American journal of public health最新文献

Objectives. To test whether countermarketing messages for sugary drinks lead to lower intentions to consume sugary drinks and less perceived weight stigma than health education messages. Methods. In August 2023, we conducted an online randomized controlled trial with US adults (n = 2169). We assessed the effect of countermarketing messages, health education messages, and neutral control messages on intentions to consume sugary drinks and perceived weight stigma. Results. Both countermarketing messages (Cohen d = -0.20) and health education messages (d = -0.35) led to lower intentions to consume sugary drinks than control messages (Ps < .001). However, both types of messages elicited more perceived weight stigma than control messages (ds = 0.87 and 1.29, respectively; Ps < .001). Countermarketing messages were less effective than health education messages at lowering intentions to consume sugary drinks (d for countermarketing vs health education = 0.14) but also elicited less perceived weight stigma than health education messages (d = -0.39; Ps < .01). Conclusions. Countermarketing messages show promise for reducing sugary drink consumption while eliciting less weight stigma than health education messages, though they may need to be refined further to minimize weight stigma and maximize effectiveness. Clinical Trial Number. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05953194. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(12):1354-1364. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307853).

The California Department of State Hospitals and Department of Public Health collaborated to develop infection control programs in five inpatient psychiatric hospitals in response to COVID-19. In the retrospective observational study described here, conducted from March 2020 through February 2023, we calculated seven-day rolling averages of COVID-19 cases overlaid with key interventions, communication strategies, and policies implemented to break down silos for a consistent and coordinated response. Our findings may inform others regarding effective strategies and partnerships with public health experts during future outbreaks. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(12):1317-1321. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307846).

Objectives. To determine whether job postings from employers seeking master of public health (MPH) graduates require skills aligning with Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH) competencies. Methods. I analyzed a data set of 70 343 job postings in the United States for MPH graduates from Lightcast, a data vendor that collects, cleans, and analyzes millions of job postings per year. I contrasted skills from the postings with CEPH competencies. Results. Most postings were from for-profit industry, academia and research, or hospitals and health care, with only 12% from government. The skills from job postings aligned well with CEPH competencies, but some CEPH competencies did not appear in the top skills in job postings. Conclusions. Although accredited public health degree programs provide key competencies demanded by employers, they can improve graduate employability by ensuring that their graduates also obtain specific technical skills listed in job postings. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(12):1388-1393. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307834).

Objectives. To estimate the effect of influenza vaccination disparities. Methods. We compared symptomatic influenza cases between Black and White races in 2 scenarios: (1) race- and age-specific vaccination coverage and (2) equal vaccination coverage. We also compared differences in household composition between races. We used the Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics, an agent-based model that assigns US Census‒based age, race, households, and geographic location to agents (individual people), in US counties of varying racial and age composition. Results. Influenza cases were highest in counties with higher proportions of children. Cases were up to 30% higher in Black agents with both race-based and race-equal vaccination coverage. Compared with corresponding categories of White households, cases in Black households without children were lower and with children were higher. Conclusions. Racial disparities in influenza cases persisted after equalizing vaccination coverage. The proportion of children in the population contributed to the number of influenza cases regardless of race. Differences in household composition may provide insight into racial differences and offer an opportunity to improve vaccination coverage to reduce influenza burden for both races. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print November 14, 2024:e1-e8. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307878).

Objectives. To provide a legal epidemiology review of state-level policies that regulate the direct delivery of recreational and medical cannabis in the United States. Methods. We conducted a comprehensive review to identify all relevant policies as of July 1, 2024. Specifically, we developed a coding scheme to capture laws governing (1) direct delivery of recreational cannabis, (2) licensing for direct delivery of recreational cannabis, (3) direct delivery of medical cannabis to qualifying patients, and (4) medical cannabis delivery solely from caregivers to qualified patients. Results. Fourteen states authorized the direct delivery of recreational cannabis to adults. Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia permitted the direct delivery of medical cannabis to qualifying patients. Twelve states allowed the delivery of medical cannabis to patients exclusively through caregivers. There were numerous variations in the licensing and authorization of recreational and medical cannabis delivery. Conclusions. States varied in how the delivery of cannabis was regulated. Public Health Implications. A comprehensive review of state-level policies on cannabis delivery highlights the diverse approaches and their implications for recreational and medical cannabis access. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print November 14, 2024:e1-e13. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307874).

Without perspectives of low-wage workers in studies of worker health and well-being, researchers cannot comprehensively assess occupational health and health equity impacts of workplace exposures and interventions. Researchers and practitioners have noted particular challenges in engaging low-wage workers in worksite-based health survey research, yet little scholarship has described strategies for improving their engagement and response rates. To fill this gap, we present case examples from 5 occupational studies conducted between 2020 and 2024 in industries including health care, food service, and fulfillment centers. For each case, we describe how we identified barriers to worker engagement in surveys, explain specific strategies we used to address those barriers, and assess the effectiveness of these actions. Then, summarizing across case examples, we offer practical recommendations to researchers surveying low-wage populations, highlighting that high-touch recruitment, building trust with workers and managers, and obtaining manager support to take surveys during work time (for worksite-based studies) are critical for obtaining reliable, representative data. Our work contributes to broader discussions on improving survey response rates in vulnerable worker populations and aims to support future researchers undertaking similar efforts. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print November 14, 2024:e1-e8. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307875).