Skyrocketing JUUL Sales Especially Popular Among Youth

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Brian King, PhD
Lead author and Deputy Director for Research Translation
Office on Smoking and Health.
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Since first entering the U.S. marketplace in 2007, e-cigarettes have been a rapidly evolving product class. Typically, national surveys provide annual, self-reported estimates of e-cigarette use among adults and youth. However, given the dynamic nature of the e-cigarettes landscape, data collected at a sub-annual level can be useful for identifying rapid changes and patterns. For example, retail sales data, which is available at more frequent intervals, such as weekly, can complement annual surveys and help keep a pulse on emerging trends. This study assessed e-cigarette retail sales data in the United States from 2013 through 2017.

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Puppies From Commercial Dog Industry Source of Multistate Diarrhea Infections

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Mark Laughlin, DVM
Veterinary Medical Officer
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

How common are Campylobacter infections? How does a Campylobacter infection typically present?

Response: Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States, causing an estimated 1.3 million illnesses each year. Most people with Campylobacter infection usually have diarrhea (often bloody), fever, and abdominal cramps. The diarrhea may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. These symptoms usually start within 2 to 5 days after exposure and last about a week.

Most illnesses from Campylobacter likely occur due to eating raw or undercooked poultry, or from eating something that touched raw or undercooked poultry. Some illnesses can occur from contact with contaminated water, contact with animals, or from drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk.

Since 2009, 13 outbreaks of human Campylobacter infections linked to contact with dogs have been reported to CDC. These outbreaks account for a reported 47 illnesses and 2 hospitalizations.

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Almost 2 Million Children Suffer Traumatic Brain Injury Each Year

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa

Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa, PhD
Senior Health Scientist
Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Traumatic brain injury in children results in a large number of emergency department visits each year and can result in long term difficulties
The purpose of this study was to estimate lifetime prevalence of TBI in children based on a nationally representative sample of U.S. parents/adults and to describe the association between TBI and other childhood health conditions.
CDC researchers examined the National Survey of Children’s Health, a cross-sectional telephone survey of U.S. households, to provide a national estimate of TBI in children.

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Gender Nonconformity Strongly Associated With Substance Abuse Among Male Students

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Johns

Michelle M Johns, MPH, PhD
Health Scientist
Division of Adolescent and School Health
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Gender nonconformity is an under-researched area of adolescent health that is often linked to negative health outcomes. To address this gap, we analyzed Youth Risk Behavior Survey data to describe the associations between gender nonconformity and risk behaviors, including mental distress, and substance use.

Gender nonconformity was associated with feeling sad and hopeless, as well as suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors among female and male students. In addition, gender nonconformity was strongly associated with substance use among male students.

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CDC: Homicide Rates At Least 10 Times Higher For Young Adult Blacks Than Whites

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Sheats

Dr. Kameron Sheats PhD
Licensed Psychologist; Behavioral Scientist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: This study updates literature on racial disparities in violence between black and white youth using data capturing different severity levels in violent outcomes such as homicide versus assault. This study also seeks to increase the understanding of the impact of these disparities by examining associations between disparities in childhood adversity (e.g., child abuse and neglect, exposure to violence, household challenges) and adult health conditions.

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CDC Identifies Risk Factors for Adverse Childhood Experiences

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Merrick

Melissa T. Merrick, PhD
Behavioral Scientist,
Surveillance Branch, Division of Violence Prevention
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Childhood experiences build the foundation for health throughout a person’s life. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences, which occur in childhood. Exposure to ACEs, especially for young people without access to safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments, can impact health in many ways, including increased risk of chronic disease, engagement in risky behaviors, limited life opportunities, and premature death.

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More Than 2 Million High School Students Have Used Marijuana in an E-Cigarette

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Trivers

Katrina Trivers, PhD, MSP
Lead author and lead epidemiologist
Office on Smoking and Health
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Although we’ve seen considerable declines in the use of regular cigarettes among U.S. youth over the past several decades, the tobacco product landscape is evolving, and the use of other tobacco products have become increasingly popular. For example, as of 2014, e-cigarettes have become the most commonly used tobacco product among US youth. During 2011-2015, e-cigarette use increased 900% among U.S. high school students before declining in 2016. No change was observed in 2017, with about 2 million youth, including 12% of high school students and 3% of middle school students, reporting they had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.

This is a public health concern because the use of any form of tobacco product is unsafe among youth, irrespective of whether it’s smoked, smokeless, or electronic. The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that the aerosol emitted from e-cigarettes is not harmless. It can contain harmful ingredients, including nicotine, carbonyl compounds, and volatile organic compounds known to have adverse health effects. The nicotine in these products is of particular concern given that nicotine exposure during adolescence can cause addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain.

In recent years, many youth have also been using other psychoactive substances in e-cigarettes, including cannabinoids and other illicit drugs. This could have been fueled, in part, by shifts in the social acceptability and access to cannabis as several states have or are considering legalized cannabis sales for adults. A previous CDC study found that in 2015, almost 1 in 3 students reported using e-cigarettes with non-nicotine substances. However, it wasn’t possible to identify what exactly those substances were based on the question. Given the high concurrent use of tobacco and other substances, including cannabis, a more detailed question was added to a future survey to assess the use of cannabis in e-cigarettes among U.S. youth. This study presents the findings from that question.

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CDC Finds Millions Still Have Heart Disease Risk Factors

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Hilary K. Wall, MPH
Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Despite decades-long reductions in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, CVD mortality rates have recently plateaued and even increased in some subgroups, and the prevalence of CVD risk factors remains high. Million Hearts 2022, a 5-year initiative with a goal of preventing one million heart attacks, strokes and other acute cardiovascular events by 2022, was launched in 2017 to address this burden. This report establishes a baseline for the CVD risk factors targeted for reduction by the initiative during 2017–2021 and highlights recent changes over time.

These risk factors include: the “ABCS” of cardiovascular disease prevention: Aspirin when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation; combustible tobacco product use; physical inactivity; and mean daily sodium intake.

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Medicaid Expansion May Increase Access to Birth Control and Family Planning Services

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Moniz

Michelle H. Moniz, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2800

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: We wanted to examine whether Medicaid expansion in Michigan was associated with improved access to birth control/family planning services in our state. We conducted a survey of enrollees in the Michigan Medicaid expansion program (called “Healthy Michigan Plan”).

We found that 1 in 3 women of reproductive age reported improved access to birth control/family planning services after joining HMP. Women who were younger, who were uninsured prior to joining HMP, and those who had recently seen a primary care clinician were most likely to report improved access. Continue reading →

CDC Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Mild Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Breiding

Matt Breiding, PhD
Team Lead, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
Center for Disease Control and Prevention

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or body, a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can lead to short- or long-term problems that can affect how a child thinks, acts, feels, and learns. CDC’s Pediatric mTBI Guideline is based on the most comprehensive review of the science on pediatric mTBI diagnosis and management to date—covering 25 years of research.

The guideline consists of 19 sets of clinical recommendations that cover diagnosis, prognosis, and management and treatment. These recommendations are applicable to healthcare providers who care for pediatric patients with mTBI in all practice settings and outline actions healthcare providers can take to improve the health of their patients with this injury.

The CDC Pediatric mTBI Guideline outlines specific actions healthcare providers can take to help young patients and includes 5 key recommendations. Specifically, they recommend that physicians:

Refrain from routinely imaging pediatric patients to diagnose mTBI.
Use validated, age-appropriate symptom scales to diagnose mTBI.
Assess for risk factors for prolonged recovery, including: history of mTBI or other brain injury, severe symptom presentation immediately after the injury, and personal characteristics and family history (such as learning difficulties and family and social stressors).
Provide patients with instructions on returning to activity customized to their symptoms.
Counsel patients to return gradually to non-sports activities after no more than a 2-3 days of rest.

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Opioid Prescriptions Drop After 2016 CDC Guidelines Released

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Gery Guy

Gery P. Guy Jr., PhD, MPH
Senior Health Economist
Division of Unintentional Injury
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: In response to the increasing harms and adverse outcomes from prescription opioids, the CDC released the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain in March 2016. The CDC Guideline recommends evidence-based practices for opioid use for patients age 18 years and older in primary care settings in treating chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

This report analyzed the temporal changes in opioid prescribing following the release of the CDC Guideline.

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Antibiotics Leading Cause of Pediatric Adverse Drug Events in ER

Posted on August 25, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Maribeth C. Lovegrove, MPH
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA 30333).

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: There has been a lot of recent attention on reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in order to reduce antibiotic resistance (a longer-term harm). However, antibiotic use also can lead to shorter-term harms like allergic reactions and other side effects. With this analysis, we wanted to focus on the acute harms to individual pediatric patients from antibiotic use in order to help target prevention efforts. Specifically, we used data from two national data sources to identify the antibiotics with the highest numbers of emergency department visits for adverse drug events and the highest rates of emergency department visits for adverse drug events (accounting for amount of antibiotic prescriptions dispensed) and to identify the pediatric patients with the highest risks.

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CDC: Multiple States Report Salmonella Infections From Backyard Poultry

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/backyard-flocks-06-18/index.html

Dr. Megin Nichols

Dr. Megin Nichols DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Lead , Enteric Zoonoses Activity
Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
CDC Veterinarian

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this announcement?

Response: Each year, CDC and multiple states investigate several multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry in backyard flocks. Seventy outbreaks of Salmonella infections have been linked to contact with poultry in backyard flocks since 2000.

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CDC Reports Salmonella Reading Outbreak: Urges Food Preparation Precautions

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Aaron E. Glatt, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FSHEA
Chairman, Department of Medicine & Hospital Epidemiologist
South Nassau Communities Hospital
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Oceanside, NY 11572

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for the CDC alert regarding a multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Reading infections linked to raw turkey products? Is this Salmonella strain different or more dangerous than other Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks?

Response: The CDC has reported that as of yesterday, there have been 90 people infected with Salmonella Reading from 26 states. No deaths have been reported, but 40 patients to date required hospitalization. There was a previous outbreak of S. Reading in 2016 related to contaminated alfalfa sprouts, but this organism is not that much different nor is it more virulent than many other salmonella strains. Continue reading →

Antibiotics Still Overprescribed in Many Outpatient Settings

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Katherine Fleming-Dutra, MD, senior author Deputy Director Office of Antibiotic Stewardship CDC

Dr. Fleming-Dutra

Dr. Katherine Fleming-Dutra MD
Deputy Director
Office of Antibiotic Stewardship
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Antibiotics are life-saving medications that treat bacterial infections. Any time antibiotics are used, they can lead to antibiotic resistance and could cause side effects such as rashes and adverse events, such as Clostridium difficile infection, which is a very serious and sometimes even fatal diarrheal disease. This is why it is so important to only use antibiotics when they are needed. When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you and the side effects could still hurt you.

A previous study* reported at least 30% of antibiotic prescriptions written in doctor’s offices and emergency departments were unnecessary. However, the data from that study did not include urgent care centers or retail health clinics. We conducted the current analysis to examine antibiotic prescribing patterns in urgent care centers, retail health clinics, emergency departments, and medical offices.

*Fleming-Dutra, K., et al. (2016). “Prevalence of Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescriptions Among US Ambulatory Care Visits, 2010-2011.” JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association 315(17): 1864-1873. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2518263

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CDC’s Change in HIV Policy Impacted Providers’ Role in Prevention

Posted on June 26, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Rogério M. Pinto, LCSW, Ph.D. Associate Professor Associate Dean for Research School of Social Work University of Michigan Ann Arbor, USA

Dr. Pinto

Rogério M. Pinto, LCSW, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Associate Dean for Research
School of Social Work
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: This research, published in Health Education & Behavior (https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198118760681),highlights the crucial role of providers of social and public health services in helping patients to access lifesaving HIV services. Before 2012, providers were encouraged and trained to link patients to behavioral interventions to help patients modify their behaviors to protect themselves against HIV transmission and infection. A shift in policy from targeting anyone at risk to those at highest risk (called “High Impact Prevention”) made these interventions less available (they were actually discontinued) and new policy dictated that providers should have as many people as possible access HIV testing and link them to HIV primary care in order to receive antiretroviral medication.

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Severe Obesity More Common in Rural or Urban Areas in US?

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Ogden

Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD, MRP
Chief, NHANES Analysis Branch
Epidemiologist, NCHS/CDC
Hyattsville, MD 20782

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: 40% of adults and over 18% of youth in the US have obesity. Disparities in obesity have been reported by demographics and urbanization.

We looked at the prevalence of obesity and severe obesity by demographics and by level of urbanization – rural, small/medium metro and large urban. We also looked at trends over time in urban and rural areas.

Obesity and severe obesity rates were higher in rural areas than large urban areas among adults. Among youth, severe obesity rates were higher in rural areas compared to large urban areas.

Differences in age, smoking, education or race/ethnicity between urban and rural areas did not explain the differences we found between urban and rural areas.

Between 2001-2004 and 2013-2016 severe obesity among men in rural areas more than tripled and among women more than doubled. Increases in severe obesity also occurred in urban areas in men and women but they were not nearly as large.

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Guillain-Barré Syndrome With and Without Zika

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Dirlikov

Dr. Emilio Dirlikov, PhD
Office of Epidemiology and Research, Puerto Rico Department of Health
Epidemic Intelligence Service
Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: After reporting local Zika transmission in December 2015, the Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDH), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and University of Puerto Rico began identifying cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), testing specimens, and conducting follow-up telephone interviews after patients left the hospital.

Through these efforts, we were able to characterize acute clinical features and long-term disability of GBS associated with Zika infection by analyzing data from GBS patients with and without evidence of Zika infection.

This investigation increases scientific and medical understanding of Guillain-Barré syndrome following Zika infection, provides insight into the disease processes involved in GBS following Zika infection, and adds to growing evidence of a causal association between Zika and GBS. Continue reading →

Fewer US Children Taking Prescription Medications

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Hales

Craig M. Hales, MD, MPH, MS
CDR, U.S. Public Health Service
Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys
National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Monitoring trends in prescription medication use among children and adolescents is an important part of understanding the health of youth in the U.S. and the healthcare they receive.

For this study we used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey or NHANES, which is a nationally representative survey of the US population and as part of this face-to-face survey in the home, we ask participants about their prescription medication use in the last 30 days and collect information about the prescription directly from the medication package.

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Over 2.5 Million US Kids Diagnosed With Anxiety and Depression

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Rebecca H. Bitsko, PhD
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities(https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/index.html) (NCBDDD) is committed to helping children who have mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Anxiety and depression are both internalizing mental disorders that often start during childhood, and that frequently occur together.

In this study, we show that more than 1 in 20, or 2.6 million, US children aged 6-17 had a current diagnosis of anxiety or depression, by parent report, in 2011-12. We also found an increase of diagnosed anxiety in these children from 1 in 28 in 2007 to 1 in 24 in 2011-12.

Further, in 2011-12, approximately 1 in 5 children with current anxiety or depression did not receive mental health treatment in the past year.

Children with current anxiety or depression were more likely than those without to have:

Another mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder such as ADHD, learning disability, or speech or language problems
School problems
Parents who report high levels of stress and frustration with parenting
Unmet medical and mental health service needs

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Falls in Older Adults Cost US Over $50 Billion Dollars Annually

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Florence

Curtis Florence, PhD
Division of Analysis, Research and Practice Integration
CDC’s Injury Center

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The estimates in this study provide a more robust indicator of the economic impact falls have on the U.S. economy. Previous studies focused on Medicare spending. This study includes Medicare, Medicaid and out-of-pocket spending.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: Our study found that older adult (65 years and over) falls impose a large economic burden on the U.S. healthcare system. In 2015, with a total medical cost $50 billion for non-fatal and fatal falls. About three-quarters of the total cost was paid by government-funded programs. Medicare paid nearly $29 billion for non-fatal falls, Medicaid $8.7 billion, and $12 billion was paid for by Private/Out-of-pocket expenses. For fatal falls, $754 million was spent in 2015.

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HIV Incidence Decreasing But Not Among Latino and AA Gay and Bisexual Men

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sonia Singh, PhD, Epidemiologist
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: HIV infection is a persistent health concern in the United States, particularly for people at high risk of infection such as gay and bisexual men. We used data from the National HIV Surveillance System to estimate HIV incidence and prevalence and the percentage of undiagnosed HIV infections overall and among gay and bisexual men.

Estimated HIV incidence declined nearly 15% overall in the U.S. from an estimated 45,200 infections in 2008 to 38,500 in 2015. Estimated HIV incidence declined for both males (9%) and females (33%) over this period. Estimated HIV incidence declined 32% among heterosexuals, 42% among people who inject drugs and 20% among gay and bisexual men who also inject drugs. Estimated HIV incidence remained relatively stable among gay and bisexual men; however, it increased over 25% among Latino gay and bisexual men, almost 45% among gay and bisexual men ages 25 to 34 and 30% among gay and bisexual men ages 55 and older.

The percentage of undiagnosed HIV infections decreased nearly 20%, from 18.1% in 2008 to 14.5% in 2015. The percentage of undiagnosed HIV infections among gay and bisexual men declined 21.6%, from 21.3% in 2008 to 16.7% in 2015. In 2015, the percentage of undiagnosed HIV infections was highest among gay and bisexual males ages 13-24 (52.2%) compared to other age groups and higher among Latino (20.1%) and African American (19.6%) gay and bisexual men, as well as Asian gay and bisexual men (20.5%), compared to white gay and bisexual men (11.9%).

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Sinus Infections: Majority of Antibiotic Prescriptions Longer Than Recommended

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Fleming-Dutra

Dr. Katherine Fleming-Dutra, MD, senior author
Deputy Director
Office of Antibiotic Stewardship
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: As noted in a previous study, antibiotics are prescribed more for sinus infections than any other illness in the United States. We found that almost 70% of antibiotic prescriptions were for 10 days or longer, whereas 5-7 days is recommended for most patients when antibiotics are needed. In addition, more than 20% of antibiotic prescriptions for sinus infections were for 5 days of azithromycin, even though guidelines recommend against prescribing azithromycin for sinus infections. Continue reading →

Obesity Increased in Adults But Not Youth in Last Ten Years

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Craig M. Hales, MD Cheryl D. Fryar, MSPH; Margaret D. Carroll, MSPH; David S. Freedman, PhD; Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD
National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: In this analysis we examined recent trends in the prevalence of obesity and severe obesity among both youth and adults, by sex and age group.

Among adults, obesity and severe obesity prevalence has increased over the last 10 years. Obesity prevalence increased from 33.7% in 2007-2008 to 39.6% or almost 40% in 2015-2016, and severe obesity increased from 5.7% in 2007-2008 to 7.7% in 2015-2016. We see this same pattern of increasing prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in both men and women, and in different age groups.

On the other hand, among youth, we saw no increasing or decreasing trends in obesity or severe obesity prevalence over the 10 year period. And this was true for both boys and girls and for different age groups.

Measured height and weight is the gold standard for generating accurate estimates of obesity prevalence. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is unique in that it combines both interviews in the home and physical examinations in mobile examination centers, and it is the only national survey where people’s height and weight are physically measured. This is why NHANES is such an important source of data for understanding trends in obesity in youth and adults.

Citations:

Hales CM, Fryar CD, Carroll MD, Freedman DS, Ogden CL. Trends in Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in US Youth and Adults by Sex and Age, 2007-2008 to 2015-2016. JAMA. Published online March 23, 2018. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.3060

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Study Finds Adults Who Used Sunscreen Slightly More Likely To Get Sunburned

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dawn Holman, MPH
Behavioral Scientist Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Sunburn at any age increases a person’s chances of developing skin cancer in the future. Using a combination of strategies including staying in the shade, wearing clothing that covers the arms and legs, wearing a hat with a wide brim, and wearing sunscreen (SPF 15+) on exposed skin can protect skin from sun damage and reduce risk of sunburn.

This study used national data to examine how often US adults used these sun protection strategies when outdoors in the sun for an hour or longer and how many US adults got sunburned in 2015.

Among adult women, staying in the shade and using sunscreen were the most common sun protection methods. About 40% of women regularly used these strategies. Women were less likely to wear a wide-brimmed hat (14%) or wear clothing covering their arms (11%) and legs (23%).

Among adult men, wearing pants or other clothing covering their legs and staying in the shade were the most common sun protection methods. Just over 30% of men regularly used these strategies. Men were less likely to use sunscreen (22%), wear a wide-brimmed hat (14%) or wear a shirt with long sleeves (13%).

About one-third of US adults got sunburned in 2015. Sunburn was even more common among certain groups. For example, about half of individuals with sun-sensitive skin and about half of adults aged 18-29 got sunburned.

Certain behaviors and health conditions were related to sunburn. For example, adults who used sunless tanning products to darken their skin, binge drank, engaged in aerobic activity, or were overweight or obese were more likely to get sunburned compared to other adults. Adults who regularly stayed in the shade when outdoors or avoided long periods of time in the sun were slightly less likely to get sunburned compared to other adults.

Adults who regularly used sunscreen were slightly more likely to get sunburned. Continue reading →

MedicalResearch.com

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Category Archives: CDC

Skyrocketing JUUL Sales Especially Popular Among Youth

Puppies From Commercial Dog Industry Source of Multistate Diarrhea Infections

Almost 2 Million Children Suffer Traumatic Brain Injury Each Year

Gender Nonconformity Strongly Associated With Substance Abuse Among Male Students

CDC: Homicide Rates At Least 10 Times Higher For Young Adult Blacks Than Whites

More Than 2 Million High School Students Have Used Marijuana in an E-Cigarette

CDC Finds Millions Still Have Heart Disease Risk Factors

Medicaid Expansion May Increase Access to Birth Control and Family Planning Services

CDC Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Mild Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Opioid Prescriptions Drop After 2016 CDC Guidelines Released

Antibiotics Leading Cause of Pediatric Adverse Drug Events in ER

CDC: Multiple States Report Salmonella Infections From Backyard Poultry

CDC Reports Salmonella Reading Outbreak: Urges Food Preparation Precautions

Antibiotics Still Overprescribed in Many Outpatient Settings

CDC’s Change in HIV Policy Impacted Providers’ Role in Prevention

Severe Obesity More Common in Rural or Urban Areas in US?

Guillain-Barré Syndrome With and Without Zika

Fewer US Children Taking Prescription Medications

Over 2.5 Million US Kids Diagnosed With Anxiety and Depression

Falls in Older Adults Cost US Over $50 Billion Dollars Annually

HIV Incidence Decreasing But Not Among Latino and AA Gay and Bisexual Men

Sinus Infections: Majority of Antibiotic Prescriptions Longer Than Recommended

Obesity Increased in Adults But Not Youth in Last Ten Years

Study Finds Adults Who Used Sunscreen Slightly More Likely To Get Sunburned