Laura A. McClure

Correlates of smoking among young adults: The role of lifestyle, attitudes/beliefs, demographics, and exposure to anti-tobacco media messaging

BACKGROUND Young adults (18-24 years) have the highest smoking rate of any age group. Unlike youth/adult populations where there is one primary message targeting behavior, anti-tobacco campaigns targeting young adults should contain messages of prevention and cessation. The objective was to identify factors influencing young adult cigarette use, employing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logic model, with an emphasis on the role of lifestyle, tobacco use tolerance, and attitudes/beliefs. METHODS Cross-sectional data were collected from 4401 young adults using telephone interviews in 2010 as part of the evaluation for the Tobacco Free Florida Campaign. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between current smoking status and lifestyles, tolerance of tobacco use, and attitude/belief variables. RESULTS The young adult cigarette prevalence rate is 20.3%, with males more likely to be smokers (25.1%) than females (15.6%) and non-Hispanic Whites more likely to be smokers than other racial/ethnic groups (23.8%). Significant associations were found between lifestyle variables (frequent bar/club, drinks per month, and number of friends who smoke), tolerance of tobacco use (allow smoke in house/car and moderate tobacco use), and four attitude/belief indices and current smoking behavior. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest lifestyles and attitudes/beliefs should be key behavioral targets of prevention programs aimed at young adults. Data strongly suggest that as young adults reject negative labels attached to smokers, they are more likely to smoke. Prevention (and cessation) programs may need to reduce barriers that result in segregating nonsmokers/smokers so smokers can have an increased chance of adopting attitudes/beliefs of nonsmokers.

Dry eye medication use and expenditures: data from the medical expenditure panel survey 2001 to 2006.

Purpose: To study dry eye medication use and expenditures from 2001 to 2006 using a nationally representative sample of US adults. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed dry eye medication use and expenditures of participants of the 2001 to 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative subsample of the National Health Interview Survey. After adjusting for survey design and for inflation using the 2009 inflation index, data from 147 unique participants aged 18 years or older using the prescription medications Restasis and Blephamide were analyzed. The main outcome measures were dry eye medication use and expenditures from 2001 to 2006. Results: Dry eye medication use and expenditures increased between the years 2001 and 2006, with the mean expenditure per patient per year being

Prevalence of Mindfulness Practices in the US Workforce: National Health Interview Survey

55 in 2001 to 2002 (n = 29),

Visual Acuity and Increased Mortality: The Role of Allostatic Load and Functional Status

137 in 2003 to 2004 (n = 32), and

Geographical Variation in Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older US Adults, 1997–2010

299 in 2005 to 2006 (n = 86). This finding was strongly driven by the introduction of topical cyclosporine emulsion 0.05% (Restasis; Allergan, Irvine, CA). In analysis pooled over all survey years, demographic factors associated with dry eye medication expenditures included gender (female:

Are Cancer Survivors Physically Active? A Comparison by US States.

244 vs. male:

Young adult former ever smokers: the role of type of smoker, quit attempts, quit aids, attitudes/beliefs, and demographics.

122, P < 0.0001), ethnicity (non-Hispanic:

Risky drinking in the older population: A comparison of Florida to the rest of the US

228 vs. Hispanic:

Ocular screening adherence across Hispanic/Latino heritage groups with diabetes: results from the Ocular SOL ancillary to the Miami site of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

106, P < 0.0001), and education (greater than high school:

State Variations of Chronic Disease Risk Factors in Older Americans

250 vs. less than high school: