Assessing the effects of social media based anti-tobacco campaigns on tobacco use among youth in Virginia: an agent-based simulation approach.

Anti-tobacco campaigns contributed to the great decline of adolescent cigarette smoking in the United States from 2000 to 2022. However, studies on the ways in which campaigns are designed and disseminated on social media to generate optimal impact are limited. We aim to examine the effect of various campaign designs implemented under different structures of social-network influencers on reducing tobacco use among youth in Virginia.

Assessing the effects of minimum floor price laws on tobacco use among youth in the state of Virginia, USA: an agent-based simulation approach.

Background: Preventing youth exposure to cigarette smoking is a public health priority. One of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use is to increase the prices of tobacco products. Minimum floor price laws (MFPLs) are a relatively new but more feasible strategy that sets a price below which the product cannot be sold.

Time trend analysis of osteoporosis prevalence among adults 50 years of age and older in the USA, 2005-2018.

Unlabelled: Using data from NHANES for years 2005-2018, we examined temporal trends in osteoporosis prevalence and the proportion of undiagnosed osteoporosis in the United States of America. Our results suggested statistically significant increases in osteoporosis prevalence across several demographic groups. These findings carry profound implications for public health, given increased life expectancy and burden of chronic diseases.

Public Response to Federal Electronic Cigarette Regulations Analyzed Using Social Media Data Through Natural Language Processing: Topic Modeling Study.

Background: e-Cigarette (electronic cigarette) use has been a public health issue in the United States. On June 23, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued marketing denial orders (MDOs) to Juul Labs Inc for all their products currently marketed in the United States. However, one day later, on June 24, 2022, a federal appeals court granted a temporary reprieve to Juul Labs that allowed it to keep its e-cigarettes on the market.

Social Media Data Mining of Antitobacco Campaign Messages: Machine Learning Analysis of Facebook Posts.

Background: Social media platforms provide a valuable source of public health information, as one-third of US adults seek specific health information online. Many antitobacco campaigns have recognized such trends among youth and have shifted their advertising time and effort toward digital platforms. Timely evidence is needed to inform the adaptation of antitobacco campaigns to changing social media platforms.

E-cigarette use during pregnancy and its association with adverse birth outcomes in the US.

The popularity of e-cigarette use among young adults is a growing concern. However, little is known about factors associated with e-cigarette use in pregnant women and birth outcomes. In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the influence of several factors on behavioral changes in e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy, and assessed the association between e-cigarette use and subsequent birth outcomes among pregnant women.

The Association Between Tobacco Retailer Outlet Density and Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in Virginia.

Objective: We examine the association between tobacco retail outlet density and adult smoking prevalence at the county level in Virginia, controlling for spatial autocorrelations.

Aims And Methods: Pooling data from 2020 County Health Rankings (compiled data from various sources including, but not limited to, the National Center for Health Statistics-Mortality Files, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and the American Community Survey) and Counter Tools, we conducted regression analyses that accounted for spatial autocorrelation (spatial lag models, LMlag) and adjusted for county-level access to healthcare, demographics, SES, environmental factors, risk conditions or behaviors, and population health measures.

Results: Our estimates provide evidence that every increase of one tobacco retail outlet per 1000 persons was associated with 1.

Trends in Use and Expenditures for Brand-name Statins After Introduction of Generic Statins in the US, 2002-2018.

Importance: The high and increasing expenditures for prescription medications in the US is a national problem.

Objective: To explore the association of generic statin competition on relevant use and cost savings and to provide use and expenditure trends for all available statins for private and public payers and for out-of-pocket spending.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This survey study evaluated data from the January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2018, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey by using a difference-in-differences analysis.

Associations between use of specific social media sites and electronic cigarette use among college students.

Objective: To examine dose-response associations between use of specific social media sites and the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and traditional cigarettes.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 298 first-year college students enrolled in the fall 2019 semester at a large state university. Heckman selection and Probit model were used to estimate associations between use of specific social media sites and e-cigarette/traditional cigarette use.

Does Physical Activity Predict Obesity-A Machine Learning and Statistical Method-Based Analysis.

Background: Obesity prevalence has become one of the most prominent issues in global public health. Physical activity has been recognized as a key player in the obesity epidemic.

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to (1) examine the relationship between physical activity and weight status and (2) assess the performance and predictive power of a set of popular machine learning and traditional statistical methods.

Healthfulness Assessment of Recipes Shared on Pinterest: Natural Language Processing and Content Analysis.

Background: Although Pinterest has become a popular platform for distributing influential information that shapes users' behaviors, the role of recipes pinned on Pinterest in these behaviors is not well understood.

Objective: This study aims to explore the patterns of food ingredients and the nutritional content of recipes posted on Pinterest and to examine the factors associated with recipes that engage more users.

Methods: Data were collected from Pinterest between June 28 and July 12, 2020 (207 recipes and 2818 comments).

Multi-morbidities are Not a Driving Factor for an Increase of COPD-Related 30-Day Readmission Risk.

Background And Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. COPD is expensive to treat, whereas the quality of care is difficult to evaluate due to the high prevalence of multi-morbidity among COPD patients. In the US, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was initiated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to penalize hospitals for excessive 30-day readmission rates for six diseases, including COPD.