Jerome E. Kotecki

Pharmacists' concerns and suggestions related to the sale of tobacco and alcohol in pharmacies.

A random sample of Pharmacists in Indiana was selected and surveyed regarding their thoughts and comments on the sale of tobacco and alcoholic products by pharmacies. A total of 212 pharmacists provided written responses to an open-ended question. The replies were then synthesized into major themes. The majority of comments categorized revealed strong opposition to pharmacies selling tobacco and alcohol products. The most frequently occurring message regarding the sale of these products by pharmacies was that it goes against the pharmacists role as a professional health care provider and may harm their image. For some pharmacists, this issue posed a moral dilemma between caring for patient safety and the economic incentives provided by the sale of tobacco and alcohol. Based on these findings, a follow-up phone survey was conducted to solicit suggestions from pharmacists on how to advocate against the sale of tobacco and alcohol by pharmacies. The majority of pharmacists strongly recommended that they need to do more among themselves and within their store environment, rather than have regulations imposed on pharmacies when it comes to limiting the sale of these products.

The Psychometric Properties of PHQ-4 Depression and Anxiety Screening Scale Among College Students

Depression and anxiety are some of the most common causes of morbidity, social dysfunction, and reduced academic performance in college students. The combination of improved surveillance and access to care would result in better outreach. Brief screening tools can help reach larger populations of college students efficiently. However, reliability and validity of brief screeners for anxiety and depression have not been assessed in college students. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess in a sample of college students the psychometric properties of PHQ-4, a brief screening tool for depression and anxiety. Undergraduate students were recruited from general education classes at a Midwestern university. Students were given a questionnaire that asked them whether they had been diagnosed by a doctor or health professional with anxiety or depression. Next, they were asked to respond to the items on the PHQ-4 scale. A total of 934 students responded to the survey (response rate=72%). Majority of the participants were females (63%) and Whites (80%). The internal reliability of PHQ-4 was found to be high (α=0.81). Those who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety had statistically significantly higher scores on PHQ-4 (p<0.01). Corrected item total correlations for PHQ-4 were between r=0.66 and r=0.80. PHQ-4 operating characteristics were estimated and area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.835 and 0.787, respectively for anxiety and depression. The PHQ-4 is a reliable and valid tool that can serve as a mass screener for depression and anxiety in young adults. Widespread implementation of this screening tool should be explored across college campuses.

Mind–Body Interventions Applications and Potential Opportunities for Health Education Practice

Mind–body interventions (MBIs) have become increasingly popular. In the current article, we examine the potential role of MBIs for improving health and promoting wellness. We first describe typologies of MBIs and prevalence of their use. We also examine the efficacy evidence about how MBIs offer many psychological and physiological benefits, including reductions in disease symptoms and improvements in coping, behavior regulations, quality of life, and well-being. We further discuss how the health education discipline has long supported the inherent holism of the human being, the importance of healing potential of the mind on one’s health, and values capacity for self-regulation and describe the potential opportunities for health educators as it relates to MBIs. Finally, we discuss implications for the profession of health education and promotion.