Category: From Newswise – Addiction

BYLINE: Myra Wright

Newswise — WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Oct. 5, 2023 – Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have received a five-year $10 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to create a broad research program that will work to reduce opioid-related harms and improve quality of life in patients on long-term opioid therapy.

The grant aligns with the NIH’s Helping End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative. The initiative, which launched in 2018, was created to find scientific solutions to stem the national opioid and pain public health crises.

The project is titled Multilevel Interventions to Reduce Harm and Improve Quality of Life for Patients on Long-term Opioid Therapy (MIRHIQL) and will involve the creation of a national resource center at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

“Despite the well-known challenges of opioid crises, there is no clinical definition of opioid misuse,” said Meredith C.B. Adams, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology, biomedical informatics, physiology and pharmacology, and public health sciences at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “This funding enables us to bring together researchers from across the country to focus on defining opioid misuse, with the long-term goal of our center to develop a better understanding of chronic pain and related factors of long-term opioid use.”

According to Adams, who is a co-principal investigator, there are also certain populations who might benefit from opioids to manage chronic pain which adds to the complexity of the problem.

In 2022, Adams’ team received a $4 million grant from the NIH HEAL initiative to create an Integrative Management of Chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery (IMPOWR): Coordination Center for a network of clinical research centers focused on patient-centered interventions.

Adams’ research team also received $3.5 million in 2022 from the NIH to study how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted opioid use disorder and how the COVID-19 response and mitigation policies impact health outcomes, especially in vulnerable populations.

And earlier this year, Adams was awarded $7.5 million from the NIH’s HEAL Data 2 Action (HD2A) program, which is designed to use real-time data to guide actions and change processes toward reducing overdoses and improving opioid use disorder treatment and pain management.

With the latest funding, the team will create a research community that connects the MIRHIQL network to IMPOWR research centers as well as a larger NIH HEAL network.

“We hope that by defining opioid misuse, we can provide a clear risk vs. harm analysis of long-term opioid therapy for providers,” said Robert W. Hurley, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for faculty development and professor of anesthesiology, neurobiology, anatomy, and public health at Wake Forest University School of Medicine; executive director of the pain service line at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist; and co-principal investigator. “This research will allow us to improve care for patients who are living with chronic pain and decrease opioid misuse and abuse.” 

Newswise — As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prepares to issue a final rule prohibiting flavored cigars, a report issued today by the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies (INTS) and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids documents how tobacco companies have flooded the market with cheap, flavored cigars that appeal to children and have used a variety of marketing strategies to attract young people.

According to a report compiled by the two organizations, sales of all cigars more than doubled between 2000 and 2021, largely driven by increased sales of smaller cigars, many of which are flavored. The hundreds of flavored cigars make up about half the cigar market, with flavors ranging from fruit punch and grape to “Berry Fusion,” “Iced Donut” and “Cherry Dynamite.”

“Kids are the most price-sensitive consumers in any market, and these cigars are cheap,” said Kymberle Sterling, associate director for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at INTS and an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health. “A pack of three cigars often sells for 99 cents. The sweet flavors also appeal to children.”

The report notes that these flavored products have helped make cigars the second most popular tobacco product among youth, after e-cigarettes. About 500,000 youth use cigars, and each day, more than 800 youth try cigar smoking for the first time. Black youth have the highest rates of cigar smoking, with Black high school students using cigars at 1.5 times the rate of White high schoolers.

The report comes as the FDA is about to issue a final rule prohibiting flavored cigars. The federal agency announced a proposed rule in April 2022 based on evidence that cigar use poses serious health risks, flavors increase the appeal of cigars and make them easier to use, especially for youth, and removing flavored cigars from the market would reduce the number of youth who smoke cigars. Flavors are already prohibited in cigarettes except for menthol-flavored cigarettes, which the FDA is proposing to prohibit.

These rules will benefit public health, and the FDA should finalize and implement them without delay, according to the report’s authors, who also call on states and cities to continue their increasing efforts to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products.

Rutgers contributors to the report include Sterling, INTS Director Cristine Delnevo and INTS Assistant Professor Ollie Ganz.

Other findings of the report include:

• Flavors have fueled the popularity of cigars among youth. Flavors improve the taste and mask the harshness of tobacco, making flavored tobacco products more appealing and easier for beginners, who are often youth, to smoke. Flavors in cigars increase youth initiation and progression to regular use and are associated with greater potential for addiction. The majority of youth who have smoked cigars started with a flavored cigar. Nearly three-quarters of youth who smoke cigars said they did so “because they come in flavors I like.” The most popular cigar brands among youth come in an array of candy and fruit flavors. Of concern, flavors can create the impression that a product is less harmful than it really is.
• Cigar smoking harms health. Cigar smoke is composed of the same toxic and carcinogenic constituents found in cigarette smoke. Cigar smoking causes cancer of the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus and lungs, and daily cigar smokers have an increased risk of heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and aortic aneurysm. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that youth use of nicotine in any form is unsafe, can cause addiction and can harm adolescent brain development. 
• Flavored cigars are marketed in ways that appeal to youth. Cigar makers use a variety of marketing strategies to attract young people, including shiny, colorful packaging that boldly communicates sweet flavors, engaging in popular social media trends, sponsoring concerts and other events, recruiting celebrities for endorsements and keeping prices low. Cigars are promoted through in-store displays, in magazines, and with branded merchandise and rewards programs. Many of these strategies are used to promote cigars, specifically in Black communities.

Newswise — ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 3, 2023) — A 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for states to legalize and regulate sports betting created a boom in online sports betting nationwide, with over 34 states and Washington D.C. legalizing some form of the practice in the years since.

With NFL season now underway and betting only expected to grow, the industry is preparing for its biggest gambling season ever, with commercial gaming revenues expected to top last year’s record of $60 billion.

Dolores Cimini, a licensed psychologist and director of the Center for Behavioral Health Promotion and Applied Research at the University at Albany and senior research scientist in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, has studied the issue of problem gambling for years and says the ease of access created by mobile and online betting is just one factor fueling a rise in compulsive and addictive gambling behaviors.

In May, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko announced that UAlbany would receive a five-year award totaling more than $4.8 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to develop innovative evidence-based screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment protocols for students struggling with substance use and problem gambling. Cimini and Jessica Martin, a senior research associate and research fellow at UAlbany’s School of Education, are leading the research, with a focus on building novel, accessible and effective interventions that can assist other colleges and universities in doing the same.

We recently caught up with Cimini to learn more about the compulsive side of sports betting and resources that are available to assist those struggling to curb problematic gambling behavior.

Has there been an increase in problem gambling since the legalization of online sports betting in New York and other states?

Since New York State legalized online betting in early January 2022, it has become the biggest sports betting market in the nation, surpassing Nevada and New Jersey, which captured the top spot in mobile sports betting after legalizing the practice in 2018. There have been more than $2 billion in wagers in New York State in the first few months of 2022, bringing nearly $80 million in tax revenue to our state.

There are several reasons for this increase, including offers and promotions by a number of companies to encourage such betting activity.

In the first few months of 2022 alone, state tax revenue from online betting had already surpassed projections. Additionally, the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports reported a 46 percent increase in calls to its gambling help line in January 2022, compared with the previous January.

How does online sports betting differ from other forms of gambling in its psychological and behavioral impact?

Online betting is a form of gambling that involves playing casino-like games, lotteries and betting on sporting events over the internet and other online platforms. There are several reasons why sports betting is appealing and different people have different motivations to bet on sports:

• Ease of access: Since 2018 when the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban many states legalized betting on sports, and getting started is easy. Players can sign up with an online betting platform or mobile betting app and be ready to go in minutes.
• Entertainment: Betting on sporting events can be an enjoyable and social activity to enjoy with friends, family or colleagues.
• Profit potential: The chance of winning big keeps people coming back for more. However, there is always the chance of losing big and chasing losses, in a desperate attempt to recoup money that rarely has a happy outcome.
• Mental challenge: Sports betting allows people to use their sports and betting knowledge. Sports enthusiasts can put their expertise to practical use while gamblers can test their betting skills and know-how.
• Excitement: Sports betting can enhance the thrill of the game, especially when watching and betting simultaneously.

The National Council on Problem Gambling conducted a review of more than 140 studies and reported on the link between sports betting and gambling addiction. It concluded that “recent research suggests that gambling problems may increase as sports gambling grows explosively at the same time that mobile and online technologies evolve to create seemingly unlimited types of wagering opportunities.”

Online bettors need to be aware of the risks, which include addiction and associated mental health issues; vulnerability to financial losses and scams as well as computer viruses, spyware and hackers; theft of personal and credit card information; and negative attitudes toward people who engage in gambling.

How big an issue is problem gambling and online sports betting on college campuses?

Approximately 75 percent of college students gambled during the past year, betting on the lottery, casino games, cards and sports. While the vast majority of college students who are of legal age to gamble do so responsibly, the most recent research estimates that 6 percent of college students in the U.S. have a serious gambling problem that can result in psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt and failing grades.

Today’s college students are exposed to gambling both on campus and in the surrounding community, including online wagering on professional and college sports, lotteries, online or in-person casino games, horse and dog racing, and bingo and raffles.

What signs should someone look out for — in themselves or others — to identify whether a betting habit has become problematic?

While gambling can be fun for many who engage in it and are of legal age, it’s not a risk-free activity. For some college students, gambling for fun can turn into a serious problem and have a negative impact on their lives. Problem gambling – or gambling addiction – includes all gambling behavior patterns that compromise, disrupt or damage personal, family or vocational pursuits.

Symptoms include increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, “chasing” losses, frequent unexplained absences from classes or work, visible changes in behavior such as mood changes or a sudden drop in grades, a decline in health, withdrawal from loved ones, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting, serious, negative consequences. In extreme cases, problem gambling can result in financial ruin, legal problems, loss of career and family, or even suicide.

Anyone who gambles can develop problems. This is why it is important to be aware of the risks and to gamble in a responsible way, if they choose to gamble. When gambling behavior interferes with finances, relationships and the workplace, a serious problem already exists.

Gambling disorders can be associated with numerous negative consequences and are highly correlated with other risky behaviors. Students who use tobacco, drink heavily or binge drink, use cannabis or use other drugs, drive under the influence or have a low GPA are more likely to gamble.

What resources are available for people who may be struggling with a betting addiction?

For services within the Capital Region and throughout the state, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports maintains a listing of licensed providers in New York State. Individuals can also seek help at one of New York’s Problem Gambling Resource Centers. The National Council on Problem Gambling also offers resources. Call or text their helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER, chat with helpline counselors at www.1800gamblerchat.org, find a treatment facility, or attend a self-help meeting.

Learn more about the issue and how to get help if you need it at CollegeGambling.org, which was designed specifically to help current and prospective students, campus administrators, campus health professionals and parents address gambling and gambling-related harms on campus.

Newswise — Young people (24 years and younger) spend an average of six hours a day online, primarily using their smartphones, according to research from the University of Surrey. Older people (those 24 years and older) spend 4.6 hours online.

Surrey’s study, which involved 796 participants, introduces a new internet addiction spectrum, categorising internet users into five groups:

• Casual Users (14.86%): This group mainly goes online for specific tasks and logs off without lingering. They show no signs of addiction and are generally older, with an average age of 33.4 years. They are the least interested in exploring new apps.

• Initial Users (22.86%): These individuals often find themselves online longer than they initially planned and are somewhat neglectful of household chores but don’t consider themselves addicted. They are moderately interested in apps and have an average age of 26.1 years.

• Experimenters (21.98%): This group feels uneasy or anxious when not connected to the internet. Once they go online, they feel better. Experimenters are more willing to try out new apps and technology, and their average age is between 22.8 and 24.3 years.

• Addicts-in-Denial (17.96%): These users display addictive behaviours like forming new relationships online and neglecting real-world responsibilities to be online. However, they won’t admit to feeling uneasy when they’re not connected. They are also quite confident in using mobile technology.

• Addicts (22.36%): This group openly acknowledges their internet addiction and recognises its negative impact on their lives. They are the most confident in using new apps and technology. Their time online is significantly greater than that of the Casual Users.

Dr Brigitte Stangl, the lead author of the study at the University of Surrey, said:

“Our main aim was to clarify the difference between using the internet in a problematic way and being addicted to it. We found that the younger you are, the more likely you are to be addicted to the internet, and this tendency decreases with age.

“We also wanted to explore how the severity of internet addiction affects users’ experience with new, high-tech applications like augmented reality.”

The researchers found no link between gender and online behaviour. Additionally, higher levels of addiction correlated with more confidence in using mobile technology, particularly a greater willingness to try out new apps.

The study also discovered that emotional experiences (the emotions felt while using an app) strongly predicted future behaviour for all groups when interacting with augmented reality. In contrast, action experiences (navigating a website or playing a game) were mostly irrelevant for addicts.

Dr Stangl concluded:

“Our study underscores the need for tailored interventions and support for individuals at various stages of internet addiction. The findings will certainly influence the design and development of digital services and AR applications, ensuring they cater to the diverse needs of users in the current digital environment.”

The study has been published in the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing.

• New study from the University of Sheffield indicates more people than currently thought may be physically unable to use the machines relied upon to gather evidence of driving under the influence

• Older people, shorter people, women and those who smoke are included in those who may be physically unable to provide a satisfactory breath sample

• Current belief suggests anyone can use an evidential breath analysis machine, unless they can provide documentation of respiratory, or mental illness

• There are approximately 4,000 convictions for ‘Failure to Provide’ in the UK each year

• A lack of research underpinning the use of breathalysers may be contributing to wrong outcomes in justice system

Newswise — Some people may be physically unable to use the current evidential breath analysis machines, relied upon by police to gather proof of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, new research from the University of Sheffield indicates.

The new study challenges the norm that anyone failing to provide a sample of breath at a police station is being deliberately obstructive, questioning the fairness of ‘failure to provide’ charges.

Under the 1988 Road Traffic Act, anyone unable to complete a breathalyser test at a police station is automatically charged with Failure to Provide, which can have serious consequences for the offender including driving disqualifications, a maximum possible sentence of six months’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

Analysis of over 280,000 spirometry data entries in the UK Biobank (a measurement of how much air that a person can move in and out of their lungs), showed a significant minority of people, including older people, women, those who are shorter in height or smokers over the age of 40, may simply be physically unable to provide a sample.

As many as one in 38 men and one in 26 women of small stature are physiologically incapable of providing an evidential breath sample. The picture worsens with age and being a daily smoker doubles the risk.

Although there is still a lot of variation in lung capacity between individuals even at the same height – generally the bigger you are, the bigger your lungs tend to be. Because on average women are smaller than men, a higher proportion of them are small enough not to have the necessary physical capacity. In terms of age, the problem is the effects of ageing on the lungs, chest and diaphragm such as a loss of elasticity of tissue. 

Up until now, research to validate obtaining breath samples has investigated fewer than 300 individuals, so this new study highlights the severe lack of data on which use of the evidential breath analysis machines is based.

Lead researcher Galen Ives, from the University of Sheffield’s Information School, said: “Although there are procedures currently in place to gather alternative samples in cases where someone using an evidential breath test machine fails to provide a valid sample, the current belief by the authorities is that unless they have a respiratory illness, everyone should be able to use them.

“We now know this to be false, therefore it’s vitally important that police forces are alerted to the fact that certain groups of people are more likely to be unable to use these machines, and they therefore should adopt a more equitable application of the law for individuals who aren’t obviously obstructing the course of the investigation, and take an alternative sample, such as a blood or urine test.”

Currently, any defence against a Failure to Provide charge requires a documented history of a condition such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; or mental health condition such as extreme anxiety, to provide a valid reason for the test not being completed at the time of the request.

Chronic anxiety can lead to a person normally using their chest rather than their diaphragm to breathe. Galen states that lack of available research data in this area means the current evidence is also unable to demonstrate how this could affect a person’s ability to complete an evidential breath test, even if they have the required respiratory capacity.

There are approximately 4,000 convictions for Failure to Provide in the UK each year, and the study suggests that not applying the law more flexibly and readily allowing suspects to give alternative samples, could be contributing to wrong outcomes in the justice system.

Examples are: a person who may not have been over the legal blood alcohol limit but is convicted due to not being able to provide a sample, or individuals who should have actually received a penalty, but are acquitted when a different specimen would have proved their guilt.

Hester Russell, Partner and Head of Criminal Defence at GWBHarthills Solicitors has represented defendants in Failure to Provide cases. She said: “I have often felt concerned about the assumption that evidential breath machines are infallible and that they should – as a rule – override the legitimate concerns of members of the public.

“I have represented a significant number of people who have not been in a position to provide breath, but contend that they really have done their best and have more than a handful of cases every year where, with the help of experts, we have obtained acquittals; but it is a hard fought battle and unless the Defendant is eligible for Legal Aid it is often one that people can simply not afford to fight.”

Hester said that such confidence is placed in the machinery, that the very clear response of most tribunals is that a Defendant must be wrong, or ‘trying it on’ if they have simply been unable to provide a specimen; especially if they do not have any known medical issues.

She adds: “This piece of crucial research should remind those of us within the Criminal Justice System to exercise caution before advising defendants to plead guilty because a machine tells them to.”

Galen Ives added: “The results in this study imply that the percentage of people incapable of using an evidential breathalyser is likely to be far higher than suggested by the existing, small-scale studies which supposedly validate their use. More research, and action by the Police is needed to ensure that the law is applied to everyone as equitably as possible.”

Newswise — A new study has found that Canadian adults with cannabis use disorder appear to have an approximately 60% higher risk of experiencing their first heart attack, stroke, or other major cardiovascular event than those without cannabis use disorder.

The study, published in Addiction, measured the association between problematic marijuana use and the first-time occurrence of adverse cardiovascular disease events such as heart attack, stroke, cardiac dysrhythmias, and peripheral vascular disease.

Researchers used five Canadian health databases to create a cohort of nearly 60,000 participants, half with a cannabis use disorder diagnosis and half without, matched by gender, year of birth, and time of presentation to the health system. People with prior adverse cardiovascular disease events were excluded. The participants were tracked from January 2012 to December 2019. Among people with cannabis use disorder, 2.4% (721) experienced a first-time cardiovascular disease event, compared with 1.5% (458) in the unexposed group.

Within the group of people with cannabis use disorder, people with no co-occurring medical illness, no prescriptions, and fewer than five visits to health services in the last six months had an even higher risk of a first-time cardiovascular disease event – approximately 1.4 times higher than for the rest of the cannabis-use-disorder group. This may be because those people considered themselves healthy and may not have acted on or even noticed the warning signs of an imminent heart attack, stroke, or other major cardiovascular event.

Dr. Anees Bahji, lead author of the study, emphasized the significance of these findings for public health and clinical practice. “Our study doesn’t provide enough information to say that cannabis use disorder causes adverse cardiovascular disease events, but we can go so far as to say that Canadians with cannabis use disorder appear to have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people without the disorder.”

The study contributes to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the health implications of cannabis use disorder and its potential links to cardiovascular health.

Newswise — Hospital visits from alcohol- and substance-related disorders are driven by elevated temperatures and could be further affected by rising temperatures due to climate change, according to new research by environmental health scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. 

The study, which is published in the peer-reviewed journal Communications Medicine, is likely the first comprehensive investigation of the association between temperature and alcohol- and substance-related hospital visits.  

“We saw that during periods of higher temperatures, there was a corresponding increase in hospital visits related to alcohol and substance use, which also brings attention to some less obvious potential consequences of climate change,” says first author Robbie M. Parks, PhD, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia Public Health. 

In recent decades, there has been an increasing trend of heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related deaths and disease in the United States, particularly in middle-aged to older adults. Drug overdose deaths have increased more than five times since the end of the 20^th century.

The researchers examined the relationship between temperature and hospital visits related to alcohol and other drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, opioids, and sedatives in New York State. They used data from 671,625 alcohol- and 721,469 substance-related disorder hospital visits over 20 years and a comprehensive record of daily temperatures and relative humidity to derive insights using a statistical model which compared days with high temperatures with nearby days with lower temperatures useful to understand the impact of short-term climate-related phenomena such as periods of elevated heat. 

They found that the higher the temperatures, the more hospital visits for alcohol-related disorders. Higher hospital visits in higher temperatures for alcohol-related disorders may potentially be driven by more time outdoors performing riskier activities, consuming more substances in more pleasant outdoor weather, more perspiration causing greater dehydration, or driving while under the influence.

For other drug disorders (cannabis, cocaine, opioid, sedatives), higher temperatures also resulted in more hospital visits but only up to a limit of 65.8°F (18.8°C). This temperature limit could happen because above a certain temperature people are no more likely to go outside.

Future research might examine the role of existing health conditions exacerbated by alcohol and/or substance use combined with rising temperatures.

The authors note that their study may underestimate the link between temperature rise and substance use disorders because the most severe disorders may have resulted in deaths before a hospital visit was possible. Going forward, the researchers may attempt to link cases of deaths with hospital visit records to create a fuller picture of patients’ medical history. 

Meanwhile, public health scientists and officials can pursue interventions, such as awareness campaigns around the risks of warming temperatures on substance use. The findings could inform policy on proactive assistance of alcohol- and substance-vulnerable communities during periods of elevated temperatures.

“Public health interventions that broadly target alcohol and substance disorders in warmer weather—for example, targeted messaging on the risks of their consumption during warmer weather—should be a public health priority,” says senior author Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, ScD, associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia Public Health. 

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ES033742, ES033742, ES030616, ES028805, ES009089, ES023770, MD012451).  

Additional co-authors include Sebastian T. Rowland, Vivian Do, and Amelia K Boehme, Columbia Public Health; Carl L. Hart, Columbia Psychiatry; and Francesca Dominici, T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The authors declare no competing interests.

According to a recently published article on Axios, women have higher out-of-pocket expenses for their health care than men despite having similar health insurance. Even when removing maternity care from the equation, women each year are paying $15.4 billion more out of pocket for health care. This so-called ‘Pink tax’ reflects the penalty levied on females for everything from tampons and razors—is alive and well in the U.S. healthcare system. Below are some of the latest headlines in the Women’s Health channel on Newswise. 

A New AI Model Has Been Developed to Improve Accuracy of Breast Cancer Tumor Removal

-University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Social media and low self-compassion behind rise in cosmetic surgery

-University of South Australia

Exposure to extreme heat associated with adverse health outcomes for pregnant women

-University of California, Irvine

Iron supplements provided in prenatal visits improved outcomes

-UT Southwestern Medical Center

Study finds the placenta holds answers to many unexplained pregnancy losses

-Yale University

Witchcraft accusations an ‘occupational hazard’ for female workers in early modern England

-University of Cambridge

Substance Abuse in Pregnancy Doubles Cardiovascular Risk

-Cedars-Sinai

In major breakthrough, researchers close in on preeclampsia cure

-University of Western Ontario (now Western University)

When it comes to starting a family, timing is everything

-University of Oxford

Using personalized medicine to target gynecological cancers

-University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Internet searches increased for self-managed abortions when Roe vs. Wade was overturned

-University of California, Irvine

Stem cell-derived components may treat underlying causes of PCOS

-University of Chicago Medical Center

High levels of particulate air pollution associated with increased breast cancer incidence

-National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Newswise — A new study from Yale School of Medicine finds adolescents who spend more time on social media may be more likely to try e-cigarettes.

Researchers led by Juhan Lee, PhD, found that compared to adolescents who never use social networks, those who reported daily use of social media platforms were more than three times likelier to use e-cigarettes for the first time over the following year. The study used data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study collected between 2016 and 2019.

For youth who already reported vaping, daily social media use did not predict continuing e-cigarette use.

“We need a stronger commitment to protect our youth from pro-tobacco content online,” says senior author Grace Kong, PhD. “Anti-tobacco campaigns on social media and regulations to prevent tobacco companies from targeting youth on social media could be effective strategies.”

BYLINE: Greg Bruno

Newswise — Researchers have long suspected that neighborhoods can be a source of risk or protection for child well-being. A new Rutgers study supports this assumption and finds that when parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a more difficult time caring for their children.

“To get the best outcomes for kids and to elicit the best parenting, families need a safe, stable, stimulating environment, both at home and in the surrounding community,” said Katherine Marcal, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Social Work and coauthor of the study published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect.

“But if you live in a neighborhood where you can’t go outside, can’t go to a park or can’t walk down the sidewalk because there are drug dealers or trash, then families are cooped up in stressful conditions. This stress can make maltreatment more likely to occur.”

Most previous work has focused only on residents’ views of neighborhood quality and safety. By examining both parent and outsider perspectives, the researchers were able to substantiate a link between neighborhood disorder and child maltreatment.

Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study of children born in large United States cities between 1998 and 2000, Marcal and colleagues sought to assess the link between neighborhood conditions at child age 3 and child maltreatment at age 5.

As part of the well-being study, mothers reported on how often they encountered drug activity, gang violence and other dangerous elements in their community. Answers ranged from “never” to “frequently.” In the same study, outsiders recorded physical qualities such as vacant buildings, abandoned cars, trash and other signs of physical deterioration in the neighborhoods where mothers lived.

Marcal and her colleagues then assessed the relationship between these neighborhood factors with subsequent child maltreatment behaviors.

The researchers found that resident and outsider perceptions of neighborhood disorder were independently related to the likelihood of physical abuse. Additionally, resident perceptions of neighborhood disorder were associated with greater likelihood of psychological abuse.

The findings have significant implications for child welfare strategies, Marcal said. Improving the built environment, reducing poverty and providing adequate housing and housing services could help reduce maltreatment risks in low-income communities, the researchers wrote.

“We’re definitely gaining a better understanding of how stress and hardship affects behaviors,” said Marcal. “Child abuse isn’t just a simple matter of bad people being bad parents.”