American Journal of Preventive Medicine最新文献

Introduction: Testing for immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella should include only immunoglobulin G (IgG); immunoglobulin M (IgM) testing is appropriate only if acute illness is suspected. The appropriateness of measles, mumps, and rubella IgM testing was evaluated in a national administrative dataset.

Methods: Laboratory testing for measles, mumps, and rubella during 2019-2022 was analyzed in 2024 using HealthVerity administrative claims and laboratory data. IgG, IgM, and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing are described by year, demographics, and region. IgM testing was examined for appropriateness, defined as an IgM test combined with diagnostic codes indicative of acute illness.

Results: During 2019-2022, IgM testing represented a small proportion of serologic testing (measles: 3.3%, mumps: 2.4%, rubella: 2.1%) but appeared to be appropriately performed in only 15.4% of cases for measles, 32.8% of cases for mumps, and 10.2% of cases for rubella. IgM testing was more commonly performed for female patients, with the largest discrepancy seen for rubella (90.5% female vs 9.5% male). IgM for measles and mumps was more often performed appropriately for persons aged 0-19 years (37.6% and 60.1%) compared with persons aged 20-49 years (11.8% and 22.0%) and 50+ years (16.5% and 33.8%).

Conclusions: The majority of IgM testing for measles, mumps, and rubella during this period appeared inappropriate. Clinicians and health systems could ensure that IgG testing alone is performed when evaluating for immunity through modifications to electronic medical records and commercial laboratories could ensure that providers are able to test for IgG alone when evaluating immunity.

Introduction: Achieving a healthier balance of more time spent in physical activity (PA) and less time in sedentary behavior is now widely advocated for achieving multiple health benefits. This study introduces a Physical Activity and Sitting Time Balance Index (PASTBI), a potential risk identification tool addressing the interplay between PA and sedentary behavior; and aims to explore its association with the risk of all-cause mortality in Australian adults.

Methods: This prospective cohort study analyzed the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) data on 5,836 Australian adults. The PASTBI was calculated by dividing the total duration of PA (minutes/day) by the duration of sitting time (ST) (hours/day), both self-reported at baseline (2004-2005). The PASTBI was expressed in quartiles ranging from Q1 - low PA/high ST to Q4 - high PA/low ST. The association between PASTBI and all-cause mortality was explored (in 2022) using the Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for socio-demographics, lifestyle factors, waist circumference, and the number of comorbidities.

Results: During 78,406 person-years of follow-up (median follow-up of 14.3 years), there were 885 deaths (15%). In the fully adjusted model, compared to those in the highest PASTBI category (Quartile 4 - high PA/low ST), participants from the lowest PASTBI category (Quartile 1 - low PA/high ST) were at a higher risk of all-cause mortality [HR (95% CI) = 1.47 (1.21-1.79)].

Conclusions: A less favorable balance of time spent in PA and ST (as characterized by a parsimonious PASTBI index approach) was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality.

Introduction: The purpose of this analysis was to rapidly evaluate the potential costs, cost-effectiveness, and long-term effects of efforts by multisector community partnerships (MCPs) to improve chronic disease outcomes and advance health equity by addressing social determinants of health (SDOH).

Methods: In 2022, the evaluators partnered with 13 MCPs to collect data on start-up and ongoing costs for implementing SDOH interventions and on intervention reach and timing. In 2023, the team used the Prevention Impacts Simulation Model to estimate the longer-term impact of MCPs' efforts over 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods. The team also analyzed costs and cumulative 10- and 20-year cost-effectiveness of the MCPs' SDOH interventions.

Results: Over 20 years, SDOH interventions implemented by the 13 MCPs can potentially prevent 970 premature deaths and avert $105 million in medical costs and $408 million in productivity losses. The 20-year cumulative results show potential net costs of $38,300 per quality-adjusted life-year gained from the healthcare sector perspective and indicate potentially reduced costs and improved health outcomes from the societal perspective.

Conclusions: These findings can help inform and provide support for future investments in SDOH interventions. With a better understanding of costs needed to start up and implement SDOH interventions, funders, and MCPs can prepare for the resources required to do this work. Findings also suggest promising long-term impacts and potential cost-effectiveness for most MCP-implemented SDOH interventions.

Introduction: National-level data suggest that gun owners in the U.S. carry concealed weapons in public at growing rates. This research investigates whether these trends are associated with state adoption of more permissive concealed carry-licensing laws between 2002 and 2019.

Methods: Data were obtained from 31 U.S. states from 2002 to 2019. State-level rates of licenses issued, denied, and newly issued per 100,000 residents were calculated and compared across 3 state legal categories: (1) states that banned carrying-concealed weapons and adopted a shall-issue law, (2) states with a may-issue law that adopted a shall-issue law, and (3) states that made no changes to concealed carry-licensing laws. Difference-in-differences methods were used to compare the rate of licenses newly issued and denied in ban to shall-issue states relative to those in states with no concealed carry-licensing law change during the study timeframe. Data were analyzed in 2022-2023.

Results: States that transitioned from a ban on concealed weapons carrying to shall-issue laws were positively associated (2%-6%, SE=0.11-0.13) with additional new licenses relative to states that did not enact concealed carry-licensing law changes. Ban to shall-issue law changes were also associated with denial of substantially more licenses (75%-85%, SE=0.24-0.23). Furthermore, states that transitioned from may-issue to shall-issue laws awarded fewer licenses than those transitioning from a concealed weapons ban to shall-issue laws.

Conclusions: State-level concealed carry licensing may inform public health and safety policies as large restrictive U.S. states transition to more permissive concealed carry-licensing laws.

Introduction: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutritious foods to more than six million low-income families. In June 2021, WIC increased the amount of money provided for fruits and vegetables (FV), but studies have not investigated whether this increase changed WIC participant FV purchases. The objective was to estimate the association between the FV funding increase and WIC shopper FV purchases.

Methods: This evaluation uses longitudinal food transaction data from 496 stores in a grocery store chain in North Carolina between June 2020 and April 2022 and a propensity score weighted difference-in-differences (DID) approach to estimate the association between the FV funding increase and FV and other food group purchases. Analyses were conducted in 2023 and 2024.

Results: WIC shoppers' WIC-eligible FV purchases increased by $12.4 per shopper per month (adjusted confidence interval [ACI], $12.0-$12.9) after the FV benefit increase, which was $9.3 (ACI, $8.7-$10.0) more than non-WIC shoppers. The monthly volume and unique varieties of FV purchased also increased more among WIC shoppers relative to non-WIC shoppers (DID 67.1 ounces [ACI, 61.9-72.3] and DID 2.1 varieties [ACI, 2.0-2.3]). There were also increases in the volume of processed foods (DID 22.0 ounces [ACI, 17.2, 26.9]) and sugar-sweetened beverages (DID 49.1 ounces [ACI, 33.4, 64.9]) purchased among WIC shoppers relative to non-WIC shoppers.

Conclusions: Increased WIC FV funding was associated with greater FV purchases. Research is needed to understand the effects of this policy on total dietary intake.

Introduction: High cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has been associated with a lower risk of depression, anxiety, and cerebrovascular disease. The aim was to explore CRF changes over-time associated with these outcomes.

Methods: This large-scale prospective cohort study, using data from Swedish population-wide registries and databases (during 1972-2020), included men (n=131,431), with measures of estimated CRF (estCRF) in late adolescence (maximal cycle test) and adulthood (submaximal cycle test) (mean years between 24.6, SD 8.8). The study explored how change in estCRF was associated with incident depression, anxiety, and cerebrovascular disease using Cox proportional hazards models. Analyses were performed in 2023.

Results: Higher estCRF in late adolescence and adulthood were associated with a lower risk of incident depression, anxiety, and cerebrovascular disease later in life. For all three outcomes, an increase in estCRF (mL/min/kg and z-score) between the two-time points was associated with a lower risk. Further, decreasing from moderate or high estCRF in adolescence to low estCRF in adulthood, compared to staying at a moderate or high level, was associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety (HR: 1.24 95% CI 1.07-1.45 and 1.25 95% CI 1.06-1.49, respectively). Conversely, increasing from moderate to high estCRF was associated with a lower risk of incident anxiety (HR: 0.84 95% CI 0.71-0.99).

Conclusions: The findings indicate that there is a longitudinal association between negative change in estCRF and increased risk of depression, anxiety, and cerebrovascular disease later in life. Decreasing levels of estCRF could be a helpful indicator when identifying these disorders at a population level.