion that differs from conclusions based on findings from younger age groups.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Reactions of young adult smokers to warning labels on cigarette packages.

BACKGROUND: In 1984, the United States Congress enacted legislation requiring four new warning labels for cigarettes; warning labels in the United States have not changed since then. Other countries, such as Canada, have taken a more active and aggressive approach. The purpose of this study was to examine how U.S. smokers and former smokers might respond to stronger and more graphic warnings for U.S. cigarettes packages. METHODS: Data were collected in 2003 and analyzed in 2004. The perceived impact and effectiveness of the more-explicit Canadian labels was examined among young adult smokers (n=572) and former smokers (n=191) between the ages of 18 and 24 years in the United States, using a web-based survey that allowed participants to view both the text-only and the text-plus-graphic warning labels. RESULTS: Both current and former smokers thought that cigarette warning labels with text plus graphics were substantially more of a deterrent than text-only labels. The perceived effectiveness of these labels was not only higher overall, but also for the specific areas of smoking-related health effects, prevention, cessation, and maintenance of abstinence. Few differences were noted by gender. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study support previous research that has found that text-plus-graphic warning labels are more salient and potentially more effective than text-only labels.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

A web-based smoking cessation and prevention curriculum for medical students: why, how, what, and what next.

This paper summarises some major developments in medical education relating to the health risks of tobacco and to training in tobacco cessation and prevention strategies, and discusses some of the barriers to training. We also describe a project whose purpose was to design, implement and evaluate a web-based self-study tobacco curriculum for medical students to teach medical students to assist smokers to quit and to counsel non-smoking adolescents not to start smoking. This curriculum addresses some of the barriers, namely lack of curriculum time, lack of access to materials and experts, and relevance of the materials. The project was designed and evaluated at two medical schools in Georgia: Morehouse School of Medicine and Mercer University School of Medicine. A curriculum on tobacco control strategies and techniques designed for use in clinical settings was made available to first-year medical students as interactive computer-based tutorials. The curriculum, based on the US Public Health Service Clinical Guideline for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, was divided into two parts: the tutorial and practicum sections. Pre- and post-exposure measures were collected for the evaluation. The mean differences for correctly answered knowledge items in the two schools were similar: mean for Morehouse was +2.07 and for Mercer +1.67, indicating improvements in knowledge for both schools. There were statistically significant improvements in all categories of self-rated ability to perform six counselling skills, except for Mercer students for the 'Ask' skill category (p=0.069). The amount of exposure (measured only at Morehouse) was not related to overall change in scores but was associated with self-reported improvement in skill in assisting patients to quit smoking, confidence in counselling patients not interested in quitting, and confidence in counselling teens. The web-based curriculum successfully improved the students' self-rated counselling skills. Given the need and desire on the part of practitioners for training, the curriculum may be found useful by practising physicians and other health-care professionals who wish to improve their skills in smoking prevention and cessation.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A review of interventions to reduce tobacco use in colleges and universities.

BACKGROUND: Interventions have been designed to reduce the prevalence of smoking in college/university students. This review presents a summary and synthesis of the interventions published in English from 1980 to the present. METHODS: Seven databases were searched for relevant published articles, and reference lists were examined for additional published studies. The studies were categorized as (1) individual approaches, such as on-campus cessation programs, and (2) institutional approaches, such as smoke-free policies. The studies were categorized by type of institution and geographic location, study design, sample demographics, and outcomes. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were identified; only five received a "satisfactory" rating based on evaluation criteria. Most studies were based on convenience samples, and were conducted in 4-year institutions. Seven studies used comparison groups, and three were multi-institutional. Individual approaches included educational group sessions and/or individual counseling that were conducted on campus mostly by healthcare personnel. None used nicotine replacement or other medications for cessation. The quit rates for both smokeless tobacco and cigarette users varied, depending on definitions and duration of follow-up contact. Institutional interventions focused mainly on campus smoking restrictions, smoke-free policies, antitobacco messages, and cigarette pricing. Results indicated that interventions can have a positive influence on student behavior, specifically by reducing tobacco use (i.e., prevalence of cigarette smoking and use of smokeless products, amount smoked) among college students, and increasing acceptability of smoking policies and campus restrictions among both tobacco users and nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: While some promising results have been noted, rigorous evaluations of a wider range of programs are needed, along with studies that address cultural and ethnic diversity on campuses.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Smoking cessation: what works in primary care settings.

This paper presents evidence-based strategies for assisting patients in quitting smoking. Summaries of the effectiveness of advice alone, varying levels of behavioral counseling, nicotine replacement therapies, and bupropion either alone or in combinations are presented. We describe two web-based resources, one that offers guidance to practitioners and another that is intended as a training tool for students or healthcare professionals on ways to intervene with patients who smoke. The training curriculum contains both didactic material based on the U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline and tutorials with simulated patients depicting various types of real-life scenarios. The curriculum can meet the need for training among both students and practitioners in medicine, nursing, health education, dentistry, and other healthcare professions.

Bupropion↗

PubMed2004

Psychosocial variables in a cohort of students in grades 8 and 11: a comparison of current and never smokers.

BACKGROUND: Specific hypotheses regarding putative mechanisms by which stressful life events might be related to smoking initiation among adolescents have been tested cross-sectionally on a cohort of 1598 grade 6 students in Scarborough, Canada. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of these cross-sectional models in accounting for current smoking as compared to never smoking when this cohort was in grades 8 and 11. METHODS: Current smoking was defined as reported regular or occasional smoking. Logistic regression and multiple regression models were tested separately for each gender and grade with variables entered in prespecified steps. RESULTS: Current smoking is more strongly related to psychosocial variables and environmental variables among older male adolescents as compared to younger ones. In older female adolescents, current smoking appears to be more strongly related to attitude variables and less strongly related to psychosocial variables than among younger female adolescents. There is some evidence that grade 11 males may use cigarettes as a coping strategy for depression. CONCLUSIONS: Male and female students differ in how stress and a range of psychosocial factors are interrelated with regards to current smoking and these relationships appear to change over time.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Does a relationship exist between body weight, concerns about weight, and smoking among adolescents? An integration of the literature with an emphasis on gender.

It has been speculated that body weight and concern about body weight are important factors in initiation of tobacco use among adolescents, particularly females. An examination of studies that have explored these relationships can provide important information on possible underlying mechanisms that could be used for prevention interventions. This review summarizes recent studies examining weight concerns and youth smoking, with a focus on gender differences. These studies were integrated with the few studies that have examined the relationship between actual body weight and smoking among adolescents. A total of 55 primary research articles met inclusion criteria for the review. Of these, 19 studies assessed the relationship between body weight and smoking, and 50 studies addressed weight concerns and smoking. Some evidence indicated a positive relationship between smoking and body weight among adolescents, although not all studies found a positive association. In terms of the relationship between weight concerns and adolescent smoking, the amount of evidence supporting a positive association differed depending on the dimension of weight concern considered, with the strongest evidence for dieting behaviors. For dieting behaviors, disordered eating symptoms, and some aspects of general weight concerns, the positive relationship with smoking was more consistent among female adolescents than among male adolescents. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed, and priorities for future research are identified.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Nondaily smokers: a descriptive analysis.

To describe the characteristics of persons in the United States who smoke but do not smoke daily, we analyzed 1997-1998 data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The NHIS collects self-reported information on cigarette smoking from a representative sample of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 18 years or older through in-home surveys. Nondaily smokers were defined as persons who had ever smoked 100 cigarettes, smoked "some days," and smoked on fewer than 30 of the past 30 days. In 1997-1998, an estimated 16.0% of current smokers were nondaily smokers. Being a nondaily smoker was more common among smokers aged 18-24 years (19.9%) than among those aged 45-64 years (12.0%), more common among Black and Hispanic smokers (19.2% and 29.9%, respectively) than among White smokers (13.9%), and more common among smokers with at least a college education (28.2%) than among those with 9-11, 12, or 13-15 years of education (10.0%, 12.5%, or 15.9%, respectively). Mean cigarettes smoked per day for those who had smoked on 1-9, 10-19, and 20-29 of the past 30 days equaled 3.9, 5.3, and 7.0, respectively, compared with 19.0 for daily smokers. Nondaily smokers were more likely than daily smokers to have a quit attempt in the past year (55.2% vs. 40.0%). In conclusion, rates of nondaily smoking vary substantially by age, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment. Differences by education suggest that this behavior may be influenced by knowledge and social norms. Nondaily smoking may be a useful intermediate outcome for assessing changes in smoking prevalence. Cessation interventions need to be tailored for nondaily smokers, who may differ from daily smokers in important ways.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace: serum cotinine by occupation.

To examine workplace exposure to secondhand smoke by occupation, we analyzed data from The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (1988 to 1994), a nationally representative sample of the noninstitutionalized population. The analysis was restricted to 4952 employed nonsmoking adults who reported no home exposure to cigarette smoke. Occupations were assigned to 40 groups and 7 categories. Among the categories, geometric mean serum cotinine (ng/mL) ranged from 0.09 for farming/forestry/fishing occupations to 0.22 for operators/fabricators/laborers (median, 0.16). The lowest values were observed among farmers and nursery workers (0.06) and the highest among waiters (0.47). Between 1988 to 1991 and 1991 to 1994, the overall geometric mean cotinine and the proportion reporting that they could smell smoke at work decreased significantly. In conclusion, workplace exposure to secondhand smoke varied by occupation, and decreases in exposure occurred between 1988 to 1991 and 1991 to 1994.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Do sex and ethnic differences in smoking initiation mask similarities in cessation behavior?

OBJECTIVES: This study compared success in smoking cessation by sex, ethnic status, and birth cohort. METHODS: African and European American respondents to the 1996 Current Population Survey (tobacco supplement) and the 1987 National Health Interview Survey (cancer control and cancer epidemiology supplements) constituted the study population. Elapsed time from smoking initiation to cessation was compared via nonparametric tests and survival analysis techniques. RESULTS: Findings showed that success in quitting was independent of ethnic status and sex and that population differences in smoking initiation age (assuming no differences in quitting behavior) could produce statistical associations between sex/ethnicity and smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Population differences in smoking initiation patterns can mask similarities in cessation rates.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Is 'stage of change' related to knowledge of health effects and support for tobacco control?

We examine the heterogeneity among current and former smokers categorized by 'stage of change' with respect to their perceptions about tobacco and tobacco control. Current and former smokers (n = 846) from a general population sample of adults in Ontario, Canada, were subdivided according to the stages of change categories (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination) and compared on measures of knowledge, attitudes, and support. Multivariate analyses were conducted adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Adjusted overall increases across the six stages were observed for seven of eight knowledge items and for all attitude and support items. Among current smokers, adjusted increases across the three stages were detected for a majority of items. However, statistically significant differences from one stage to the next, across all three current smoker stages, were detected only for one item. Among former smokers, adjusted increases across the three stages were observed for a minority of items. The stages of change classification was useful for differentiating subgroups of current smokers with regard to knowledge, attitudes, and support for tobacco control measures.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Young adult smoker risk perceptions of traditional cigarettes and nontraditional tobacco products.

OBJECTIVE: To explore risk perceptions of traditional and nontraditional tobacco products (NTPs) among young adult smokers. METHODS: Focus groups with African Americans, non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanics. Risk ratings of light, regular, and menthol cigarettes and of NTPs and marijuana and cigarettes were compared. RESULTS: Participants tended to view light cigarettes as safer than regular cigarettes. Shisha and herbal products were rated as safer than traditional cigarettes, but there were differences in ratings by race/ethnicity, related to preferred cigarette variety. CONCLUSIONS: Health communication messages about the use of cigarettes and NTPs should consider risk perceptions about the products and racial/ethnic differences.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The potential effectiveness of warning labels on cigarette packages: the perceptions of young adult Canadians.

BACKGROUND: Since 1989 when health warning labels appeared on Canadian cigarette packages, the labels have changed from text only covering less than one quarter of the package to text and graphics covering over half the package. This study examines how Canadians in their 20s feel about the current graphic warning labels and their potential to prevent smoking and encourage quitting. METHODS: Participants between 20 and 24 years of age were part of a 10-year cohort study begun when the group was in Grade 6, with the purpose of examining factors that may affect smoking. Five questions about warning labels were added to the 2002 questionnaire requesting information on perceptions of the labels and their potential impact on smoking behaviours of young adults. One item had been included in previous questionnaires. RESULTS: 32.8% (n = 1267) of the respondents were smokers, with males (35.6%) being more likely to smoke than females (30.4%). Current smokers were less likely than experimental/ex-smokers to believe that warning labels with stronger messages would make people their age less likely to smoke. Female current smokers were more likely to think about quitting. CONCLUSION: Despite the efforts taken in developing the labels, some young adults are skeptical about their effects. Warning labels may have to be modified to target issues that are relevant to young adults; gender differences are important in this modification. Warning labels can offer an additional component to a comprehensive tobacco control program, in that they provide health information.

Adult↗